KathyRN Family's Trip Report: Adventures in Autism: WDW... A FEW PICS, FINALLY! pg 13

[MomToAp1699]

Kathy,
I just finished reading through your whole thread and can honestly say that I have never read a trip report that has made me cry from start to finish. I Hope my sons trip to WDW is as incredible as yours was.
Your trip report has been a lot of help for me since my family ( my husband and myself as well as my mother and stepfather for two days) will be travelling with my son Alex who is an 8 year old with Asperger's Syndrome. He is high functioning but easily confused and overwhelmed. So I had a few questions for you.
1) does the GAC allow you to utilize handicap seating for events like Fantasmic? My son wants to go but I am leary. I know he won't be able to wait in line the 1.5 hours ahead of time we have been told you should arrive for seating and I KNOW without a doubt he would never be able to survive standing room only. His greatest terror in crowds is being at butt level with everyone else and has no problem screaming that there are BUTTS IN MY FACE...

2.) Did you rent a stroller at all during your visit??

I think that is it for now. We haven't told Alex we are going because he is the flip side of the coin in ASD.. There is the one side where they need to know everything well ahead of time in order to prepare and be ready .. and then there is the side that Alex lives on. You can't tell him ahead of time when something big is coming, he worries and perservates and gets himself so anxiety ridden that nothing else matters but the questions and worries.. We leave April 16th and our plan is to tell him the Friday prior to leaving. Though we are not sure how we are telling him just yet. As I am sure you understand yourself, Alex is oblivious to clues and even obvious things. So we can't tell him by clues or hints or even by waiting til he figures itout when we get there as I don't know how long that would take.. I made him a special journal ( a jiminy journal like in Kingdom Hearts) as that is one of his BIG perseverations.. and I am thinking of putting a letter in the front of it to read to him with barely veiled clues that I know he will pick up on.. but any suggestions for that.. OR anything else woudl be sooooo greatly appreciated..

 

[KathyRN137]

Actually it was on page 3 of this thread but in your defense, it's a great story and totally deserved to be repeated! And I'm not just saying that because I have adored Eeyore for over 40 years!

I'm truly enjoying your trip report and am looking forward to more

Ooops! That's what happens when you start your report 6 months before you actually go!!

Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Double post.

 

[wvdislover]

My son is high functioning and I know he is going to have the time of his life. I hope I am not following him around sobbing like an idiot just by looking at his reaction to everything

Pack the tissues!!! It's OK, though. You're supposed to cry at Disneyworld. At least that's the way that I've always understood it--I cry when I go. Now that I think about it, even my usually unemotional DH cried last Feb. when we were there w/o kids watching Mickey's Philharmagic! Go figure! (He was thinking of our DD's back home, esp. DD8 (now 9) who has several issues going on). Have a magical time!!!
Missy

 

[wvdislover]

MomtoAp1699:
We rented a double stroller for our DD's 8 and 4. They walked part of the time and rode part of the time. Disney requires A LOT of walking and Alex may not be up to the challenge (we're talking 5-10 miles a day, depending on how long you're in the parks and how much you move around). If you're not sure if he'll like it, they let my kids try the stroller out right there and see if they fit OK. Some people also have suggested a wheelchair for older autistic or sensory challenged kids. It gives them a space of their own, without being cramped. We're planning on taking our girls again in Sept. and are hoping our older DD (she'll be 10 when we go) will still fit in the stroller, if necessary. She really stresses and can melt down when she gets tired, and I don't know if she would do a wheelchair. Besides, we'll still need the stroller for DD6 (she's really little and her poor short legs would never make it through the day!). BTW, if you do opt for the stroller, go ahead and pay for the entire vacation's rentals the first day. They'll give you a discount, and if you end up not using all the rentals, they'll refund you for the unused tickets. Good luck and have a great time!

 

[KathyRN137]

.. but any suggestions for that.. OR anything else woudl be sooooo greatly appreciated..

Happy to help! I'll PM you....

Kathy

 

[MomToAp1699]

MomtoAp1699:
They'll give you a discount, and if you end up not using all the rentals, they'll refund you for the unused tickets. Good luck and have a great time!

Thanks, he does get worn down really easy and has a lack of stamina. He was in Physical Therapy for it but has improved. We have planned on buying a cheap one and taking it with us since I hate how hard and huge the ones at parks are.. Part of me says to just chuck it and figure it out when I get there.. and part of me says just buy the dang umbrella stroller and gate check it.. I decided for the most part to leave it at.. If I have enough money left after I buy everything else I will need I will buy a stroller.. cause its only 30$ to buy one and its gonna cost us 80$ to rent one..

 

[KathyRN137]

Wednesday Afternoon, 11/08/06: EPCOT

Soon we arrived at our stop on South Point Road. Once again, I marveled at the lush tropical landscaping of OKW. The palms and crepe myrtle that surrounded the pastel-colored villas made me feel truly immersed in the Key West theme!

Let’s see. So far we have experienced the Islands of the Caribbean, the French Quarter of New Orleans, and the pastoral Lakes Region of Upstate New York, all courtesy of WDW Resort Imagineering. “You know,” I remarked to Ed, “This is our fourth trip to Disney and it’s the first time I feel like I’m actually staying in a resort that’s in Florida!”

We climbed the steps to our 2nd floor villa and quickly settled in for a siesta. I closed all the blinds and while Tricia and Aunt Rae retired to their room, Ed and I put Billy between us in the king bed and snuggled up together. It was 2:45pm and our alarm was set for a meager one-hour nap.

Ed was soon dozing but Billy had a case of the wiggles & giggles; he just couldn’t settle down after all we had seen and done that morning. Oh well, no hope of a real nap today. At least an hour of quiet time in a darkened room would give him a little break from all the stimulation.

At 3:45 the radio began playing and I groped my way over to hit the snooze button. At some point Billy must have drifted off, because now he was peacefully snoring away! A few minutes later, the radio went off again. Once more, the boys remained completely unconscious while I smacked that poor button just a bit harder than necessary. Ugh!

I mentally reviewed my plan. This year, one of my goals was to see more of the live entertainment in all the parks. Originally, I had hoped to catch the World Showcase Players before checking in at Alfredo’s for dinner. Forget about it! We just couldn’t get up.

Note to self: Don’t stay so late at the park before break; it’s not worth it!

After yet another “snooze”, I managed to drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom to wash up. I padded across the living room and peeked into the next bedroom. Aunt Rae was dressing but Tricia was still asleep. I nudged her awake and she yawned and stretched and promised that she would get dressed quickly. I went back across to the master bedroom and began the arduous task of rousing the boys.

Ed got up without too much difficulty. He’s used to a certain amount of sleep deprivation, anyway, from working nights for the past seven years! But Billy was another story. I opened the blinds and went over to shake him. At first, there was no response.

“Good night!” he said, as I shook him again. “Go to sleep!” he said, echoing my pleas from earlier. I had to stifle my laughter when he pretended to sleep by screwing his eyes shut and making loud snoring noises, “Crruuuuuunk—shooo! Crruuuuuunk—shooo!”

Then I said the magic word: “EPCOT!”

His eyes popped open and he began reciting the plan. “First, Magic Kingdom, then EPCOT, please!”

“Yes, Billy, now we’re going to EPCOT”, I reassured him (and myself!)

We all gathered ourselves together and headed toward the bus stop. It was a quarter after five and I knew we’d have to hustle to get to Alfredo’s by 5:45, especially with the Food and Wine Festival going on.

Billy started in. “First, Test Track, then, Soarin’, PLEEEASE!” Sigh. He repeated this over and over despite being told each time that we were going to dinner. Big sigh. He did this for a full 10 minutes until the arrival of the EPCOT bus broke the rhythm of his thoughts.

It can often be like this; it’s like the needle getting stuck in the groove of a record (I’m dating myself…that’s for those of you who are old enough to remember record albums!) It took another 10 minutes to reach EPCOTand we decided not to try to rush Billy and Aunt Rae through the park. We split up, and Tricia and I took off at a trot through Future World toward World Showcase.

It was dinnertime in WS and, as expected, the crowds were thick. Guests clustered around the F&WF kiosks sipping their wine, nibbling their treats, and generally blocking the usual flow of traffic around the lagoon. Tricia kept trying to sprint around the clumps of people, ECVs, and strollers while I attempted to navigate them in a more respectable fashion. I repeatedly called out to her to slow down and stay within my sight, and prayed that she would avoid any collisions! Thankfully she did.

When we arrived at Alfredo's we found a huge crowd waiting to check in. It amazed me that so many parties were attempting to get seated without ADRs. I felt really sorry for them as they were turned away from the podium. With the popularity of the Dining Plans, it is virtually impossible to walk up to a Disney TS restaurant for dinner without an ADR. And Ed thought I was crazy for making mine six months ago!

After all that agita, we were only 10 minutes late and were given our pager without any fuss. I phoned Ed; they were just entering WS. I told them not to hurry; there were a lot of people waiting with us in Alfredo’s lobby. As luck would have it, they appeared just as our pager went off! How’s that for good timing!

A gentleman was leaving as we were going in and he had a service dog, a yellow lab that looked a lot like our Aimee. Billy called out across the room, “Aimee, come here!” Naturally, the dog did not respond. It took a little convincing before he understood that it was not his dog, and we all suddenly realized how much we missed her.

This really was a beautiful, albeit crowded, restaurant. Now that it has been announced that Alfredo’s will be closing permanently in August, I’m glad that we had a chance to dine here once more. (We ate here two years ago on Daddy’s birthday.) I admired the trompe l’oeil murals that adorned the walls and the beautiful crystal chandeliers above our heads. Ed admired the colossal cannolli we passed on the way to our table!

The only thing about Alfredo’s that I do not like is how crowded together the tables are. There barely seems to be enough room for the servers to squeeze through with their trays, but they do somehow. Its one of those places where you can’t help bumping your chair into your neighbor’s when you get up from the table!

We couldn’t get a table by the wall, but we were buffered somewhat by the tall leather seat back of our half-booth. Between the strolling accordion player and the conversations of so many people, the noise level was really high. Billy was stimming a lot, (“First, Test Track, then Soarin’…”) but otherwise did okay. Any place that he can get a huge bowl of pasta is okay with him!

Aunt Rae and I had the prosciuto and melon, while Tricia had the fresh mozzarella and tomato. I thought the prosciuto was a bit tough, so I didn’t eat too much. Ed was “saving room” and skipped the appetizer. He wanted to be able to finish every last bite of his Fettuccini Alfredo! (He did.) Aunt Rae and I had the lamb and roasted potatoes which was so good, but the portions were so large that we felt a bit guilty that we left so much on our plates to leave room for dessert. We managed to wash away the guilt with a glass of wine!

The chocolate nutella cake was delicious yet not too rich. Tricia loved the chocolate mousse and Ed had his favorite, cannolli. Twice during dinner the entire restaurant broke into the napkin-waving song. We all waved our napkins wildly, except for Billy and Aunt Rae, who kept eating diligently throughout!

It was 7:45 by the time we rolled out of Alfredo’s. I had wanted to see the World Showcase Players in Italy, but we were just too long at dinner and missed them. I’m not too fond of these long TS dinners; they’re nice but they’re really starting to cut in on our touring time! We took a few pictures by Neptune’s Fountain and drifted over to the American Pavilion next door.

WS was really crowded; most likely b/c this was the last week of F&WF. We were also in the vicinity of the America Gardens Theater and there were a lot of folks lining up for the next concert. Fittingly, the band was Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. (Remember, this was “Jersey Week”!!) We went inside the American Experience Theater and discovered that the next showing was not until 8:15. We walked around and looked at all the many paintings in the rotunda.

Billy was really stimming heavily so I gave him his chewy tube, but it didn’t help much. I was beginning to think that this was not such a great idea, but Ed and AR really wanted to see this. I was getting nearly as fidgety as Billy. With all these people here in WS tonight, I was anxious that we would not be able to find a good viewing spot for Illuminations.

We’ve seen it a couple of times so I wasn’t so concerned about the rest of the family, but this would be AR’s first time seeing it and I wanted her to be able to enjoy it fully. I suggested to everyone that they go ahead and see the show while I went ahead to stake out an Illuminations spot and they agreed. We checked our cell phones and off I went.

In the past, we’ve seen Illuminations from Canada and Mexico. With the crowd level tonight, I decided to try the opposite side of WS in hopes of finding fewer people there. I made my way through Japan (beautiful), Morocco (exotic), and into France (romantic), and began scouting. There were some tables by the water that were already claimed. I spied a family who appeared to be getting ready to move on. I waited about 5 minutes for them to finish their glaces and as soon as they stood up, I pounced!

Surprisingly, I did not seem to have too much competition. I placed my jacket on one chair and the kid’s extra sweatshirts from my backpack on the other 2 chairs and sat on the long stone bench with my back to the lagoon and proceeded to people-watch.

I got a pretty good eyeful right away. There was a young couple making out on the bench next to me. I guess the romance of Paris was too much for them to resist. Perhaps that’s why no one else seemed interested in this table! Hopefully by the time my kids arrived the two would discontinue making their own fireworks and pay more attention to Disney’s!

I was really hoping that this would be a good spot! There were a few tree branches overhead, but overall I was just thankful that we had seats. I especially wanted a seat for AR; I guess I was still feeling a bit guilty for making her sit on the ground earlier for the Share a Dream With Mickey show!

Just then, Ed called. They were finished with the American Experience and were on their way. I was glad. Illuminations was scheduled to begin in about 15 minutes and people were beginning to crowd along the stone bench where I was sitting in order to get a better view of the lagoon. Back, claim-jumpers, back! Hurry up, family, I can’t hold ‘em back much longer!

I struck up a conversation with a woman who was standing next to me with her family. I had overheard her talking to her husband about TGM and I introduced myself. We found out that we were both DISers and TGMers! We compared our touring strategies for a bit and when the rest of my family arrived (whew!), Tricia had a good time talking pins with her kids. It was nice chatting with you, Momof__and__. (I’m sorry; I forgot the children’s names!)

All the kids took the bench and kneeled on it facing the water, waiting for the fireworks to begin. AR was visibly relieved that she actually had a chair and that we would not be making her sit on the ground again! Both she and Ed complimented me on my success and I willingly accepted the praise.

Veni, Vidi, Vici.

My feeling of satisfaction turned to apprehension as 9pm came and went and still, no Illuminations! At 9:10 an announcer began to speak and, for a moment, I feared that the fireworks were going to be cancelled! Oh no! It can’t be! The weather was fine! Please don’t be cancelled! Fortunately, the announcer informed us that it was merely a short delay due to “technical difficulties”. Whew!

Illuminations was spectacular, as always, and it was really special sharing it with AR for the first time. Even Billy did well. Using the ever-important earplugs, he tolerated the noise much better than he had at Wishes last night. “Hurray, we did it!” he exclaimed when the music ended and the last puffs of smoke drifted away. Yes, we did!

Afterwards, we took a leisurely walk past the fountain and the Eiffel Tower, and over the bridge to the International Gateway. It really was a soft, beautiful night! After a brief restroom stop, we all took the surprisingly short walk over to the Beach Club resort.

We checked out the lobby. Pretty, but not as cozy and visually interesting as OKW, IMHO. But, the Stormalong Bay pool complex looked absolutely incredible, especially at night! Ed was really impressed with the close proximity to EPCOT and Tricia begged for us to stay here next time so she could swim in that awesome pool. I think we may be trying for BCV next year!

Everyone was rather pooped, so we called for a taxi and zipped back to OKW. I threw a load of clothes in the washer and we all fell into our beds. Thank goodness we are planning to sleep in tomorrow morning!

Kathy

Next Chapter: Aunt Rae goes Soarin’, Billy has a tough time with Turtle Talk, and the Big Brother arrives for the weekend.

 

[KathyRN137]

Day Four: Thursday, 11/09/06

This morning’s official plan read: “SLEEP IN and RELAX!”, and we were all for it! It felt so good to wake up naturally and not have to smack that alarm clock! Today would be a big day for us… Eddie was coming in tonight!

I got out of bed around 8:30, just as Ed was leaving for his run. I tiptoed out to the kitchen to put on the hot water for tea and coffee. After putting the clothes I had washed into the dryer, I poured myself a glass of orange juice and eased past Billy (asleep on the sofa-bed), and out to the balcony.

It was so peaceful and relaxing to just sit and enjoy some quiet time alone. This was the first time that I had ever “scheduled” a sleep-in morning for us; I wish I had thought of this before!

My solitude did not last for long; soon Ed returned and everyone else began stirring. I set about making a breakfast of oatmeal, fruit, eggs, and toast for the bunch of us. Well, except for Billy…he’s eaten nothing but a bowl of dry Cheerios for breakfast every morning for years. For the rest of us, however, it was a welcome change from the hurried bowls of cereal that we had consumed the past two mornings.

After breakfast, we began taking turns in the showers. Billy had been begging for a bath in the whirlpool tub since we had arrived, so I filled the tub, poured in a capful of Mickey bubble bath (from home), and helped him in. He laughed and splashed about when I turned on the jets and the tub filled with bubbles. He is sensory-seeking most times, and the deep pressure of the water felt especially good to him!

I opened the louvered doors on the half-wall that separated the tub from the bedroom and kept an eye on him while I folded the laundry on the bed and put it away. I obviously wasn’t watching closely enough, though, b/c he took the bottle of soap and poured half of it into the tub for even more bubbles! All you could see was his little head sticking out of a sea of foam! He had himself a good old time!

Then Tricia began clamoring to be taken to the Community Hall. I showered Billy and then Ed took the two of them over to Conch Flats while Aunt Rae and I tidied up and got ready for an afternoon at EPCOT. I remembered that today our villa was scheduled for full housekeeping, so just before we left, I put out the little “Mousekeeping” envelope that Tricia had decorated with stickers and curly-cues.

We caught the bus at about 12:15 and I called to let them know we were on the way. The last stop was the Hospitality House and Ed and the kids were waiting. They climbed on board and we were off to EPCOT!

Tricia had not been in the mood for arcade games, so they had spent their time playing shuffleboard. Now, this is always a point of mild contention when we come to WDW. Ed always wants to spend time at the resort swimming, relaxing, and doing resort activities. I’m more inclined to want to spend as much time as possible at the parks! So I was glad that they had had an opportunity to do some recreation this morning. But now, Tricia was complaining that she would miss the poolside crafts activity posted for this afternoon: “How to Make Towel Animals.”

Towel animals?? Well, they are cute, but how can you compare towel animals to Soarin’ and Turtle Talk? And if they want to swim they can go to the YMCA any day of the week and swim until they look like prunes! Well, next year we can schedule an entire day to hang around the resort, but for now, we’re sticking with Mom’s Operational Plan, thank you!

Future World was quite crowded. (Remember, it was now Thursday and the next day was Veteran's Day.)

Our first stop, naturally, was Soarin'. It was as awesome as ever! I get chills every time. Tricia had a hard time containing herself; “Aunt Rae, can you smell the pine trees? Aunt Rae, smell the oranges!” We all enjoyed it thoroughly. “Let’s do it again!” cried Billy. So, we did! TGFG. (Thank God For the GAC.) We waited about 20 minutes each time, which was pretty good, considering the standby wait was posted as 50 minutes!

Then Billy saw the marquee for The Circle of Life. Oh no. When it comes to certain attractions, I can just do them over and over. When it comes to CoL, however, once in a lifetime is enough for me. (We last saw it in ’03).

Billy, however, had recently become a big fan of Timon and Pumba’s show on the Disney Channel so we decided to do it just for him. It was a short wait amongst a large crowd and, thankfully, it’s only a 12-minute movie. It has a nice environmental message, but, frankly, ZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Test Track was just the thing to wake me up! It was about a 15 min wait for us and when it came time for the pre-show, Aunt Rae was just a bit unsure as to whether or not she would like the ride. “Don’t worry, Aunt Rae” we all reassured her. “It’s not a roller coaster, it just goes fast.”

Ed, Tricia, and AR sat in front and Billy and I were in the back. We put our car through its tests and I kept praying that the ride would not break down, as it seemingly often does. When we got to the best part, where we go really, really fast, Billy shrieked with delight and we all screamed our heads off!

All of us, that is, except Aunt Rae. Once more, the tiny lady felt herself sliding from one side of the seat to the other during the banked curves, just as she had during BTMRR. Even though she was seated in the middle, she did not like it at all. “Again, Again!” shouted Billy, but AR had had enough of it. We all felt a bit sorry, but as she observed, “at least she had tried it” and now knew that this ride was not for her.

We crossed back to the west side of Future World towards HISTA. Again, not one of my personal favorites, but the kids both really wanted it so we got in line. The CMs herded us like cattle into the dreaded pre-show area. “Please move 10 steps forward and 10 steps to the left! Keep moving! Keep moving!” The Kodak ad began and a woman nearby kept asking loudly, “Is this it? Is this Honey I Shrunk the Audience?”

Billy was jumping up and down with excitement; he loves all the 3D movies at WDW. I spent most of the time keeping him from landing on our neighbors’ toes! Finally, the doors opened and we filed in. I had warned Aunt Rae in advance about the special effects, but a rather large, muscular man sitting next to Ed was apparently not prepared because he yelped and jumped about a foot in the air when the “mice” ran over his feet!

Afterwards, the kids had fun watching the jumping fountains and the upside-down waterfall.

We would like to have visited the Imagination Pavilion but we were getting a bit short on time and had to content ourselves with merely waving at Figment, who was signing autographs outside.

Next, we walked over to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. A small crowd of children was gathered around the audioanimatronic seagulls now perched outside the entrance. “Mine! Mine! Mine!” all the kids were laughing and chanting along. Billy joined them and he jumped and laughed and flapped and nobody even seemed to notice!

We boarded our clam-mobiles, anticipating the enhancements recently made to this attraction. It was supposed to be really cool to see the animated characters “swimming” among the real fish, but there weren’t that many real fish swimming in the tanks! Where were they, having dinner? We got off the ride, looked at each other and said, “Eh! What’s the big deal?” Perhaps the shortage of real marine life spoiled the effect; we’ll have to try it again sometime. On to Turtle Talk with Crush!

I understand that since we visited in November, TT is in the process of being moved to a larger theater. Bravo, Disney! The queue for this very popular attraction was very disorganized and way too small for a theater that was also way too small! (Now all they need to do is to make it a FastPass.)

Although we were lucky enough to be one of the first families to queue up, the crowd of Crush fans soon began to “crush” toward the entrance, and we found ourselves being slowly pushed to the side. The CM did not make any attempt at keeping order; he seemed to have his hands full trying to keep little kids from standing where they would get hit when the automatic doors opened. When they finally did open, there was a mad push and we did our best not to get trampled as parents hustled to get the first few rows.

Ed took hold of AR’s arm so she would not get knocked over (really! It was scary!), and I guided the kids toward the front and told Tricia to sit with Billy and the other kids on the floor. I put them up against the wall near a CM. When I turned around, I found the others on a bench all the way in the back. When I sat down, I couldn’t see the kids sitting down on the carpet, but I could hear Billy! He was making loud noises and laughing deep in his throat as the show began.

Last time we saw TT, which was two years ago, he and Tricia sat up front and did just fine. Tricia had even been picked to ask Crush a question! She still talks about that:

C: “So, little dudette in the blue shell! Where do you live?
T:: “In New Jersey.”
C: “Did you swim the Australian Current to get here?”
T: “No, we flew.”
(Crush’s eyes BULGE out , and the audience laughs)
C: “Whoah! Do you have wings?”
T: (Laughing) “No, we flew down in an airplane!”
C: “Duuude!”

It was a lot of fun for her and I’m sure she was hoping to be picked again this time.

We were enjoying listening Crush interact with some of the smaller kids when Tricia came back to us pulling Billy by the hand behind her. She was crying! Billy was saying, “No! No!” and we managed to get the story from Tricia through a hail of tears and hiccoughs.

Seems that when the show started, Tricia tried to quiet Billy b/c she was afraid he would be interrupting the show with his verbal stimming. Well, after being told to “Shush!” just once too often, Billy pushed her. She had explained to the CM that her brother was autistic but apparently the CM did not want to have any trouble. According to Tricia, he told her to bring him back to Mom and Dad, which she did. Ed just took Billy out (even though I think the “No” was merely his way of protesting being sent away from Crush!)

Tricia was crying, primarily from embarrassment. I asked her if she wanted to leave, but she didn’t want to. I put my arm around her and we watched the rest of the show. I felt bad for her, but then again, she can get so impatient with her brother sometimes and she doesn’t always handle the situation favorably.

She’s only a kid herself, and it’s hard for her to understand. But we really try to emphasize to her that Billy cannot help the noises he makes and, although they can be really irritating, she can’t make him stop by scolding him. All brothers and sisters squabble, but in Billy’s case, if his sister annoys him enough he will push her away b/c he doesn’t have very good language skills and gets easily frustrated.

It was a real disappointment for me that the kids didn’t get to enjoy TT like they had the last time! If I had not had my vision blocked in the theater, I would have been able to intercede before the whole thing got out of hand. Lesson learned: next time, we’ll just keep them seated with us to avoid any problems.

After the Crush fiasco, we were ready for a break. As luck would have it, it was time for our 4:50 ADR at the Coral Reef, which is housed in the Seas’ pavilion. (Okay, luck had absolutely nothing to do with it…I had planned it that way!) This was an early time for dinner, but we wanted to be finished in plenty of time to get back to OKW to meet Eddie (who would be arriving via Magical Express.)

We checked in and were given one of the famous pagers. There was just enough time for a restroom break and then we were called. (One of the other advantages of eating early.) I asked the hostess for a table on the 2nd tier and she seemed relieved. I suppose that most people want to sit right up next to the tank, but I was afraid that Billy would be so distracted that he would spend the whole meal with his nose pressed up against the glass instead of eating his dinner! “I have a wonderful table for you!” she said and she led us to a high-backed, semi-circular booth in the center of the restaurant.

The view was perfect! The aquarium tank is quite tall and I think the view was actually better from one level up. Here were all the that we had missed earlier! Billy was entranced!

The booth was large enough for the five of us to be seated comfortably, and the tabletop was covered in blue mosaic tiles. The colors on the walls were varying shades of blue, and the wave pattern, coupled with low lighting, gave us the impression that we were dining in a shimmering undersea world.

Ed and I had the grilled Mahi-Mahi and it was wonderful! AR really enjoyed her pan-seared tuna, and Tricia (who, at age 10, had the option of ordering from the adult menu), chose the N.Y. strip steak, which she nearly finished. Billy was more than content with his old standby—chicken fingers and fries!

We marveled at the many varieties of fish, rays, sea turtles and even sharks that we observed throughout our dinner. At one point, several divers swam through the tank and all the kids in the restaurant were delighted when they waved. Everyone, including the adults, waved back! It was a wonderful experience, although I felt a tiny twinge of guilt watching all the fish while I enjoyed my Mahi-Mahi!

Even though we were full, we felt obligated to order dessert. (I tell you, that dining plan is a real two-sided coin!) Ed and AR really liked the Chocolate Wave, but they found it to be a bit rich and couldn’t finish. I think I did better with my cheesecake, although I do love chocolate! Tricia was so proud of her make-your-own sundae that she asked me to take a picture of it!

After dinner, we made our way over to World Showcase. This was to be our last night at EPCOT and I was absolutely determined to see the Dragon Legend Acrobats in China! We had never been able to catch them on previous trips and we hadn’t been able to see any entertainment last night b/c we had arrived so late.

We arrived at their stage area with lots of time to spare and we plopped ourselves down by the rope to wait. Well, AR didn’t exactly “plop”, we kind of eased her down! Fortunately, I had remembered to bring a towel for her “seat”.

The young performers came out and a crowd quickly formed. All I can say is, “Wow!” They were really amazing and well worth the wait.

We worked our way back through Norway and Mexico, taking time to ride Maelstrom and El Rio de Tienpo, respectively. Oh that wonderful, distinctive, Disney-water smell! Tricia is getting older now and is beginning to think these little boat rides are a bit lame, but Billy and AR enjoyed them immensely.

Oh, and speaking of “lame”, Ed somehow scraped his leg when exiting the boat in Maelstrom and got a pretty good-sized scratch! Who knew that riding Maelstrom could be dangerous?! Although the scratch wasn’t very deep, it was too long for any of the Band-aids I had with me, so I gave him an antibacterial wipe and he held pressure on it so it stopped bleeding pretty quickly. It stung him, though, and I caught him wincing a few times.

His bad luck continued when we stopped at a kiosk for some of the sugared almonds he loves and they were sold out! They told him that if he wanted to come back in about 15 minutes they would make some more, but it was getting late so he decided to pass on them. Poor Ed!

We felt a little like salmon swimming upstream as we walked toward the Future World main entrance. It was about 8:15 and the masses were migrating toward World Showcase and Illuminations. The kids hopped from one fiber optic-embedded pavement square to the next on the way out. We waited at the bus stop for about 15 minutes and Ed was beginning to get anxious about missing Eddie. Just as he uttered his concern, along came the bus!

We returned to OKW and everyone except Ed got off at our usual stop. He remained on the bus and got off at the Hospitality House, where he planned to meet Eddie coming in on the ME bus. The rest of us climbed the stairs to our villa and went inside. It had been spotlessly cleaned but, what’s this? The mousekeeping envelope Tricia had decorated was still there in the foyer!

She was disappointed, but I explained to her that the housekeeper probably didn’t realize that the envelope was for her. “But I wrote ‘mousekeeping’ on it in big letters!” she pouted. “Don’t worry, perhaps we’ll see her tomorrow”, I reassured her. I made a mental note to label the next envelope in English and Spanish, just in case!

A short while later I received a call from Ed; he had just heard from Eddie. It turns out that the flight had been delayed, so the plane had not even landed yet. Ed decided that he might as well just hang around the HH and wait. I really think he just wanted a shot at playing in that arcade! I did my best to get the kids settled down and ready for bed, but they were both bouncing around with excitement! They put on their pajamas and watched a DVD while AR and I relaxed with a cup of tea.

When 10pm came around and they had still not returned, I put my foot down and the lights eventually went out. It didn’t do any good; Tricia crept into bed with Billy and I could hear them whispering and giggling as they waited for their brother.

The door finally flew open at 10:45 and there was an explosion of hugging, kissing, laughing, and talking as Eddie came in with his father and was tackled by the rest of us!

He had landed at MCO at 9:40 and it had taken only a short time for the ME bus to leave the airport. They had made one stop at SSR before arriving at OKW, but the whole trip took about an hour. I was glad that he had only brought a carry-on bag; it was so late and it was good that we did not have to worry about when and if he would get his luggage delivered in the middle of the night!

Woo-Hoo! The whole family is together at last! All my favorite people together in my favorite place!

I showed Eddie around and he was impressed with the size of our digs. That’s saying a lot; 16 year olds are not easy to impress these days! By the time he had a snack and we got everyone settled back into bed it was about 11:30, and I was praying that we would all be able to wake up early the next morning!

Kathy

Next Chapter: Dodging Soap Fans at the Studios, Thrills and Chills for first timers on R&RC and ToT, and Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the Big Blue House!

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

Wow, two trippies back-to-back. You're good!

Your poor Aunt riding on Test Track! sliding back and forth

Those OKW villas are nice. Anyone would be impressed. I'm glad Eddie like it.

That's too bad about Billie and Tricia. At least he got his chicken fingers and fries. Trey won't even eat them anymore. I guess he's just flat sick of chicken fingers.

 

[KathyRN137]

Wow, two trippies back-to-back. You're good!

At least he got his chicken fingers and fries. Trey won't even eat them anymore. I guess he's just flat sick of chicken fingers.

1) Well, I had the day off, so I had a choice...clean the house or write my report! It was a tough choice.

2) How did our generation ever survive without chicken fingers?

Off to check if you've posted on your report yet.....

Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

1) does the GAC allow you to utilize handicap seating for events like Fantasmic? My son wants to go but I am leary. I know he won't be able to wait in line the 1.5 hours ahead of time we have been told you should arrive for seating and I KNOW without a doubt he would never be able to survive standing room only. His greatest terror in crowds is being at butt level with everyone else and has no problem screaming that there are BUTTS IN MY FACE...

You don't really need to be in line for 1.5 hours ahead.
People will start lining up then, and if you come between 1.5 and 1 hours before the show starts, you will see long lines of people waiting in line.
But........
they start letting people into the auditorium about 1 hour before the show actually starts. If you wait until people actually have started walking in, you won't have to wait in line. You will be in a slow moving line walking into the auditorium, but it's not really a tight line.
People using wheelchairs are going in with the regular line until an area where there are some bathrooms. At that point, the guests with wheelchairs and those with GACs if they need special seating wait for a CM to lead them in.
The wheelchair/handicapped area is the whole back row of the theater. That row has empty spaces for wheelchairs or ECVs to park. There are a few seats next to those empty spots. The remainder of their parties sit in the 2 rows directly in front of the back row. People who need to sit at the rear, but don't have wheelchairs would sit in those 2 rows. We have sat next to people who had GACs.

An advantage to sitting near the back is that it is easy to make an escape if you need to - or - once you have gotten seats, you can get up and walk around the area behind the seats. There is a snack bar and the restrooms that you passed on your way in. The wait inside the auditorium sounds bad and long, but you are seated during the wait. If you have something your child likes to do (movie, Gameboy, coloring, eating), you can do that during your wait. There is Disney music playing and people doing things like "the wave".
When the show is over, wait to leave until most of the crowd leaves. If you leave right away, you will run into all the crowds and will be in crowds until you get out of the theater area. You will probably come out about the same time if you wait to leave, and you will have a much easier/more pleasant time.

Another possibility is to use the Fantasmic dining package. You eat a specific restaurant that is part of the package and you get to enter the theater about 1/2 hour before the show begins. You use a specific entrance that is reserved for the dining package and one section of the theater is reserved for the dining package.

Some people also have suggested a wheelchair for older autistic or sensory challenged kids. It gives them a space of their own, without being cramped. We're planning on taking our girls again in Sept. and are hoping our older DD (she'll be 10 when we go) will still fit in the stroller, if necessary. She really stresses and can melt down when she gets tired, and I don't know if she would do a wheelchair.

CMs that work at WDW have said that the WDW strollers can fit up to a small 12 yr old. If you are concerned about her fitting, you could try a double stroller for her.
I have seen lots of kids (even big ones) in the WDW strollers and they looked pretty comfortable. Most of the kids I have seen in rental wheelchairs did not look that comfortable - the seats are sling seats and sling backs. They are OK if the child is near adult size, but I don't personally think they look very comfy for a child 5 feet or less.
There are some places that rent special needs strollers; you can find links to to some of the places in the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of the disABILITIES Board.

 

[SueM in MN]

I've enjoyed reading your report.

 

[KathyRN137]

Day Five: Friday Morning, 11/10/06 Disney Studios

Oh, it was tough to get up that morning! We hadn’t expected to be up so late last night. But, it was the first of only three days with Eddie and we had to make the most of it! Upon entering the living room, I was greeted by the sight of the two brothers sleeping on the sofa bed. Billy had his arm around Eddie. Even in his sleep he gives hugs! Oh, it was so cute! Too bad I had to wake them!

These next few days would be interesting. We now were touring with: two school-age children (one autistic), a teenager, two adults, and a senior. Naturally, Eddie was interested in doing thrill rides. And if you recall, Aunt Rae found BTMRR to be too wild! I was hoping that we could make everyone happy without having to split up too often.

The “uniform of the day” was the character baseball shirt that I had ordered from Disney on line. Each family member was asked to choose a different character and then we all had matching royal blue sleeves:

Me: Winnie the Pooh
Ed: Mickey Mouse (as a cop!)
AR: Cinderella
Eddie: POC ghost pirate
Tricia: Tink
Billy: The Little Einsteins


Miraculously, we made it to the bus stop by 8:30. The Studios bus came right away! Woo-hoo! It was the Friday before Super Soap Weekend and I wanted to do the Studios today before it turned into a madhouse on Saturday. Little did I know that there were a few pre-weekend activities planned for that day! The increase in traffic congestion on the roads was unmistakable.

We arrived at the Studios in time for rope drop and it was crowded! In past years, we would have headed straight for Little Mermaid, but that was before we had a 16 yr. old with us! Normally I would have taken some time to soak up the old Tinsletown atmosphere, but there would be time for that later! We had to get over to those thrill rides before the crowds became unbearable.

The three kids and I left Ed and Aunt Rae to enjoy morning coffee at Starring Rolls Bakery and we steadily made our way through the throng headed toward Sunset Blvd. I knew that the two older ones would want to ride R&RC more than once, so they got 2 FP’s and then we all went in on standby, since the FP queue was not open yet.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I love going on a WDW attraction with someone who is doing it for the first time ever! It’s so much fun, almost like being able to experience it for the first time all over again! I had never been able to do R&RC on past family trips and had been lucky enough to finally ride it last year when Ed and I came to WDW without the children to celebrate our wedding anniversary. (Ed has an inner ear problem that prevents him from going on rides that go …it makes him queasy for hours. It drives him crazy b/c he misses out on some good rides.) But, I digress…

Since Billy had loved Space Mountain so much the other day, I felt confident that he was ready. He loves anything that goes FAST! Eddie is crazy about coasters and Tricia, who had been on the fence about the whole thing until just then, decided to be brave and try it. But only if she could sit with her big brother! I reassured her that if she wanted to change her mind at the last minute, that it would be okay.

The queue moved slowly but steadily past the vintage concert posters and other Rock memorabilia. “Antiques” Eddie called the LPs and 45s I recognized from my youth …hmpfff! They are not antiques, dear boy! Antiques denote that the objects are from antiquity. These are merely the trappings of classic rock. Old school, if you will.

“Yeah, WAY OLD”, he insisted, cracking himself up.
“Yeah, OLD!” Tricia chimed in, eager to align herself with the 16 yr old.
Even Billy, my sweet and lovable Billy, sensing the general mood of the conversation, looked up at me and laughed, “Mommy! MomMomMommy!”

They were all ganging up on me. I was outnumbered, so I decided to quit while I was ahead.

Guess what? We got invited to an Aerosmith concert! Just before we boarded our limos, I reminded everyone once more to press their heads back against the headrest during the launch! (Always the Mommy) The music got Billy excited and he was bouncing up and down so much I had to hold him still so the restraint could be placed over his shoulders! “Here we go!” he shouted, and we took off like a shot!

We hurtled through the dark with Aerosmith blasting in our ears. My favorite part was when we zoomed right through the Hollywood sign! The ride was really fast, really smooth, and really short! It was over before I knew it.

“How was it?” I asked Tricia. “THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!” she shouted. Billy was saying, “We did it, hurray! We did it, hurray!” over and over. Eddie was really sweet and congratulated his sister for doing so well on her first “upside-down coaster”. Tricia was beaming with pride.

Flushed with our success at R&RC, we moved on to ToT. This would be my first time as well, and, I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive. I love coasters, but I wasn’t so sure that I would enjoy being dropped over and over! I said something to the effect that I could always use the chicken exit, but Eddie would hear nothing of it! He had been determined for months to get me on this ride!

Tricia definitely did NOT want to ride, so I explained the concept of the child swap to Eddie and he agreed to swap with me. Knowing that she was not going to be made to go on the elevator, Tricia was able to relax and enjoy the visual effects of the dusty, cobwebby haunted hotel. Once again, an attraction with a themed queue that is as much of an attraction as the ride itself!

We were in the boiler room and ready to board in about 20 minutes. There was a young girl, about 2 or 3 years younger that Tricia, who was sobbing and telling her parents that she didn’t want to go on the ride. All they did was tell her not to worry, that it would be fine. Sometimes, I just don’t know…

We spoke to the CM, who was dressed in an old-fashioned bellhop uniform, about doing the child-swap and he led Tricia and me off to the side and down a back service elevator. I knew that Billy would be fine with Eddie. Billy is even better about listening to his big brother since his voice deepened and he sounds like their father! This was, however, my first time doing the child-swap, and so I was mildly anxious.

Tricia and I waited near the exit and scanned the ride photos that were appearing on several T.V. screens to see if we could spot the boys. There they were! I searched Billy’s face. He seemed to be laughing and holding on tight to Eddie’s arm! Tricia laughed at some of the funny/frightened faces that people were making.

The boys soon exited with their group and the CM was there to escort me upstairs. Billy wanted to “go with Mommy, please!” I looked at the CM and he said it would be okay for Billy to ride again. I left Tricia with Eddie and (gulp!) went back up the service elevator with Billy and our “bellhop”.

We sat down and strapped in. Billy was giggling uncontrollably and as soon as the lights went out, he was positively squealing with delight. “Here we go! Here we go!” he shouted. Even though his laughter was out of place, it made a lot of people laugh. Hopefully, it broke the tension for anyone who was feeling really nervous! I was so busy focusing on Billy that I forgot to be nervous! I felt around beside me in the dark and found handles on either side. I told Billy to hold onto his handles as I gripped mine for dear life as we plummeted down the “elevator shaft” for our first drop!

I was taken aback when I felt myself lifting off my seat during our descents! Now, I am by no means a small woman and, truthfully, the sensation of being even slightly airborne was a bit disconcerting! It was, however, a much better experience than I had anticipated; I didn’t feel queasy at all. I received congratulatory high-fives from Eddie and Tricia as we exited.

It was getting late, and I hoped that Billy and I would be able to make it over to Mickey Avenue in time to meet up with the others for the first showing of Playhouse Disney. We all double-checked to see that our cell phones were working and I dropped the older two kids off at R&RC so they could use their FPs. It was a good thing they had them; the standby wait was already 45 minutes!

Billy and I walked hand in hand down Sunset Blvd. and again felt the experience was like swimming upstream! There was a large crowd, mostly female, gathered by a small stage set up in front of the Sorcerer's Hat.

Three bubbly female performers were pumping up the crowd by singing a song about “waiting for Luke and Laura” (from the General Hospital soap), and I gathered that they would be making a personal appearance. No wonder it was so crowded! I’d long since lost touch with the continuing story of Luke and Laura, but the song brought a smile to my face as I recalled rushing home from high school each afternoon to catch the latest on GH!

By the time we circumnavigated the crowd we had missed the first showing of Playhouse Disney: Live on Stage, so we all stood there for a minute trying to decide what to do. The next show was not for another 30 minutes, but the line was already forming. The Little Mermaid was between shows as well, so we decided to just wait for PD. Besides, I figured the older kids were probably riding R&RC by now and wouldn’t be able to use their cell phones if I tried to phone them with any change in plans.

Fortunately, the outdoor queue is dotted with small television screens showing clips from the Playhouse Disney shows, so Billy was happily occupied. The older kids soon came along to join us and although they were surprised, they were pretty good sports about the prospect of having to see the “baby”show with us after all.

It was somewhat worth the half-hour wait because by the time the doors opened, the queue was overflowing with families. We were ushered to the center stage area and found our places on the carpet about 4 rows back. Perfect! Even though he is eight, Billy just loves, loves, this show and I was so glad that he would have a good view this time! (In past years, we’ve been stuck in the back.) The rest of us settled in to watch Billy watch the show! He danced and sang and bounced with joy the entire time! We got a few strange looks; after all, he is a pretty big boy. But he was so obviously enjoying himself that most people just smiled.

Next, all the kids wanted to do Star Tours. Ed and AR bowed out of that one; they headed over to Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. We agreed to meet for lunch afterward at Backlot Express. (Always do Star Tours before lunch!)

The kids and I queued up for the galaxy far, far away. While waiting, we said hello to R2D2 and C3PO. I was glad that we were to be seated more toward the front of the simulator, but as far as the kids were concerned, the rougher the better! When the CM asked for two to fill in the back row, Eddie and Tricia volunteered so they could get tossed around even more!

It was an exhilarating trip and no one in the room got sick—hooray! Billy exploded into giggles as soon as we took off and continued throughout the whole ride! He was having such a great time!

We exited and walked next door to the Backlot Express. It was 11:40 and it was just beginning to get busy; we ordered our food and found a table outside. Soon, Aunt Rae and Ed came along. They had really enjoyed One Man’s Dream, but had decided to skip the movie part because they had spent so much time looking at the exhibits. They arrived a mere 10 minutes after we did, but even in that short time, the lines had grown incredibly and all the tables were filled.

I had a really tasty sandwich of smoked turkey and cheese on grilled panini bread. AR was able to keep to her gluten-free diet by ordering a grilled chicken Caesar salad (minus the croutons), while Ed and the kids enjoyed some giant hot dogs and fries. I gave my little “cheesecake in a cup” dessert to Eddie b/c I was full. He inhaled mine right after his. No food goes to waste if you have a teenage boy around; they’re like human garbage disposals!

There was only time for one of the stunt shows and, since we four had seen them both before, we left the choice up to Eddie and Aunt Rae. AR, as usual, was “happy with either”, so that meant the decision was Eddie’s. He chose Lights! Motors! Action! We hurried down the Streets of America and I hoped that we would not be late, ‘cuz we were cutting in close!

We made it just in time but, egads! A CM was directing us to climb waaaay up to the top of the packed grandstand! Now, I don’t mind sitting up there; I actually think the view is better from up high. But poor Aunt Rae! I looked to see if there were any seats in the handicapped section, but before I could ask about it, she stopped me cold. No handicapped seating for her, thank you! She stood there looking up at the long flight of stairs when, suddenly, a burst of loud music signaled that that the show was about to begin. Startled, she was off like a shot!

“I’m okay! I’m okay!” she insisted as she attempted a 75 yr old’s version of a sprint up the concrete steps. “Don’t rush! Slow down!” we all called out. OMG! Please, don’t fall! Ed took her by one arm and Eddie took her by the other and they “escorted” her up to the top. She got a bit of a scolding from her nephew. I don’t know why she felt the need to start running! I’ve been a nurse for over 20 years and, trust me, I understand! Relax, who cares if the show is starting! Take your time and be safe, for heaven’s sake!

We finally made it up to our seats in the clouds and settled in to watch the show. This was my third time seeing LMA and, I have to admit, I personally could take it or leave it at this point. But, everyone else really liked the high-speed action, so I was glad that we could fit it in. It’s all about the give-and-take!

It was really getting warm now, and I was glad that we were far from the heat of the fiery explosion special effects. So was Billy, but for his own reasons! (He is afraid of fire...not such a bad thing!) The show ended and we decided to do one more attraction, hopefully air-conditioned, and then head back to the resort for a swim. The choice was obvious…

I can’t even think about coming to the Studios without seeing the Muppets! (Insert imaginary Kermit smilie here.) We cruised over to the Muppet*Vision 3D theater and were thrilled to find that we were going to get to see the entire pre-show! Muppet humor at it’s best! We watched the pre-show while standing under A Net Full of Jell-O!! (Waka-Waka!)

Growing up, I watched The Muppet Show every week with my family, and developed a real fondness for all the Muppet characters. When I was 14 I actually had a poster of Dr.Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, featuring Animal on drums, hanging on my bedroom wall. On my first date ever, I had the poor boy take me to see The Muppet Movie. Yes, I love the Muppets!

I love that the theater is an authentic reproduction of the theater from the original show, complete with hecklers, Statler and Waldorf! We put on our 3D glasses and had fun watching Kermit, Miss Piggy & Company put on their wacky show. Naturally, we have all the Muppet movies and the original Muppet Show Collection on DVD, so Fozzie, Gonzo, and Rizzo are all old friends to my kids.

Afterwards, I persuaded Ed to stop in the adjacent gift shop to see if they had any good Muppet t-shirts and to pick up some more Muppet character dolls. Billy chose Beaker (“Bee bee beep!”) and Dr. Busnen Honeydew to add to his collection!

I’m sorry to say that the t-shirt selection was dismal. I wish they would carry more merchandise! Better yet, how about a new Muppet attraction! Wasn’t there a rumour awhile back about a possible Muppet version of the Great Movie Ride? That I would like to see!

Having received our fix of Muppets, we strolled past the Streets of America where the lights for the Spectacle of Lights were plainly in evidence. Our last evening in WDW will be the season’s first showing of the SoL, so we will be back!

We moved toward Echo Lake where we passed a column of marching green army men from Toy Story who had just completed “maneuvers” for an appreciative crowd in front of The Hat. We all waved! Then we came upon Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater from Cars. The “celebrities” were swamped with children and their parents who were trying to get pictures. Billy did not feel like going up to them, perhaps the crowd was too overwhelming. But, we stood for a minute or two and watched them. Then we waved goodbye and continued on our way.

Now that we were not in a rush, I could enjoy the ambiance created by the graceful palm trees, vintage billboards, and art deco architecture of the Hollywood Blvd area. Ed stopped to purchase some sinfully rich chocolate fudge for later and somehow we resisted the urge to devour it immediately!

We passed the Studios Christmas tree on the way to our bus stop. It seemed like everyday, more and more festive Christmas decorations were appearing in the parks. It was exciting to know that the holidays would soon be here!

And, with thoughts of mistletoe and holly, we headed toward the swaying palms of OKW and a refreshing dip in the pool!


Kathy

Next Chapter: Hoop-Dee-Doo!

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

We've never done the Hoop dee doo so I'm excited for the next installment.

I'll bet you were smiling from Ear to Ear when you walked into the living room and saw Billy hugging Eddie while sleeping.

Trey loves RRC and usually rides with mom as we don't let Loud Girl ride it yet. Both kids loved ToT last time but didn't want to ride it on our last trip?

We would NEVER make our kids ride something they didn't want to. In October last year we had made a Fireworks Cruise reservation and when we showed up, Trey made it very clear to us that he didn't want to go. Even though we had spent $200 I was ready to leave. The nice Disney cast member refunded my money though.

I love the Muppet show also. I really like the pre-show. It's one of the best IMHO.

Great segment. Thank you.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

I was so delighted to scroll down and see another new installment!

Can't wait for more!

 

[KathyRN137]

Day Five: Friday Afternoon/Evening 11/10/06

I had decided ahead of time that we could skip the nap today since the only thing we had planned for the evening was the Hoop-Dee Doo Review. The kids wanted to swim, but AR preferred relaxing in the villa. Ed just needed to decompress by falling asleep while watching yet another Law and Order re-run! By the time the kids and I got changed and were ready to leave for the pool it was getting late, so we opted for the nearby quiet pool. Well, we thought it was nearby! For some reason we took a wrong turn and took a little unexpected tour of part of the golf course!

We doubled back and found the correct path that led to the pool. The kids delighted in spotting little lizards and some incredibly skinny-looking squirrels. They looked positively anorexic compared to the plump squirrels we were used to seeing this time of year in Jersey!

At this point in the middle of the afternoon, it certainly was a quiet pool. Other than two couples that were relaxing on lounge chairs by the Turtle Shack, the pool was ours! I had brought along some brightly colored dive sticks for the older ones and they were happy that they could use them. (I had warned them that they couldn’t if there were a lot of people in the pool.) Once again, I found myself so appreciative that 16 yr. old Eddie never minded playing with his little sister. They took off for the deep end to play, while I stuck close to Billy in the shallow end.

Billy loves the water, (remember the whirlpool tub), and he happily splashed around. My only complaint about the pool was the temperature of the water. It was so warm that it felt like I was swimming in a bathtub, not very refreshing, really. Oh well, the kids were having a great time making cannonballs, diving for their sticks and playing Marco Polo. Before we knew it, an hour had passed and it was time to head back to our villa.

We showered and dressed. The last time we did the HDDR, which was about 3 yrs ago, we ran late and it was a source of major agita for Ed. (He can’t stand being late.) I, on the other hand, am always running 5 min late for everything! I was determined not to be late this time! We were all showered, dressed, and ready to leave by 6pm, so I was confident that we would make it to the 7:15 show. Gotta keep this the Happiest Place on Earth!

We grabbed the MK bus and then had a rather long wait for ferry from the MK to Fort Wilderness. I was glad that we gave ourselves so much travel time! I knew that AR and Eddie would be seeing the show for the first time and we would all have a blast!

Eventually the ferry arrived and we climbed aboard. Apparently a lot of mosquitoes were planning to attend the HDDR as well, because the ferry was filled with them! Billy and Tricia were both freaked out and kept swatting at them furiously. This was the only mosquito encounter we had this week, and I was really surprised. I hadn’t even thought to pack bug spray in November! It must have been something unique to the ferryboat because thankfully, once we arrived at the dock and walked to Pioneer Hall, the mosquitoes disappeared!

After waiting in the queue for about ten minutes, Billy announced (loudly) that he needed the bathroom, probably related to the fact that he drank half the water in the pool, so we ducked into the restroom. We made it back to the others just as the line began moving inside. We checked in and I momentarily held my breath. This was just before the seating was changed to a tiered pricing system. At this point it was anyone’s guess where we would be seated.

My excitement rose as we dutifully followed the hostess past table after table through the dance hall. There was an open table for six in the third row, center. Could it be? Yes! Awesome! I mean, Hoop dee doo!

Our waitress came right away and when I asked, she reassured us that the gluten-free meal was already ordered for Aunt Rae. Disney’s been doing a great job with accommodating our special requests. I ordered (what else) a chicken fingers meal for Billy and we settled in for a great show.

I’m surprised that we were able to keep any food in our mouths we were laughing so hard! The gags were as corny as the cobs on our plates, but the show was so much fun! We chowed down on fried chicken (grilled for AR), BBQ ribs, corn bread and baked beans while the Wild West troupe sang and danced and did their slapstick.

The “ditsy blonde” performer even came over to our table and sang to Eddie. Darn! Didn’t have my camera ready! Billy wanted to get on the action. “Hi!… Hi!… Hi!” he called to her as he tried to get her attention, but she had moved on. The brunette must have noticed because she did come over to him. But he just turned his head away when she bent down for a kiss! I guess my little gentleman really does prefer blondes!

We waved our napkins…

And had strawberry shortcake…

And Tricia got to play a washboard!

There came a point in the show when the performers asked for volunteers to "get into the act". Oh, Eddie, Tricia and I waved our arms and shouted like mad for them to pick Ed, but they didn't. Drat! The Dad that they did pick wound up stealing the finale in his pink tu-tu! What I wouldn't have given to have seen Ed up there in that getup!


We had a great time and I’m so glad we did it. Yes, we missed out on an evening at one of the parks, but it was Saturday night on a holiday weekend and the parks would have been really crowded, anyway. As it turns out, it was a really fun and relaxing evening for the whole family.

Tricia and I made a quick stop at the pin kiosk outside of Pioneer Hall, but were disappointed to find that they were sold out of the HDDR pins. Oh well, we bought some consolation pins to make us feel better!

We had a pleasant walk to the buses (no mosquitoes). There were resort buses waiting nearby; we didn’t have to transfer to the front of Fort Wilderness. We spent the entire ride chatting about the show and our plans for Animal Kingdom the next day.

Next Chapter: We escape from a Yeti and a Dinosaur!

 

[KathyRN137]

Day Six: Saturday Morning, 11/11/06 Animal Kingdom

I woke up and began preparing for the day with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was feeling a bit wistful because we had passed the halfway mark of our vacation. On the other hand, I was really psyched about going to AK for our first time on Expedition Everest and possibly a preview showing of the brand-new Finding Nemo: The Musical.

The Weather Channel reported that another clear, sunny day was in the forecast. Hopefully it would be warm enough for Kali River Rapids! We were on the bus by 8:30 and pulled up to AK by 9:00, just in time for rope-drop. Our plan was to split up: Ed and AR would first check if any previews of Finding Nemo were scheduled today and then they would explore the Discovery Trails until ITTBAB opened. The kids and I would hotfoot it over to EE and hopefully ride twice in a row!

Jambo! I have always loved AK. I think it is the best-themed of all the parks, and so lush, beautiful and green. The first time we visited AK was three years ago in mid-September and it was hot, hot, HOT! Ed and the kids were not too impressed, and we wound up spending the clichéd “half a day” here. Since then, we’ve visited in cooler weather and the park has really grown on them.

We dodged the other EE pilgrims as quickly as possible and trekked over the ornate bridge into Asia. I nearly gasped as the incredible form of the snow-capped “mountain” rose into view between two sections of dense foliage. I could not suppress the urge to stop for a photo at the Kodak Picture Spot; then I had to pull poor Billy along by the hand to catch up with the two bigger kids!

I gave out a real gasp when I saw the standby queue; at 9:15 it already snaked out the entrance and up the path toward KRR! The posted wait time was 20 minutes! Ha! No way that was accurate! It looked to be at least three times that, maybe more!

Now, I would trade all the GACs in the world for Billy to be a neuro-typical child. But I was thanking God for the GAC that morning! The CM showed us to the FP entrance and we were soon immersed in the aura of the Forbidden Mountain. The queue moved just quickly enough so that Billy did not get too antsy, but just slowly enough that we could enjoy the fabulously exotic details.

I had been lucky enough to catch the “making of” special on the Discovery Channel a couple of months back and it really added to my appreciation of the imagineering that went into this attraction. I actually had to drag Eddie and Tricia away from some of the props so we could move along to the ride!


We inched closer and closer to the station and watched as excited passengers filled train after train and then left the station whooping and cheering. There were obviously not only a lot of first-timers here, but some experienced and exuberant EE fans as well. (Although I did not see the famous “Yeti Man”.) We climbed in; Eddie and Tricia in one seat and Billy and me right behind them. All was secured and off we went!

Billy, as usual, was laughing and chortling uncontrollably as we began the steep ascent, and Eddie began pointing out EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth and even DS’s Tower of Terror in the distance! We girls knew better! We kept our eyes straight ahead! And then, SWOOSH! We were off on our adventure through the chilly darkness! It was amazing, especially the mangled track then backwards part. (Hint: don’t look back. I read somewhere that it makes you dizzy.)

Suddenly, the Yeti was upon us and then, just as suddenly, we whizzed past him! So much work went into that huge audioanimatronic monster and we hardly got to see him! I guess it’s to keep him as mysterious as possible.

We roared back into the station and before we had even disembarked, Billy began shouting, “Let’s do it again!” over and over. “Yeah! Yeah!” echoed the older two, as they high-fived each other with excitement. So we exited, turned right, and entered the queue for a second time! As we passed by the Himalayan artifacts once more, I discovered that Billy had added something new to his vocabulary: “snow monster”!

“Snow Monster! Snow Monster!” he called out at the top of his lungs as we wound our way through the queue. I looked around but no one seemed to mind. In fact, they smiled at him and seemed to be amused by his very vocal excitement!

After another wild ride, we called the others and we met up in DinoLand. Aunt Rae declared that It's Tough to be a Bug was “very cute”, then she and the kids rode Triceratops Spin twice without any wait. There was disappointing news about the Nemo show, though. No AP or DVC member previews today! Drat!

Ed and I relaxed on a bench while we watched them spinning happily in the air. I was still coming down from my EE high! Eddie went off to check out Chester and Hester’s midway games, but soon returned, reporting that they were “lame”.

He perked up as we moved over to Primevil Whirl. Neither Ed nor AR wanted to get sick, so they went for coffee! We “whirled” our way around the curves and dips, laughing and screaming as our car jerked us all around. The older kids thought it was very funny when I stepped off the ride and staggered for the first few steps! I didn’t feel sick, just a little dizzy. So glad I could amuse you, kids!

We regrouped and noticed that one of the live entertainment acts was setting up for their performance at the edge of DinoLand. It was a comic juggling group. I think they called themselves Smear, Slat, and Dip(or something like that). In any case, they were very good!

Their show already had a holiday theme and they gave out candy canes to the kids when they were finished. I like being able to stop once in a while to enjoy some of the live entertainment instead of just rushing from ride to ride; it really adds to the whole park experience!

We made our way over to Dinosaur! This is one of Ed’s favorites, but I always thought it was rough and way too LOUD!! AR and I were going to sit this one out, but Ed persuaded us to try it while wearing earplugs. We always bring several sets for Billy and my dear husband, anticipating my reticence when it comes to Dinosaur, brought even more with him this time.

I agreed, with the added stipulation that AR and I could sit in the center of the Time Rover and let the kids sit on the outside to get bounced about to their heart’s content! I must say that I found it much more enjoyable this time around. Billy shrieked with delight as the Time Rover pitched about and the dinosaurs roared and tried to eat us.

We liked our picture so much that we later bought it. The kids had startled faces, but AR looked calm, cool, and collected as she faced the giant Iguanadon! She showed him! Everyone laughed when we noticed the absolutely terrified faces on the family sitting in the front row!

It had turned out to be another sunny, gorgeous day. Big, fluffy white clouds filled the sky and the temp felt like the low 80’s with absolutely no humidity. Nevertheless, no one wanted to do Kali except me! No one felt like getting wet! C’mon, Eddie! You’re a teenager! You’ve got to! Nope. Didn’t want to get his perfect hair wet! Oh well, maybe next time.

We walked through Discovery Island on our way to Africa, stopping to admire the incredible Tree of Life and to get a family picture. The park was getting very congested now, and I was glad that we had the operational plan.

Even with the GAC, the wait was about 20 minutes at Kilimanjaro Safaris. It was shaded, though, and the fans felt good. Billy was stimming a lot so out came the chewy tube. ( www.chewytubes.com ) We boarded the truck and I knew I was in for it b/c we were seated in the last seat, traditionally the most bumpy. There was a fair amount of animals, but I began to get frustrated b/c I felt I couldn’t get any good pictures with all the bouncing and jostling I was getting. I handed the camera to Ed and he said we got some good shots. Yessiree, some really good shots: the best one caught the rear ends of not one, but two elephants!

Little Red was saved once more and we began to think about where we wanted to go for lunch. I wanted to be finished eating in time to get over to Camp Minnie Mickey by 12:30 for the 1:00 FOTLK, so we crossed over to Discovery Island and stopped at Pizzafari because it was on the way. (And I know I can get my kids to eat pizza, even Florida pizza! )

We had never eaten here before and were struck by the beauty of the colorful animal murals that covered the walls and the intricate mosaic designs in the tiles under our feet. The lines were not too long, as it was still early, and Eddie stayed with me to help carry the trays while Ed lead the rest to the back of the restaurant to find a quiet spot for us

Aunt Rae and I had the chicken Caesar salads and it was probably one of the best that I’ve ever tasted. Ed ordered the hot Italian sandwich, which he said was quite tasty. The kids, naturally, had pizza. Eddie was still hungry after the individual-size pizza, so I gave him my dessert. It was chocolate cake or a brownie, I think. Anyway, I was perfectly happy with my frozen lemonade beverage as dessert. It hit the spot on a hot day. We finished right on time and after a restroom stop we were on our way to see Simba, Timon, and Pumba.

It was a short walk over to FOTLK and we were there by about 12:40. The outdoor queues were hot and packed with people and more and more arrived behind us every minute. I was so glad that we had finished with lunch when we did!

The doors opened and we streamed into the circular theater, our eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darkness. We crossed to the opposite side at the direction of a CM and found bench seating somewhere around the 5th row up. They were great seats. I didn’t want to be too close to the action b/c it would be too overwhelming for Billy. Besides, the front rows are ground level and I think there is a better view if you are slightly elevated. There is so much going on in this show that you almost have to sit back a bit to be able to take it all in.

The theater quickly filled and there were still people showing up, mostly out of breath, just a minute or two before the show was to begin! We were all asked to slide as far as we could to the right and the CMs helped the latecomers to find seats. Once the doors were closed, they stayed closed!

The show was amazing as always! We had to miss it on our first trip to WDW in ’03, because the theater was being refurbished/enclosed at the time, and I remember being so disappointed! Since then, we’ve made it a priority to see the show each year. I knew that Eddie and Aunt Rae would be blown away since this was their first time seeing the show, and I was right. The costumes, the floats, the stilt-walkers, the acrobats, and the very talented singers delighted our eyes and our ears.

Billy was a little apprehensive when the fire-eater was performing, but we were far enough away from him that the flames only bothered him a little bit. (We don’t use candles in our house--not even on his birthday cakes--b/c he is afraid of them. ) Daddy held him tight and he was fine. We all clapped and sang along, and we made our animal sounds on cue. It was lots and lots of fun!

Having finished our visit to AK on this wonderfully high note, we slowly meandered our way back onto Discovery Island, drinking in all the sights and sounds around us. We passed by a gift shop and AR wanted to look inside. As she lingered over some postcards, Ed mouthed, “Let’s go!” to me as he stood there shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I thought we were going to do the shopping at Downtown Disney”, he grumped, obviously ready for a break. I shrugged my shoulders, held up my hands and pointed at AR. For once, it wasn’t my fault that we were snagged by the lure of a gift shop! AR completed her purchases and we headed for the door.

As we passed by a hair-wrapping kiosk, Tricia gave us the big, sad eyes and tried to sweet talk her way into getting her hair wrapped and decorated with beads. “I’ll use my own money!” she pleaded. It was not an issue of money, however, it was an issue of time. And we had no more to spare!

She settled on a clip-on beaded braid and was placated. Privately, Ed remarked that it looked like a fancy roach clip, but she was happy with it and still wears it on occasion, when she can find it!

We finally managed to make it out of the park and stood waiting at the bus stop for our ride back to the resort. It arrived in about 10 minutes. Hakuna Matata!

Kathy


Next Chapter: The Little Nap That Couldn’t, Mommy gets kidnapped by Goofy, and there are fireworks in the MK (and I don’t mean Wishes!)

 

[csuzannet]

Wonderful report!

Isn't Hoop-Dee Doo the silliest? After it's all done it seems too corny to be funny, but while I'm there tears are streaming down my face.

Speaking of tears, the Eeyore story made me cry.

Twice.

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

Excellent report-sounds like such a fun trip. Makes me want to go back already and we just got home!!

I don't want to let the cat out of the bag for our TR, but I thought you might appreciate this story. Trey and I rode Rock N Roller Coaster. It's our routine-Buzz takes DD5 on ToT and Trey & I go on RnR, then we meet up later. This year we changed it, b/c no one except Buzz likes ToT. I HATE the feeling of falling and I think my attitude rubbed off on the kids. Anyway, at opening Buzz & DD headed for the Little Mermaid and Trey & I headed to RnR and the line was already one hour long. Trey does fine in lines, so it was not a problem, but I had a hard time. It was a looooong wait. My back was killing me.

As we walked into the alley, Trey started to whimper. I reassured him it was a fun ride-he loves it and we proceeded. We finally got in our limo and I realized we weren't moving. The CM was talking to someone and I realized he was talking to Trey-and delaying our ride. Trey was covering his ears and had this horrible look on his face. The CM kept asking him if he was ok and I said, "Yeah, he's fine." I'm thinking "We've been waiting an hour-let's get this show on the road!!" He kept asking Trey if he was ok and of course, Trey wasn't answering him.

I kept saying he was fine and the CM finally said to me, "Well he isn't talking." I said, "Yeah, he's handicapped." I never use that word (I always use people first language), but in a moment of stress and frantic-ness, I thought it would make the CM understand better and he asked me one more time if Trey would be ok. I wasn't thinking to tell him he's been on this ride a ton-I just kept saying he's fine, he's fine. The people in front of us turned around and were trying to see what was up. We finally got our launch and he was totally fine after the ride. Always an adventure...

Billy snoring-too cute!! He sounds so much like Trey. Trey did the broken record last fall with us-I finally told him he couldn't say "Test Track Tomorrow" anymore so he gave up on me and railed Buzz with it. Buzz being the ever patient one, let him say 'til his heart was content.

Aimee the dog-how sweet that Billy called the other dog Aimee. I love labs.

I was disappointed in the Muppet merchandise they offer. They need more-I'm a huge Muppet fan.

Trey loves Beeker-he has a little PVC figure of Beeker that he named "Trey." Poor Beeker/Trey is missing a few limbs now though. He's been played with a lot.

My heart goes to your daughter-she sounds awesome. Our DD takes care of Trey and she's only 5! She is such a mother hen and such a good soul-she doesn't see any difference in people and if she does, it doesn't matter to her. She is so accepting-it's really neat to see. Last week at speech, she heard this sound and went to check it out. It was another boy that oddly enough, looks like he could be Trey's twin in the way he looks and acts. DD said, "It's just a boy, smiling and excited. Just like Trey does." I hope she stays this way forever.....

Can't wait to hear more!! Great TR!!