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

[lovethattink]

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.

I can relate to the teenager comment on some days!! Teen years bring their own fun, just we aren't always in every step of it, like with the little ones.

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?

Have we done SWW before? Oh YEAH!!

Long before Anakin was a Star Wars fan, Goofy and Grumpy were! I think we have only missed one year's SSW.

Grumpy has a couple fondest memories of SSW. One was when Tiggermickey's DH made it to the top 2 of the adult trivia contest. The other was walking down what is now the Pixar area, with his green light saber drawn. A storm trooper spotted him and engaged him in battle. He would not let us get through the area. And kept it up with my son. Every time my son put his light saber away, the storm trooper would let him walk. But every time he got it out, the trooper would block him. He had the best time ever, and we were all laughing so hard, that the pictures came out sooooo burry!!

Most of my fondest SWW memories are due to the fun of Warwick Davis. He was the most awesome host ever!! He is an absolutely wonderful man, I missed not seeing him there last year.

Another favorite of ours is Ray Park. Although once you see him in person, it's hard to ever be afraid of Darth Maul ever again. The guy is a ball of energy and is so funny.

 

[sl_underwood]

I suppose since I keep bringing up my furbabies, I should probably give them an introduction as well.

This is Yoda. He is 8 years old and the sweetest baby ever

And this is Indy. He is huge weighing 20 lbs at 7 years old, got his name after Indiana Jones because Kara had a major crush on Harrison Ford at the time. She was maybe 11. Didnt realize that Harrison Ford was an old man, lol.

This is Venus. She is a mutt my kids found. Thought they would give her the name of a greek goddess because she was a mutt. She has turned out to be the best dog ever. Vet estimates her age at around 4 years.

And this is Sheldon, named after Plankton in Spongebob. Only parents of sponge bob kids would even know this, lol. He is a litle terror and very playful. I do not envy the person who has to deal with him while we are gone, but the kids love him, even if he is a curtain killer.

 

[sl_underwood]

So Jess just informed me that I missed Kali River Rapids on my AK plan. So now, this is the new plan.

Camp Minnie Mickey
Festival of the Lion King ??
Kilimanjaro Safari
Lunch- Hopefully either dh or I can run and get fp for KRR and EE before we head to Rafiki's Planet Watch. We will need 3 FP for EE and 3 for KRR. So I think that would work. If Kara and Spencer are not with us, we will only need 1 for each. Does anyone know if either of these rides has a single rider line?
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Kali River Rapids
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

 

[lovethattink]

EE has single rider.

 

[sl_underwood]

Still trying to decide arrival day. Dh thinks we should do MK and spend it primarily in Frontierland/Adventure Land so on our full day we can do Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. He thinks by using the full day, half day touring plan, Luke will not tire so easily and we wont miss anything. I am not sure. I think Luke will be tired after getting on a plane at 7am (meaning 5am airport arrival) and might be to tired to do the half day at MK. I know he wont be able to make it to park closing but could probably get in a few good hours. I also think my boy will want to do the tea cups first thing and I do not know what the line will be like at this time. This is Luke's favorite ride, so much so, he can ride it over and over. I already plan for our full day to have atleast 2 rides on the teacups because I know Luke will insist on it.

 

[lovethattink]

Still trying to decide arrival day. Dh thinks we should do MK and spend it primarily in Frontierland/Adventure Land so on our full day we can do Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. He thinks by using the full day, half day touring plan, Luke will not tire so easily and we wont miss anything. I am not sure. I think Luke will be tired after getting on a plane at 7am (meaning 5am airport arrival) and might be to tired to do the half day at MK. I know he wont be able to make it to park closing but could probably get in a few good hours. I also think my boy will want to do the tea cups first thing and I do not know what the line will be like at this time. This is Luke's favorite ride, so much so, he can ride it over and over. I already plan for our full day to have atleast 2 rides on the teacups because I know Luke will insist on it.

Will Luke be going on the Mountains? Attractionwise, Frontierland/Adventureland are easily done in a half day. If you need a break, stopping for a dole whip in adventureland is a yummy option. My boys use to love the McDonald's fry cart, but they did away with that a while ago. Inside the store by Splash Mountain are 2 rocking chairs. Anakin loves to stop there and rock for a bit.

 

[sl_underwood]

Luke has never done a coaster before. Not sure if he will this time or not. He also does not do wet rides. He cannot stand to get wet so I do not know about splash, do you get wet on that one?

 

[lovethattink]

Luke has never done a coaster before. Not sure if he will this time or not. He also does not do wet rides. He cannot stand to get wet so I do not know about splash, do you get wet on that one?

On Splash Mt. it depends where you sit, how wet you will get.

My son won't go on It's tough to be a bug, philharmagic, Captain EO, because of getting sprinkled with water. He will go to Muppets, but has to have a wide rimmed hat to cover his face from the water Fozzy Bear sprays. He also doesn't care for the burst of air on Journey into imagination, but is ok, if he has a hat covering his face.

KRR is a hit or miss with getting wet. I made it through the whole ride without hardly a drop of water on me. Got back to the end of the ride, where people on the bridge can shoot water jets and got totally soaked! Our little guy hasn't gone on KRR, doesn't want to get wet. Yet he lives to swim in the summer?

 

[sl_underwood]

Luke is the same way. He will swim all day if I let him but he cannot stand to wear wet clothes so we know he will not be doing KRR and probably no splash mountain either.

 

[sl_underwood]

Took Jess shopping today and I was thrilled with my $5 outfit find. Here it is.

Cute, isnt it? I was shocked that I got the whole outfit for practically nothing. On the down side, I rarely get that lucky with Kara because she is more brand specific. Jessa's capris came from old navy and the top from JCPenney.

 

[sl_underwood]

So Luke has asked to do two things while at WDW that I dont know if we can do. The first is the pirate cruise at CBR. He thinks that going on a treasure hunt would be alot of fun. The problem is I am not sure CMs have experience with autism and he might run off. I know if I send him, I will do nothing but worry till he is back in my care. The second is JTA. He has seen the pics of Jess doing this and really wants to do it but he has extreme stage fright. Twice, he has been in church programs and froze when he was to speak or move. Another problem is he has some auditory processing issues that cause him to have a hard time with directions. He does pretty good at home because I have learned exactly how to say things so he will understand but I just dont know if this will be an issue at JTA. What do you all think?

 

[lovethattink]

Cute outfit!

Anakin has done Jedi training. He loved it. They helped him with the directions when they saw him struggle. It was funny, when Darth Vader asked him to turn to the dark side, he actually stopped and thought about it. You could see the wheels turning in his head as he contemplated.

 

[sl_underwood]

Jess did that when she did JTA too. I seriously wonder what they would do if a kid actually said, Sure, I will join you.

 

[lbuzz52]

my krr theory is that those sitting next to the lightest people on the boat are the ones that seem to always get wet.

cute outfit! I love bargain hunting!

 

[sl_underwood]

my krr theory is that those sitting next to the lightest people on the boat are the ones that seem to always get wet.

cute outfit! I love bargain hunting!

I think we will skipp KRR because I do not want to get wet. Jess likes this one and is happy to ride as a single rider with whoever. Not sure if that will make it easier for her to get through the line quickly or not.

 

[sl_underwood]

For these past few weeks, I have been doing my best to plan a perfect vacation. Not that any vacation, especially one with unpredictable children, can be completely planned, but I am still trying. I think I have fine tuned where we will be each day but still working on park day touring plans.

Wed May 25- We will arrive at MCO around 10:30 AM and will take ME to CBR. After check in, we will head to lunch at Old Port Royale. Hope to arrive at MK by 2 pm. MK is open from 9AM-9PM and touring plans gives it a 2.7 crowd level. I have not used touring plans before, so I am really not sure what to expect but I hope that this means its going to be a lower crowd level and not to terribly busy. Probably wishful thinking, huh

Once we get to MK, the plan is to stick with Frontierland, Adventure Land, and Liberty Square for Stephen, myself, Jess and Luke. Kara and Spencer may or may not come with. They want to go to MK their first day but have a 6:15 ADR for PH. If we get in early enough, they may go for an hour or two but only to ride the mountains. We are hoping to get through adventure land and ride Jungle Cruise, POTC if Luke is willing, Magic Carpets, and possibly the Tiki room before dinner. Think we will try Pecos Bill for dinner and then visit with Woody and Jessie before exploring Tom Sawyer Island. Then we want to visit Liberty Square- hope to do HM if Luke is willing and the hall of presidents. This is probably it for us this day. I dont want to plan way to much and exhaust Luke since he will be up at 4:30 that morning. The plan is to head back to the resort by 7:30 and in bed by 9. Not sure if this plan is doable but if it looks like to much when we get there we can always leave early. So how does this look to you?

 

[sl_underwood]

Forgot to add the Mickey meet n greet that day. Would like to do that as well. My understanding is that it is right on main street, is that correct? If so, could I grab a fast pass on my way to do the other stuff and then do this as we are leaving?

 

[Lidian]

For these past few weeks, I have been doing my best to plan a perfect vacation. Not that any vacation, especially one with unpredictable children, can be completely planned, but I am still trying. I think I have fine tuned where we will be each day but still working on park day touring plans.

Wed May 25- We will arrive at MCO around 10:30 AM and will take ME to CBR. After check in, we will head to lunch at Old Port Royale. Hope to arrive at MK by 2 pm. MK is open from 9AM-9PM and touring plans gives it a 2.7 crowd level. I have not used touring plans before, so I am really not sure what to expect but I hope that this means its going to be a lower crowd level and not to terribly busy. Probably wishful thinking, huh

Once we get to MK, the plan is to stick with Frontierland, Adventure Land, and Liberty Square for Stephen, myself, Jess and Luke. Kara and Spencer may or may not come with. They want to go to MK their first day but have a 6:15 ADR for PH. If we get in early enough, they may go for an hour or two but only to ride the mountains. We are hoping to get through adventure land and ride Jungle Cruise, POTC if Luke is willing, Magic Carpets, and possibly the Tiki room before dinner. Think we will try Pecos Bill for dinner and then visit with Woody and Jessie before exploring Tom Sawyer Island. Then we want to visit Liberty Square- hope to do HM if Luke is willing and the hall of presidents. This is probably it for us this day. I dont want to plan way to much and exhaust Luke since he will be up at 4:30 that morning. The plan is to head back to the resort by 7:30 and in bed by 9. Not sure if this plan is doable but if it looks like to much when we get there we can always leave early. So how does this look to you?

I think this looks great! A few notes:
I may be wrong, but I think Tiki is in refurb due to fire earlier this year.
I love TP. I actually bought a subscription this year since it worked so well for us last year - plus, I'm looking forward to the Lines App.

I think its a great plan to take things slow and not overwhelm anyone. Maybe Luke will take a rest on the plane? Regardless, I think an early night sounds perfect!

And once you get there, if you find you finish everything before dinner, you can check out some other attractions if everyone is feeling up for it, or just walk around and people watch and "smell the roses", or head back for a night swim at the resort!

And don't stress over the vacation. Even if there's hiccups, it'll be your perfect vacation in its own way. And sometimes the best plan is to throw the plan out the window.

 

[lovethattink]

Tiki room has been closed since some time in January. Not sure when it is slated to re-open.

Tom Sawyer Island closes early. My most recent times guide April 3 to 9 says closing varies.

The crowd level for your days sounds like it will be great! I don't know what yesterday's crowd level was, but we had very little wait for anything. The only thing we ran into were some unscheduled closing. The HM was closed, Peter Pan was closed and the Tiki Room is under refurbishment. Not sure why HM or Peter Pan were closed??

If you've never tried a dole whip, you might want to try one while you are in Adventureland. They are sooooo good! I like the dole whip float, they suggest half pineapple and half vanilla dole whip in the pineapple juice, but I prefer all pineapple! My dh and boys prefer just the pineapple dole whip no juice.

 

[lovethattink]

Forgot to add the Mickey meet n greet that day. Would like to do that as well. My understanding is that it is right on main street, is that correct? If so, could I grab a fast pass on my way to do the other stuff and then do this as we are leaving?

As soon as you enter the MK and go under the train, the meet and greet is off on the right hand side. The standby entrance is in the center of the building. The fast pass machines are further down.

I think this looks great! A few notes:
I may be wrong, but I think Tiki is in refurb due to fire earlier this year.
I love TP. I actually bought a subscription this year since it worked so well for us last year - plus, I'm looking forward to the Lines App.

I think its a great plan to take things slow and not overwhelm anyone. Maybe Luke will take a rest on the plane? Regardless, I think an early night sounds perfect!

And once you get there, if you find you finish everything before dinner, you can check out some other attractions if everyone is feeling up for it, or just walk around and people watch and "smell the roses", or head back for a night swim at the resort!

And don't stress over the vacation. Even if there's hiccups, it'll be your perfect vacation in its own way. And sometimes the best plan is to throw the plan out the window.

I use the lines app often. However, I've noticed that the times don't change to the current wait time as soon as they are entered. So for a more accurate wait time, you sometimes need to check the most recent times entered.

Print out the cheat sheets before you go. They are pretty accurate! There are different cheat sheets for different crowd levels.

We mostly wing it once we decide which park. Except for yesterday, I had planned to do the Meet and Greet and check out the HM queue. That all changed a bit, when we parked at the TTC and decided to walk over to the Poly for a Dole whip first. Then my son saw a pin trading board in the store. And we were sidetracked for a long time before heading over to the MK on the monorail.