The way We do a Disney Re-Do ~~ Beach club Aug 13-22 - FINISHED!!! 1/20 - Page 15 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I am so glad that Hannah enjoyed the ride, hope that she gets to try the orange side later in the trip. Isn't it great to be able to just walk to your resort and make it back to Epcot within minutes...I think that is what made us fall in love with the BW. I think taking that break was what you all needed for a bit of refresh so you could all enjoy Illuminations.
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The wake-up call came at 6:30am. I got up, popped the ibuprofen, used the nebulizer, and headed to the shower. I was feeling awful. Dizzy. Congested. Mad at myself for not packing Sudafed.
When I was done getting ready for the day, I called to arrange a cab to the Contemporary, and woke the rest of the family. Everyone woke up in a great mood except…Hannah. She was tired and did not want to get out of bed.
Although all of us wanted to sleep in, as soon as Ben and Delaney realized we were going to Chef Mickey for breakfast, they were up and started getting ready on their own. Hannah refused to get up. When she found out we were going to a character meal, her refusal became more intense.
It is nearly impossible to get Hannah to do something she does not want to do when she is in this kind of place. She goes rigid. She loses her words and makes grunting noises. The other two children know what this means--it means they need to do their best to take care of themselves. Even at 3, Delany is able to get herself dressed and ready better than many kids older than her. It sometimes makes me sad to think that she has had to develop these skills early as a way to cope with family stress when Hannah is not cooperating. On the other hand, I am proud that she is so aware of family dynamics and responsible enough to help out in her own way.
With the other kids getting themselves ready, DH and I were able to tag team getting Hannah ready. We knew that once she was awake and back “with” us, she would be fine. In the meantime, it takes two of us to dress her and get her ready. I will spare you the details, but it was rough (especially with me feeling less than healthy)….
We knew from the last WDW trip that the bus transfer to another resort does not work well for our family. Discovering how easy and relatively affordable cabs are (about halfway through the last trip) was a real vacation-saver. Typical cabs hold 4 passengers, but vans can be ordered to accommodate up to 7 (with car seats available). I learned you may need to allow a bit more time for it to arrive, but it does not cost any more money.
The cab was to arrive at 8:00am. By the time we had Hannah strapped in her stroller and walking out the door to our room, she was almost back with us. She was still not talking, but her grunting had been replaced with pouting.
Last trip, at CSR, when we arranged a cab we were on our own to find it in the driveway (not that it is difficult, but one time we approached a driver who was waiting for another family.). At BC, (because of the valet service?) a CM directed us to the waiting cab. It was a tiny difference between a moderate and deluxe resort that may make life a bit easier for families, especially for a family that had just experiences 30 minutes of STRESS. Not having to look for/wonder/question which cab was ours was wonderful.
By the time we were on the road, Hannah was starting to talk. She was now complaining about going to Chef Mickey. She insisted she would not meet any of the characters. We got her to agree that she was hungry and convinced her that the food would be yummy and plentiful. She agreed to cooperate just for the food…we said she could hide under the table if she wanted to.
This situation reflects a hard position for us (and many other families, I assume) who deal with a child n the autism spectrum, or with other difficult behaviors. How far do you push? What if not pushing one child means the rest of the family has to miss out on an experience they should get to have? How much can we allow the child with the disability to “control” the rest of the family?
I do not remember what the cab cost. I think DH handed the driver a $20 bill when we got out of the van in front of the Contemporary. Money well spent for a 15 minute ride instead of 60 minutes worth of transfers!
We arrived a bit before our 8:30 ADR. The line was held up by a group in front of us that claimed to have an ADR that they could not find in the system. I was impressed with how calmly the CM’s dealt with the testy guests. They eventually accommodated the LARGE group, and tried to restore their positive attitude when turning their attention to the next family in line.
We were soon headed to the plate to have out picture taken. We asked a CM to take a pic with our camera because we do not purchase the photos they offer at character meals (Way too expensive!).
We were seated at a back booth. We were the first people seated in that area of the restaurant, so it was nice to be able to take some pictures before the tables filled up. This also helped Hannah to acclimate to the restaurant. Just like our experience at Coral Reef, it was wonderful to arrive for a meal before the restaurant was full. In the future, I will need to remember to always schedule ADRs early! Next up: Would Hannah eat her whole meal under the table to avoid the characters?
Another great update! When Hannah was talking about the robots, I had a feeling there must have been a small metion of them on the TT ride. Josie can get like that too. Totally picks up on something and won't let it go until we figure it out. Glad you did. And so nice to hear about the ease of staying at BC. That is on our list of resorts to stay too.
I agree with you on the cab situation. We took one this year to go to the HDDR and it was well worth it.
It is frustrating when the little one's shut down and don't use their words and go into the grunting thing. It doesn't happen often with Josie anymore, but when it does it is hard.
Despite the rough morning, everyone looks happy in front of the plate!!! Your family is adorable. And way to go Delaney on dressing like a big girl!!!
Great updates Shelly! So glad Hannah enjoyed Mission Space, that is one I have yet to ride, lol.
Can't wait to hear if she rode the orange side later in the trip.
Sorry to hear of your rough morning, but at least it seems to be getting better, hope the rest of the day went smooth.
I think it's great of you to question what to do when Hannah is not cooperating. She need what she needs, but the other kids need to be thought of too. I am sure this is not always an easy task to figure out or enact. I am sure that each situation has a different answer to it as well. But I applaud your efforts and thoughts, as I think it's easy sometimes for parents when one child (the squeaky wheel per se) needs so much more attention, to forget that that attention can't come at the expense of the other kids...at least everytime in every situation. So I think it's great you think of these things and try to make a plan.
I had to laugh at the story of you and your DS rushing around to get ready to 'prove' how much faster your path was - that is SO something I would do!
Sorry your morning got off to a rough start, but I'm happy that Hannah began turning around a bit for you by the time you got to the restaurant. Hope she doesn't stay under the table for the whole meal!
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Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
I just have to say, I think you are such an awesome mother. I really admire you. I agree your family picture at CM's is great. You all look great. I can't wait to read more.
Another great update! When Hannah was talking about the robots, I had a feeling there must have been a small metion of them on the TT ride. Josie can get like that too. Totally picks up on something and won't let it go until we figure it out. Glad you did. And so nice to hear about the ease of staying at BC. That is on our list of resorts to stay too.
I agree with you on the cab situation. We took one this year to go to the HDDR and it was well worth it.
It is frustrating when the little one's shut down and don't use their words and go into the grunting thing. It doesn't happen often with Josie anymore, but when it does it is hard.
Despite the rough morning, everyone looks happy in front of the plate!!! Your family is adorable. And way to go Delaney on dressing like a big girl!!!
I thought you had mentioned somewhere along the way that Josie had some sensory stuff--But I cannot remember any specifics and have yet to read it in your TR....I was not sure if I was confusing you with someone else or not...
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneLittleSpark
Great updates Shelly! So glad Hannah enjoyed Mission Space, that is one I have yet to ride, lol.
Can't wait to hear if she rode the orange side later in the trip.
Sorry to hear of your rough morning, but at least it seems to be getting better, hope the rest of the day went smooth.
I think it's great of you to question what to do when Hannah is not cooperating. She need what she needs, but the other kids need to be thought of too. I am sure this is not always an easy task to figure out or enact. I am sure that each situation has a different answer to it as well. But I applaud your efforts and thoughts, as I think it's easy sometimes for parents when one child (the squeaky wheel per se) needs so much more attention, to forget that that attention can't come at the expense of the other kids...at least everytime in every situation. So I think it's great you think of these things and try to make a plan.
Can't wait to hear more!
I am not sure I was a compulsive planner before I had kids. Control freak--yes...planner? not so much. I now feel like I am too aware of every little detail, every mood, every reaction to the point where I am not able to just sit back and "enjoy" as much I would like...
Quote:
Originally Posted by sc507
I had to laugh at the story of you and your DS rushing around to get ready to 'prove' how much faster your path was - that is SO something I would do!
Sorry your morning got off to a rough start, but I'm happy that Hannah began turning around a bit for you by the time you got to the restaurant. Hope she doesn't stay under the table for the whole meal!
Keep reading....
Quote:
Originally Posted by saibot0001
I just have to say, I think you are such an awesome mother. I really admire you. I agree your family picture at CM's is great. You all look great. I can't wait to read more.
You may want to skip the next after next update...it may crush your image of me
I agree with sailbot0001! I think your great! For reasons that are very different than most too, I bet. We all have our moments and I know I've had mine and cried over them.
I'm sorry you can't relax and enjoy things more, hopefully you have your moments. And some of them were at Disney.
OMG, wow, could I relate to this latest installment! My son has sensory issues and we constantly struggle with the exact quandry you posed. How much do we give in or allow this to control/change what we do, esp. when/if it will mean my dd will miss out on something she's excited about or considers important? And, I might add, we have gone through similar things on the reverse - although she doesn't have sensory issues, being nearly 4 years younger she is often slower and tires more easily, therefore meaning we risk meltdowns/tantrums from pushing too hard. I don't think there's an easy answer. One way we've survived (and I know you did a little of this on your last trip) is by splitting up at times. If she's had it one of us may take her to the room while the other stays with him. If his sensory issues are affecting his behavior and making him difficult, ditto. Or we just split up and do different things. It's not often we have to, but it has helped. I'm glad to hear Hannah started to come around and you were able to get her to CM. Can't wait to hear how things go with the meal and the characters! I hope it was an enjoyable experience!
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15 total family trips with stays at the Poly, AKL, Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Swan, Dolphin, POFQ, Pop Century, All Star Music, Movies & Sports, and Coronado Springs.
Sounds like yall had a great time at Epcot, glad everyone enjoyed Mission Space (one of my faves) and that yall got to see Illuminations (we have yet to see it)!
I know what you mean about not knowing when to push and trying to balance special needs with other family members desires. I have two kids with sensory issues, one more severe than others. I try to find a balance. My oldest can not handle fire work type shows, I tried to "push" when he was younger, but now realize it was a mistake and we avoid them. My younger son with sensory issue has an abnormal, crazy fear of flying- but we will be flying in May. I know that we will have a rough go of it at first, but I expect him to calm quickly when he realizes he is fine and hopefully he will no longer have the fear..... I can also relate to how your younger dd feeds off your older daughtes sensitivities. My oldest two (13 and 11) do that. The 13 yr old has sensory stuff and my 11 yr old has always fed off his fears. As they are getting older, we still deal with it some- but my 11 yr old now recongizes that the fears are unwarranted and only a response to his older brother. For the longest he didn't like fireworks or roller coasters because big brother didn't; but now he realizes he actually enjoys both very much!
I thought you had mentioned somewhere along the way that Josie had some sensory stuff--But I cannot remember any specifics and have yet to read it in your TR....I was not sure if I was confusing you with someone else or not...
No, it was me. We chatted about it a little during your pre TR. Josie has been getting EI at home up until last week. Now that she is 3 they evaluated her for the community program at the school and she did really well. BUT coming from where she did and making such huge progress they suggested we try at least one year with her in the program ( in fear of stopping everything she might revert backwards). During our trip she did great, however I also think because at the momment she is our only child it makes things easier. If I start to notice her getting cranky, we leave and go back to the resort and she either falls asleep or gets excited to go swimming.
Her sensory issues are nothing compared to what they were. Still can't get her to eat cake or ice-cream, but I guess that ain't so bad right???
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