Our completely unpredictable PTR- WDW with Autism May 25-31

[sl_underwood]

And from our trip in 2008

Kara and Jess getting down at Sebastian's Dance Party

Kara meeting Captain Jack. He made some remark about her not being a lady cause she didnt have a dress on and this is a pic of her telling him off, lol

Luke meeting Alice- He adores her, cant ya tell?

Luke meeting Tigger for the first time. Tigger was so much fun for Luke. Luke asked him if they could go bouncing and he bounced with him for a few minutes, then gave him 5 and interacted like he had all the time in the world!

 

[Lidian]

Absolutely loving the pics! I love Jack's body language and expression as your DD is telling him off.

I wonder what happens if any kids give in to Darth Vader... If my kiddos faught DV, I'm sure they'd be "OKAY, let's do this!"

Loving the PTR!

 

[sl_underwood]

Still trying to work out arrival day, but in the meantime, I decided to work on my plans for the rest of the week.

May 26th
Animal Kingdom- Currently AK hours are from 9am-6pm that day.
I doubt we will get there at RD but it might happen. This trip is supposed to be slightly less comando than our previous trips. My family has boycotted my waking them up at 5am to get to the parks at RD plan so my hope is that we be there shortly after rope drop- no later than 10.
We have several musts for the day and might have to split up a bit to get everything we want.
Kara and Spencers must is Everest. Kara also will want KS.
Jess loves to visit Rafiki's Planet Watch and enjoys speaking with the caretakers there. Her dream job would be working at AK so talking with people who work directly with the animals is a fun experience for her. She also wants to do KS, PrimeEvil Whirl and Kali River Rapids
Luke wants to do the triceratops spin, the boneyard, camp minnie mickey and those are his only musts.
I have never seen FOTLK or Nemo musical and would like to do those if we have time.
Stephen loves it all and is just happy to be at WDW. There is nothing at AK that he must do.
My plan so far is
Camp Minnie Mickey
Festival of the Lion King
Kilimanjaro Safari
Lunch
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Expedition Everest
Primeval Whirl
Triceratops Spin
Finding Nemo Musical??
The Bone yard
Rainforest Café 6:15 PM
Head back to resort
Luke asleep by 9

Not sure this plan will work. I also know someone will need to run and get FP at some point in the morning for KS and EE. Touring Plans says its estimated no more than a 20 minute wait at all times that day for those rides. I hope this is right but I kind of doubt it. Any suggestions?

 

[sl_underwood]

Absolutely loving the pics! I love Jack's body language and expression as your DD is telling him off.

I wonder what happens if any kids give in to Darth Vader... If my kiddos faught DV, I'm sure they'd be "OKAY, let's do this!"

Loving the PTR!

I love the pic of captain Jack as well. His body language says it all. What a wonderful actor! As for JTA, I never thought about it until Jess nearly did it! But now I wonder what they would do. I bet Jess is not the only one to ever consider it. I know Luke would join him. He loves Darth Vader. Thinks he was the coolest star wars character ever. That being said, Luke cannot do JTA because the crowd is to much while waiting to get picked. He became overwhelmed on our last trip and we just skipped it.

 

[Lidian]

Still trying to work out arrival day, but in the meantime, I decided to work on my plans for the rest of the week.

May 26th
Animal Kingdom- Currently AK hours are from 9am-6pm that day.
I doubt we will get there at RD but it might happen. This trip is supposed to be slightly less comando than our previous trips. My family has boycotted my waking them up at 5am to get to the parks at RD plan so my hope is that we be there shortly after rope drop- no later than 10.
We have several musts for the day and might have to split up a bit to get everything we want.
Kara and Spencers must is Everest. Kara also will want KS.
Jess loves to visit Rafiki's Planet Watch and enjoys speaking with the caretakers there. Her dream job would be working at AK so talking with people who work directly with the animals is a fun experience for her. She also wants to do KS, PrimeEvil Whirl and Kali River Rapids
Luke wants to do the triceratops spin, the boneyard, camp minnie mickey and those are his only musts.
I have never seen FOTLK or Nemo musical and would like to do those if we have time.
Stephen loves it all and is just happy to be at WDW. There is nothing at AK that he must do.
My plan so far is
Camp Minnie Mickey
Festival of the Lion King
Kilimanjaro Safari
Lunch
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Expedition Everest
Primeval Whirl
Triceratops Spin
Finding Nemo Musical??
The Bone yard
Rainforest Café 6:15 PM
Head back to resort
Luke asleep by 9

Not sure this plan will work. I also know someone will need to run and get FP at some point in the morning for KS and EE. Touring Plans says its estimated no more than a 20 minute wait at all times that day for those rides. I hope this is right but I kind of doubt it. Any suggestions?

I recommend grabbing a FP for one as soon as you enter the park. Then grab a FP for the other as soon as the window is open. Then, if it is crowded, you have FPs. If not, you can ride more than once quickly.

Last year, we grabbed FPs on our way to Rafiki's Planet Watch and by the time we came back, our window was open and we rode KS then went over to grab FPs for EE.

I highly recommend seeing Nemo if you can squeeze it in. Not only is it nice and cool inside, its an absolutely amazing show. The actors do such an awesome job at portraying their puppets. This is a must for us each year. FOTLK is great, too, but if we were forced to chose, we'd see Nemo in a heartbeat. (But that's just our opinion.)

 

[sl_underwood]

Both are if we can kinda deals but I hope to be able to do both of them. Shows are hit or miss with Luke. Sometimes he can manage the auditorium kind of setting and other times, there are just to many people in to close of space for him to tollerate. Last trip, he could not do either show, this trip, we will just have to see. I figure we will plan to do it but if he needs to leave we will go. That is life with autism!

 

[lbuzz52]

Thank you for your advice and welcome! I am glad to have a few people reading. I hope you all have lots of input on my planning. I have decided today will be the start for planning- I can always change something if ADRS become available

So 77 days out and I have just started planning:
We will arrive on May 25th- waiting till Friday to book airfare (dh will know for sure by then if his vacation days have been approved) The flight we want and will hopefully get is a nonstop from Dallas to MCO leaves at 7am- arrive at MCO by 10am! Hopefully that will give us alot of time on our first day. First day plans are somewhat up in the air. DD and her bf have reservations for PH in DTD at 5:30 that evening- couldnt get ressies for everyone there and the rest of use really didnt care if we went or not. dd's bf thought it sounded cool and wanted to go though. MK and Epcot both are open till 9 that day, Touring plans lists MK as a best park level 2, and epcot neutral park at a 5. Might go to one of these, but not sure.
May 26th- AK- ADR RFC for dinner 6:20
May 27- DHS for SWW!
May 28- DHS if needed, otherwise resort day
May 29- MK
May 30-Epcot
May 31- We have to leave this day but our plane (again assuming I can still book on Friday) will leave MCO at 6 and get into Dallas at 9:30. Even using ME, I think we will have atleast until 4 pm. Might do DTD this day or head to a park, probably MK to finish up anything we missed.
So far this is the loose plan. Any advice, suggestions?

last trip, our flight left at 517. we were picked up by ME at 230. It sounds like crazy amounts of time but it really wasn't. we got to the airport, changed to cool weather clothing, ate sandwiches, stopped at starbucks, hit the restroom, took a while to get throigh security, walked to the gate, and boarded immidiately.

my parents went to dtd that morning/ afternoon and spent some time by themselves. they also stopped and picked up sandwiches from earl's with our remaining dining plan credits (which we ate at the airport)

the rest of us went to MK to hit a couple rides, shop at bit

I am stuck on what to do on arrival day. Both MK and Epcot are open till 9 and we get to MCO at 10:30 am. I figure we could have several hours in a park if we wanted, but not sure. I think MK could be fun but with Luke we really try to get in early and get FP so we can avoid a lot of line time. Therefore, I am not sure MK is a good idea, especially if we dont get there till 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Another idea is to go to Epcot and do the KP missions. Jess and Luke are wanting to do those. The other option is resort to swim and DTD for dinner and shopping. Which would you do?

Not the MK- i agree about wanting to have a good short line experience for your little one. i'm leaning towards the swimming/ DTD for two reasons. First of all, i need a little time upon arrival to get things organized to make the space livable and for the parks. also, you never know what sort of delays you may have while traveling.

Still trying to work out arrival day, but in the meantime, I decided to work on my plans for the rest of the week.

May 26th
Animal Kingdom- Currently AK hours are from 9am-6pm that day.
I doubt we will get there at RD but it might happen. This trip is supposed to be slightly less comando than our previous trips. My family has boycotted my waking them up at 5am to get to the parks at RD plan so my hope is that we be there shortly after rope drop- no later than 10.
We have several musts for the day and might have to split up a bit to get everything we want.
Kara and Spencers must is Everest. Kara also will want KS.
Jess loves to visit Rafiki's Planet Watch and enjoys speaking with the caretakers there. Her dream job would be working at AK so talking with people who work directly with the animals is a fun experience for her. She also wants to do KS, PrimeEvil Whirl and Kali River Rapids
Luke wants to do the triceratops spin, the boneyard, camp minnie mickey and those are his only musts.
I have never seen FOTLK or Nemo musical and would like to do those if we have time.
Stephen loves it all and is just happy to be at WDW. There is nothing at AK that he must do.
My plan so far is
Camp Minnie Mickey
Festival of the Lion King
Kilimanjaro Safari
Lunch
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Expedition Everest
Primeval Whirl
Triceratops Spin
Finding Nemo Musical??
The Bone yard
Rainforest Café 6:15 PM
Head back to resort
Luke asleep by 9

Not sure this plan will work. I also know someone will need to run and get FP at some point in the morning for KS and EE. Touring Plans says its estimated no more than a 20 minute wait at all times that day for those rides. I hope this is right but I kind of doubt it. Any suggestions?

we last went in october so crowds were very light- but we arrived at ak somewhere between 10 and 11 (9am park opening). we sent one to get ee fastpasses and the rest of us went straight to the safaris slowly- stopping for ice cream i believe along the way. the line at that point said a 30 minute wait. we decided because it was somewhat out of the way we would just wait instead of backtracking later and the wait was only 17 minutes.

 

[lovethattink]

Hey there! I'm joining in late. Noticed your link in your siggie. I am sending you a pm.

So sorry about Luna.

It sounds like your plans are really taking off.

CBR is a fun resort. Have you stayed there before?

 

[sl_underwood]

Hey there! I'm joining in late. Noticed your link in your siggie. I am sending you a pm.

So sorry about Luna.

It sounds like your plans are really taking off.

CBR is a fun resort. Have you stayed there before?

I have been enjoying your report so much, love to have you here. You seem to be a wealth of information regarding disney and autism. I need all the help I can get. I think it would be easier if we could go all the time because then I might feel less pressure to make it the perfect trip. This will be our first trip to CBR. Luke wanted to stay at ASMO for Toy Story but I thought it would be way to much for him and neither of the girls wanted to stay there. They wanted to go deluxe but I just couldnt part with that much money. CBR was our compromise. Luke loves pirates and Kara and Jess both thought it looked fun. I certanily hope we all like it. After reading your report, I think CSR would be a great place to try. Maybe next trip! When it was just us and our girls we stayed at Pop and last trip we stayed at POR soley because it would fit five and was budget friendly. We have only been to WDW twice, but we have definitely made some great memories there!

 

[lovethattink]

I have been enjoying your report so much, love to have you here. You seem to be a wealth of information regarding disney and autism. I need all the help I can get. I think it would be easier if we could go all the time because then I might feel less pressure to make it the perfect trip. This will be our first trip to CBR. Luke wanted to stay at ASMO for Toy Story but I thought it would be way to much for him and neither of the girls wanted to stay there. They wanted to go deluxe but I just couldnt part with that much money. CBR was our compromise. Luke loves pirates and Kara and Jess both thought it looked fun. I certanily hope we all like it. After reading your report, I think CSR would be a great place to try. Maybe next trip! When it was just us and our girls we stayed at Pop and last trip we stayed at POR soley because it would fit five and was budget friendly. We have only been to WDW twice, but we have definitely made some great memories there!

CBR is really nice, and it's large like POR. Many of the buildings at CBR do not have elevators. You are renting that big Liberty stroller, so I would suggest calling Disney disability at 1-407-939-7807 and have them mark on your reservation that you will need 1st floor or near an elevator. It probably will only be a request and not a guarantee. 3 days before check-in you will need to call your resort 407-934-3400 to ask if they have seen the special request. Of course, if you want a top floor for quietness, then don't do this. You have plenty of people who can help you lug the stroller up the steps, but do be aware the Liberty stroller is quite big, in comparison to a standard stroller.

Are you getting a Nemo room or a pirate room? I assume you are getting 2 rooms. Have you requested they be adjoined? Again it's only a request not a garuntee, but when you call the resort 3 days before check-in that might be something you ask about too.

Off to update my TR, we ate supper at Pop last night! Good food, and the food court was relatively empty!

 

[lovethattink]

Oh, I forgot to add, I will be at Star Wars Weekend the 26th. We are staying at Pop then.

 

[sl_underwood]

Cool. Would love to meet up with you.

 

[lovethattink]

That would be great. As I'm sure it's the same with you, all plans are subject to change. I don't think we will be staying long, we do SSW in small doses since it gets so crowded.

Did you see my previous post about elevators, or lack of them at CBR?

 

[sl_underwood]

That would be great. As I'm sure it's the same with you, all plans are subject to change. I don't think we will be staying long, we do SSW in small doses since it gets so crowded.

Did you see my previous post about elevators, or lack of them at CBR?

I missed that. Will have to ask for a ground floor room. Luke can do stairs, very slowly, but he does not like to so I try and avoid them when we are on vacation. Do you think they will honor my room request if I tell them the reason?

As for meeting, I completely understand. I honestly do not know what our plans will end up being like. Strange considering I am planning so much, huh? I am currently thinking that Luke and I will head over maybe for just a few hours. My husband and daughter will be there bright and early, taking the most Star Wars in that they can. Luke loves Star Wars but I really do not think he can handle the crowds, even with a stroller for to long. I think he would love the parade and hope to get this in on one of our two star wars days but no clue if it will happen.

 

[sl_underwood]

Today my husband gets home, has been gone for 6 weeks! I have missed him like crazy and so have the kids. He is only home for a week and then he is gone for 3 more. At the end of April, he will be finally home for a good 6 months before he must leave again. The positives are his job pays well and gives us the option to move someday (hopefully closer to Disney) The negatives- he has to go to their training center quite regularly which is 8 hours from us so we dont get to see him as often and when he is home, he works crazy hours- often times 12 hour days. That being said, without his hard work, I would not be able to stay home with my kids, which I truly feel is important.

On the trip planning front, little is going on. I booked the boring 1 night stay in Dallas for the night before we head to the airport. I also set up an appointment with a potential pet sitter for my kitties. My husband has one task but has yet to do it. He is supposed to ask his friend if he will keep our dog so I guess I will need to do that. I really am having a hard time planning much beyond days for our trip. I honestly do not know what Luke will be up to which makes it hard to plan. I have a general idea of what rides we want to do but not sure how to make it all happen without having things set in stone. My husband is concerned that this trip because our oldest dd is bringing her bf, she and he will go off, leaving him to split with Jess and leaving me with Luke the whole time. He really wants to be a part of everything Luke is doing but doesnt want Jess to feel like she is missing out because Luke has some trouble. IT is a major balancing act. And since I never really know what to expect with Luke, I can only plan for some of it. There will likely be something that throws a wrench into the plan.

 

[sl_underwood]

Luke is too funny. Today, he pulled out our disney scrapbook from last trip and saw the other one on the shelf, pulled that one down too. He was looking at our 2006 pics and asked me in a very stern voice, why I went to disney without him. I told him that it was because we hadnt met him yet. He looked at me and stated adamantly that I should never be allowed to go without him. It was just to cute. I told him that after taking him with me, Walt Disney World would never be the same without him. He is just too funny.

 

[blessedmom4]

Popped over from Tink's report...Just wanted to let you know I am joining in. Your family is gorgeous. I am SO SORRY about Luna, our pets mean so much to us and they are part of the family. I love Luke's reasoning, the scrapbook story is priceless!

 

[lovethattink]

Luke is too funny. Today, he pulled out our disney scrapbook from last trip and saw the other one on the shelf, pulled that one down too. He was looking at our 2006 pics and asked me in a very stern voice, why I went to disney without him. I told him that it was because we hadnt met him yet. He looked at me and stated adamantly that I should never be allowed to go without him. It was just to cute. I told him that after taking him with me, Walt Disney World would never be the same without him. He is just too funny.

That's great!

 

[sl_underwood]

Popped over from Tink's report...Just wanted to let you know I am joining in. Your family is gorgeous. I am SO SORRY about Luna, our pets mean so much to us and they are part of the family. I love Luke's reasoning, the scrapbook story is priceless!

Welcome! Thank you so much. Our pets are family too- so much so that tomorrow I am interviewing potential petsitters. Maybe a bit excessive but I want them to be taken care! I adore Luke. Most people just cant see past his disability to see him but I knew from the moment I saw him, he was meant for me. He is such a great kid. All my kids are but he is just so much fun. I think it might be the age. Teenagers are a whole lot less fun.

 

[sl_underwood]

That's great!

Luke cant wait for Star Wars Weekend. We are definitely going Friday and may go Saturday for a few hours. Have you guys done SWW before? If so, any tips?