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

[jenseib]

Cookout did not go so well, Luke had to miss the egg hunt due to a meltdown that he just couldnt quite manage to pull together. Add in that Spencer told us he is accepting a new job, one that means he may not be with us for Disney (he is going to request the days but made it clear that if his new boss said no, he would not fight for it) so now I have to figure out what to do if this happens. I hope he will find out ASAP and Kara is way upset over this. Definitely did not help with Luke's problem. Anyone know how much I will lose if I cancel him from the ressie this late in the game? I already know I lose $75 on my airfare. This is definitely not good!

I was directed here as I had a somewhat situation. I don't have time to read through your info today, but I will try to help if I can. My situtation was MY DH could not come om our trip 2 weeks before we set sail on DCL. If he didn't come, we lost out all the money. We could change to another person for a $50 fee, same with the airline, which is what we did. For $100 we switched everything to my moms name and she went with us.
If you are going to WDW and have a package, you can most likely switch the package out to another name for a fee. If not, the regular cancelation fees will apply. Or you can just go and keep his ticket for another time..and use his dining credits on your trip. Just leave all as is. you will just lose out airfare, what ever it costs to cancel that.
Like I siad, I know nothing about your details, so if you have more questions, I'll try to help

 

[sl_underwood]

Thanks Jenseib! I do not know what we will do yet. I am thinking just allowing someone else to go but its hard because its so late in the planning. I will just have to wait and see and hope for the best.

On another note, dh decided to look at my plans tonight and guess what, he wants to change them! The Nerve!!! Of course, all along, he didnt act like he cared much and now he asks if we can do one day at DHS (non star wars weekend day) no clue how to fit that in but it looks like it could completely muck things up.

 

[Corrine 1973]

Don't you just hate it when people want you to do all the planning and than when you get it all figured out (because us DISers never change our plans) they stick there noses in and want to all of a sudden put there two cents in. Where were they months ago when you were trying to figure this all out in the first place. Oh well, hopefully you get it figured out to everyones wishes.

 

[Singledad]

On another note, dh decided to look at my plans tonight and guess what, he wants to change them! The Nerve!!! Of course, all along, he didnt act like he cared much and now he asks if we can do one day at DHS (non star wars weekend day) no clue how to fit that in but it looks like it could completely muck things up.

Or, just tell him he can get that SWW free day in if he pays for an extra day.

Sorry, just had to put that out there!


but seriously, i hope all goes well in the end!

 

[blessedmom4]

The job is a good thing, especially since he is planning on marrying my daughter. It pays well and will provide them with enough to live on, plus it will mean he wont have to join the military which was the plan if he could not find a good job. He has been working a barely above minimum wage job for the past several years while trying to find something that would provide him with the income he wants. I hope he does let his boss know how much he wants to go too but I am worried that because this is his first grown up job and its a very competitive job market, he will act like its no big because he fears not having the income. Right now, they both live at home, him with his parents and her with us but they do want to get married. In fact, they talk about it alot and she refuses to get married until he can support them. She will work too but she wants to know her future husband can support her. Financial stability is a big thing for Kara because of her past. I really hope he can go though.
As for Luke, the meltdowns are pretty normal when my extended family is involved. They are all very loud and they tend to not understand his issues so that adds to the problems. Yesterday, he kept going to his room with his DS and my mom kept sending kids in to play with him. I kept telling her he needed a break but she kept telling him not to be antisocial and to play with the other kids. In the end, I had to keep everyone outside and let him stay in his room with Stephen. I think it was worse because of all the chocolate he ate. He never gets sugar or processed foods and yesterday it was full of them.

We don't have a lot of extended family; however, three of my children often need a break due to health issues, so I usually host. That way , if they need down time, we are at our house where they can go to a quiet place to decompress. It isn't good when family doesn't understand that...I have had my share of comments over the years; thankfully, now they accept it...often with the rolled eyes or looks...but that is okay, as long as whichever child it is gets what they need. I am sorry food is a trigger.

On the Spencer front, I can understand him not wanting to rock the boat at the new job; however, I DO hope he at least asks. That is great though he is so responsible, especially since he wants to marry your daughter!

 

[sl_underwood]

We don't have a lot of extended family; however, three of my children often need a break due to health issues, so I usually host. That way , if they need down time, we are at our house where they can go to a quiet place to decompress. It isn't good when family doesn't understand that...I have had my share of comments over the years; thankfully, now they accept it...often with the rolled eyes or looks...but that is okay, as long as whichever child it is gets what they need. I am sorry food is a trigger.

On the Spencer front, I can understand him not wanting to rock the boat at the new job; however, I DO hope he at least asks. That is great though he is so responsible, especially since he wants to marry your daughter!

My family will probably never get it. I wish they could but they made it clear that they felt we made a wrong decision by adopting a "damaged" child. Their words. Luke may have some issues and life may be a bit different but I do not see any "damage" He is who he is and I think he is a pretty neat kid despite the meltdowns. Unfortunately, my family is blind because all they see is a disability.

As for Spencer, I am also glad he is a responsible person. He is a good guy and although I do not think my daughter is in any way ready to be married, I think he will be a good husband when the time comes. I would like them to wait a few more years but I do believe that even then, they will end up in the same place.

 

[sl_underwood]

Or, just tell him he can get that SWW free day in if he pays for an extra day.

Sorry, just had to put that out there!


but seriously, i hope all goes well in the end!

LOL... Love it!

 

[sl_underwood]

Don't you just hate it when people want you to do all the planning and than when you get it all figured out (because us DISers never change our plans) they stick there noses in and want to all of a sudden put there two cents in. Where were they months ago when you were trying to figure this all out in the first place. Oh well, hopefully you get it figured out to everyones wishes.

Yes, yes, yes! I hate it. I think this might have been avoided if he had not been gone for the past two months. He literally got home last saturday for good. Before this, he was home a couple of times but only for a day or two. I am not sure if he will get his wish or not. I am not sure how to change things. He thinks 1 day is enough for MK and thinks DHS we could do on the day we get there, it might work. He is really concerned that Luke will not be able to handle SWW for very long and will miss out on riding rides and such because the crowds will be unbearable. If we did go on Wed, we would not get there before two and my guess is all the FP will be gone for TSM and Star tours which are the two rides Luke must do.

 

[lovethattink]

Yes, yes, yes! I hate it. I think this might have been avoided if he had not been gone for the past two months. He literally got home last saturday for good. Before this, he was home a couple of times but only for a day or two. I am not sure if he will get his wish or not. I am not sure how to change things. He thinks 1 day is enough for MK and thinks DHS we could do on the day we get there, it might work. He is really concerned that Luke will not be able to handle SWW for very long and will miss out on riding rides and such because the crowds will be unbearable. If we did go on Wed, we would not get there before two and my guess is all the FP will be gone for TSM and Star tours which are the two rides Luke must do.

Gotta loves those kinks thrown into the plan...

I am hoping that the Star Tours ride will decrease the TSM line! Star Tours I have heard is expected to be up to a 4 hour wait during SSW. I hope that's incorrect!

My family will probably never get it. I wish they could but they made it clear that they felt we made a wrong decision by adopting a "damaged" child. Their words. Luke may have some issues and life may be a bit different but I do not see any "damage" He is who he is and I think he is a pretty neat kid despite the meltdowns. Unfortunately, my family is blind because all they see is a disability.

As for Spencer, I am also glad he is a responsible person. He is a good guy and although I do not think my daughter is in any way ready to be married, I think he will be a good husband when the time comes. I would like them to wait a few more years but I do believe that even then, they will end up in the same place.

That makes me so sad for your family. I hope they will "get" him one day soon!

ASD was new for us last summer. We had to ask company that was visiting us for the week to stay somewhere else. Anakin was having seizures and meltdowns continuously during their visit. I hope this summer things go better with family. Luke is so blessed to have you for his mom!!

Glad Spencer is such a good match for your daughter! I hope he will get those days off for Disney.

Or, just tell him he can get that SWW free day in if he pays for an extra day.

Sorry, just had to put that out there!


but seriously, i hope all goes well in the end!

An extra day sounds like a good plan!

 

[lbuzz52]

I'm hoping that the job and the trip work out for your future SIL

 

[sl_underwood]

still working out the kinks and I have been told that I need to quit freaking out and just let it happen. Stephen, Kara and Jess think I am going crazy. They think I take planning way to seriously. I have 27 days to figure it all out. I will not go to Disney without some form of plan. I just cant. Stephen suggested I avoid thee boards for awhile I certainly hope he wasnt serious. He thinks you all are bad influences on me, lol. This may have something to do with the fact that I made him drive an hour out of his way to get me mickey paint samples to make this

Doesnt everyone need one of these?

 

[lovethattink]

Awesome countdown chart!

 

[sl_underwood]

Thanks. I am not crafty at all, in fact, when I scrapbook I get my friend to help who is amazing because I know she will make it perfect but this Luke ad I did on our own. It wasnt perfect but I think it was good for him. We practiced counting forward and backwards to 35, reading the numbers, and even patterning the colors. Homeschool math at its finest, huh?

 

[lovethattink]

Thanks. I am not crafty at all, in fact, when I scrapbook I get my friend to help who is amazing because I know she will make it perfect but this Luke ad I did on our own. It wasnt perfect but I think it was good for him. We practiced counting forward and backwards to 35, reading the numbers, and even patterning the colors. Homeschool math at its finest, huh?

Way to go!! Learning can be fun! Did he offer to write any of the numbers?

 

[sl_underwood]

unfortunately no and I did not ask him to because writing is hard for him and he was having fun helping. He did glue the mickeys on though.

 

[lovethattink]

That's awesome! Anakin loves to glue. He usually gets too much glue on the back of things and his OT said that it is a timing thing. She said he needs to learn how much pressure to apply and when to change the bottle from pointing downwards to upwards.

 

[sl_underwood]

Looks like DHS is open on May 25 from 8am-10pm. I doubt we can get over there before 2 but really there are only a few must dos. Stephen will want to do RNR and TOT, we all want to do TSM, Stephen and the kids will want t do Star Tours, and I want to do Muppetvision (I know silly, but I love it!) and Luke wants to meet Phineas and Ferb and Lightening McQueen. Crowd level is listed as a 1 out of 10, but it is an early EMH day so we may have a prob getting FP and there is no way Luke will wait for 80 minutes to ride. Does this even sound doable? Also, I am wondering if I should have done park hoppers. We have never park hopped before but I really think on SWW days, we wont manage more than a few hours in the parks. What do you all think?

 

[lovethattink]

Sending you a pm.

 

[sl_underwood]

Thanks Tink!

Any tips for crowd level anxiety? The more I read about crowd levels and SWW, the more I worry. He is so excited to do SWW but I am not sure he can handle all those people! I am thinking maybe take a break and take the boat to the beach club for ice cream at some point, but I am not sure what else. DHS is so small that I think it will feel even more crowded than the other parks when its packed and I am really worried he wont make it more than a few minutes there. I think his excitement might get him through a little while (atleast until he meets his few fave characters) but I jut dont see him doing it long term. Do any of you have experience with SWW and autism?

 

[lovethattink]

Thanks Tink!

Any tips for crowd level anxiety? The more I read about crowd levels and SWW, the more I worry. He is so excited to do SWW but I am not sure he can handle all those people! I am thinking maybe take a break and take the boat to the beach club for ice cream at some point, but I am not sure what else. DHS is so small that I think it will feel even more crowded than the other parks when its packed and I am really worried he wont make it more than a few minutes there. I think his excitement might get him through a little while (atleast until he meets his few fave characters) but I jut dont see him doing it long term. Do any of you have experience with SWW and autism?

Alot more people will be in line for Star Tours than previous years, so that takes a chunk of crowd that way. Then there will be the Stunt show crowds there, and the TSM crowds there. There will also be people at the character meet and greets. Darth Maul and Darth Vader draw a good size crowd. The overall rest of the park won't seem as crowded as you might think.

If you are considering rope drop you need to get there way before the park opens. Things get crazy then. But Storm troopers are overhead so they keep the crowds entertained.

I am hoping to take Anakin the week before you go. Hopefully, we will be there long enough to get a good part of it done. I'm sure somebody here on the DIS will have the SSW times guide and schedule posted before your SSW day. I'm hoping to finish SSW the Friday you are there.

We will not be there for rope drop. Too many people for Anakin.