Disney done differently, (BOG dining updates pages 202 and 203)

[KatMark]

At first it was very terrifying and very frustrating because it took months to get testing done and answers from the medical community. Now we know exactly what we are dealing with, we are becoming better educated, and learning ways to overcome all of this. The tables have turned, he may have all these medical conditions, but they do no longer have him!

I can't even imagine how terrifying that first seizure (and others to follow) must have been.

The tables have turned, he may have all these medical conditions, but they do no longer have him!

EXCELLENT!

Love the updates; and hooray for the achievements at the Dig Site playground.

 

[lovethattink]

Once Anakin was done in the play area, he was ready to go on One Fish, Two Fish. We headed over there. It said it was a 45 minute wait. There was no cm in site. He said he could stand in line for 45 minutes. He has no concept of time, but we decided to try waiting it out in line. It wasn't too hot, and he was wet from the play area, so that kept him cool.

He was so excited to be going on this ride. Every now and then, a burst of excitement would just explode out of him and he would jump up and down. He did great in the line when it was just a single file line. He began to have issues when the line weaved back and forth and we were surrounded by people. Juicy Fruit gum seemed to help him.

The following pics were taken last Tuesday when we got our passes, and I didn't ride but took pics.

After One Fish, Two Fish, he wanted to ride the Trolley. He was visibly showing signs of being over stimulated. So we took the card with us and got the time to return put on it. We were going to go in a building and sit. He dug his chin into my side. I asked him if he'd rather leave the park than wait the hour for his turn to ride the trolley. He said he had to leave and didn't want to ride any more rides.

 

[lovethattink]

We headed back to CSR but stopped at the Burger King near Cross Roads for lunch. When we got back to our room, there was a key in the room safe! Engineering had fixed it! Yay!

Anakin was much better and re-grouped. We put on our swim suits and headed over to the pool.

The water slide was the big draw here. There is a big box of life jackets the right hand side facing the slide near the bottom of the slide. The jackets are all assorted sizes. You just help yourself and put it back in the box when you are finished with it. This is different from when we stayed at POR. There we had to sign them in and out from the marina.

The pool temp was COLD!! It barely felt heated. I stood at the bottom of the slide waiting while Goofy and Anakin got in line. Despite the frigid water temps, the line for the slide was nice sized. About 10 people ahead of them. Anakin loved the water slide and rode it three times!

As soon as he was done with the slide he wanted that life jacket OFF!! Last summer before he got sick, he was a great swimmer. He could swim both on top and under the water. He was so frustrated that he couldn't do those things anymore. He tried, but just couldn't remember what to do. When he did kick and use his arms, he just didn't have the strength he use to have. I told him he can take swim lessons this summer and re-learn how to do all that! And reminded him that his strength is increasing and he is doing more and more things all the time!!

 

[lovethattink]

After swimming, we headed back to Universal to pick up Grumpy. Traffic was super thick on I-4. We really need to learn an alternate way there! It took us an hour to get there from CSR. We met Grumpy near before the bag check, turned around and headed back to the car. It took another hour to get back to CSR.

I made good use of our time by calling Disney Dining and changing our lunch and dinner resies for March 13th, my birthday! Changed our resie from T-Rex for lunch (figured Anakin had enough stimulation to last him for a while, he didn't need a noisy and busy lunch) to the Plaza Restaurant for 2:15pm. And cancelled our 7:15pm resie for the Plaza Restaurant.

Even though Grumpy had the meal deal at Universal, he was still hungry when he got back to CSR. We headed to the Pepper Market. We all got the exact same food we had the first night since it was so incredible. Once again, we were not disappointed and really enjoyed our food!!

Anakin asked if he could have a mug as a souvenir. We told him he could have one of ours when we got home. But he pleaded his case, that he would like one of his own now to drink out of like everyone else. He said it was ok that he couldn't have soda, he would pour his juice boxes or milk in there. So we asked the server for a mug for him. When he asked what he would like in the mug to drink, all four of us in unison answered, "ice, please". The server looked at us funny and asked, "ice?". Again in unison, "yes, ice, please."

Grumpy stopped at Cafe Rix and ordered raspberry gelato. This is the first time he ever used a key to the kingdom for payment. Let me just add, that this was the start of him using the key to the kingdom card for food. Good thing we were only here a couple more days!

We went to bed with full bellies, tired feet, and exhausted bodies....after Anakin set up his legos.

 

[lovethattink]

Day 3 Happy Birthday to Tink

Our room was very close to bus stop #4 at CSR

We decided to use Disney's transportation this time. We waited at the bus stop for over 20 minutes, when a Magic Kingdom bus finally came in sight. And it did not pull over, and drove right on by us. It was completely packed with people. We debated to take the bus or car, and decided to take the car, because the number of people at our bus stop would not all fit on the next bus. We weren't sure if the next bus would skip the Casitas and Ranchos, or hit them first and possibly drive by us again. We took the car.

Then the ferry.

 

[sl_underwood]

I'm on board! My son also has asd and seizures. It is nice to read tr from those who get it.

 

[lovethattink]

I'm on board! My son also has asd and seizures. It is nice to read tr from those who get it.

Welcome aboard! Yes, never a dull moment! Always adjusting to a new "normal"! I wish you and your son the best. The Florida Epilepsy Foundation had an article posted on their facebook one day, that 25% of all children who have ASD also have seizures. Hopefully one day there will be a cure for both!

 

[lovethattink]

As the ferry took off, Grumpy felt like he was going to pass out. He was the only one of us not to eat breakfast. Momma's intuition said he was hungry and needed to pump up his blood sugar. A stop at the Main Street Bakery was in order. I checked out the goodies and you'll never guess what I ordered. That's right!!...a turkey sandwich. A turkey sandwich?! You bet cha! Nothing works better at boosting that blood sugar than protein. We split the sandwich between the four of us. Keep in mind this is only a half of a sandwich to begin with. The turkey was sliced and piled about 3 inches high. Goofy ate the lettuce and tomato. I ate a few slices of turkey. Grumpy ate a few slices of turkey and within minutes he felt great! Anakin at a few slices of turkey and the bread. We were good to go until our 2:15 ADR!!

I went back to guest services and picked up a birthday button. Then we headed to Buzz Lightyear. We used the GAC. The fast pass line was lined up outside, but not in the sun. I rode with Grumpy who was more than grumpy to have someone in his car. I thought I'd mess of his score. Goofy and Anakin rode together.

 

[lovethattink]

By this time we had just seen someone who was at the bus stop at CSR when we were there. It took them 2 hours to get into the park!! I'm so glad we drove! We should have squeezed them in the car too!

Next stop, the Plaza Restaurant! We didn't have to wait but 5 minutes when our buzzer went off and we were seated. We were told the chef would be with us in a minute to go over Grumpy's food allergies. That minute turned into 15 minutes. Which was ok, because I had an arsenal of activities in my bag to keep Anakin occupied. He began by putting together a new Lego. One of the ones I got free at DTD's Lego store in February. A manager came to our table instead. She apologized for the chef's delay and explained there were several allergies in the restaurant at the same time. We said no problem because Grumpy knew exactly what he would get, the same thing he always gets. We asked if Ken was the Chef and were told he was not working that day. Chef Ken knows us so well, that he even remembers that Anakin loves grapes and brings him extra grapes and makes his Sundae's with extra whip cream!! Chef Ken always engages Grumpy in talk about football.

The manager ended up taking Grumpy's order. She kept apologizing for the chef's delay, but we were ok with it. We were relaxed and content. The chef stopped by a few minutes later to discuss with Grumpy about the kind of cheese to use in his steak sandwich. I got a tuna croissant, Goofy ordered a cheese burger, and Anakin ordered a grilled cheese lightly toasted. When the food was served, the server was concerned that the grilled cheese might not be light enough. Anakin said he was ok with the color of the bread.

For dessert, Grumpy had a hot fudge brownie sundae, made with gluten free, nut free, soy free pre-packaged brownies. Anakin had a Mickeylodean. And the server brought me a birthday cupcake!! Goofy ate half my cupcake. Main Street bakery cupcakes are sooooo yummy!!

As we ate our food, cast members were setting up an alternate exit for guests to use through the cast member area. A balloon seller stood right outside the window behind us. Out the window to my right was a great view of the castle. Out the windows ahead of us we could watch the 3pm parade!!

 

[lovethattink]

After lunch, we rode the TTA, and then headed over to Peter Pan's flight. On our way to Peter Pan's flight we passed by a sea of strollers at the Columbia Harbour House Restaurant, and noticed that cm were holding entrance signs for the queues. The crowds were very thick, late Sunday afternoon in the MK.

 

[kaffinito]

. The tables have turned, he may have all these medical conditions, but they do no longer have him!

I just love this! What an awesome attitude to have!

Grumpy stopped at Cafe Rix and ordered raspberry gelato. This is the first time he ever used a key to the kingdom for payment. Let me just add, that this was the start of him using the key to the kingdom card for food. Good thing we were only here a couple more days!

We went to bed with full bellies, tired feet, and exhausted bodies....after Anakin set up his legos.

My DS18 is like your Grumpy - he eats everything in sight at WDW! He's the one in my family that got us into Schmolland - just in the past year he's been able to go outside when it's raining, and no longer has to wear hoodies - with the hood up - in the summer.

And again, LOVE the way Anakin sets up his Legos!

 

[lovethattink]

I just love this! What an awesome attitude to have!



My DS18 is like your Grumpy - he eats everything in sight at WDW! He's the one in my family that got us into Schmolland - just in the past year he's been able to go outside when it's raining, and no longer has to wear hoodies - with the hood up - in the summer.

And again, LOVE the way Anakin sets up his Legos!

We have to keep a good attitude! It would be easy to become defeated and depressed. It takes alot of work daily. Some days we wouldn't make it through without our faith! We believe that everything happens for a reason. Even the bad moments, while nasty at the time, have served their purpose and helped to shape us into who we are today. So we will make the best of it, celebrating every good moment and achievement no matter how big or small!

Sounds like you are celebrating an acheivement as well!

 

[KatMark]

Great photos; I think the last time we saw Disney that crowded while we were there was in 2004 when we took our son for his high school graduation and made the mistake of going to the MK on the 4th of July.

I LOVE the Plaza--one of our must do's every trip.

 

[sl_underwood]

Welcome aboard! Yes, never a dull moment! Always adjusting to a new "normal"! I wish you and your son the best. The Florida Epilepsy Foundation had an article posted on their facebook one day, that 25% of all children who have ASD also have seizures. Hopefully one day there will be a cure for both!

You are definitely right. Life with our kids is not boring! I really hope for a cure as well. I love the whole welcome to holland story too. It kind of fits for our lives and puts things in perspective. Life is different but it still can be fun and wonderful. My son is also Star Wars and lego obsessed. It is kind of funny that both boys are so similar.

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Loving your TP!! And smiled at the Legos - I've got a 6 year old Lego fan as well and am very used to seeing Legos lined up around the house!

 

[lovethattink]

After Peter Pan, Anakin was more than ready to head back to the resort. We took the monorail back to the TTC. There were very few people on the monorail returning to the TTC.

I brushed Anakin, then he wanted to go swimming. Grumpy wanted a nap. So Goofy, Anakin and I headed to the Dig Site. This time the pool temps were perfect. It felt like a bath tub! It was a more warmer day all around. Many more people were on the water slide. I had to wait a long time at the bottom until I saw Anakin pop out. This day he swam much better without the life jacket. He liked going under the Tiki fountain. (We didn't go in the 22 person hot tub. The pool was opened longer because of the time change.

One thing I found a little annoying was that the rule that children under 12 need adult supervision, was not followed. There were alot of small children without any supervision. The Mama Bear in me took over. The life guards asked this one little boy where his parents were. He was 4 years old. He said they were in the hot tub and they said he was ok because he had a life jacket on. The life guard at the jaguar slide became a baby sitter. The same thing happened on Saturday too.

(these pics of the pool were taken Monday morning before we left the resort)

The life guard on Saturday was good with the kids. He didn't put up with any crap. At first I thought he was tough on the kids, and was wondering why parents would let him discipline their kids like that. It didn't take long to realize there were no parents present. If a child was running to the steps, he called that child back. Made them walk to his life guard stand. Touch the pole and count before he would allow them to walk back to the steps. He even made one kid take a time out because he had ran a 4th time.

 

[lovethattink]

You are definitely right. Life with our kids is not boring! I really hope for a cure as well. I love the whole welcome to holland story too. It kind of fits for our lives and puts things in perspective. Life is different but it still can be fun and wonderful. My son is also Star Wars and lego obsessed. It is kind of funny that both boys are so similar.

Did it start with Thomas the Tank Engine? We don't call it obsessed, we call it passionate! It can come in handy to be so passionate about something. We use time to play with Star Wars or/and Legos as rewards. Books about the subject help with literacy and make them happy to fuel their knowledge with more facts. Playing with their passion also seems to help ease anxiety, because they focus so intensely during play. We also use them for role play of social situations the characters could encounter that we can encounter too. There are also Social Stories available online using Star Wars characters to help deal with frustration, anger, anxiety, etc.

 

[lovethattink]

Great photos; I think the last time we saw Disney that crowded while we were there was in 2004 when we took our son for his high school graduation and made the mistake of going to the MK on the 4th of July.

I LOVE the Plaza--one of our must do's every trip.

Oh yeah! July 4th can get crazy! We love the Plaza too! Tried to get an ADR for Grumpy's b-day back in December, and couldn't snag one. Will have to remember to do it way in advance for him next Dec. Free dining certainly changed how "locals" do dining. Use to be able to just walk up or call the same day, but during free dining that was impossible!

Loving your TP!! And smiled at the Legos - I've got a 6 year old Lego fan as well and am very used to seeing Legos lined up around the house!

Thanks! and Is he a fan of Star Wars legos, another theme, or building legos in general?

My husband and Anakin built the death star. Anakin built much of it himself. It was 3,803 pieces. Came in 4 boxes with an instruction booklet that was 261 pages long!

 

[sl_underwood]

Did it start with Thomas the Tank Engine? We don't call it obsessed, we call it passionate! It can come in handy to be so passionate about something. We use time to play with Star Wars or/and Legos as rewards. Books about the subject help with literacy and make them happy to fuel their knowledge with more facts. Playing with their passion also seems to help ease anxiety, because they focus so intensely during play. We also use them for role play of social situations the characters could encounter that we can encounter too. There are also Social Stories available online using Star Wars characters to help deal with frustration, anger, anxiety, etc.

It did. In fact, he still plays with his thomas train table we bought him shortly after her came to live with us. We werent sure if we started it by buying him the trains or if it was inevitable. We did use Thomas to teach some social skills. Where are the star wars social stories? Would love those. I love how you call it passion, sounds better than obsession. Luke is also very passionate. In fact, when he was adopted at 5, he picked his new name Luke after Luke Skywalker of course.

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Thanks! and Is he a fan of Star Wars legos, another theme, or building legos in general?

My husband and Anakin built the death star. Anakin built much of it himself. It was 3,803 pieces. Came in 4 boxes with an instruction booklet that was 261 pages long!

I bow down to your husband and Anakin!! My son's a Lego fan in general but he does have a few of the Star Wars sets. I've learned that I generally stink at Legos. My biggest accomplishment was helping with a Star Wars ship (can't remember which one) that was 43 steps long. I told him that's my limit!!