Back from Wonderland:wAlice,Madhatter,ChesCat&White Rabbit 11/11Thank You

[Mickey_Mom]

BRAVO! BRAVO! I completely 100% agree with you wholeheartedly about everything you've said! Like your battle with that school, we had our battles with a once close family member who wanted to hurt George for reasons only known to her. In the midst of a fight with him, she hurled in his face that "at least I don't have a retarded daughter".... so on and so on. (That is the ultimate no-no in my books. She's so very lucky I wasn't in that room!) Now, with every single accomplishment that Ariana makes, I smile with love and pride and mentally throw it back in her face.

Ahem... yes... back to Rabbit now I LOVE that he got to fight Darth Vader.... LOVE IT! An absolutely fabulous memory for you all!

 

[PNO4TE]

What a battle you all have waged, Patricia! And Rabbit has won!!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

I just wanted to stand up and cheer for David! What a magical moment for your entire family!! You also got some awesome photos of the action! LOVE IT

 

[jordanyosh]

The Toy Story Running of the Bulls is a little scary. Okay...a lot scary. I can't imagine it with kids, it was nerve wracking enough with Marc. I went ahead to get the fast passes and he caught up to me. We didn't even do standby but we should have. Such a fun ride!

I have a feeling Hatter ends up wearing that shirt....

The Toy Story Running of the Bulls..

I'm glad you all have survived the madness. I like the FP AND Stand by idea...I may need to use this strategy in Feb...

 

[praisehisname]

What a great installment, and I particularly enjoyed the interlude. We are in the process of having our daughter tested to see if she is on the spectrum, and your post was very enlightening. Thanks!

Denise

 

[tiggrbaby]

Wow!!! What a beautiful moment! And what a horrible school!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

OMG I so want to ride TSM, but I am scared out of my mind about the trampling herd of people to get there! Can't wait to hear if Hatter got picked for Jedi training!

Denise

Oh Denise-you really should ride it...it's just ...I think its good to know what to expect...if you only want to ride it once...no problem...send DH up to get fastpasses...and you and the children can avoid it by heading in a different direction...I think its easier for one adult...

If you really want to ride it twice...I've also heard some people have good luck with standby at the end of the day...

Don't miss it though-It is one of Disney's best...

The Toy Story Running of the Bulls is a little scary. Okay...a lot scary. I can't imagine it with kids, it was nerve wracking enough with Marc. I went ahead to get the fast passes and he caught up to me. We didn't even do standby but we should have. Such a fun ride!

I have a feeling Hatter ends up wearing that shirt....

TSM is one of my favorites...but I really, really dislike "The TSM Running of the Bulls" as you so aptly put it...I don't know what the answer it...I'm always impressed that no one is hurt in these races to the newest, mosts popular ride...

Maybe for the crazy popular rides...they could break up where they put the FP machines...like at the Sorcerer's Hat for FPs and then you could just keep going if you wanted to standby...just until the initial buzz wore off-I don't know...

You are such a smart......the shirt was in fact worn...

OMG! That TSM bull run is a bit scary!! Well, like LL said, a lot scary!!

I would have a massive anxiety attack! No joke!

I'm planning our DHS arrival for a little bit after rope drop. Early enough to still get a TSM FP, late enough to miss the craziness of a rushing crowd

I love the shirt!! Something tells me he wore it and it worked

I was very much having an anxiety attack-but you know how sometimes you suck it up for your kids...

Going a bit later might be a good idea......just don't go too late because they run out...

 

[Lady Lallie]

I have to say that when we did the Running of the TSM Bulls...the CM's were yelling and actually stopping people who were running. I was impressed that they would do that. One guy nearly flipped his lid when a CM told him to stop and then talked to him but there is no reason for anyone to get hurt! People need to take chill pills!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Oh, how perfectly you captured the running of the hordes to Toy Story Mania! I felt like I was reading about my own experience -- it is truly crazy!

Cute pics of the kids with Buzz and Woody! Are you all going to go to the 3D double feature in the next couple of weeks? I promised the kids as soon as we returned from our weekend we would go -- I even got Connor a Toy Story shirt for the occasion the last time I went to the Disney Store.

By the way, Connor is so not a morning person either -- yet another thing the boys have in common!

I hope all of you are on the mend -- I have missed you around on the DIS boards!

Yep the Toy Story Mania Running of the Bulls is not something that you'll see on a Disney Planning video...

Toy Story in 3D-that has David's name written all over it... He told Eric that he wanted some green Army men...Eric was planning on getting a plain old bag......c'mon Dad-everyone knows it's the Toy Story Green Men that he wants...

No RAbbit isn't a morning person...he's going strong at 9pm...(STRONG...) but in the morning... I told him on one particularly rough morning that adults have coffee to help them out in the a.m. but we should at least wait till he's 8 for that..

Toy Story Mania! Aptly named... Mania! We're counting down the hours to the 3D movies!

Do you think they'll move the Fast Pass distributions to the front of the parks? I can see pros and cons of doing it that way.... anything must be better than the bull run.

I would hope they'd do something...and I love the idea of moving some of the FP distibutions to the front...especially the new "hot" rides...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Oh Patricia, what an absolutely magical moment for all of you. A metaphorical battle was playing out in that Jedi ring for you all. Thanks for the interlude, I read it with interest. Three cheers for Rabbit, prevailer over the Dark Side!!!!

Yep...I was pretty proud of my little guy and thrilled for him...

BRAVO! BRAVO! I completely 100% agree with you wholeheartedly about everything you've said! Like your battle with that school, we had our battles with a once close family member who wanted to hurt George for reasons only known to her. In the midst of a fight with him, she hurled in his face that "at least I don't have a retarded daughter".... so on and so on. (That is the ultimate no-no in my books. She's so very lucky I wasn't in that room!) Now, with every single accomplishment that Ariana makes, I smile with love and pride and mentally throw it back in her face.

Ahem... yes... back to Rabbit now I LOVE that he got to fight Darth Vader.... LOVE IT! An absolutely fabulous memory for you all!

I am so sorry for you and George that someone could say something that ignorant and hurtful......What a complete witch... I really don't know what possesses people to be so mean sometime......"innocent ignorance" is one thing...cruelty is something entirely else...and I have no tolerance for it...

You should be proud of Ariana...

I couldn't have been any prouder of Rabbit...

What a battle you all have waged, Patricia! And Rabbit has won!!

Yes Elin he has...thank you... There will be more battles and I know he'll win those as well...

I just wanted to stand up and cheer for David! What a magical moment for your entire family!! You also got some awesome photos of the action! LOVE IT

Thanks for the Cheer......ummm the reason those photos were good was because they were the photopass ones...

 

[dismagiclover]

After reading about your little Padawan's experience I am, of course, sitting here crying! It amazes me how Disney creates these moments for our kids that allow them to conquer evil. I really believe they can take those moments and conquer the real evil out there in the world. for David and for his Mom and Dad who fight everyday for him! What a great moment!

And that is one cool shirt

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

The Toy Story Running of the Bulls..

I'm glad you all have survived the madness. I like the FP AND Stand by idea...I may need to use this strategy in Feb...

Yes...and someone you know that you won't see the Toy Story Running of the Bulls in any of Disney's vacation literature...

The ride is fabulous...you should think about doing it twice...

What a great installment, and I particularly enjoyed the interlude. We are in the process of having our daughter tested to see if she is on the spectrum, and your post was very enlightening. Thanks!

Denise

Good luck...the testing isn't always very much fun......but you'll survive it and hopefully have the answers you need for you and her...and to be able to help her...At the one of the spectrum...sometimes things look similar...Asperger's, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, ADD, Sensory Integration Disorder, even sometimes Anxiety Disorders...

If you ever need any info/suggestions-please feel free to ask...and there are a lot of other people on these boards who have a lot of experiences too...it is both helpful and comforting to be able to turn to someone...

Wow!!! What a beautiful moment! And what a horrible school!

Thanks it was a beautiful moment... and I must admit I don't have the fondest feelings for that school...I was tempted this past June to send a packet including his report card-both marks and anecdotes...to them...but that would be immature of me...

I have to say that when we did the Running of the TSM Bulls...the CM's were yelling and actually stopping people who were running. I was impressed that they would do that. One guy nearly flipped his lid when a CM told him to stop and then talked to him but there is no reason for anyone to get hurt! People need to take chill pills!

Oh no doubt the CMs try-and valiantly too...but I'll bet that some of them are overwhelmed too when they see that mass of people coming...

Yes a nice round of chill pills would be a good thing for a bunch of the visitors...non Disers of course... The last time I check a vaca to DWD was not an extreme sports event...unless I missed the memo...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

After reading about your little Padawan's experience I am, of course, sitting here crying! It amazes me how Disney creates these moments for our kids that allow them to conquer evil. I really believe they can take those moments and conquer the real evil out there in the world. for David and for his Mom and Dad who fight everyday for him! What a great moment!

And that is one cool shirt

Jenny-I'm so glad that you're here...well you know what I mean...

Thank you so much for all of the info on your TR-you were spot on...Yellow shirt...check...(and the writing on it didn't hurt......check)...first show of the day...check...look like you're interested...check....

A Magical Dis Moment thanks to Disney, Rabbit and your awesome advice......THANK YOU!

 

[eandesmom]

 

[jordanyosh]

Great pic

 

[Lady Lallie]

I totally missed your update from last night this morning when I clicked on here!

Pardon me while I wipe away my tears. This moment is so special, thank you for sharing it with us.

I used to work in a Crisis Stabilization Unit for kids, a lot of the kids we saw had Aspergers so I have a special place in my heart for those diagnosed with it. Marc's work currently has two houses dedicated to children with Aspergers at the facility he works out. Why I'm saying this is because....this weekend we watched The Amazing Race and they have a team on there and one of them has Aspergers and watching this man overcome obstacles and competing in a race that is unpredictable and crazy was so heart warming. I love that he is on that show because he really shows kids with Aspergers that they can do anything. I was crying at one point during the episode because the man gave a worker on the bus his jacket because he working out in the rain. *Sniff Sniff*

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

OMG-that's great...

Did you make that? ...too funny...

 

[eandesmom]

I have seen the bulls run.

I'm not sure it has anything on how you described the TSM fast pass rush! I don't know that I'll ever see it but wow, my heart was pounding!

CHANNELING THE FORCE

So I'm thinking...OMG-he got picked...this is awesome...and then OMG...he got picked...I hope he's ok...will he be ok? He doesn't knew these "Jedi" grownups and he can get nervous and he's not sure what he's doing and I was praying and nervous and hoping that everything would go well...


(an Asperger interlude-if you'd like skip down...)

But I do have a lot of residual anger in what happened to David and my family after his diagnosis last January (2008)...upon revealing his diagnosis to his school in good faith and not even understanding what it meant ourselves-we had just gotten the name, and were trying to make heads or tails of what it all meant...we we received a phone call from his school head telling us he would not be able to come back for kindergarten...but "he was welcome to reapply for first grade"...basically he was kicked to the curb...despite the fact that he was the most academically advanced in his class, kind and not aggressive or oppositional in the least-he was not being welcomed back for the next year because "they weren't sure they could meet his needs"...interpretation...they didn't even want to know what his needs were or if they could meet them...they didn't want to deal with him and particularly his anxiety...his Autism...(If it sounds like I'm angry I am...I had no idea what I was dealing with at the time, was very distressed and my child-my beautiful boy, my smart, kind, funny, not a mean bone in his body child was being rejected by people I now realize had absolutely no idea what Asperger's was or wasn't, had no capacity to see outside the box, and basically subscribed to the philosophy of "out of sight, out of mind...or we won't have to deal with what isn't here..."

Oh my heart hurts that you went through that. My nephew was kicked out of 2 schools before finding his right place. The private schools that should have been able to help him, were nightmarish and it took going to their public elementary to find the right place. I just cannot understand any school kicking a child out in kindergarten. No matter what!

Ok- so this moment has now taken on epic proportions to Hatter and I- symbolic implications...not only is it awesome and incredibly cute and a major Disney moment to have Rabbit up there learning to fight the "Dark" side...but we're picturing those people who were so negative about him and his abilities when he was first diagnosed and seeing this as being symbolic of all of those people who had such little faith in my son...

Not only does Rabbit learn his battle moves...(thank you karate lessons...-highly recommend martial arts for kids with ADD or Asperger's-awesome for focus/confidence) he is up there taking it very seriously and focusing intently and since he understands what is expected of him-not seeming nervous in the least...

Rabbit is up there with his comrades and doing great...and now Darth Vader shows up...this is big time...will Rabbit choke-it would be understandable...but NO-he aces it...he has his routine...and Vader is going down...(and in my mind anyone who lacked faith in his ability to be everything he is-is going down too...) and I'm tearing up and Hatter looks like he is going to absolutely burst with pride...as does Alice with a huge smile on her face...

My little guy just defeated Darth Vader and struck a blow for the light side of the force...

I WILL remember this moment for the rest of my life...

My son, the Jedi defeated Darth Vader...

It really doesn't get much better that this.

No, it doesn't.

What a magical magical moment.

 

[eandesmom]

OMG-that's great...

Did you make that? ...too funny...

I couldn't resist

 

[thewesterberg]

I have tears in my eyes... WOW!! What an amazing experience on so many different levels. And beautifully told by you. Thank you so much for sharing this triumphant moment.