Robert's Live TR 4/22 - 4/27

[robertl30]

GAC=Guest Assistance Card. It let's castmembers know about special needs your party has so they can rapidly assist you.

 

[robertl30]

I'm going to take Kathy's advice and concentrate on having fun for now and will blog up all the gory details later. I'll catch you up with a short version.... But right now, "having fun" includes "getting some sleep". So I'm going to reduce computer time to pick up some extra ZZZs. This is a "vacation" after all

Monday was Magic Kingdom. We spent a lot more time than I would have preferred on transportation. The kid loves riding monorails and boats. But hey, it's all about the kids. Splash Mountain was Evan's favorite ride. Space Mountain is still my fave.

Tuesday we hit the slopes of Blizzard Beach. Everything from the lazy river to Plummit Summit was great. Well, actually the Summit ride actually just hurt my back side. But a medicinal visit at the Polar Pub remedied that. Kids loved just about everything there. The ski lifts are great. Fave ride for me was the Slush Gusher. Dinner at the Maya was very good.

Wednesday was Epcot. Test Track was very popular (we did it 4 times!), but then we discovered Soarin. Evan is still yammering about Soarin'. If anyone read KathyRNs TR about how her son went on and on about Hall of Presidents... that was Evan with Soarin. We got him a Soarin T-shirt and now he won't take it off.

Thursday (today) we did MGM. It was sunny and hot and we wound up drained. We only made it to 6:30. I'm disappointed we didn't make it through to the Fantasmic show. But we were just pooped. I think everyone's favorite attraction was the Lights, Motors, Action show, followed closly by the Indiana Jones show. Though, I have to give huge props to the pupeteers doing the Little Mermaid show. That was neat (I'm an old theatre geek from school and doing little theatre in my pre-kids life). I really appreciated the artistry there. And the rain effects were really cool (figuratively and literally) and surprising! Evan wanted to do Star Tours twice so we did that after a fun late lunch at the Sci-Fi cafe and then the group was just all out of energy and we spent the evening at the pool.

Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom & Boma. We may try to squeeze in Typhoon Lagoon, but really I doubt it will happen. We'll see how well a day at the "zoo" holds up.

Everything has been generally very great at WDW. We're exhausted. But having the GAC has meant we've been able to get through all the attractions we want to do with very minimal waits. Every CM has been great. No one questions the GAC (with one exception at The Great Movie Ride where the CM just wanted to clarify if we needed wheelchair access or an alternate entrance). We've fast passed or back-doored everything without incident and with very few of the rumored "dirty looks" that we'd heard we'd get. Couple situations with other guests where they didn't understand our needs and that led to minor conflicts, but then we just start explaining... Invariably, once we utter "autism" everyone just sort of immediately caves on whatever position they were beholden to and tries to bend over backwards to accomodate us. I think the recent publicity that the rising incidence of autism has garnered is definitely starting to have an impact among the masses.

Evan mades some friends at the pool tonight which is very neat. I think we're starting to see some of the therapeutic value of WDW that we've read about. He's really starting to open up more with other kids... and starting to do a better job of not scaring other kids (i.e. he's behaving himself in a more typical manner). That combined with parents doing a better job of explaining to their NT kids about why Evan is acting the way he does is really helping. With the increase in "inclusion" teaching methods in the schools, I think more kids are exposed to other children with special needs these days... and that can only help too.

Well... only two more days to go. Saturday will be an "off" day. We'll check out of the resort and lounge at the pool for the day before our towncar comes to get us back to the airport that night. We may work in some Downtown Disney time on Saturday as well.

Thanks everyone for your kind good wishes here on the thread in the nice PMs I've received. I really appreciate it.

Have a magical day!

 

[KathyRN137]

Robert,

I'm so, so glad that Evan is enjoying himself at the parks and socializing at the pool. I agree that the vast majority of people are very understanding once they realize that a child has a disability. It just takes them a bit longer to come to that realization when the disability is "invisible".

I'd gladly trade in our GAC and wait in the longest lines WDW can dish up if only Billy could have a normal life once more.

That said, it is a blessing that they are so accommodating for our kids' special needs. Enjoy the rest of your trip!!

Kathy

 

[sarah4770]

Robert,
Can you tell us what is happening with the refurb at el centro. Is the gift shop open? Is the arcade near Franciscos closed? Is the bar they are constructing open and running?
Thanks

 

[robertl30]

Sarah: There is mucho construction at CSR. Franciscos and the gift shop are open. There are boards up between the two. Maybe that used to be an arcade? I don't know. I did not see an arcade in the hotel. There is an arcade at The Dig Site main pool area. There is also a boarded area outside the eateries near La Marina. I gather this is going to be a new outdoor bar.

 

[robertl30]

We are home again. I'll waste time at work by posting more detailed trip report this week. For now we are in recovery mode. Recovery from sunburn, exhasution, and frustration at Delta. We have a very delayed flight home. But we're waking up now and slowly adjusting to reality again. Soccer game at 3pm. Life goes on...

 

[KathyRN137]

back!!

Kathy