KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
Walt Disney World Trip Report: November 6-14, 2006
Pre-trip Report #1 May, 2006 (6 months to WDW)
The Cast : The KathyRN Family from New Jersey (and North Carolina):
Ed (aka: DH) : Forty-something, #1 Hubby, Daddy, and Cop.
First in our family to visit WDW (at age 13). Also went to DL (at age 6). Takes 100% credit for exposing wife and kids to the magic of WDW in 2003. Repeatedly claims that he has created a monster when observing wife playing on Disney boards instead of folding laundry or vacuuming the house. Frequently displays glazed expression when wife hints that more DVC points may be needed in near future. Consistantly complains that he gets no rest on WDW vacation because wife insists family get up early every day, and his body is used to working the night shift. Generously indulges family with a WDW vacation every year, thus enabling wifes addiction! Favorite character: GRUMPY Favorite park: EPCOT.
Tricia (aka: DD) : 10 yrs old, going on 16! Soccer Princess.
Likes to dress up in Moms clothes and play with make-up. First Halloween costume was Minnie Mouse. A voracious reader. Loves the book, Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg , and is working her way through all the Nancy Drew mysteries. Big WDW fan, but rolls eyes when Mom blathers on and on about upcoming trip. Favorite character: TINKERBELL. Favorite park: MK
Billy (aka: DS) : 8 yrs old and autistic.
LOVES WDW! (Thats my boy!) Actively working toward amassing the largest collection of DVDs in the western hemisphere. Cant really carry on a conversation, but able to communicate his needs. Go to Walt Disney World? Okay!! Brought map of MK into school after first visit to WDW, pointed to all the attractions and NAMED them for his speech therapist! ( a real accomplishment!) Gives great hugs. Favorite character: BUZZ LIGHTYEAR. Favorite park: MK.
Eddie (aka: DSS) : 16 yrs old .
Lives in North Carolina, but visits during school breaks. Junior Varsity baseball player and Honors Student. Watched video of Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Disneyland Fun EVERY NIGHT before bed for about a year when he was three! First and only visit to WDW at age 11, this will be first time to WDW with us. Yay! Makes no secret about his plan to get Yours Truly on ToT ! Favorite character: UNDECIDED. Favorite park: MK.
Aunt Rae (aka: AR) : 75 yrs young ; DHs aunt.
Like a grandmother to the kids. Recently moved from out of state to our town. Loves Disney! Visited DL with DH when he was six, and twice more, besides. Has been to WDW once in 97. This trip will be first time to WDW with us. Yay! Favorite character: CINDERELLA. Favorite park: MK.
Me (aka: Kathy/Mom): Forty-something wife, mother, and RN.
Dreamed of going to WDW since childhood, but never made it until three years ago. Making up for lost time by obsessively researching, planning, discussing, and daydreaming about the familys next trip to the World! Recently conquered an irrational fear of computers; motivated by the desire to access even more info about WDW. Favorite character: POOH-BEAR. Favorite park: MK.
Our story thus far:
Although this will be our familys fourth visit to WDW, this is the first time that I have given any thought to writing a trip report. Perhaps its because Ive enjoyed reading the reports of my fellow WDW fanatics. It is fascinating to see how many different people can experience the same place in so many different ways! Upon reflection, its amazing how much our own WDW vacations have differed from each other.
I remember our first trip in September of '03. The kids were five and seven then, which seemed like the perfect ages. Disney was offering the Fairy Tale Package (you got a seven-day vacation package for the price of four). It just happened to coincide with the re-financing of our house, so we decided to do it!
First, I made our reservations quickly (it was the last day of the offer). I didnt know anything about the resorts, but DH had stayed at the Poly years earlier and thought it would be great. Even with the package, though, the Poly was a bit out of our reach, so we opted for a moderate. We had to make the ressie that day, and all I knew about the moderates was that my sister had stayed at CBR once and loved it, so CBR it was.
Of course, I was looking at this as being a once in a lifetime vacation and planned on cramming everything I could into one wonderful week. I thought I was so savvy! (I didnt do the computer thing as of yet, so I hadnt yet discovered the boards). I went out and bought every WDW travel guide I could find and read them cover to cover. Well, I thought I was quite the little vacation planning queen when I was able to score priority seating for CRT on my first try!! I also patted myself on the back for knowing the EMHs schedule and about procuring the Guest Assistance Pass (GAC) for our autistic son.
Now, to better understand the dynamics of our family and the love affair we now have with WDW, I need to share with you a bit of background about my DS(8).
If you have read my posts on the Disabilities board and/or have an autistic child of your own, please bear with me a moment while I give the other readers the basics of autism.
Autism is a neurological or brain-based disorder that causes problems in cognition, communication, and social interaction. There are many symptoms and conditions associated with autism and it can be difficult to know that a child is autistic just by looking at him. Many people think of the Dustin Hoffman character in Rainman , but those savant characteristics are only shared by a few on the autism spectrum.
Billy attends a special school and receives speech, occupational, and physical therapy. He displays poor eye contact, impaired conversational abilities, repetitive language and mannerisms such as hand flapping and sniffing objects. He has a degree of hyperactivity and poor attention span that makes it difficult to attend to an activity for more than a few moments without direction and supervision. He has a poor hand/finger grasp and has difficulty with handwriting and other small movements such as buttoning buttons and snapping snaps.
He constantly makes noise humming, singing, scripting pieces of dialogue from his favorite TV shows, and laughing. Big, boisterous belly laughs at nothing in particular. Usually at inappropriate times like in the middle of the homily (sermon) in church!
Or, in the middle of watching a baseball game from the stands
while others shout, Swing batter, batter!, Billy will shout, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! at the top of his lungs! 
(That one was pretty funny!). In our house we call these moments "adventures in autism" .
Now Im not telling you all of this to garner sympathy, just to help you understand some of the peculiarities of Billy's behavior and how they affect our WDW experiences. As you may well imagine, I was more than a bit apprehensive prior to our first WDW vacation. How would Billy handle it? Would he get so overstimulated that the week would be just one continuous melt down? Would it ruin the vacation for Tricia, who is two years older and has the often times difficult role of sibling in a special needs family? Would we get this close to the Magic, then not be able to touch it?
Well, friends, I had underestimated the power of prayers and pixie dust!!
Not only did we have a wonderful vacation, we had what can only be described as magic. WDW was unlike any vacation experience we had previously had as a family. A very stressed out and tired family. A family that so much needed to feel like a normal family. It was truly a watershed experience.
I had done as much as I could to adapt our trip to Billy's needs. We went during the low season (mid September) for lighter crowds and shorter lines. We found on that trip that we barely needed the GAC, mostly on the weekend and for reserved seating for the big nighttime spectaculars. We dutifully returned to our resort for a midday nap, even though it practically killed me to leave the parks while we were having so much fun! The Cast Members were just so understanding and helpful. I wound up writing a three page letter to WDW when we returned home, thanking all the CMs for being so incredibly kind.
Billy spoke so many new words. He loved the rides and the shows, (except the fireworks!) He even went poo-poo in the potty for the first time! Hooray!
The whole thing is just one big, happy blur! Im not much of a picture-taker, Im so busy seeing and doing that I usually forget all about the camera in my backpack. Thank goodness for PhotoPass! Thats one reason for this TR; Id really like to be able to re-live our WDW vacation memories in the years to come.
After a second trip in 04 (POFQ), I somehow managed to convince Ed that we needed to go to WDW every year!! Well, soon we were DVC members (SSR). Early last December, we went for all the special holiday magic and were not disappointed. The Candlelight Processional was breathtaking and we had a blast at MVMCP!
The kids were getting bigger now, so having the spacious 1BR vacation home at SSR was really a luxury. Only a mom could get so excited about having a full kitchen and a washer/dryer right in the room. (I told you I was forty-something, but that just looked so very matronly in print!).
So, that brings us to the present. Im in the planning phase of our upcoming November trip. (Ed has observed pointedly that I am always in the planning phase, starting the day after we return from WDW.) But I know you all understand, so I am comforted that I am not alone!
Well, what variables are affecting The Planning this year?
The first will be the time of our visit. I have always felt very comfortable with pulling the kids out of school for a week so we could visit WDW during the value seasons. Billy gets really hyper in crowds, so the summer and school holidays are out of the question. His teachers have always been fine with it, especially since they, too, have seen the progress he makes with each subsequent visit to our Laughing Place. Tricia's teachers have also been wonderful about her missing school.
Fortunately, she is a good student and catches up easily. Last December, we even lucked out by having a snow day during our trip, so the kids missed only four days instead of five! Well, as the expression goes, all good things must come to an end!
Even though Billys teachers would wholeheartedly support the need for missing school, Im just not feeling comfortable about Tricia missing a week of fifth grade (and neither is she). And so, we will be joining many of our neighbors by visiting WDW for the first time during Jersey Week . This is the unofficial nickname for the week of the NJ State Teachers Convention, typically scheduled around Veterans Day Weekend. Apparently, lots of NJ parents are in the same boat: they want to pull the kids out of school for less crowded conditions at WDW, but dont want them to miss too much class time. Public schools are closed for two to three days for the Convention and Veterans Day, thus, you get a week-long vacation and the kids miss only a couple of school days a nice compromise.
Actually, early November may not be so bad. The weather is supposed to be great. And we will be able to catch the last week of the F&W Festival at EPCOT!
Next variable is who will be coming with us. Well, from the very first, Ive been hoping to get my DSS(16) to come to WDW with us. No go. Eddie is an honors student and takes all kinds of advanced placement courses. He insists that he will get hopelessly behind if he takes a week off during school. Gosh, when I was his age I would have jumped at the chance to miss a week of school for WDW! Its just a different world for these kids; too much homework IMHO.
Anyway, he does have that Friday off for Veterans Day, and Ive convinced him to fly down from North Carolina to join us for the three-day weekend at the end of our vacation! Yay!
Oh, the younger kids are so excited! They just adore their big brother!
The other new member of our party will be DHs aunt, Rae (AR). AR never married and was always close to DH and his brother when they were growing up. She recently moved to the senior apartment complex in our town and we see her regularly. She dotes on the children like she doted on Ed when he was little. I dont mind because neither of the real grandmas lives nearby, and AR is very sweet. We had invited her to go with us last year, but she declined. Well, this is one of the reasons we became DVC members, so that we could get the larger accommodations and bring other family members with us!
So, this year, I had a heart-to-heart with her and reassured her that we always tour at a relaxed pace because of Billy, and we return midday to the resort for a nap. She is quite healthy and walks everyday, but she is 75, after all, and she remembers getting quite tired the last time she went to WDW, and that was nine years ago. She loves WDW, though, especially the MK, and the thought of being there with the kids must have been very appealing to her, because she agreed to come with us!
I let her know that she doesnt have to spend every moment of the trip with us, and that if she does start to get tired she should just stay at the resort for the evening. She looked aghast when I suggested this. I dont want to miss any time with my sweethearts! I know that an ECV would be out of the question. She would just be too self-conscious. Hmmm. Ill just have to keep my eye on her.
Next chapter: Where to Stay and the Disney Dining Plan or How am I supposed to know where I want to eat dinner 180 days from now??
Kathy
Pre-trip Report #1 May, 2006 (6 months to WDW)
The Cast : The KathyRN Family from New Jersey (and North Carolina):
Ed (aka: DH) : Forty-something, #1 Hubby, Daddy, and Cop.
First in our family to visit WDW (at age 13). Also went to DL (at age 6). Takes 100% credit for exposing wife and kids to the magic of WDW in 2003. Repeatedly claims that he has created a monster when observing wife playing on Disney boards instead of folding laundry or vacuuming the house. Frequently displays glazed expression when wife hints that more DVC points may be needed in near future. Consistantly complains that he gets no rest on WDW vacation because wife insists family get up early every day, and his body is used to working the night shift. Generously indulges family with a WDW vacation every year, thus enabling wifes addiction! Favorite character: GRUMPY Favorite park: EPCOT.Tricia (aka: DD) : 10 yrs old, going on 16! Soccer Princess.
Likes to dress up in Moms clothes and play with make-up. First Halloween costume was Minnie Mouse. A voracious reader. Loves the book, Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg , and is working her way through all the Nancy Drew mysteries. Big WDW fan, but rolls eyes when Mom blathers on and on about upcoming trip. Favorite character: TINKERBELL. Favorite park: MKBilly (aka: DS) : 8 yrs old and autistic.
LOVES WDW! (Thats my boy!) Actively working toward amassing the largest collection of DVDs in the western hemisphere. Cant really carry on a conversation, but able to communicate his needs. Go to Walt Disney World? Okay!! Brought map of MK into school after first visit to WDW, pointed to all the attractions and NAMED them for his speech therapist! ( a real accomplishment!) Gives great hugs. Favorite character: BUZZ LIGHTYEAR. Favorite park: MK.Eddie (aka: DSS) : 16 yrs old .
Lives in North Carolina, but visits during school breaks. Junior Varsity baseball player and Honors Student. Watched video of Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Disneyland Fun EVERY NIGHT before bed for about a year when he was three! First and only visit to WDW at age 11, this will be first time to WDW with us. Yay! Makes no secret about his plan to get Yours Truly on ToT ! Favorite character: UNDECIDED. Favorite park: MK.Aunt Rae (aka: AR) : 75 yrs young ; DHs aunt.
Like a grandmother to the kids. Recently moved from out of state to our town. Loves Disney! Visited DL with DH when he was six, and twice more, besides. Has been to WDW once in 97. This trip will be first time to WDW with us. Yay! Favorite character: CINDERELLA. Favorite park: MK. Me (aka: Kathy/Mom): Forty-something wife, mother, and RN.
Dreamed of going to WDW since childhood, but never made it until three years ago. Making up for lost time by obsessively researching, planning, discussing, and daydreaming about the familys next trip to the World! Recently conquered an irrational fear of computers; motivated by the desire to access even more info about WDW. Favorite character: POOH-BEAR. Favorite park: MK.Our story thus far:
Although this will be our familys fourth visit to WDW, this is the first time that I have given any thought to writing a trip report. Perhaps its because Ive enjoyed reading the reports of my fellow WDW fanatics. It is fascinating to see how many different people can experience the same place in so many different ways! Upon reflection, its amazing how much our own WDW vacations have differed from each other.
I remember our first trip in September of '03. The kids were five and seven then, which seemed like the perfect ages. Disney was offering the Fairy Tale Package (you got a seven-day vacation package for the price of four). It just happened to coincide with the re-financing of our house, so we decided to do it!
First, I made our reservations quickly (it was the last day of the offer). I didnt know anything about the resorts, but DH had stayed at the Poly years earlier and thought it would be great. Even with the package, though, the Poly was a bit out of our reach, so we opted for a moderate. We had to make the ressie that day, and all I knew about the moderates was that my sister had stayed at CBR once and loved it, so CBR it was.
Of course, I was looking at this as being a once in a lifetime vacation and planned on cramming everything I could into one wonderful week. I thought I was so savvy! (I didnt do the computer thing as of yet, so I hadnt yet discovered the boards). I went out and bought every WDW travel guide I could find and read them cover to cover. Well, I thought I was quite the little vacation planning queen when I was able to score priority seating for CRT on my first try!! I also patted myself on the back for knowing the EMHs schedule and about procuring the Guest Assistance Pass (GAC) for our autistic son.
Now, to better understand the dynamics of our family and the love affair we now have with WDW, I need to share with you a bit of background about my DS(8).
If you have read my posts on the Disabilities board and/or have an autistic child of your own, please bear with me a moment while I give the other readers the basics of autism. Autism is a neurological or brain-based disorder that causes problems in cognition, communication, and social interaction. There are many symptoms and conditions associated with autism and it can be difficult to know that a child is autistic just by looking at him. Many people think of the Dustin Hoffman character in Rainman , but those savant characteristics are only shared by a few on the autism spectrum.
Billy attends a special school and receives speech, occupational, and physical therapy. He displays poor eye contact, impaired conversational abilities, repetitive language and mannerisms such as hand flapping and sniffing objects. He has a degree of hyperactivity and poor attention span that makes it difficult to attend to an activity for more than a few moments without direction and supervision. He has a poor hand/finger grasp and has difficulty with handwriting and other small movements such as buttoning buttons and snapping snaps.
He constantly makes noise humming, singing, scripting pieces of dialogue from his favorite TV shows, and laughing. Big, boisterous belly laughs at nothing in particular. Usually at inappropriate times like in the middle of the homily (sermon) in church!
Or, in the middle of watching a baseball game from the stands
while others shout, Swing batter, batter!, Billy will shout, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! at the top of his lungs! (That one was pretty funny!). In our house we call these moments "adventures in autism" .Now Im not telling you all of this to garner sympathy, just to help you understand some of the peculiarities of Billy's behavior and how they affect our WDW experiences. As you may well imagine, I was more than a bit apprehensive prior to our first WDW vacation. How would Billy handle it? Would he get so overstimulated that the week would be just one continuous melt down? Would it ruin the vacation for Tricia, who is two years older and has the often times difficult role of sibling in a special needs family? Would we get this close to the Magic, then not be able to touch it?
Well, friends, I had underestimated the power of prayers and pixie dust!!
Not only did we have a wonderful vacation, we had what can only be described as magic. WDW was unlike any vacation experience we had previously had as a family. A very stressed out and tired family. A family that so much needed to feel like a normal family. It was truly a watershed experience. I had done as much as I could to adapt our trip to Billy's needs. We went during the low season (mid September) for lighter crowds and shorter lines. We found on that trip that we barely needed the GAC, mostly on the weekend and for reserved seating for the big nighttime spectaculars. We dutifully returned to our resort for a midday nap, even though it practically killed me to leave the parks while we were having so much fun! The Cast Members were just so understanding and helpful. I wound up writing a three page letter to WDW when we returned home, thanking all the CMs for being so incredibly kind.
Billy spoke so many new words. He loved the rides and the shows, (except the fireworks!) He even went poo-poo in the potty for the first time! Hooray!
The whole thing is just one big, happy blur! Im not much of a picture-taker, Im so busy seeing and doing that I usually forget all about the camera in my backpack. Thank goodness for PhotoPass! Thats one reason for this TR; Id really like to be able to re-live our WDW vacation memories in the years to come. After a second trip in 04 (POFQ), I somehow managed to convince Ed that we needed to go to WDW every year!! Well, soon we were DVC members (SSR). Early last December, we went for all the special holiday magic and were not disappointed. The Candlelight Processional was breathtaking and we had a blast at MVMCP!
The kids were getting bigger now, so having the spacious 1BR vacation home at SSR was really a luxury. Only a mom could get so excited about having a full kitchen and a washer/dryer right in the room. (I told you I was forty-something, but that just looked so very matronly in print!). So, that brings us to the present. Im in the planning phase of our upcoming November trip. (Ed has observed pointedly that I am always in the planning phase, starting the day after we return from WDW.) But I know you all understand, so I am comforted that I am not alone!
Well, what variables are affecting The Planning this year?
The first will be the time of our visit. I have always felt very comfortable with pulling the kids out of school for a week so we could visit WDW during the value seasons. Billy gets really hyper in crowds, so the summer and school holidays are out of the question. His teachers have always been fine with it, especially since they, too, have seen the progress he makes with each subsequent visit to our Laughing Place. Tricia's teachers have also been wonderful about her missing school.
Fortunately, she is a good student and catches up easily. Last December, we even lucked out by having a snow day during our trip, so the kids missed only four days instead of five! Well, as the expression goes, all good things must come to an end! Even though Billys teachers would wholeheartedly support the need for missing school, Im just not feeling comfortable about Tricia missing a week of fifth grade (and neither is she). And so, we will be joining many of our neighbors by visiting WDW for the first time during Jersey Week . This is the unofficial nickname for the week of the NJ State Teachers Convention, typically scheduled around Veterans Day Weekend. Apparently, lots of NJ parents are in the same boat: they want to pull the kids out of school for less crowded conditions at WDW, but dont want them to miss too much class time. Public schools are closed for two to three days for the Convention and Veterans Day, thus, you get a week-long vacation and the kids miss only a couple of school days a nice compromise.
Actually, early November may not be so bad. The weather is supposed to be great. And we will be able to catch the last week of the F&W Festival at EPCOT!
Next variable is who will be coming with us. Well, from the very first, Ive been hoping to get my DSS(16) to come to WDW with us. No go. Eddie is an honors student and takes all kinds of advanced placement courses. He insists that he will get hopelessly behind if he takes a week off during school. Gosh, when I was his age I would have jumped at the chance to miss a week of school for WDW! Its just a different world for these kids; too much homework IMHO.
Anyway, he does have that Friday off for Veterans Day, and Ive convinced him to fly down from North Carolina to join us for the three-day weekend at the end of our vacation! Yay!
Oh, the younger kids are so excited! They just adore their big brother!The other new member of our party will be DHs aunt, Rae (AR). AR never married and was always close to DH and his brother when they were growing up. She recently moved to the senior apartment complex in our town and we see her regularly. She dotes on the children like she doted on Ed when he was little. I dont mind because neither of the real grandmas lives nearby, and AR is very sweet. We had invited her to go with us last year, but she declined. Well, this is one of the reasons we became DVC members, so that we could get the larger accommodations and bring other family members with us!
So, this year, I had a heart-to-heart with her and reassured her that we always tour at a relaxed pace because of Billy, and we return midday to the resort for a nap. She is quite healthy and walks everyday, but she is 75, after all, and she remembers getting quite tired the last time she went to WDW, and that was nine years ago. She loves WDW, though, especially the MK, and the thought of being there with the kids must have been very appealing to her, because she agreed to come with us!
I let her know that she doesnt have to spend every moment of the trip with us, and that if she does start to get tired she should just stay at the resort for the evening. She looked aghast when I suggested this. I dont want to miss any time with my sweethearts! I know that an ECV would be out of the question. She would just be too self-conscious. Hmmm. Ill just have to keep my eye on her.
Next chapter: Where to Stay and the Disney Dining Plan or How am I supposed to know where I want to eat dinner 180 days from now??
Kathy
Kitchen or no, Ed says he absolutely will not have his wife cooking while on vacation. I love that man!
I impatiently count the days until April 1st when the hours of operation are posted for the theme parks. November hours are fairly short. I am particularly interested in the EMHs schedule because we try to take a break at our resort midday and the EMHs really help! 
And when he gets hyper, he gets LOUD! He makes noise constantly, but when overstimulated, the noises can be piercingly loud. He also will get preoccupied with one thing and says it over and over AND OVER! So, if you see my big 8 yr old with a chewy tube in his mouth and ear plugs in his ears, now you know why!! And if he asks twenty times in a row for Mickey's Philharmagic when we are in line for Peter Pan, please try to understand that he just can't help himself! 
This isn’t even during Free Dining! Well, I keep trying. Finally get a 6pm ADR for Friday night. Good. DSS can have his steak! The other ADRs were not a problem; everything fell into line pretty easily. Two character meals for AR and me, (oh, and the kids): Crystal Palace (Pooh! 
), and Liberty Tree Tavern 
. We did the CP breakfast once before, this time we’re doing lunch. First time at LTT and I’ve read good things about it! We had a fun time at 50's Prime Time Cafe three years ago on our first trip to Disney, so we’ll try it again. AR should get a kick out of it.
So, usually late in the evening, when the kids are asleep and DH is at work, and I'm done with the day's activities, I find myself here on the boards either trying to pick up the latest WDW info or to travel to WDW vicariously through other's trip reports. 
However, hallelujah, he will now eat plain steak in a restaurant. By the way, he is 16 now. This change took a long, long time. 
Did you have any problems with potty training your DS? Mine just will not BM on the potty. If you have any ideas, just PM or you can email me.
