yinyanggirls
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
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Oh how scary! I just know that we're going to have one of those moments with Tessa. I've even considered renting a GPS for her. 
Our "long time coming", first time ever, very magical trip to WDW!Pictures 1/27!
- Thread starter kayrosek
- Start date
So when I left off we were headed back to the resort after a pretty dramatic ending at Epcot. Once we got to ASM we headed straight to the rooms. John and I took a much needed break. I think John watched TV but after all the stress of losing Jonnie I was wiped out. The kids were still pretty hyped up and the girls were being pretty silly in their room but they were good about letting us get some quiet time. Heres a little peak at what the girls were doing while I was sleeping and Jonnie was glued to the TV.
Yep both girls were covered in marker. I dont know whos idea that particular form of entertainment was but they both thought it was hysterical.
Obviously the kids were going a bit stir crazy so after they cleaned up a bit and changed into their swimsuits we headed to the pool. Unfortunately the Sorcerer Mickey pool was temporarily closed but I had read that the smaller Mighty Ducks pool was nice, not to mention not too crowded so we took off in search of that. We found it right about the same time it started sprinkling but since it was still pretty warm, there wasnt any sign of lightning and the life guards didnt have any concerns I decided to let them play for awhile. I actually considered getting in myself but the water was a little chilly for my taste. I ended up sitting on the edge with my feet in the pool for a little while. When I tired of that I started walking around the pool and struck up a conversation with a sweet woman who had brought her grandsons to WDW. They had visited Animal Kingdom that day but hadnt visited Epcot yet so we shared our favorites. Then the life guards announced they were closing down the pool for awhile and I gathered up the kids and took them back to the room. I was getting a little nervous. I really wanted to see Illuminations and I was afraid they might cancel it because of the weather. I asked a CM I saw on the way back to the room and he told me it would probably go on as scheduled unless the weather got worse so I decided to continue on as planned.
Now the plan had been to head back to Epcot around 5:30 so we had plenty of time to pick up a counter service dinner at Cantina De San Angel, shop for souvies in world showcase and find good spots for Illuminations, but it was pretty evident when I got back that that wasnt happening. John had fallen asleep while we were gone and he would need time to wake up. I sent the kids in to shower and get dressed while I woke John. It took quite awhile to get everyone ready to go. Johns pain levels were extremely high besides the pain in his foot the wheelchair he was using earlier in the day was very uncomfortable and had aggravated some of his other chronic pain so he was moving slowly.
Finally we were ready. John moved from the bed to the wheelchair and .snap the foot rest broke clean off. Wow! He wasnt putting any real pressure on the rests at all. He was already seated when it broke so now what? It was already after 6pm and one of the other reasons I should have checked my own computer before I left was that I had failed to get a few pieces of info off of it one of those being the name and number to the medical company that had delivered Johns chair so even if they had an after hours number I had no idea how to find them. I pulled out the phone book and started looking for familiar names or numbers. John had settled back on the bed pretty much giving up the idea of getting back to the park but I was determined! I called a few numbers but the ones I could reach had no record of us renting with them then I got the idea to call the luggage department and see if they had any record of who had dropped the chair off. They dont have those records unfortunately but they did give me some helpful advice. They mentioned that they companies names and phone numbers were usually on the sides or backs of the chairs. I looked but no such luck, just the number 51. Once the luggage guy heard this he asked a few more questions and determined that we didnt have a rental wheelchair at all. We had one of the hotels wheelchairs. Apparently the woman at the front desk the night before hadnt found our rental wheelchair so she had given us one of thiers. The luggage guy found it and told me just bring the broken wheelchair to him and I could get our rental chair. Our rental chair was a better quality than the one we had been using so I was hoping John would be more comfortable in it. There was no way we would have time to do everything we had wanted that night but hopefully we would still make it for Illuminations. Next up Illuminations,pixie dust, and she said what?
Yep both girls were covered in marker. I dont know whos idea that particular form of entertainment was but they both thought it was hysterical.
Obviously the kids were going a bit stir crazy so after they cleaned up a bit and changed into their swimsuits we headed to the pool. Unfortunately the Sorcerer Mickey pool was temporarily closed but I had read that the smaller Mighty Ducks pool was nice, not to mention not too crowded so we took off in search of that. We found it right about the same time it started sprinkling but since it was still pretty warm, there wasnt any sign of lightning and the life guards didnt have any concerns I decided to let them play for awhile. I actually considered getting in myself but the water was a little chilly for my taste. I ended up sitting on the edge with my feet in the pool for a little while. When I tired of that I started walking around the pool and struck up a conversation with a sweet woman who had brought her grandsons to WDW. They had visited Animal Kingdom that day but hadnt visited Epcot yet so we shared our favorites. Then the life guards announced they were closing down the pool for awhile and I gathered up the kids and took them back to the room. I was getting a little nervous. I really wanted to see Illuminations and I was afraid they might cancel it because of the weather. I asked a CM I saw on the way back to the room and he told me it would probably go on as scheduled unless the weather got worse so I decided to continue on as planned.
Now the plan had been to head back to Epcot around 5:30 so we had plenty of time to pick up a counter service dinner at Cantina De San Angel, shop for souvies in world showcase and find good spots for Illuminations, but it was pretty evident when I got back that that wasnt happening. John had fallen asleep while we were gone and he would need time to wake up. I sent the kids in to shower and get dressed while I woke John. It took quite awhile to get everyone ready to go. Johns pain levels were extremely high besides the pain in his foot the wheelchair he was using earlier in the day was very uncomfortable and had aggravated some of his other chronic pain so he was moving slowly.
Finally we were ready. John moved from the bed to the wheelchair and .snap the foot rest broke clean off. Wow! He wasnt putting any real pressure on the rests at all. He was already seated when it broke so now what? It was already after 6pm and one of the other reasons I should have checked my own computer before I left was that I had failed to get a few pieces of info off of it one of those being the name and number to the medical company that had delivered Johns chair so even if they had an after hours number I had no idea how to find them. I pulled out the phone book and started looking for familiar names or numbers. John had settled back on the bed pretty much giving up the idea of getting back to the park but I was determined! I called a few numbers but the ones I could reach had no record of us renting with them then I got the idea to call the luggage department and see if they had any record of who had dropped the chair off. They dont have those records unfortunately but they did give me some helpful advice. They mentioned that they companies names and phone numbers were usually on the sides or backs of the chairs. I looked but no such luck, just the number 51. Once the luggage guy heard this he asked a few more questions and determined that we didnt have a rental wheelchair at all. We had one of the hotels wheelchairs. Apparently the woman at the front desk the night before hadnt found our rental wheelchair so she had given us one of thiers. The luggage guy found it and told me just bring the broken wheelchair to him and I could get our rental chair. Our rental chair was a better quality than the one we had been using so I was hoping John would be more comfortable in it. There was no way we would have time to do everything we had wanted that night but hopefully we would still make it for Illuminations. Next up Illuminations,pixie dust, and she said what?
I'm always getting calls on my cell and not hearing them because the phone is in my bag... even though the ringer is on High!This very same thing could have easily happened to me.
Sorry for your scare.I lost Billy briefly at the MNSSHP...surely not as long as ten minutes... and even that was awful.
So glad Jonnie decided to try Soarin'... isn't it awesome?!
They had such fun with Stitch!I love when the characters play with the kids!
Kathy
It's horrible losing a child even for just a minute. I read about your scare with Billy. I'm so glad you found him so quickley. I'm sure I would have been terrified had it been one of the girls but with Jonnie there's that extra scare factor that I'm sure you can understand I diden't know if he would talk to or even approach anyone and that definatley made it worse.
Stich was so much fun. The characters who were playful and took extra time with the kids really made my trip.
Oh how scary! I just know that we're going to have one of those moments with Tessa. I've even considered renting a GPS for her.
I know what you mean. I was talking to my FIL who works at sprint the other day about getting a cell phone for Jonnie just so we could activate the GPS on it. The only problem is I'm not sure we could find a way to keep it on him where he woulden't lose it. What are the rentable GPS units like?
By the time John got settled and we caught the shuttle and got to Epcot we were really behind. It was nearly 8pm and I was feeling stressed. We got into the park and headed straight for Mexico to pick up some counter service dinner. Unfortunately the lines at the Cantina were really long and I didnt think any of us were up to a long wait. Tessa was the one who really wanted Mexican food but I had read so many bad things about this CS restaurant that I wasnt all that torn up about missing it. I made a quick decision and suggested that we skip dinner at Epcot, find a spot for Illuminations and some snacks to hold us over and eat a late dinner back at ASM. John agreed and we started looking for a place where we could see Illuminations. The area along the water was pretty full and I was afraid we wouldnt find a spot where the kids would be able to see so when I found an empty spot, still in Mexico, right along the fence lining the water I snapped it up. There was a tree there that I knew might block some of the fireworks but I didnt think it would be too bad. I was pretty surprised nobody had taken that spot but I was just grateful to find something so I parked John, took off with the kids to find snacks and didnt think any more about it. Looking back I think I probably should have but hey at least we had a spot. The kids and I took off to find snacks and ended up walking clear to Germany before we found anything that looked good. We grabbed a Bavarian cheesecake that Jenna wanted as well as a pretzel and apple strudel and turned back toward John and our viewing spot. We made it back with enough time to get settled and eat our snacks. The Bavarian Cheesecake wasnt what Jenna had expected but it was good. We finished our shared snacks right before the fireworks started. The music started and my kids were transfixed .I really liked Illuminations and so did the kids. I had read a review that said this show wasnt really interesting for kids but my kids loved it. Because of his PTSD fireworks sometimes bother John but these werent too bad, well they werent too bad until the cannon went off right in front of us. Hmmmm empty space, big ole cannon, they could be related LOL
. We were all really glad we had made it back in time for this at least, but the kids had souvenir money burning holes in their pockets.
They decided to check out one of the stands of light up toys. Jenna quickly decided on a light up musical snow globe on a stick (thats the best description I can think of) but Jonnie and Tessa were both torn. Jonnie almost bought a cars thing but then he saw the string machine he had tried earlier and decided he must have it. Tessa was the only one left and she really couldnt decide if she even wanted to spend any of her money yet. The whole time her siblings had been deliberating Tessa had been having a conversation with the CM. It turns out they both shared a love of Tinkerbell.
The CM showed her a light up Tinkerbell pin and Tessa decided to go ahead and buy it but the CM insisted on giving it to her, a gift from one Tinkerbell fan to another.
After that bit of pixie dust we left the park commenting on the fountains and light up sidewalks. If entering the park had been a little less than magical, leaving was pure magic. We got out of the park and got in line for the shuttle.
We waited about 15 or 20 min for a bus to pull up and the driver started loading John. As we were waiting for John to be loaded a woman in line started commenting rather loudly that apparently all it takes to be first for everything is a wheelchair. Okay I have to admit I didnt take that comment too well. I am extremely protective of John and his disability. He has been through so much mentally and physically that nobody else can really understand and he got this way because serving his country and preserving peoples rights was important to him (he frequently reminds me that one of those rights involves peoples right to make stupid comments if they feel like it.) Okay so they have the right to make comments but so do I. Except this is Disney and I dont want a huge confrontation. Im fuming,
but a sweet woman in line asks me what branch of service my husband was in (he was wearing his veterans hat again) and if he was hurt in service. I cant help but speak loudly enough for the rude woman and those around her to hear me. The bus driver signals that the kids and I should get on so we do and I figure thats the end of that but the sweet woman sits down next to me and continues our conversation she asks about how John got hurt and I tell her about the helicopter accident and everything else that has happened since then. A few other people get into the conversation and I cant help but notice that the first woman is sitting not too far away studiously ignoring all of us. The bus arrives at ASM and several people stop to thank my husband for his service while the woman who made the first comment looks away and hurries off the bus. She looks a little embarrassed and I cant help but feel just a little satisfied about this.
Is that horrible of me?
By the time we get off the bus we are all starving but DHs foot is really starting to bother him so we swing by the room to drop him off and then the kids and I head to the food court to get dinner to bring back to the room. I honestly dont remember much about what we ate this night other than I ordered the grilled cheese because Jonnie really wanted something off the adult menu and grilled cheese sounded okay to me.I was tired and flustered by the time we got to the register and I accidentally told the CM to use TS credits which I realized right as we got back to the room with the food so I to turn around and get them to fix it. I had ADRs for all our TS credits and I wasnt willing to give any of them up. The guy at the register fixed it for me and for some reason while he was getting it straightened out I told him that I had ordered the grilled cheese so Jonnie could order an adult meal so he informed me that CS credits are not split into adults and childrens like TS credits so Jonnie could order what ever he wanted at CS places. This turned out to be a life saver the rest of the trip. Anyway once that was fixed I went back to the room and ate my grilled cheese. It tasted greasy and sort of off but I was hungry and it was food. I got the kids settled down and we went to bed dreaming of all the things we would do at DHS tomorrow and hoping the weather wouldnt be too bad (they were calling for rain). Next up Darth Vadar and Ursula. Waterlogged at DHS.
. We were all really glad we had made it back in time for this at least, but the kids had souvenir money burning holes in their pockets. They decided to check out one of the stands of light up toys. Jenna quickly decided on a light up musical snow globe on a stick (thats the best description I can think of) but Jonnie and Tessa were both torn. Jonnie almost bought a cars thing but then he saw the string machine he had tried earlier and decided he must have it. Tessa was the only one left and she really couldnt decide if she even wanted to spend any of her money yet. The whole time her siblings had been deliberating Tessa had been having a conversation with the CM. It turns out they both shared a love of Tinkerbell.
The CM showed her a light up Tinkerbell pin and Tessa decided to go ahead and buy it but the CM insisted on giving it to her, a gift from one Tinkerbell fan to another. After that bit of pixie dust we left the park commenting on the fountains and light up sidewalks. If entering the park had been a little less than magical, leaving was pure magic. We got out of the park and got in line for the shuttle. We waited about 15 or 20 min for a bus to pull up and the driver started loading John. As we were waiting for John to be loaded a woman in line started commenting rather loudly that apparently all it takes to be first for everything is a wheelchair. Okay I have to admit I didnt take that comment too well. I am extremely protective of John and his disability. He has been through so much mentally and physically that nobody else can really understand and he got this way because serving his country and preserving peoples rights was important to him (he frequently reminds me that one of those rights involves peoples right to make stupid comments if they feel like it.) Okay so they have the right to make comments but so do I. Except this is Disney and I dont want a huge confrontation. Im fuming,
but a sweet woman in line asks me what branch of service my husband was in (he was wearing his veterans hat again) and if he was hurt in service. I cant help but speak loudly enough for the rude woman and those around her to hear me. The bus driver signals that the kids and I should get on so we do and I figure thats the end of that but the sweet woman sits down next to me and continues our conversation she asks about how John got hurt and I tell her about the helicopter accident and everything else that has happened since then. A few other people get into the conversation and I cant help but notice that the first woman is sitting not too far away studiously ignoring all of us. The bus arrives at ASM and several people stop to thank my husband for his service while the woman who made the first comment looks away and hurries off the bus. She looks a little embarrassed and I cant help but feel just a little satisfied about this. Is that horrible of me? By the time we get off the bus we are all starving but DHs foot is really starting to bother him so we swing by the room to drop him off and then the kids and I head to the food court to get dinner to bring back to the room. I honestly dont remember much about what we ate this night other than I ordered the grilled cheese because Jonnie really wanted something off the adult menu and grilled cheese sounded okay to me.I was tired and flustered by the time we got to the register and I accidentally told the CM to use TS credits which I realized right as we got back to the room with the food so I to turn around and get them to fix it. I had ADRs for all our TS credits and I wasnt willing to give any of them up. The guy at the register fixed it for me and for some reason while he was getting it straightened out I told him that I had ordered the grilled cheese so Jonnie could order an adult meal so he informed me that CS credits are not split into adults and childrens like TS credits so Jonnie could order what ever he wanted at CS places. This turned out to be a life saver the rest of the trip. Anyway once that was fixed I went back to the room and ate my grilled cheese. It tasted greasy and sort of off but I was hungry and it was food. I got the kids settled down and we went to bed dreaming of all the things we would do at DHS tomorrow and hoping the weather wouldnt be too bad (they were calling for rain). Next up Darth Vadar and Ursula. Waterlogged at DHS.
yinyanggirls
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
- Messages
- 1,872
I saw them at Orlandostrollerrentals.com. If I can remember, they were small things that you could buckle to pants or shoes or something so they can't just drop it or leave it. If you had a mischievous child I guess they could purposely remove it....
The bus arrives at ASM and several people stop to thank my husband for his service while the woman who made the first comment looks away and hurries off the bus. She looks a little embarrassed and I cant help but feel just a little satisfied about this.
Not at all! Hopefully she learned a lesson, and you took the higher ground anyway by not telling her off (which you had every right to!).
Too funny about the cannon! My kids would have had heart attacks!
How sweet of the cast member to give her the pin. And glad that they didn't hassle you about the meal credits. Sounds like a good day overall.
I know I promised you Hollywood Studios next but I forgot that I had intended to do a favorite and least favorite thing about the day list at the end of each park so here it is.
Epcot
DH
:Favorite: Soarin! Least Favorite: Trying to find everything in the park.
Me
:Favorite: Watching Stich play with the kids! Least Favorite: Losing Jonnie!
Tessa
:Favorite: Soarin with Tokyo Dining as a close second! Least Favorite: Losing Jonnie!
Jenna
:Favorite: Soarin! Least Favorite: Kim Possible!
Jonnie
:Favorite: Kim Possible
Least Favorite: Small portions at Tokyo Dining. He really wanted more Terriyaki chicken!
As I was interviewing the family losing Jonnie definatley stood out as the worst part of the day but Jenna and John wanted to be more park specific in thier least favorite things. Jenna got really bored with Kim Possible and John found the park confusing to navigate. I'm still confused about Jonnies favorite thing being Kim Possible. He likes treasure hunts but this seemed a little long winded for him. I geuss he was paying more attention to it than I thought. I would have thought it would be Stich or Illuminations. So those were the best and worst moments of everyones day. It was a learning experience for all of us. We diden't get everything we wanted to do done but overall it was a good day. We got better at touring the parks as the week went on.
Epcot
DH
:Favorite: Soarin! Least Favorite: Trying to find everything in the park.Me
:Favorite: Watching Stich play with the kids! Least Favorite: Losing Jonnie!Tessa
:Favorite: Soarin with Tokyo Dining as a close second! Least Favorite: Losing Jonnie! Jenna
:Favorite: Soarin! Least Favorite: Kim Possible!Jonnie
:Favorite: Kim Possible Least Favorite: Small portions at Tokyo Dining. He really wanted more Terriyaki chicken!As I was interviewing the family losing Jonnie definatley stood out as the worst part of the day but Jenna and John wanted to be more park specific in thier least favorite things. Jenna got really bored with Kim Possible and John found the park confusing to navigate. I'm still confused about Jonnies favorite thing being Kim Possible. He likes treasure hunts but this seemed a little long winded for him. I geuss he was paying more attention to it than I thought. I would have thought it would be Stich or Illuminations. So those were the best and worst moments of everyones day. It was a learning experience for all of us. We diden't get everything we wanted to do done but overall it was a good day. We got better at touring the parks as the week went on.
praisehisname
DIS Veteran
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- Aug 5, 2003
- Messages
- 4,343
All caught up again. 
I loved seeing some of your scrapbook pages; thanks!
Denise
I loved seeing some of your scrapbook pages; thanks!Denise
yinyanggirls
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
- Messages
- 1,872
How funny that he liked Kim so much. I figure we'll try it even though the girls don't know her show. Couldn't hurt I guess.
That GPS sounds like it might work. We did have a good day. There were definatley some stressful moments but overall it turned out good.
Thanks Denise, I think I'll post most of my pictures as scrapbook pagesAll caught up again.
Denise
You never know what they'll like. I was surprised by a few of Jonnies favorites from later in the week as well.
yinyanggirls
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
- Messages
- 1,872
Oh no! I can't wait for spring.
Hope you all recover soon!
Hope you all recover soon!Oh no! I can't wait for spring.
Thanks Melissa, we are starting to feel betteralthough I still have an annoying lingering cough but having mostly recovered from Brochitis, a sinus infection and a stomach bug all at once I feel much better, still a little tired but much better. I'm about three paragraphs into my next installment so hopefully I'll get it posted soon.
KathyRN137
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The CM showed her a light up Tinkerbell pin and Tessa decided to go ahead and buy it but the CM insisted on giving it to her, a gift from one Tinkerbell fan to another.
...the sweet woman sits down next to me and continues our conversation she asks about how John got hurt and I tell her about the helicopter accident and everything else that has happened since then. A few other people get into the conversation and I cant help but notice that the first woman is sitting not too far away studiously ignoring all of us. The bus arrives at ASM and several people stop to thank my husband for his service while the woman who made the first comment looks away and hurries off the bus.
Ah, see? The nice people far outnumbered the not-so-nice!
Hopefully wheelchair #2 was more comfortable for John.
Kathy
Ah, see? The nice people far outnumbered the not-so-nice!
Hopefully wheelchair #2 was more comfortable for John.
Kathy
SO true Kathy, especially at Disney. I get a little miffed at the rude people but there are also so many amazingly sweet people.
The wheelchair was more comfortable but we still padded it with pillows from the room and by the end of our vacation he was pretty miserable in it. It's been awhile since he was confined to a wheelchair. He doesn't walk without aid but he's past wheelchairs and even crutches now, he uses two canes though if he's walking even a small distance, and even without a broken foot a long walk is out of the qestion.
The morning of November 25th. dawned cold and rainy but Id been expecting it (hoping for better weather but expecting yucky wet weather) so I wasnt too upset. John and I had already decided that if it had to rain DHS day was the best day for it because a lot of what we wanted to do at Hollywood Studios was indoors. We werent rushing this morning. Our plan called for us to stay at DHS until closing so we didnt really want to get there too early. John was tired and in a lot of pain this morning so I took the kids over to the food court to get breakfast. We ate there and brought a breakfast sandwich back to John. While John ate the kids and I got our park bags together. Once that was done it was on with the ponchos and out the door. We bravely faced the rain in search of some Hollywood style fun. The ponchos were definitely necessary this morning. It was really wet. The ponchos kept the kids and I fairly dry but unfortunately I hadnt really thought about the fact that John was sitting and his lap which wasnt covered by the poncho was going to get wet. He was pretty cold by the time we got to the bus stop which was about the time it hit me that he should be carrying the umbrella we had in our bag. The bus trip there was uneventful but once we got there we realized that John didnt have his Key To The World Card.
A quick stop at guest services rectified that. Then we all needed potty breaks and then it was into the park. We headed straight for Star Tours. We didnt even have a chance to show the GAC they immediately pointed us to the fast pass line. After a few minutes we found ourselves in a line in a little hallway. The people in front of us were taken to get on the ride and it was just us. Or was it? Suddenly we found ourselves face to face with these guys
(the pics I tried to get diden't turn out at all so I borrowed this one of the characters we saw just to add a little visual stimulation to the post)
Wow! I think the Jedi show had just ended. Jonnie was beside himself.
Much to my surprise Jenna was also pretty excited and she gave us all a laugh when she told Darth Vader Evils cool dude! Were alike. Im a villain too, a villain to my siblings! The characters werent really near us for long but it was definitely a cool start to the morning. Then it was time for our tour of the stars. John and Jonnie both liked this ride quite a bit, but they really liked the gift shop! After looking around a bit Jonnie decided on a Jedi Mickey light saber and DH confessed his desire for a build your own light saber. Because his wheelchair wouldnt fit in the space where you built the light sabers a CM did it for him but she was super sweet about it and very determined to make sure it turned out just the way John wanted it. After my Jedi Knights
were appropriately armed we headed off in search of our next experience.
We stumbled upon an Indiana Jones show about to start but were informed that the wheelchair seating was filled. The CM said it was pretty much always a packed house. This pretty much made our decision for us. I had wanted to see it but not enough to risk John feeling claustrophobic in that crowd. There were some things we were willing to risk it for, but this wasnt one of them. I dont remember what else we passed but I know the next thing we did was Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Jenna was a little ornery and she was sure this was a baby attraction but the rest of us wanted to see it and I suspected lowering blood sugar was a big part of the culprit for Jens attitude. With the help of some cheese crackers for Jenna and a few toys for Jonnie from Johns bag we made it through the wait, which was about 25min, and into the theater. This was worth the wait John and I liked it, Tessa loved it, Jenna admitted it wasnt a baby attraction and she really liked it, and even Jonnie liked Ursula. So what to do next, well I was steadily getting grumpier and those cheese crackers werent a long term solution for Jen so it was off to find lunch.
I had read a lot about the restaurant options at this park and really hadnt know what to do with our CS option. It didnt seem like any of the CS places got very favorable reviews. I finally decided on Backlot Express so I knew where we were headed. We got there and couldnt find any way to get Johns wheelchair into the restaurant so we chose an umbrella table and wiped the water off. As I remember it there was a bit of a drizzle but not much. It was certainly drier than we had been. I went inside to get food and completely forgot about the grilled veggie sandwich I had read about. I wasnt completely sure what to get the girls either so I ordered two Double Cheese Burgers, two Turkey sandwiches, and an adult portion of Chicken Nuggets and Fries for Jonnie. For dessert I got three cheesecakes and two yogurt parfaits. The girls took the Turkey sandwiches and John and I took the burgers. The burgers were pretty good and very filling. John was too full for any dessert but I nibbled a bit at the yogurt. I really liked it. but the turkey sandwiches were not exactly to the girls taste. The arugula and peppers didnt really thrill them. Tess remembers it being okay. I think she picked some of the stuff off it. Jen ate some turkey and a slice of cheese covered bread as well as the french fries. Jonnie liked his nuggets and the adult portion was big enough for him. All three of them liked the cheesecake. While we were finishing eating we got a pleasant surprise. I hadnt planned on watching the Block Party but Im glad we did and our table ended up being a fairly good viewing spot so we inadvertently timed it perfectly. Next up Oh my goodness its a frog and a pig and some monsters thrown in for good measure, some JedI dreams (or disappointments) and a disturbing call from home.
A quick stop at guest services rectified that. Then we all needed potty breaks and then it was into the park. We headed straight for Star Tours. We didnt even have a chance to show the GAC they immediately pointed us to the fast pass line. After a few minutes we found ourselves in a line in a little hallway. The people in front of us were taken to get on the ride and it was just us. Or was it? Suddenly we found ourselves face to face with these guys
(the pics I tried to get diden't turn out at all so I borrowed this one of the characters we saw just to add a little visual stimulation to the post)
Wow! I think the Jedi show had just ended. Jonnie was beside himself.
Much to my surprise Jenna was also pretty excited and she gave us all a laugh when she told Darth Vader Evils cool dude! Were alike. Im a villain too, a villain to my siblings! The characters werent really near us for long but it was definitely a cool start to the morning. Then it was time for our tour of the stars. John and Jonnie both liked this ride quite a bit, but they really liked the gift shop! After looking around a bit Jonnie decided on a Jedi Mickey light saber and DH confessed his desire for a build your own light saber. Because his wheelchair wouldnt fit in the space where you built the light sabers a CM did it for him but she was super sweet about it and very determined to make sure it turned out just the way John wanted it. After my Jedi Knights were appropriately armed we headed off in search of our next experience. We stumbled upon an Indiana Jones show about to start but were informed that the wheelchair seating was filled. The CM said it was pretty much always a packed house. This pretty much made our decision for us.
I had wanted to see it but not enough to risk John feeling claustrophobic in that crowd. There were some things we were willing to risk it for, but this wasnt one of them. I dont remember what else we passed but I know the next thing we did was Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Jenna was a little ornery and she was sure this was a baby attraction but the rest of us wanted to see it and I suspected lowering blood sugar was a big part of the culprit for Jens attitude. With the help of some cheese crackers for Jenna and a few toys for Jonnie from Johns bag we made it through the wait, which was about 25min, and into the theater. This was worth the wait John and I liked it, Tessa loved it, Jenna admitted it wasnt a baby attraction and she really liked it, and even Jonnie liked Ursula. So what to do next, well I was steadily getting grumpier and those cheese crackers werent a long term solution for Jen so it was off to find lunch.I had read a lot about the restaurant options at this park and really hadnt know what to do with our CS option. It didnt seem like any of the CS places got very favorable reviews. I finally decided on Backlot Express so I knew where we were headed. We got there and couldnt find any way to get Johns wheelchair into the restaurant so we chose an umbrella table and wiped the water off. As I remember it there was a bit of a drizzle but not much. It was certainly drier than we had been. I went inside to get food and completely forgot about the grilled veggie sandwich I had read about. I wasnt completely sure what to get the girls either so I ordered two Double Cheese Burgers, two Turkey sandwiches, and an adult portion of Chicken Nuggets and Fries for Jonnie. For dessert I got three cheesecakes and two yogurt parfaits. The girls took the Turkey sandwiches and John and I took the burgers. The burgers were pretty good and very filling. John was too full for any dessert but I nibbled a bit at the yogurt. I really liked it. but the turkey sandwiches were not exactly to the girls taste. The arugula and peppers didnt really thrill them. Tess remembers it being okay. I think she picked some of the stuff off it. Jen ate some turkey and a slice of cheese covered bread as well as the french fries. Jonnie liked his nuggets and the adult portion was big enough for him. All three of them liked the cheesecake. While we were finishing eating we got a pleasant surprise. I hadnt planned on watching the Block Party but Im glad we did and our table ended up being a fairly good viewing spot so we inadvertently timed it perfectly. Next up Oh my goodness its a frog and a pig and some monsters thrown in for good measure, some JedI dreams (or disappointments) and a disturbing call from home.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 1999
- Messages
- 36,352
I don't think it's horrible of you at all.
We waited about 15 or 20 min for a bus to pull up and the driver started loading John. As we were waiting for John to be loaded a woman in line started commenting rather loudly that apparently all it takes to be first for everything is a wheelchair. Okay I have to admit I didnt take that comment too well. I am extremely protective of John and his disability. He has been through so much mentally and physically that nobody else can really understand and he got this way because serving his country and preserving peoples rights was important to him (he frequently reminds me that one of those rights involves peoples right to make stupid comments if they feel like it.) Okay so they have the right to make comments but so do I. Except this is Disney and I dont want a huge confrontation. Im fuming,
My youngest DD is permanently disabled and has been her whole life.
We get at least one of those rude comments once each trip. I always feel bad when I hear about someone else hearing one of those commends because I know just how bad it can feel.
I figure those people are tempting Karma. If they think it is so great to have a disability, they may someday find out how it is in reality.
yinyanggirls
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
- Messages
- 1,872
I think Star Wars is next on our list to show the girls. I love the comment "a villain to my siblings", LOL!
I think Star Wars is next on our list to show the girls. I love the comment "a villain to my siblings", LOL!
I saw on your PTR that Tessa is enjoying Star Wars. I was thinking about it and I think Jonnie was about that age maybe a bit older chronologically but about there or even younger cognitively when he first saw Star Wars and he loves it. That villian comment is classic Jenna.
praisehisname
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2003
- Messages
- 4,343
Caught up again, and I'm a little worried about the call from home! 
Caught up again, and I'm a little worried about the call from home!
Good to see you Denise. Hopefully I'll get the next update posted soon so you won't be in suspense about that call for too much longer.
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