Little Warrior's Wish Come True -- Marenna's Trip Report

[littlewarriorsmom]

Marenna's Pre-Wish Trip (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2072395)

The van arrived 15 minutes early! :scared1: Go Go Go!
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We're on our way!
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We get to the airport, time for breakfast. Pizza and coke??? For breakfast? The magic WISH trip has begun!

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"There's our plane!" http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k116/joannafc/DSC00654.jpg http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k116/joannafc/DSC00658.jpg

Okay, I have to admit it -- I saw our greeter and the sign, and the tears started rolling. What it is about that sign?
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[OhMari]

Do you what I like about Orlando's airport?
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The have sky-lites that lets the sun in.

Looking forward to your report.

[ashleyrm]

Just finished reading your pre-trip report. Subbing...

[littlewarriorsmom]

We're here! We're at Give Kids the World!

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We were in Villa 252, right across from Matthew's Boundless Playground. It meant that we had a far walk to get to everything else, but who cares? We're at Give Kids the World! :cool1:

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This is apparently one of the new Villas. It's light, airy, and spacious!

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[WishMom09]

HOW EXCITING...you are back with pictures!!!
Looks like a great villa! I LOVE Marenna's smile with her Mickey Mouse!
I can't wait to read more!!popcorn::

[maroo]

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!!!

Fabulous start! :)

Pizza for breakfast is a GREAT way to start a wish trip! :)

[jessica52877]

Whoo hoo! A new TR! You'll look so cute in your WISH t shirts! Can't wait to see more!

Sorry that post disney depression has set in. I believe you'll have named it PDD.

[tinkerbells mum]

i've just finished your pre-trip report and have now subbed to this one, you have a wonderful style to your writing which has made me laugh and cry in equal measures thank you so much for sharing i hope you all had a totally magical trip and i can't wait to hear/see more. i loved Jackson's quote about it being Disney he'd would care if he had to wear a flowerery dress!!! that just sums Disney up xx

[littlewarriorsmom]

i've just finished your pre-trip report and have now subbed to this one, you have a wonderful style to your writing which has made me laugh and cry in equal measures thank you so much for sharing i hope you all had a totally magical trip and i can't wait to hear/see more.

Awww, shucks. Thank you. :blush:

That reminds me, I should give the warning ... since there are other Wish families who read the Trip Reports before they go on their trip, I am going to try to be extremely honest in my report. There was nothing horrible, but my inclination is to just talk about all the wonderful stuff. And there was lots of that. :lovestruc But if I can give a little "heads up" on some stuff, like others did before me, I figure I have a responsibility to do so. It's the code. :rotfl2:

"The Code of Wish Families ... to express appreciation, joy, and honesty in all our trip reports so that others may better be prepared for their trip through our experiences." :rotfl:

[maroo]

Awww, shucks. Thank you. :blush:

That reminds me, I should give the warning ... since there are other Wish families who read the Trip Reports before they go on their trip, I am going to try to be extremely honest in my report. There was nothing horrible, but my inclination is to just talk about all the wonderful stuff. And there was lots of that. :lovestruc But if I can give a little "heads up" on some stuff, like others did before me, I figure I have a responsibility to do so. It's the code. :rotfl2:

"The Code of Wish Families ... to express appreciation, joy, and honesty in all our trip reports so that others may better be prepared for their trip through our experiences." :rotfl:


Oh yeah! Honesty is always the best policy! :thumbsup2

Now I am so curious...

:surfweb:

[MaryAz]

Yay, you started your report! Looking forward to hearing all about it!

[Corrine 1973]

OK I'm hooked, can't wait to hear more and see more wonderful PICTURES!!!:banana:

[tinytreasures]

yah you started
we were right next door to you
we were in villa's 253 and 254
the circle opened up on our last day so we had to go around the park every time we left
did you figure out that you could cut thru the park as a short cut ;)

[Corrine 1973]

I just had to tell you a very cute story. I started looking at your pretrip report and my 3 year old daughter Mia (short for Ameliya) walked in, pointed at the computer, and declared that Mareena is her best friend.;)

So let Mareena know that she has a new best friend who lives near Chicago!:rotfl2:

[littlewarriorsmom]

did you figure out that you could cut thru the park as a short cut ;)

Oh yeah! Also the cut through the Corral. :cool1:

[littlewarriorsmom]

Okay, forget unpacking ... let's go wander around the Village!

Right across from us is Matthew's Boundless Playground. I think Marenna could have been content just playing there for 5 days straight.

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You know, it's 3:00 and we haven't had lunch. Let's head towards the food area.
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Hmm, it's a little late for lunch, but we're hungry. Whatever should we eat?
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There were two older gentlemen there waiting on us. They just exuded love. By the end of the trip, Tom and I had a theory about the older gentlemen and Wish kids ... the old men are absolutely the biggest softies. The younger people are energetic and very helpful. The older ladies are very loving and very efficient, bustling around to help everyone. But the old men are just marshmallows. You can look at them and know that if they could give their lives for any one of the Wish kids, they would.

And they love being silly.
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Mmm, chocolate ice cream with chocolate fudge and whipped cream for Kaziah. Orange sherbet with chocolate fudge for Marenna. :upsidedow Ice cream soda for Lilyanne.
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Tummies filled, on to the Castle of Miracles!
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And ambling over to Amberville ...
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They were training new volunteers, so we couldn't ride the carousel at first. Finally, it was time. Whoo-hoo!

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We headed back "home." The kids and Tom played on the playground while Mom unpacked everything. Had to hang up all those beautiful clothes from the Big Give! And speaking of Big Give ... today, as you see, we were wearing our custom WISH shirts. All the other Wish families were madly envious and wanted to know where we got them. Stewardesses and GKTW volunteers wanted to know when MAW started making them. :rotfl: Nooo, we explained. These were custom made for us by some friends we've never met. :love:


Okay everyone, back to the Villa to get cleaned up for supper. Don't you know that Christmastime's a-Coming???

[WishMom09]

Loving the update! Looks like a fun afternoon! And I love your theory on the old men...to sweet! (made me cry)
So if my memory serves me so far you have had pizza for breakfast...and ice cream for lunch!
I can hardly wait to learn what's for dinner??? ha ha! I LOVE IT!
(so much for dieting while at GKTW huh??)

Question for ya...do they have hangers there or did you need to bring your own! I was wondering this last night as I began carefully folding all of our adorable BIG GIVE outfits!

[littlewarriorsmom]

(so much for dieting while at GKTW huh??)

Question for ya...do they have hangers there or did you need to bring your own! I was wondering this last night as I began carefully folding all of our adorable BIG GIVE outfits!

Dieting ... do NOT worry about it. I ate whatever I wanted, including hot fudge sundaes, hot pretzels, real Cokes, etc. But with all that walking, I only gained one pound. It's a LOT of walking! Either that, or maybe GKTW has magic so that nothing you eat has calories! :rotfl:

They have hangers in the closets. And if you need more, you can always drop in the Walmart right by GKTW.

[maroo]

Wonderful update!! :) I am just loving your TR!!! :)

You sat in the exact table that we did at the Ice Cream place! :) I miss it! :goodvibes

And calories DEFINITELY do not count on a Wish Trip!!!!! :thumbsup2

[Andreaswish]

I am really enjoying your trip report. We are not to far off from our trip. Your kids are adorable, love the shirts. I better not show my dd your picture of the kids eating pizza for breakfast. She will definetly will want pizza for breakfast too. We have a very early flight we may have to get her a piece of pizza at our lay over.

Can not wait to read more about your trip. The villa looks nice. Keep up the good work.

Diane

[Corrine 1973]

Great TR so far, can't wait to hear more.

[Kathiria]

This is my first post to wdwinfo. I do come on alot to read trip reports. I love them. It is like being on vacation with them. We are going on our first ever Disney Vacation in September. So I do come on here alot to read experiences and the dos and don'ts. I just finished reading the pre-trip and found this thread. I am so happy that your daughter is doing well. You all deserve this wonderful trip after going through this fight with her. I am subbing to this thread so I can get the updates. I am looking forward to reading more.

[maroo]

This is my first post to wdwinfo. I do come on alot to read trip reports. I love them. It is like being on vacation with them. We are going on our first ever Disney Vacation in September. So I do come on here alot to read experiences and the dos and don'ts. I just finished reading the pre-trip and found this thread. I am so happy that your daughter is doing well. You all deserve this wonderful trip after going through this fight with her. I am subbing to this thread so I can get the updates. I am looking forward to reading more.


:welcome: to the DIS!! :)

I am so glad you posted! A first time poster! How cool!!! :)

I will also be in Disney in Sept! :) Can't wait!!! :)

[littlewarriorsmom]

Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stocking,
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
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Taking the advice of someone on the Wish Disboards who warned us that the line to see Santa stacks up, we went there, first. Jackson peeked in and said, "They're not ready, Santa is sweeping." Well, no. That was a theatre volunteer who just kinda looks like Santa. :rotfl: The real Santa was inside the theatre. And a Jolly Santa he was! He bounced Lily and Marenna on his lap with, "You get to pick out a present! You get to pick out a present!!!"

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Lily and Renn picked out Fur Real puppies, Kaziah got a Fur Real baby monkey and Jackson got a handheld video game. It was sooo hard for Marenna to decide!

After that, it was time for Christmas dinner! Back to the Gingerbread House! Turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings for us, and the kids hit the buffet -- chicken strips, spaghetti, mac and cheese, etc. (I snitched one of the chicken strips -- REALLY good! Not your average kids' chicken.)

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After dinner, we went back outside for more Christmas. Oooh, cookie decorating!

Marenna will have a little cookie with her icing, thankyouverymuch.

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The parade is coming! The Christmas parade!

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Oooh, it's snowing and OH MY GOD, THE GINGERBREAD MAN IS EATING MARENNA! HELP! HELP!

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Oh. He was just hugging her. Phew.

GKTW has a character named "Buttons." All my girls fell completely in love with Buttons. He's like a big teddy bear, come to life. I think they wanted to take him home.

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Time for a horse-drawn carriage ride! Definitely take this when you go, because it gives you the opportunity to chat with other Wish families.

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Next up ... a trip to the La-ti-da spa for face painting and tattoos!

[maroo]

Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful!!!!

Seeing Santa first sounds like a GREAT tip!!!

What did Merenna pick from Santa? :confused3

That dinner looks SO GOOD!

I love Merenna's cookie - girl after my own heart! :)

Gingerbread man eating Merenna! :scared1: :laughing:

Buttons...:hug: Aw!

Loving your TR!!! :) Thanks for sharing your trip with us!! :hug:

[WishMom09]

AWESOME Christmas pictures! (I think the best I have seen!!)
LOVE the pic of the gingerbread man hugging her...too cute!
The food looks yummy! AND so do those COOKIES!! YUMM!!
I just can't wait!! 4 more days!!
And I can't wait for your next update!!!popcorn:: You are doing a great job!!

[littlewarriorsmom]

Face painting and tattoos! Marenna and Kaziah wanted face-painting (a LOT of face painting), and Lilyanne wanted a tattoo.

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They felt so special! And they each got a special GKTW purple My Little Pony for their own.

I didn't get face-painting. I should have. ;)

During all this, the only bad moment of our time at GKTW happened. Jackson was in the main part of the Castle of Miracles, walking around. He was fiddling with the box they use to show you your star (but we didn't know what it was for). Everything else in there is some kind of toy, so he assumed it was. Well, some volunteer came over and fussed at him, enough to put him in tears. He's Mister Hyper-Responsible, so I think this really startled him. So, you might want to point out the tall wooden boxes in the Castle to your kids and let them know they're not toys.

Time to go home and rest up ... tomorrow is Magic Kingdom day!

[WishMom09]

LOVE the spa pictures! SO sorry to hear you had a bad experience...about the box! But thanks for the warning!
I love how the tattooing looks like they are getting a real tattoo!!:laughing:

[littlewarriorsmom]

First ... breakfast at the Gingerbread House! Mmm, you can do some major fueling up here. Pancakes, sausage, bacon, tons of fruit, sweet rolls, fabulous waffles, cereal, yogurt and yay, COFFEE!

I had a moment here:

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See, the food at Texas Children's Hospital is uniformly awful. It's not even made there -- it's made at St. Luke's hospital the night before, then reheated the next day. :scared1: Yum! Not!

When she was getting treatment with the first cancer, she was a baby and exclusively breastfeeding, so they brought me trays. The one thing I enjoyed was biscuits and gravy. Then, when we did Cancer Version 2, I'd order biscuits and gravy for her in the morning. She'd eat the biscuits with honey (one of the very few caloric things I could get her to eat) and I'd make me some toast and dip it in the gravy. Did I mention I'm on Weight Watchers now? :rotfl: (But not on our Wish trip.)

So, eating the biscuits and gravy gave me a flashback. It wouldn't be the last time.

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After breakfast, we went outside ... Rut Ro, Raggy! It was Scooby and Shaggy! Oh, dang, the autograph books are in the minivan. Oh well, pics at least.

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And now ... on to Magic Kingdom! :wizard:

[littlewarriorsmom]

Here we come!

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Going through parking ... we showed the button and they waved us through. When we got up to the person directing people where to go, we showed the button and asked if there was a specific place we were supposed to park. "Yeah, go here, there, mmmmmbbbb ..." Uh, okay? :confused3 We followed the directions and wound up ... heading back out! No no no no! There were some security guards, so we stopped and explained the situation. They explained that we were to go back around and this time, follow the blue line (or was it green?) to "Diamond parking." We did. We were upfront and close. Score!

Just in case, took a pic of where we were parked.

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C'mon Vamonos, Everybody Let's Go ...

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The crowds for the monorail looked heavy and Tom had read something about the ferries not taking long. So, let's Ferry!

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Then we had our first ooopsie. I had rigged up a mister fan for everyone to hang on their fanny pack. (Not enough room inside.) We were upstairs on the ferry, and Jackson bumped against the railing. Down went the "spinner" face of his fan, rendering it useless. He could see, on the outside of the ferry. Frustrating. Well, no use hauling around a broken fan. Tom tossed the rest of it in the trash. After a couple of minutes, Jackson piped up -- he realized that if he went downstairs, he could reach the fan face. Well ... Tom had already thrown the fan in the trash. Oh well, Jackson! We promise we'll share with you! :)

Then, our next rough patch ... it was now about 11:00 (where does the time go???) We got into the park, got the stroller, but it was hot, crowded and Marenna was grumpy. I picked her up out of the stroller to take a picture. Bumped her head. :headache: Doh!!! Well, she's in a foul mood now. We take Photopass pics anyway, with her hiding her face. I put her back in the stroller. Oooh, look! A parade!

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Look, Marenna! Mickey! Woody! Mr. Incredible!

For a response, I got a dirty look.

"We need cold water and we need it now!" I informed Tom. Tom, Jackson and Kaziah went into the Coney place on Main Street and came out with cups of ice water. Ahhh! That helps!

Let's head to Dumbo!

Oh, wait a moment. Time for some explanation.

At Magic Kingdom, with a few happy exceptions, we (and our GAC and Marenna's GKTW pin) were invisible. It was very odd, after all the trip reports we'd read. After chatting with someone at GKTW a couple of days later, we go the 'aha' -- this time of year, the parks are doing all of their hiring for the summer. So you have a whole lot of new folks who have no idea what MAW or GKTW is. Like when we got our stroller -- the girl looked at us like, "Um, so?" when we showed her Renn's pin. So we had to explain. That sort of thing.

So, back to Dumbo. Long line. We walk around, looking for a CM. None on the outside. None we can get to on the inside. We're feeling a little anxious. How do you do this? We see a CM over by Ariel's grotto and go talk to her. Show her the GAC and say, "We don't know what we're supposed to do." She kindly tells us to go to the exit and wait for someone. We do. We have to wait a couple of minutes, but then someone comes over, and I think points us to the handicapped entrance. Finally, we're on Dumbo.

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We get off that and Tom sees Pooh and Tigger. Pooh was one of the biggies whom Renn wanted to meet, so we head over. We stand over by the edge of the line and a CM sees us and leads us over.

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Pooh and Tigger have been quietly informed by the CM that Marenna is a Wish child, so she gets some extra special hugs. That was one thing I was really touched by -- the characters aren't afraid to give full-on love. It was sweet. :love:

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[WishMom09]

That breakfast looks YUMMY!!
Sorry about your mister situation..that stinks!
Where did you get your lanyards?? I need to get some of those!
I love the Pooh and Tigger pics....so sweet!

[littlewarriorsmom]

Where did you get your lanyards?? I need to get some of those!


We bought them at the Walmart by GKTW.

[maroo]

woo hoo!!!!!

More updates!

I love your TR!

I am sorry that you guys had issues at MK and am quite disappointed at Jackson getting in "trouble" at GKTW. :sad2: I hope you shared that with a manager type that could fix that problem.

And more bumps at MK! Bummer!

I am so glad that characters gave you guys some loving! :)

Can't wait for more. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!! :)

[tinkerbells mum]

all caught up again and some more great updates xx

[littlewarriorsmom]

It was hot! I know, nothing like it will be in August. :lmao: But it was the hottest day we had, or felt like it!

We headed back to Ariel's Grotto -- hadn't met her! There was a CM at the outside who immediately saw our GAC and pin and walked us over to the exit, told us "stay here for just a minute!" and in a minute or so, we were escorted inside. Ariel was so cute in her banter with the kids, especially my son. "Goodbye, Humans!" she called as we left.

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Time for a snack! Mickey Head ice creams and ice cream sandwiches. Mmmm, nice and cold.

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Glad I packed wet wipes!

After that very refreshing refreshment, we did some more rides in that area. The teacups, of course, and then Winnie the Pooh ... and there, we got our first taste of Disney magic. And it tasted good! :)

We went over to the Fast Pass area of the Pooh ride. There was an older CM there. He had on a lanyard with lots of pins, so my kids did their first pin trading. They had so much fun! I had ordered some "starters" through mousepinsonline.com. I'm really glad we did this. It added a lot of fun to the trip.

After that, he directed us how to get on the ride. (We either did Fast Pass or handicapped line -- I can't remember.) As we got on the ride, that CM (another older man) told Marenna, "Okay, now there's just one thing ... you're going to have to ride this twice!" :cool1: I wish I'd taken pictures on the ride, but I was just having too much fun! This was Renn's favorite ride.

Upcoming ... more M A G I C ... :wizard:

[maroo]

I am just loving your updates!! :) Pooh is one of my favorites!!

And for some reason I am hungry for ice cream!? :confused3

Keep em coming! Keep em coming!

[DisneyMomLiz]

I'm pretty new on the boards...lurked for awhile reading trip reports. Found your TR and went back and read you PTR and just had to stop and say "hi".

What a beautiful family, congratulations!! :thumbsup2

Thrilled for you and your family that SuperFroggyGirl (loved the videos by the way) :love: is NED!

Well, can't wait to read more updates and thanks for sharing your story with us!

[mansionterror]

I have been lurking on several Wishkid trip reports and decided it was finally time to post on one. I have to say that your daughter is such a trooper...all these kids fighting every day are. It is amazing what these children endure, way more than they ever should. :guilty: So glad to read that your DD is NED! That is awesome.

What a wonderful thing GKTW is. The place you stayed looks amazing and beautiful and so fun! I am a big supporter of St. Judes, I lost a cousin to Leukemia when I was 12 and even though that was years ago, it is still fresh in my memory. She was around my age and had gone to St. Judes she was even featured in one of their specials. So St. Judes and childhood cancer causes hold a special place in my heart.

Anyway, one of my goals for this year was to give back and I have been looking for several charities to make donations to. Does GKTW take donations and do they have a website?

I look forward to reading more of your report and seeing more pictures of your beautiful family! :goodvibes

[littlewarriorsmom]

Anyway, one of my goals for this year was to give back and I have been looking for several charities to make donations to. Does GKTW take donations and do they have a website?


Yes and yes: http://www.gktw.org/howToHelp.asp?a=3

My three top charities are:
http://www.curesearch.org/
(American Cancer Society gives a shamefully small amount to childhood cancer research -- curesearch is 100% childhood cancer.)

Give Kids the World (http://gktw.org)

Make-a-Wish (http://wish.org/)

[littlewarriorsmom]

So, after that, it was time for a late lunch. We headed over to Harbour House, which I'd heard good things about. Marenna fell asleep in the stroller, and it was too crowded to take the stroller in, so I carried her. Ooof! Heavy kid!

We got our food and went upstairs. Found a nice table in the corner. Marenna was completely unconscious. So ... I just laid her down on the (carpeted) floor. Wish I had a picture, but her "pillow" was my fanny pack ... with the camera inside. :lmao:

After lunch, it was getting towards time for the 3:00 parade. Left HH, went to get our stroller. Stroller? Stroller? Gone. siiigh. No time to go back to the front before the parade. Went up to a CM and asked if there was a particularly good place to sit for the parade. He looked at me as if I were a complete idiot and explained that it was a parade, and I could sit anywhere. Um, okay, thanks for the help. He did, however, hear us talking about the stroller situation, and pointed us toward a shop that would help us.

It was so hot! We got under some shade, and waited for the parade. By this time, Super Froggy Girl had woken up, and hungry, so we got her a pretzel.

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Finally ... here comes the parade!

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And then ... MAGIC!

First, I have to explain ... Marenna and I both love Mary Poppins. We watched a lot of it in the hospital and one of Renn's favorite songs is, "I Love to Laugh."

On the back of the Aladdin float, there they are, Bert and Mary. Somehow, Bert sees Renn's GKTW pin from on top of his float. He excitedly grabs Mary's arm and we can see him mouthe "Make a Wish." They begin pointing and waving at Marenna like they're her biggest fans! Tom and I have tears pouring at this point! :goodvibes

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The rest of the parade was fun -- I think Goofy blew Marenna a kiss -- but that moment with Bert and Mary Poppins was pure magic.

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And now ... it's Dole Whip Time! I sat with the girls while Tom and Jackson went to grab them.

I think Kaziah sat in the stroller more than Marenna did.

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"So, what is a Dole Whip, Mommy?" You'll see!

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Ooooooh. Yummmm.

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Dole-Whip-Brain-Freeze!
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We do some necessary rides -- Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, then we go on the scariest ride of my life.

The Haunted Mansion. :scared1:

What? You don't think the Haunted Mansion is scary? Well, let me tell you our story ...

[littlewarriorsmom]

Oh, wait! I forgot!:rotfl:

At some point in all this, we went to the Wish lounge. Knocked on the door, no answer. So we went to the First Aid counter and explained we were a Wish family. The person in First Aid got a key, came out, opened the door, explained there was cold water in the fridge, and left. I mean, she was nice. But there was no CM that stayed there that we could talk to. The economy may be causing them to make some cut-backs.

Marenna, Lily and I stayed there for a little rest while Tom, Kaziah and Jackson went on some of the big roller coasters. OH, Big Tip: through the door by the refrigerator is a bathroom. You don't know this, so one of the other Wish families that came in the lounge went outside and around the corner to go to the restroom. Luckily, when Renn needed a trip to the potty, a CM caught us on our way out and showed us the one right there.

I chatted with another family that was there. Another bilateral Wilms' Tumor. For a rare cancer, I sure seem to meet a lot of kids with it.

CM or no, we were grateful for the Wish lounge. Cold water and juice boxes, air conditioning, and a place to just sit, play quietly, etc. It was just what we needed.

And now ... my trip into the Horror House ...

[littlewarriorsmom]

Our trip through the Haunted Mansion: So, we look around for a CM, show her our GAC, and ask where to go. She sends us up the exit and tells us to wait. After a few minutes, another CM comes. She asks if there's anything we want to skip. Huh?:confused3 Um, no, I don't think so.

IT WAS AT THIS MOMENT that I should have said, "Yeah, can we go straight to the ride?" Or simply turned on my heel, grabbed as many kids as I could hold, and ran towards the Carousel. Or Splash Mountain. Or up a tree. :scared:

We get crammed into a small room, there's some sort of routine, I can't remember what, those memories have been repressed. After that, we're herded into The Big Room. We are packed in there like sardines. And we wait.

And we wait.

And we wait.

And we wait.

(All this, in the near dark.)

Not even room to sit down.

And we wait.

Finally, someone comes in and announces something. The problem, is that apparently every single person in MK that day is right here, jammed into this room. And so you can't hear anything. Then I overhear someone say that something is broken, but they're trying to get it going again.

And then the terror begins.

Because it's not just that we're jammed in there with 4 kids who are now becoming a little on the whiny said (and truth to tell, I'm a bit whiny myself by now), and it's not just that it's hot in there and it's not just that's it's practically dark in there.

We are trapped in there with ... wait for it ... junior high cheerleaders. :eek:

Who now decide that really, what all of us need is ... a CHEER! :idea: Several cheers!

It is at this point that I begin wondering when it was that we were killed -- did we step on a live electrical wire? Did we fall off a roller-coaster? Did we fall head first into Pooh's honeypots? -- because we obviously are in the 9th level of Hades.

And I don't mean a Hercules-themed ride.

I think that after a few minutes more, we were able to move, and they got the ride working, and we rode it. I'm not really sure. Things are a little bit hazy about that time period. My therapist has instructed me not to think about it too much. There are certain things humans are just not meant to experience.

So, I'm here to tell you ... when someone tells you The Haunted Mansion is not scary ... they lie.

[WishMom09]

Our trip through the Haunted Mansion: So, we look around for a CM, show her our GAC, and ask where to go. She sends us up the exit and tells us to wait. After a few minutes, another CM comes. She asks if there's anything we want to skip. Huh?:confused3 Um, no, I don't think so.

IT WAS AT THIS MOMENT that I should have said, "Yeah, can we go straight to the ride?" Or simply turned on my heel, grabbed as many kids as I could hold, and ran towards the Carousel. Or Splash Mountain. Or up a tree. :scared:

We get crammed into a small room, there's some sort of routine, I can't remember what, those memories have been repressed. After that, we're herded into The Big Room. We are packed in there like sardines. And we wait.

And we wait.

And we wait.

And we wait.

(All this, in the near dark.)

Not even room to sit down.

And we wait.

Finally, someone comes in and announces something. The problem, is that apparently every single person in MK that day is right here, jammed into this room. And so you can't hear anything. Then I overhear someone say that something is broken, but they're trying to get it going again.

And then the terror begins.

Because it's not just that we're jammed in there with 4 kids who are now becoming a little on the whiny said (and truth to tell, I'm a bit whiny myself by now), and it's not just that it's hot in there and it's not just that's it's practically dark in there.

We are trapped in there with ... wait for it ... junior high cheerleaders. :eek:

Who now decide that really, what all of us need is ... a CHEER! :idea: Several cheers!

It is at this point that I begin wondering when it was that we were killed -- did we step on a live electrical wire? Did we fall off a roller-coaster? Did we fall head first into Pooh's honeypots? -- because we obviously are in the 9th level of Hades.

And I don't mean a Hercules-themed ride.

I think that after a few minutes more, we were able to move, and they got the ride working, and we rode it. I'm not really sure. Things are a little bit hazy about that time period. My therapist has instructed me not to think about it too much. There are certain things humans are just not meant to experience.

So, I'm here to tell you ... when someone tells you The Haunted Mansion is not scary ... they lie.

I am LAUGHING sooooo HARD!!:rotfl: ha ha! Sorry but you are too funny...and I love your story!
That does sound pretty scary!
HM is my fav ride there though...so I can't wait to experience it myself!!
Hope they have the kinks all worked out by now!!:lmao:

[Corrine 1973]

I know that if I was in that same situation that I would be scared to death, but the way you describe it has got me laughing so hard that tears are coming.:rotfl2:

[jham]

NOT...CHEERLEADERS!!! :scared1::scared1::scared1::scared1::scared1: I'm so sorry. :hug: :lmao:I feel for ya! I love Bert pointing to Marenna, so sweet! You've got to love those CMs that actually look for the GKTW button! I love Dole whip floats and my kids would have those pretzels for every meal if I'd let them :thumbsup2

[Andreaswish]

Loving your trip report. Your kids are adorable. So sorry you are having some issues with the CM's. Your Haunted Mansion story is funny you are very creative writer.

I look forward to reading more. Our trip date is quickly coming up.

Keep up the great work on your TR.

Diane

[mansionterror]

Thank you for the sites, I will check each of them out!!

I love your parade pictures and the story of Mary Poppins and Bert is wonderful!!

[maroo]

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k116/joannafc/DSC00993.jpg[/CENTER]



This...

Is Priceless!

What an incredible moment. But to have captured it on "film" like that - WOW! :thumbsup2

[maroo]

Our trip through the Haunted Mansion: So, we look around for a CM, show her our GAC, and ask where to go. She sends us up the exit and tells us to wait. After a few minutes, another CM comes. She asks if there's anything we want to skip. Huh?:confused3 Um, no, I don't think so.

IT WAS AT THIS MOMENT that I should have said, "Yeah, can we go straight to the ride?" Or simply turned on my heel, grabbed as many kids as I could hold, and ran towards the Carousel. Or Splash Mountain. Or up a tree. :scared:

We get crammed into a small room, there's some sort of routine, I can't remember what, those memories have been repressed. After that, we're herded into The Big Room. We are packed in there like sardines. And we wait.

And we wait.

And we wait.

And we wait.

(All this, in the near dark.)

Not even room to sit down.

And we wait.

Finally, someone comes in and announces something. The problem, is that apparently every single person in MK that day is right here, jammed into this room. And so you can't hear anything. Then I overhear someone say that something is broken, but they're trying to get it going again.

And then the terror begins.

Because it's not just that we're jammed in there with 4 kids who are now becoming a little on the whiny said (and truth to tell, I'm a bit whiny myself by now), and it's not just that it's hot in there and it's not just that's it's practically dark in there.

We are trapped in there with ... wait for it ... junior high cheerleaders. :eek:

Who now decide that really, what all of us need is ... a CHEER! :idea: Several cheers!

It is at this point that I begin wondering when it was that we were killed -- did we step on a live electrical wire? Did we fall off a roller-coaster? Did we fall head first into Pooh's honeypots? -- because we obviously are in the 9th level of Hades.

And I don't mean a Hercules-themed ride.

I think that after a few minutes more, we were able to move, and they got the ride working, and we rode it. I'm not really sure. Things are a little bit hazy about that time period. My therapist has instructed me not to think about it too much. There are certain things humans are just not meant to experience.

So, I'm here to tell you ... when someone tells you The Haunted Mansion is not scary ... they lie.


Ok..this is SOOOO funny...

And so terribly scary! :scared1:


My therapist has instructed me not to think about it too much. There are certain things humans are just not meant to experience.

So, I'm here to tell you ... when someone tells you The Haunted Mansion is not scary ... they lie.

:lmao:

[jenb1023]

How did I miss you starting your TR?

Love the Wish shirts and that everyone asked about them!

GKTW looks amazing - I love seeing everyone's photos and hearing about it.

I am sorry to hear you had a few bumps with the CM's and your GAC.

Love the sweet Tigger and the Mary and Bert story!

Can't wait to read and see more!

[littlewarriorsmom]

It was 8ish, and Spectromagic was at 9:00. We found a place along the parade route and Renna, Lily and I stayed there while Tom, Jackson and Kaziah went to Pecos Bill's to pick up dinner.

We were by ... um, I have no idea what. A store, or an attraction, but it was closed. The girls just had fun, "climbing" trees, going up and down the steps, etc. I used that time to call my mother and have a long conversation about what all we'd done that day.

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The gang came back, balancing all our food and drinks. We all had burgers, with some of the interesting trim from the toppings bar -- grilled onions, yum!

After that, we settled down for the parade. I pulled out glow sticks and glow bracelets. Kaziah gave one to a little girl sitting by her. Really, giving away pixie dust -- people act like you're giving precious jewels! :rotfl:

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It's here, it's here! :yay:

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After that, it was time for the Wishes fireworks. Um, where's the castle? Time to move! Well, no big deal. It's just fireworks. We can just sit/stand wherever, right? Um, right? :rolleyes:

(The laughter you hear right now is coming from the experienced DISers. It's laced with sympathy, because they're good-hearted folks. But they can't help snickering a little at the naive newbie.)

We get out to Main Street ... jam packed! Meanwhile, CMs are valiantly trying to keep a walkway clear for those who don't want to stop and gawk at the fireworks.

Tom finds a place for us ... um, honey, there's a big tree right there. I don't think seeing the fireworks this way is going to be worth it. We move over. A CM tells us we're blocking the way. Understandable, but frustrating! Tom tries to turn the stroller around and a CM starts fussing at him, thinking he's trying to block something. "No, no," I protest. "We're just trying to turn around so we can move out of the way!" He takes pity on us and directs us to a safe place to stand. We can't see anything (trees) but he tells us that after the fireworks start, he'll move us into the sidewalk area.

Fireworks start. We can't see anything, so I just tell Tom, you know, let's just go. As we're making our way across, the CM spots us and jams us into a safe area where we can see. Yay!

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So, advice:

If you're going to do Spectro and Wishes on the same night, find a CM (in the afternoon!), explain what you want to do, and very sweetly and politely ask if they can tell you the best place to be for them. Go there early, and send part of your crew for food. That's the one thing we did that was right.

We go "home" to our Villa -- more surprises on the table! :love: Tom carries all three comatose girls in and puts them to bed, clothes and all. I note with some satisfaction that none of us have blisters.

Jackson passes out on the couch bed, and Tom and I quickly fall asleep in our room.

[littlewarriorsmom]

Saturday has kind of ‘ehh’ beginning, but a bangup end. Which has been the experience of so many of us!

We said we were going to sleep in a little, since we go in so late the previous night. But the naughtiest child in our family is my brain – at 7 am, it woke up and wouldn’t go back to sleep. "It's vacation, wakeupwakeupwakeup!" My real children soon join my mental child.

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We got up and called for the breakfast cart. Little bummer – it was broken. Oh well, no biggie. Back for more waffles, biscuits and gravy, etc. at the Gingerbread House!

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Jackson was still kinda asleep. And Lilyanne displayed why her family nickname is Sillyanne.
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"See, I told you Mom was on the trip with us! She's not just an imaginary photographer friend!"
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After breakfast, we headed to Sea World. We headed straight for the dolphin area, since I knew Marenna would get a free dish of fish for feeding. We hung around, me making sure that Marenna’s GKTW pin was easily visible. We had several CM’s look right at us, but no recognition. Okay, that’s fine. Tom went into the little employee “shack” that they have there, and explained that his daughter was a Wish kid from Give Kids the World, and was there a better place for us to stand, so that she could feed the fish? The CM said No, we needed to pay for the fish, and go get in line! Thankfully, another employee said, “No, come here,” and gestured us to a little area off the side. After a long wait (not that I begrudge them that, I know they have a schedule to keep) we got to feed the fish. The kids enjoyed that.

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After that, we just kind of wandered around, looking at things. We were kind of there at an off-time for shows. After looking at the manatees, we did have one person acknowledge us. An obviously more experienced employee saw Renn’s pin and said, “Oh, now most Wish families don’t know this, but you get to feed anything that has public feeding – not just the dolphins.” We wound up not taking advantage of that, but were appreciative that she told us about it.

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The kids weren’t really interested in the aquarium stuff, but both of their grandmothers have big aquariums in their towns, so they’ve grown up seeing that sort of thing. They all agreed they’d rather be playing at GKTW, so that’s all we needed to hear! We headed back “home.”

Got to the villa and called up Katie’s Kitchen (Boston Market) to deliver to our villa. Yum! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten Boston Market before, but probably will again. Well, maybe not – I don’t think it’s very Weight Watcher’s friendly! LOL. Rotisserie chicken, Caesar salads, and YUMMO – Lily got the potpie.

After that, we headed back to the main area for some fun. And ice cream, of course! Jackson wanted to try an orange sherbet float in sprite, and was pleased with his creation. I believe Tom ate the same thing every time we went -- strawberry ice cream with strawberry topping. Oh well, as his wife, I should be glad he stays with what he likes, right? :rotfl2:

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Then, over to the Castle of Miracles for pillows and Marenna’s star. Talk about magic … Marenna’s pillow has frogs all over it!!! How did they know???

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After that, I found a good space where I could log on to my computer, while the fam went over to the Dino Putt Putt. They were there for a long time, so I believe they had fun!

Then, back home to the villa for a quick change into the girls’ princess dresses and one of Jackson’s cool Disney shirts. I’d heard so much about Downtown Disney, I wanted to go there first, then over to our 8:25 ADR for 1900 Park Fare, Dinner with Cinderella.

Oh. My. God. Um, trying to park at Downtown Disney, near the Disney Marketplace, after 6:00, on a Saturday night???? :confused:

We drove on, parked all the way over by Cirque, and tried to get our bearings. We decided to just go to The Grand Floridian and maybe ride the monorail while we waited. As we were leaving, Tom decided to try parking by the Marketplace one more time. A couple of minutes of cruising around, then Instant Park-ma! A place right up front.

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We did some great browsing, and a little shopping. Jackson has been turning his sister Lilyanne into a Star Wars fan, and she was thrilled to find a Princess Leia version of Polly Pockets. Little more browsing, then back to the car to go to our dinner with Cinderella!

[littlewarriorsmom]

I have to admit, yes, feel free to shame me … I’d been feeling an eensy weensy bit sorry for us, getting little special treatment, and having to be up in faces to get it. But by this point, I’d gotten over my bad self, and remembered what a gift this all was.

So, we get to Grand Floridian, and the parking person asks us if we’re going to valet park or self-park. Self-park, we say. “Okay, you need to take two lefts, then a right, go across the street, rub your head and pat your stomach, and then you can park,” she explains. Okay, not literally, but it was still pretty complicated. “Um, how much is valet?” $10. Sold.

We go in, and the maitre d’ says they’re running late, it may be about 45 minutes later than planned. Luckily we had a late lunch! We enjoyed sitting in the lobby, listening to the piano player. I did, I must confess, have to give the kids a reminder about “Prince and Princess manners,” as they had gotten used to being able to run around crazy-like.

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It was getting pretty late, so Tom went up and checked. They promised it would be soon. About 10 minutes later, our pager went off. Yahoo!

Outside of 1900 Park Fare, there was a photographer, who asked if we wanted our picture taken. "Is this part of our Photopass?" "No, that's at the parks, this is not a park," he said. Frankly, he was a little snotty. You get so used to everyone at Disney being so lovely, that when someone acts less than gracious, it's a little jarring. Get over yourself, dude! :lmao: Well, he probably gets that question a million times a day.

As we walked in, Lady Tremaine instantly noticed Renn’s button and told us she’d be coming over to us, soon.

Drizella came over first. She was very funny, and really talked with the kids.
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Anastasia came next and oh, she was SUCH a hoot! She had fun with all the kids, including Jackson, who was having as much fun as any of them. Having three little sisters, he didn't feel like he had to be "cool," he could play along. And he did!

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We got a little lull between characters, so we went and filled our plates. I've heard varying reviews for 1900 Park Fare, but we found it delicious. The cream of asparagus soup was subtle and nice, the prime rib was good, salmon was good -- desserts were delicious. They had some kind of chocolate tarts ... mmm.

Cinderella was so sweet. Marenna’s original wish was to go to Disney World and meet Cinderella, so I will admit that I was taking pictures and just weeping all over the place at the same time. I hope the other guests saw my Make-a-Wish pin, perhaps it would have explained the strange woman with obvious emotional problems.

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Then it was time for a royal dance. Marenna was entranced, watching them. And then ... they came over to her. Cinderella danced with her, then took her over to Prince Charming to dance with him.

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And now, the tears are really flowing. And I'm thinking about that bald little baby in the big hospital bed, telling our Nurse Practitioner about how she wanted to meet Cinder-wella. And this, my dear friends, is why you don't wear mascara on a Wish Trip! ;)

The Prince brings her back to our table, ever the gallant royal, and talks with Marenna for a little while. How will she ever deign to date a pimply adolescent after this? :rotfl:

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After that, Cinderella comes back over to our table. Quietly, she asks me if we can stay until everyone leaves. "We want to give your family a magic moment." Oh, BOY!

Lady Tremaine comes over to our table. She was so, so, so hilarious. Great with the kids, even with staying in character. I had triple dog dared my son to tell her she was beautiful. “Well, of course I am,” she said haughtily. She began tousling his hair. “But if you’re going to be like Prince Charming, you must get your hair cut!” The would later turn into a running joke.

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She came over to where Marenna was sitting and talked with her. "I don't think you're really mean," Marenna told her. "Of course, I'm not. I'm very nice. And have you met my two beautiful daughters?" She got Renn to make a mean face for a picture. I think Marenna out-stared her.

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And then ...

[jham]

ahhhh, no cliffhangers! You had tears in my eyes even BEFORE it started getting really good! Those pictures are great! I love Marenna outscowling Lady Tremaine!!! And I do believe both of my daughters were quite smitten with Prince Charming as well.

[Corrine 1973]

You had me a Cinderella:love:

I am so glad that the characters were so good to you at 1900 Park Faire. :cloud9:

[jessica52877]

WHAT! You can't stop there! We have to see what comes next! I am really loving this day so far!

[littlewarriorsmom]

Before the dining room was completely empty, the maitre d' came over to us. "Can you come outside to our courtyard?" she smiled. We went outside. She drew the children's attention to the Mary Poppins topiary. Behind us, Cinderella and Prince Charming came in, as if they were on their way somewhere and "happened" upon us. Right after them, Lady Tremaine and the stepsisters bustled in, arguing about this and that. They spent a good bit of time with us, talking to the children, letting us take pictures, etc. Anastasia had a decoration in her hair, and Marenna asked if it was paper. "Not at all," said Lady Tremaine. "It is solid gold, a priceless family heirloom!" :rotfl: They also teased Jackson again about his hair, with Lady Tremaine telling the Prince and Cinderella that she had told him he needed to cut his hair so he'd look like the Prince. Prince Charming replied that maybe he didn't want to look like a Prince. And Cinderella sweetly said, "Maybe he's a pirate!" :rotfl2:

Through all of this, they never broke character. It was impressive!

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They really made us feel special, as you can imagine. And one of the other CMs let the children trade pins with her (and she gave Marenna three!)

Still glowing, we waited for the valet to bring our car. The valets there wear Scottish driving caps, and Marenna decided one was Burt. She even wanted to get his autograph. Well, that was the one thing missing from the night -- we'd left the autograph books in the car. Oh well! :rolleyes: We'll just have to go back, right?

Got home, still floating on a cloud. It was pretty late by now -- everyone tumbled into bed, dreams of Cinderella in their heads. :cloud9:

[Corrine 1973]

There is only one word I can think of when I finished reading. . .

PERFECT!:cloud9:

[jessica52877]

What a magical ending! I bet they were alot of fun all in character!

[tinkerbells mum]

wow, what a fantastic evening, and yes you made me cry again!! the Disney magic was certainly working that night xx

[jham]

I'm so glad that not only did Marenna get to meet Cinderella but that it was such a magical special night! It looked like all the kids were having so much fun.

[livndisney]

I'm sorry to hear you did not enjoy Sea World. It sounds like you had fun meeting Cinderella. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.

[littlewarriorsmom]

I'm sorry to hear you did not enjoy Sea World.

Ehh, (shrug) ... it was free, you know? I hate to complain, looking a gift horse in the mouth. But it was very helpful for me when other MAW-ers told the fabulous and the not as fabulous so that I was better prepared for our trip.

It's the code. :rotfl:

Now, by the same token ... that was just us. I know there are others who had fabulous trips to Sea World.

[jenb1023]

Yea an update!

Glad you stuck it out and got to see Spectro and Wishes. We love them both!

So glad to hear you got a magical moment at 1900 Park Fare and with Cinderella who Marenna wanted to meet! I am teary sitting hear reading this. Love the photos with all of the 1900 Park Fare characters!

Looking forward to your next update!

[maroo]

Ehh, (shrug) ... it was free, you know? I hate to complain, looking a gift horse in the mouth. But it was very helpful for me when other MAW-ers told the fabulous and the not as fabulous so that I was better prepared for our trip.

It's the code. :rotfl:

Now, by the same token ... that was just us. I know there are others who had fabulous trips to Sea World.

We appreciate it...so much...sharing the good with the bad! :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

Every family is different...but if you read enough trip reports, you figure out what most families enjoyed and what most families found to be not worth the time.

Time is SO precious on a wish trip that it is great to have honest opinions of things you got to do! Keep em coming!!!

The general concensus - it seems...for most families - is that the dolphin feeding is worth the trip...but for many families, they would have been just fine going to feed the dolphins and let that be it.

The wish trip is a gift and for ordinary families going to Disney, it may seem ungrateful to talk about what you didn't enjoy. But it is a once in a lifetime trip and your TR doesn't just save the memories for you, it is also used for months and months to come by other wish families to plan their trips! Keep em coming!!! :)

[Figmificent]

I am absolutely loving your TR. Your kids are adorable! You have me laughing and crying both! The Bert and Mary Poppin's was incredible, and I love Marenna scowling at Lady Tremaine! Can't wait to read more!

[Matt1026]

I have loved reading your TR. I have learned alot and have been taking notes for our upcoming trip. Also thank you for the good and bad news. I have truly enjoyed reading your report!!!! Can't wait until I can read more:thumbsup2

[kimmylaj]

wow!wow!wow!
this is truly a fabulous trip report. i didnt realize that you had started it and i have certainly missed alot. you are doing a great job, i feel as if i were there with you guys. your kids are adorable. i am sitting here with tears in my eyes looking at your daughters pictures. there is just something about her eyes. i feel like she tells such a story with her eyes, she is so expressive, absolutely precious. i love the pics from 1900 park fare, what a fun place, we liked that food too. cant wait to read more. you are a natural writer. haunted mansion--hilarious ( maybe thats because i have sat thru a lot of my neices cheerleading meets-so i can just imagine it) lol

[littlewarriorsmom]

A brief announcement:

I haven't posted lately because I was out of town. Got back this week, and Marenna had scans today.

NED - No Evidence of Disease! :cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:

Posting to resume ...

[jham]

A brief announcement:

I haven't posted lately because I was out of town. Got back this week, and Marenna had scans today.

NED - No Evidence of Disease! :cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:

Posting to resume ...


YAY NED!!!! :dance3::yay::banana::banana::cool1::rotfl2:

[kimmylaj]

:cool1:that is wonderful news!

[jenb1023]

A brief announcement:

I haven't posted lately because I was out of town. Got back this week, and Marenna had scans today.

NED - No Evidence of Disease! :cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:

Posting to resume ...

What wonderful news!!!!! :yay::yay::yay:

[maroo]

A brief announcement:

I haven't posted lately because I was out of town. Got back this week, and Marenna had scans today.

NED - No Evidence of Disease! :cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:

Posting to resume ...


There is just nothing better than THAT!!


:banana: :banana: :banana:

:yay: :woohoo: :cheer2: :dance3: :cool1: :dance3: :woohoo: :yay: :cheer2::cool1: :woohoo: :yay: :dance3: :cheer2:

[TamTab]

That's wonderful news! Loving your trip report. Can not wait to read more! :goodvibes

[Andreaswish]

Wow that's great news!! :cool1::banana::woohoo::yay::dance3::cheer2::group hug::upsidedow:flower3:

[littlewarriorsmom]

Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast in our villa, and headed out to Animal Kingdom. We knew that we were going to end at Epcot, so we parked there and took a bus to AK.

Kaziah was very excited. One of her favorite characters is Pocahontas. Pocahontas was really cute. She asked how we journeyed here. When Jackson said, "By plane," she just looked at him blankly and said she didn't know what that was. :laughing:

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Marenna LOVES Donald Duck. I said something about how I wasn't sure why, and a friend said, "Because he's AWESOME." Hmm. I guess there's a Donald Duck Cult.

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Tom's favorite is Goofy!
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And who doesn't love Chip and Dale? By the way, Animal Kingdom was good about pulling us to the front for pictures. We waited in line for Donald, and they told us "don't do that!" We did, occasionally, have to lurk around the "exit," making sure the GAC and button were visible. But they took it from there.

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We were walking down the path to see Eeyore, Pooh and Tigger, and here came Pooh behind us. He grabbed hands -- this is one of my favorite pics.
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OH NO, Pooh is eating Kaziah!!!
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Phew, it was just a kiss.

We REALLY wanted to see Piglet -- note Marenna's gorgeous Big Give dress. But they told us that the only place to see Piglet was at the Crystal Palace! So, be warned, if you're a Piglet fan.

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Sometime after this, Marenna sacked out.

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So I sent the older ones off with Tom to do the Yeti ride. Meanwhile, we went looking for the Chai Freeze. Had to meander a bit -- it's off to the side. Huh ... no straw, no lid. The CM explained that it's for the animals' protection. Yep. It's not good for animals to drink with straws. They drink too fast and get brain freeze. :rotfl:

Marenna woke up and we squeezed in a safari before we left AK.

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Took a bus, headed back to Epcot ...

[jessica52877]

I had no idea that you could only see Piglet at the crystal palace! I really do learn something new every day!

the kids all look so cute! I love Pooh holding their hands!

[Corrine 1973]

Great tip about parking at epcot and taking a bus to DAK. I will definatly steal that one.:hippie:

[littlewarriorsmom]

Great tip about parking at epcot and taking a bus to DAK. I will definatly steal that one.:hippie:

Yeah, I had been under the impression that the monorail connected everything. Such a cute newbie. :rolleyes: To go between the two, ya gotta take a bus. Or your car. But it was SO nice at the end of Epcot to just walk out to our car. OH ... and at Epcot, if you ask for the Diamond Parking (just show your child's GKTW button), you are right up front!

[WishMom09]

Oh I just LOVE:love: that pic of Pooh holding their hands! That is too sweet!
Looks like a fun morning at AK...can't wait to read more!!

[teresajoy]

The part about the cheerleaders had me laughing so hard!!!

Ehh, (shrug) ... it was free, you know? I hate to complain, looking a gift horse in the mouth. But it was very helpful for me when other MAW-ers told the fabulous and the not as fabulous so that I was better prepared for our trip.

It's the code. :rotfl:

Now, by the same token ... that was just us. I know there are others who had fabulous trips to Sea World.

I'm sorry you felt that way about Sea World, I would love to go there again some day, we just haven't been able to afford it for awhile. We have always had a great time there when we've been.


A brief announcement:

I haven't posted lately because I was out of town. Got back this week, and Marenna had scans today.

NED - No Evidence of Disease! :cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:

Posting to resume ...

YEAH!!!!

[jenb1023]

Glad to hear you had a good day at AK. Love the Pocahontas interaction and glad to see your GAC and Wish pin did the trick today. Love the interaction with Pooh and the gang but was sorry to see Piglet did not get to see his beautiful dress. Not to question a CM but I am pretty sure I saw Piglet in the UK but I could be wrong. Looking forward to the Epcot update!

[littlewarriorsmom]

So, we left Animal Kingdom and got on a bus to get to Epcot. Other than the Chai freeze, we hadn't had anything to eat. I knew there was tons of good stuff at Epcot! In retrospect, probably should have taken some granola bars. Everyone was really starving.

We got to Epcot -- food, food! I had my list of "must try" things. Even though we live in Texas, we were so starving that we stopped in Mexico for some nachos, churros and of course ... free ice tap water! :rotfl:

After that, we went to Norway for sweet pretzels, school bread, and lefse. We got a couple of each and cut them up for sampling.

Why do I have no pictures? I don't know! Too hungry, I guess!

We headed back up to the front for some rides, like Spaceship Earth. After that, the older kids had things they wanted to do. We headed over to Mission Space. Little Warrior and I waited outside for them, taking pictures of each other.

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And waited. And waited.

Even with the GAC, it took a long time. It was at this point that I said, Okay, this isn't fair to Marenna. We're spending a lot of time waiting for you guys to go on rides. Plus, the non-world showcase part was going to be closing at 7. So, we started doing things that she could go on -- like the Nemo ride and the Turtle talk show with Crush.

And I got to go on the only ride I felt strongly about -- Soarin'! I wish they'd lower the height restrictions for that.

In our walking around, we found the Coke pavilion. Of COURSE I directed my 13 year old to try Beverly! :rotfl2:

There is this giant fountain towards the front of Epcot. A few times a day, music comes on, and there's a "show" with giant spurts of water timed to the music. Very pretty. Well, we were walking past it, and this giant gust of wind came from nowhere! :scared1:

Completely, utterly, all the way to our undies SOAKED! We just looked at each other in shock and laughed. It was so focused, the water, that we were the only people to get wet. People around us were laughing sympathetically. Poor Kaziah and Marenna -- they were in the stroller, so had no idea what was coming.

I went in to the store right there to see about getting a tshirt. The prices were so high, I decided to just suffer. ;)

Now that we're freezing and wet, time to eat! We headed back to the International side to go down my list of must-eats. Hmm ... Japan -- Kaki gori. A snowcone. And we were freezing. No thanks! Italy -- Bellini. Ditto! Okay, on to France and the Boulangerie Patisserie.

We went through and just got an assortment of stuff, like in Norway, sliced them up and shared. Ham and cheese croissants, apple tart, napoleons, chocolate mousse ...

YUM! It was SOOO good. We went back through the line and everyone got to choose one thing to have for breakfast. Even amongst the kids, the ham and cheese croissant was the most popular.

It was getting dark now. We wandered around the other "countries," stopping to watch the fireworks.

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Thoroughly worn-out, we headed for "home."

[jessica52877]

Burrr! That would be chilly if all that water splattered on you! I love watching the fountains *dance* as I like to call it.

[jham]

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Thoroughly worn-out, we headed for "home."

I love this photo, so sweet! I just love Marenna in that dress! It makes me happy :lovestruc I didn't know that about piglet either! Once I waited and waited out side Mission Space for DH and the big kids for what seemed like forever! Then it was my turn to ride and as I exited the ride but before hitting the dump shop I found DH with the Littles happily enjoying an indoor playground! :headache: Now we know to just walk in through the exit to the playground waiting area, much better! I can't believe you got so soaked! I've never watched that fountain show. Maybe that's a good thing!:laughing:

[teresajoy]

Oh, sorry you got so soaked!!!

Last year when we were at AK, they had Piglet down there with the other characters. I'm sorry you didn't get to see him!

I love that last picture of Marenna!! She looks so adorable!

[LilAnn]

Hi, I just stumbled upon your TR and have loved reading it. I think I alternate between laughing and crying. You are a funny writer! And the pictures and memories are just melting my heart. That's great news about the NED! I'm a pedi nurse and we see our fair share of Wilm's tumors where I am, so it was great to read about your trip. I can't wait for more!:)

[tinkerbells mum]

the picture of pooh holding the children's hands is priceless xx

[littlewarriorsmom]

Everything others have said about Universal Studios parks treating you like royalty – very true. The vast majority treated us as special, treasured guests.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, we went over to the GKTW theatre to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

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After a quick change for Marenna and Lilyanne, it was off to Universal!

We went to Universal Studios first. Met Shaggy and Scooby (the kids were all excited that Shaggy knew how to pronounce Kaziah’s name -- he read it off her tshirt), in front of their mystery van. The handler instantly saw Marenna’s pin and pulled us to the front. After that, it was Woody and Curious George.

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Wandering around, we found Donkey and Shrek. The handler looked right at Marenna's pin, but didn't say anything. No biggie, the line wasn't too long. Well, the handler might not have "seen" the pin, but Donkey sure did! When we were in front of him, he called out for Shrek to come join him with us. Pretty cool. :cutie:

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We went down to "Woody’s Place" … nope, not open til 11. We wandered around a little, getting a Starbucks for me (which Marenna proceeded to drink) and putting the older kids and Tom on The Mummy, which they loved. We were headed back to the Woody zone, when we came across Doc and the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Well, Jackson was thrilled since he’s seen all three Back to the Future movies. “Doc” had tamed a squirrel and was feeding it when we walked up.

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He spotted the GKTW pin right away and said, Oh, let’s have a really good picture. He reached into his pocket and pulled out car keys! He opened up the DeLorean and Jackson got to sit inside for the picture. He was so thrilled! (And there were some grown up men behind us that were completely jealous!)

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Okay, so over to Woody’s place. We went on the roller coaster – Marenna’s first. She was so thrilled with it, shrieking and giggling the whole way. When it ended, she went over to the CM … “Can I go again?” We had to wait one go-round (some sort of policy), but then got back on. Did some of the other rides, then it was off to see Barney. We got to meet Barney ahead of the show. I considered thanking Barney for giving me so many showers through the years (by keeping little ones occupied so I could take a shower) but figured it might be misconstrued.

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After that, we got directed to a special place to stand to wait for the show. (The show starts outside the theatre.)

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We were seated in the front row and then the professor character told us to wait after the show. There was one other wish family with us, and we got to have more time with Barney. He won’t admit it, but I think even my almost-13 year old was happy. He grew up with Barney!

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After that, back out to Barney's play area to romp around. Anyone who tells you Universal is mostly for older kids -- nuh-uh! There are tons of cool play areas. More than Disney, I think.

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We did some more rides here and there (including another Woody's roller coaster ride) and stopped by to see SpongeBob before we left.

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Lunch time! ...

[jessica52877]

Barney is my favorite!! I just love it when they do the show. I agree, Universal is great for the younger bunch. Alot of the rides aren't for them but it all very nice to take them to.

[maroo]

Oh my gosh!!!!

How cool!!!

That car is so fantastic! I, too, am jealous! How cool was that?

Sounds like you guys did get treated like royalty! Universal just keeps getting brownie points from the Wish Trippers. Awesome!

I am loving your TR!!! :goodvibes

[teresajoy]

Cool that they got to go right into the car! I'd be jealous too!

LOL! showers and Barney!

Is that play area as filthy as it looks in the picture?

[littlewarriorsmom]

Is that play area as filthy as it looks in the picture?

No ... I think it was just shadows or something.

[littlewarriorsmom]

We left Universal Studios and went to Margaritaville for lunch. It was okay.

After lunch, we went to Islands of Adventure. We all fell in love with Seuss Landing, going on all the rides. Then, I took Kaziah, Marenna and Lilyanne and we went to the wet playground called If I Ran the Zoo, while Tom took Jackson on some big roller coasters.

If I Ran the Zoo was so fun. It was a warm day and even I slipped off my shoes and waded in. Marenna carefully rolled up her leggings ... and then got completely, completely soaked. :rotfl2: After a while, Tom and Jackson came back and they joined in playing with us. Honestly, all the rides and meeting characters, and this is probably my favorite memory. We just had so much fun playing and being with each other.

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Okay, now are you ready for some MAGIC?

Really, you're ready??? :rotfl:

Okay!

After our playtime in the water, we meandered toward the exit. We saw a sign for Spiderman and headed that way. A CM saw Marenna's pin from several yards away and came over to us. “Going to see Spiderman?” Yup. “Have you seen the other characters?” Ehh, no, she doesn’t really know them. “Well, if you can wait about 7 minutes, you can meet ALL of them, together!

The CM led us around the corner and had us stand back. In just a few minutes, here they came, whizzing around the corner!

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(Marenna likes Spiderman, but Wolverine had just gently patted her on the head, and those claws were too much for her. She stayed right by me for the rest of the meet.)

How wonderful is Universal!!!!:banana::banana::banana:

On weekdays, Universal doesn't stay open late, so we headed home for a quiet evening in. First, we went and picked out some DVDs from the GKTW library to watch. Then, we went by the theatre and picked up some concessions to take back to our room -- sodas, popcorn, and that candy powder stuff. Then back to our villa, where we ordered pizza. Fun! Last, Mayor Clayton came and did the tuck in. All four kids, even my eldest, were excited about the tuck in. My camera battery died in the middle, but on one of the disposable cameras, I have more pics. Note to self: get film developed. :)

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Next up: an intermission from the trip report to post some Photopass pictures.

[maroo]

oh, I love it, love it, love it!

I love that you guys just spent time together playing!! And the character meet - how AWESOME!!!!! Universal has stepped up! I love it.

And movies...pizza...hanging out at the villa...what an awesome night! :thumbsup2

Great update! Loving your TR! Can't wait for that intermission! :)

[jessica52877]

What a fun update! I love the play area! I have never seen it with that much water but then again I think it has always been December lately!

The kids look like they had a blast and I love the fun evening together in the villa! A perfect ending for the day!

[littlewarriorsmom]

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[littlewarriorsmom]

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[p00h4me]

I've been following your trip report and I had to finally post. I'm so glad that your family had this time to spend together at GKTW and enjoying the different parks. The pictures reflect the great time you all had together. Great photo pass pictures from WDW too! Can't wait to continue reading about the rest of your trip report.

[Corrine 1973]

The Photopass pictures are great!!!!! LOVE 'EM!!!!!:love:

Anyone who has any doubts about buying the photo pass needs to just come on over here and take a look, I am sure these adorable shots will change their minds.:lovestruc

[SueM in MN]

I am enjoying reading your report.
I wish I had time to read EVERY MAW trip report, but unhappily, I have a job and my work here is just volunteer time.

If you would not mind, I would like to post a link to your trip report in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can follow the link in my signature to that thread and the MAW information is in post #3 of that thread.

[littlewarriorsmom]

I am enjoying reading your report.
I wish I had time to read EVERY MAW trip report, but unhappily, I have a job and my work here is just volunteer time.

If you would not mind, I would like to post a link to your trip report in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can follow the link in my signature to that thread and the MAW information is in post #3 of that thread.

Thank you! I'm honored! :)

[jenb1023]

I've been MIA from the DIS for a few weeks but loved your last few updates! I am so glad to see you guys got special treatment at US/IOA. You got some fabulous photopass pictures! Hope you all are well!

[littlewarriorsmom]

Boy, before our trip, I have to admit ... I couldn't understand why it took so long for some people to post their trip reports. Well, now I get it! :lmao: (And I have become "some people.") Life interferes!

Good life, for us. We just got back from a trip to the mountains of Pecos, NM. We'd had this trip planned for last summer, my whole family getting together, but then they found the recurrence ...:sad2:

But we got to go this year and had a wonderful time. Something about being around a river, very healing.

About to continue the trip report!

[littlewarriorsmom]

Our last full day ... and last "park" day ...

Greased up with sun lotion (we had run out of the spray on and the stuff in the tube was a lot greasier) we headed out to breakfast. But first, a ride on the carousel. Wouldn't all of our days be better if we could have a carousel ride, first thing?

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Then over to the Gingerbread House for breakfast. Oooh, those waffles!

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On to Disney's Hollywood Studios!

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Lilyanne, Marenna and I went to the Playhouse Disney show while the others went to ride roller coasters. We showed them Renn's pin and they put us to the side to wait for a special place up front.

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WARNING WARNING WARNING! Heed our advice! You do not WANT a place up front. This is a puppet show, and everyone sits on the ground, below the stage. Which means that, sitting up front, your child will see this:

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My advice: thank them kindly, then ask politely if you may sit farther back.

After that, we went outside to meet some friends:

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By now, we were starting to learn the tricks of finding the characters. By the Playhouse Disney stage, there was an area (can't remember the name), kind of like a museum of the cartoon work. Down into that, we found lots of friends.

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The Incredibles! Like many families, we're big fans, since we secretly know that WE are the Incredibles, with our own super powers. But ... "Dad" Incredible was just too big, too scary for Renn. But "Mom" was just fine.

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[littlewarriorsmom]

After that, it was off to Pixar!

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And here, we had one of the most special moments of our trip. It had nothing to do with being a Wish family, and everything to do with you guys, and the idea of Pixie Dust! :love:

I had given each child some little trinkets that they could hand out to kids who looked like they needed a smile. Well, in the Pixar area, there were these two twin boys in a stroller, about 2 or 3, one of them screaming his lungs out. The Dad was trying to be patient, but looked stressed. Jackson pulled out two pirate sets -- an earring and eye patch -- and approached the Dad. He asked if it was okay to give the sets to the boys. Dad said sure, with a little hope in his eyes, I might add! Jackson gave them out, the screaming stopped. We walked away, both boys jabbering excitedly and trying to put on their earrings and Jackson heard the mom say to the dad, "Well, that saved the day!"

What a thrill! Better than a roller coaster! :rotfl:

After that, we went on Toy Story Mania. Too fun!

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We wandered, going on other things, like the Great Movie Ride. Renna-Bear fell asleep.

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I grabbed some shade and sat down with her, while the others did some Star Wars stuff. Jackson got his picture taken in Darth Sidius garb. (Sorry, don't have a scanner.) It was an expensive picture - :scared1: -- but we'd been fairly careful with our money. Good souvenir.

While I was sitting in the shade, a mother and daughter sat down near me. The daughter -- probably about 8 -- took great pains to save a ladybug that had landed on the seat. So of course I had to give her one of the little princess wands we had as fairy dust! :goodvibes

After the others got back, we swung by 50's Prime Time Cafe to see if they had any openings. Sure, about 2ish. Perfect for us! We noodled around for a bit, then went for our late lunch.

Marenna was awake by now, playing with her Daddy's hat. She had fun in the waiting area.

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Our table was ready! We started off with onion rings, mostly because I'm mad about horseradish.

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Lily and Renn got kids' meals which included chicken noodle soup. When we were in the hospital, one thing that Renna would eat with some consistency was canned chicken noodle soup. Can't believe she still loves it! The rest of us got either the pot pie or the pot roast. I had the roast -- it was delicious.

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Then, it was time for Beauty and the Beast!

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We had a good day, but were tired. We left in the late afternoon to get back to Give Kids the World. We wanted to go have some more fun there. (And Mom wanted to pack.)

So, Tom took the kids swimming while I began doing laundry, packing, etc. During this, I turned on the tv, which we hadn't really done all week. Turned on the news. Swine Flu!

And all of a sudden, it was just all too much for me. We had been in a place of total fun, a place where we felt truly safe. Safe from cancer, swine flu, safe from reality. I started boo-hooing.

This, I am so embarrassed about. But I include it, in case others have a similar experience. I went on a crying jag. I was calm about it, kept doing what I needed to do, but just couldn't turn off the faucets. My kids were a little concerned, but not unduly so. They've seen me cry quite a bit over the last three years.

Well, I don't recommend you waste your time with a crying jag as I did, but GKTW isn't the worst place for it. We had pizza in our room with a movie, and then they all went to the Ice Cream Palace for dessert, bringing me back a sundae. Mmm, wish I had one now. With full tummies, we went to bed so we could get up early and really enjoy our last day.

[kimmylaj]

well worth the wait, looks like you guys had a great time. i love beauty and the beast show, and i think leaving the happiest place on earth brings a lot of us to tears. i think there is actually a thread on here about all the things at disney that make you cry. for me it is the opening show on main street and the fireworks on my last day.

[maroo]

I completely understand any lag in a TR! Life does get in the way of the DIS sometimes, especially for families with any special needs. :goodvibes

Thank you so, so much for coming back and giving us some more, though!

So sorry about the bad seats for the puppet show. I wish they would put the line back so that the front row could see. :confused3 Strange.

I love the pirate pixie dust you guys were able to spread around! pirate: What a great idea and awesome way to use that! It probably changed their whole day and something they will remember for a long time. :love:

Ok...I can't believe I stress SOOOO much over ADR's and you just walked up and got Prime Time!! WOW. Don't tell the poor souls over on the restaurant board. :lmao:

I am so sorry that "real" life hit before you even left GKTW. The swine flu was quite a scare, but has gotten old in the news. It is still an issue in our area. We have had over 100 cases in MS this week for kids on church trips. They even encouraged one large church to stay home on Sunday morning to keep folks from getting sicker. Over 50 students in that congregation got sick and passed it on to their family, etc. Not good. :sad2: I am very thankful the first reports of the swine flu being so deadly were false. It sure is contagious. :sick: Sorry for the rant.

Thank you so much for catching us up! Can't wait for more from your last day! :)

[jenb1023]

Love the photos and update! It was great that you guys shared pixie dust. What luck getting into 50's Prime Time Cafe - we really enjoyed it! I think everyone will understand your crying jag!

[eyor44]

I have hunted and hunted for you to see if you did a trip report and just found it tonight through one of Maroo's threads. I am so happy to see that you all had a great trip.

[jessica52877]

I think I somehow missed the last update! What a wonderful thing Jackson did with the pirate garb! A magical moment for sure! I love the outfits! Everyday would be great if it could start out with a carousel ride!! Hope all is going well.