Make a Wish (and other organizations!) - Wish Trippers...UNITE!! Volume 2!

[Tamraj]

I have just started a pre-trip post. You can read it here:

Jessica's MAW pre-trip http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=30703955#post30703955

 

[tastycollector]

We are going on a wish trip through Kid's Wish Network. My 7 yr. old's wish is to ride the Indiana Jones roller coaster and see legos! This means we are going to Disneyland. I don't know how to start a page about everything. Any help would be great!

 

[jessica52877]

We are going on a wish trip through Kid's Wish Network. My 7 yr. old's wish is to ride the Indiana Jones roller coaster and see legos! This means we are going to Disneyland. I don't know how to start a page about everything. Any help would be great!

When are you heading to DL and Legoland? We just LOVE it out there! DS would live at legoland if he could!

 

[5dwarves]

Wow...wish trippers Volume 2. I have been out of the loop for a long time. Looking forward to catching up on all the new wish trippers. Hope all the old wish trippers are all well!

 

[maroo]

I have just started a pre-trip post. You can read it here:

Jessica's MAW pre-trip http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=30703955#post30703955

Woo Hoo on the pre-trippie!!!

Awesome!

Looks great, by the way! I will put a link to it in the first post!

 

[Soon2B4]

Well, we met with our volunteers yesterday and our paperwork is being turned in today. They wrote down that he kept going on about Animal Kingdom and how much he loved the animals. Hopefully there won't be any problems with getting Aidan's wish for Disney approved. I would also think with giving them a date range of Nov. 29- Dec 16 we wouldn't have a problem with GKTW, but you never really know! They were going to make sure they told MAW that I was expecting and it would work out better if we could push the trip to that time of year b/c of the baby. Also, Aidan has Horner's Syndrome and has a hard time cooling off when it gets really hot.

How long does it take to get your dates? My DH is in management and wants to make sure he gives his work enough notice so they can get someone to cover his team. They kind of scared me when they said sometimes they don't give all the info until a few days before you go.

Also, how do the tickets work for Disney, ect? Do you get a set number of tickets? We do want to make a trip to Sea World, but don't want to go to Universal since Aidan is barely going to be 3. I don't know much about it, but it doesn't seem like something he would really enjoy. I plan on buying tickets to MVMCP, so that will be evening at the MK.

Once his wish for Disney gets approved, I will start a pre-trip report. (Even though we have over 8 months before we would be going!)

 

[maroo]

We are going on a wish trip through Kid's Wish Network. My 7 yr. old's wish is to ride the Indiana Jones roller coaster and see legos! This means we are going to Disneyland. I don't know how to start a page about everything. Any help would be great!

Hello!!! Welcome to the thread and congrats on the Wish Trip!

I have a couple of things...I am not familiar with the Kid's Wish Network? Not heard of that one? Would love to more about how it works, etc.

We have a trip report for Disneyland on page 1 of this thread...I think it is Pat?! You can check that out for some ideas, etc. But I don't think it is Kid's Wish Network, so it could be different.

For info on Disneyland...you could listen to the last few DIS Unplugged podcasts...they have been doing them on Disneyland lately. (Click button at the top of the DISboards.)

You can also go to the Disneyland boards and they have LOTS of info on there about Disneyland.

I am sorry that we don't have many Wish Trippers on here that have Disneyland experience.

It would be GREAT, if you want, if you would tell us about your trip and show us pictures when you get back!

 

[LeeLee2U]

Oh Wow! I haven't been here in a while! Ican't believe how big this thread has grown!!
hi to all the old AND new wisht trippers!!

And Thanks to Maroo for picking up the torch!!

 

[maroo]

Wow...wish trippers Volume 2. I have been out of the loop for a long time. Looking forward to catching up on all the new wish trippers. Hope all the old wish trippers are all well!

Hi there!

Gosh, it is blast from the past week on here! Bill Lin showed up last week, too!! We are so glad to hear from you guys.

Wendygrace said it would be cool to start a Volume II...she was really busy and not able to keep up with all of the many Wish Trips going on!

We would love your input...as I recall you are quite the planner! We have several Wish Kids from recent trips that are currently pretty sick, so you can keep up with those guys, too! All TR's/Pre-Trippies are linked on Page 1!

Helpful hints on Page 2...if you can think of anything for me to add, let me know!

 

[maroo]

Well, we met with our volunteers yesterday and our paperwork is being turned in today. They wrote down that he kept going on about Animal Kingdom and how much he loved the animals. Hopefully there won't be any problems with getting Aidan's wish for Disney approved. I would also think with giving them a date range of Nov. 29- Dec 26 we wouldn't have a problem with GKTW, but you never really know! They were going to make sure they told MAW that I was expecting and it would work out better if we could push the trip to that time of year b/c of the baby. Also, Aidan has Horner's Syndrome and has a hard time cooling off when it gets really hot.

How long does it take to get your dates? My DH is in management and wants to make sure he gives his work enough notice so they can get someone to cover his team. They kind of scared me when they said sometimes they don't give all the info until a few days before you go.

Also, how do the tickets work for Disney, ect? Do you get a set number of tickets? We do want to make a trip to Sea World, but don't want to go to Universal since Aidan is barely going to be 3. I don't know much about it, but it doesn't seem like something he would really enjoy. I plan on buying tickets to MVMCP, so that will be evening at the MK.

Once his wish for Disney gets approved, I will start a pre-trip report. (Even though we have over 8 months before we would be going!)

You should be good on your dates! Surely they aren't booked up already! Great time of the year to go! And I will probably be there in mid-December! The Christmas lights are amazing!

Dates are totally dependent on your chapter...sorry I can't help you on that one. But let them know that you really do need them (in a nice way, of course ) and they should be cool with that!

You do get your dates and flights and times before you go...you don't get money till right before (for obvious reasons)...but you will learn LOTS on this thread and probably know more than they do when they come. (except about money...that varies greatly by chapter and what sort of arrangements you guys made)

Tickets...Most people stay 5, 6 or 7 nights. The 7 night stays are for international guests. I have noticed more of the recently announced trips are mostly 5 day trips...but not sure if that is due to the time of year, economy or what?

You get 3 Disney park hoppers...so you would have three days to do "Disney"... then they give you a Sea World ticket and a Universal 2 day ticket. You won't be able to use them all and you can't see it all! MVMCP will help you a lot, because you will have more Disney time. Definitely schedule that night so that you don't use one of your other Disney tickets...like go to Sea World that day or something.

We should be able to help you plan, though!

The only thing better than a pre-trip report is a very LONG pre-trip report!!!!

 

[maroo]

Oh Wow! I haven't been here in a while! Ican't believe how big this thread has grown!!
hi to all the old AND new wisht trippers!!

And Thanks to Maroo for picking up the torch!!

Oh my gosh!! It IS blast from the past week!!!!!!!!

Wow!!

Thanks for dropping by. And I am glad I picked up the torch. I love it!

 

[LeeLee2U]

Oh my gosh!! It IS blast from the past week!!!!!!!!

Wow!!

Thanks for dropping by. And I am glad I picked up the torch. I love it!

was looking through and saw Bill Ln and 5Dwarves had been on here too!! We met up with Bill Lins family 2x on our wish trips (They are awesome) and I've been chatting with 5Dwarves today!

If there are any wish Trippers scheduled to go in Aug let me know please!!

In the meantime I'm going to try to finish my TR as I believe there will be lots of tips in the last 2 days that will help people. Although for those of you that have a child in a manual push chair here is my advice. Always Lock the Brakes when you are standing still even for a second. Never assume they are locked. Never assume they will stay locked even if there is NO way your child can unlock them!!! Use brakes AND your hands when you are standing up hill. Prepare for people that need that Handicapped bathroom WAY" more than you do. Be nice and share that stall. Don't you know changing their clothes to dress up is WAY more important that a child in a wheelchair to use that stall to actually USE the bathroom???? And be prepared to be invisible it's something that only happens at WDW until BAM they run over the chair that just bounced into their way!!!
But the biggest thing to prepare for is for the MOST magical time of your life. For kindness and a place for our kids to feel NORMAL and healthy.

 

[5dwarves]

Hi there!

Gosh, it is blast from the past week on here! Bill Lin showed up last week, too!! We are so glad to hear from you guys.

Wendygrace said it would be cool to start a Volume II...she was really busy and not able to keep up with all of the many Wish Trips going on!

We would love your input...as I recall you are quite the planner! We have several Wish Kids from recent trips that are currently pretty sick, so you can keep up with those guys, too! All TR's/Pre-Trippies are linked on Page 1!

Helpful hints on Page 2...if you can think of anything for me to add, let me know!

Hey Maroo...nice to meet you! How fun to be back on the dis. I signed on about a week ago to check out some info for my dd...she is headed to Orlando for a band trip this spring. I started getting emails again and saw one from Bill-Lin and thought I should jump back into the mix. Glad to see that there is still a place for wish families! Are you the Cat in the Hat in the pics (or cayut in the hayut as my southern boys would say)? Looking forward to helping where I can.

~Elisa

 

[maroo]

was looking through and saw Bill Ln and 5Dwarves had been on here too!! We met up with Bill Lins family 2x on our wish trips (They are awesome) and I've been chatting with 5Dwarves today!

If there are any wish Trippers scheduled to go in Aug let me know please!!

Yeah! I wondered if you guys were actually talking to each other!

Don't know of any in Aug yet...but I have been really trying to find all Wish Trip reports and keep up with them on Post 1!

So check back often!

In the meantime I'm going to try to finish my TR as I believe there will be lots of tips in the last 2 days that will help people.

YES! I would LOVE to see you finish that TR! Post on here if you start working on it so that all of us "new" people can subscribe! We would LOVE to hear about your last 2 days!!!!!

: Although for those of you that have a child in a manual push chair here is my advice. Always Lock the Brakes when you are standing still even for a second. Never assume they are locked. Never assume they will stay locked even if there is NO way your child can unlock them!!! Use brakes AND your hands when you are standing up hill.

Oh...I feel a story coming there!!!! YIKES!

Prepare for people that need that Handicapped bathroom WAY" more than you do. Be nice and share that stall. Don't you know changing their clothes to dress up is WAY more important that a child in a wheelchair to use that stall to actually USE the bathroom???? And be prepared to be invisible it's something that only happens at WDW until BAM they run over the chair that just bounced into their way!!!

Yes...And I wish people would really "get" this. I am surprised when people get out of the bathroom and see someone in a wheelchair and don't feel embarassed... Hello!

And watch out for those invisible wheelchairs...especially the ones that DON'T stop on a dime!

But the biggest thing to prepare for is for the MOST magical time of your life. For kindness and a place for our kids to feel NORMAL and healthy.

YES!!! You are SO right!


*smiling* now...go finish that TR!

 

[5dwarves]

Well, we met with our volunteers yesterday and our paperwork is being turned in today. They wrote down that he kept going on about Animal Kingdom and how much he loved the animals. Hopefully there won't be any problems with getting Aidan's wish for Disney approved. I would also think with giving them a date range of Nov. 29- Dec 16 we wouldn't have a problem with GKTW, but you never really know! They were going to make sure they told MAW that I was expecting and it would work out better if we could push the trip to that time of year b/c of the baby. Also, Aidan has Horner's Syndrome and has a hard time cooling off when it gets really hot.

How long does it take to get your dates? My DH is in management and wants to make sure he gives his work enough notice so they can get someone to cover his team. They kind of scared me when they said sometimes they don't give all the info until a few days before you go.

Also, how do the tickets work for Disney, ect? Do you get a set number of tickets? We do want to make a trip to Sea World, but don't want to go to Universal since Aidan is barely going to be 3. I don't know much about it, but it doesn't seem like something he would really enjoy. I plan on buying tickets to MVMCP, so that will be evening at the MK.

Once his wish for Disney gets approved, I will start a pre-trip report. (Even though we have over 8 months before we would be going!)

Hey Soon2b4

Congratulations on family member #4 btw. Hope all goes well there. When I was in college I remember seeing a lady who had a coffee mug that said I would rather be 50 than pregnant. Couldn't understand at the time why anyone would rather be 50, then I was pregnant 5 times... 50 is looking pretty good right about now. Blessings to you though. Hope all is well with the new edition.

You shouldn't have any problems with your dates. The early summer is probably booking up in GKTW, but the fall should still be fairly clear. We heard in a few days once we submitted dates, so you should hear soon. Some of that time lag is with your wish agency. GKTW kind of operates like a hotel with their reservations. Your agency can call them, and they either take the booking or give them other options. Hope you get the dates you want.

We went 2 years ago this summer. GKTW gave us a package of a GAC (Guest assistance card) for both Disney and Universal, 3 day park hopper pass for Disney, 2 day for Universal and 1 day for Sea World. We also received stroller passes for Universal, and your GKTW button gets you a stroller at Disney. My boys were elementary age, but those strollers are life savers. They are large and helpful when the boys got tired. It is also easier to push your stuff around than carry it around.

I was anti Universal as well, because my younger crew wasn't roller coaster ready. Don't overlook it though. The Seuss section at Islands of Adventure (IOA), and Curious George, Barney and Fievel section at Universal Studios is a nice place for little ones. When I was there, there was also Jimmy Neutron, Dora the Explorer, Madagascar animals, and Shrek...not sure if they are all still there or not, but it wasn't as bad as I was anticipating. If your little ones like any of those characters, it would be easy for you to do both parks in one day. You will find that your time flies when you are there. We loved the breakfast with Spiderman and Cat and the Hat. Your tickets are donated by the parks to GKTW. You will get a ticket for every person in your party that requires a ticket (not sure what the age range is, but I don't think the baby needs a ticket.) You cannot "buy" an extra day on the tickets that are given to you, but you can buy your own new tickets (should you choose to just do Disney and SeaWorld). I did regret having to do 3 parks in 4 days, but it is possible. Remember that you will not be able to do everything. Take your time and enjoy where you are and try not to worry too much about doing everything in a week. Trust me when I say, it is just not possible.

~Elisa

 

[nyveggie]

I have a quick question. My son Matthew is very small for his age(32 1/ inches).He's the size of an 18 month old and he is almost 4 1/2 years old.. Cognitively, he is above average. He was tested at a six year old level. My question is that some of the small kiddie rides at Disney have a height requirement. For example,he really wants to ride the "Alladin carpet ride" but is too small. Does anyone know if they make any exceptions in this case when the rides are small enough for a typical two year old to get on?

 

[maroo]

Hey Maroo...nice to meet you! How fun to be back on the dis. I signed on about a week ago to check out some info for my dd...she is headed to Orlando for a band trip this spring. I started getting emails again and saw one from Bill-Lin and thought I should jump back into the mix. Glad to see that there is still a place for wish families! Are you the Cat in the Hat in the pics (or cayut in the hayut as my southern boys would say)? Looking forward to helping where I can.

~Elisa

Hello!!

Yes...I tried to stay out of ALL pictures...but managed to get in that one. And since I am in black...and it is dark...it was not such a bad picture.

So, yes, I am the Cat in the Hat.



I did, however, get some fairly good Photopass pics (because I took like 30 of them!!)...so I will have to put one of those on here as an avatar or something once I get that.

Please stay on with us! We would LOVE some more help!!

 

[5dwarves]

I have a quick question. My son Matthew is very small for his age(32 1/ inches).He's the size of an 18 month old and he is almost 4 1/2 years old.. Cognitively, he is above average. He was tested at a six year old level. My question is that some of the small kiddie rides at Disney have a height requirement. For example,he really wants to ride the "Alladin carpet ride" but is too small. Does anyone know if they make any exceptions in this case when the rides are small enough for a typical two year old to get on?

Are you staying at GKTW? If so, I would call them and ask if they can help you. It is my understanding that the height restrictions are non negotiable, but if someone at GKTW contacts someone at Disney, there may be a jacket /harness or something they can use to help you out. Do you now what the height requirement is? Would thick soled tennis shoes help you out? Others have done that to make the cut. The other thing is go to the CM at the start of the ride. If you are on a wish trip, make sure they see all your credentials (buttons/tshirts, etc.) and tell them your concern. See if they CM can help you through it. The CM's really are allies there and will help you as much as they can.

~Elisa

 

[5dwarves]

Hello!!

Yes...I tried to stay out of ALL pictures...but managed to get in that one. And since I am in black...and it is dark...it was not such a bad picture.

So, yes, I am the Cat in the Hat.



I did, however, get some fairly good Photopass pics (because I took like 30 of them!!)...so I will have to put one of those on here as an avatar or something once I get that.

Please stay on with us! We would LOVE some more help!!

ooo...30 photo pass pics...been there, done that. We did over 45 pictures in the back yard until we got the ONE that was acceptable for the Christmas card....it is like herding cats!

 

[maroo]

I have a quick question. My son Matthew is very small for his age(32 1/ inches).He's the size of an 18 month old and he is almost 4 1/2 years old.. Cognitively, he is above average. He was tested at a six year old level. My question is that some of the small kiddie rides at Disney have a height requirement. For example,he really wants to ride the "Alladin carpet ride" but is too small. Does anyone know if they make any exceptions in this case when the rides are small enough for a typical two year old to get on?

What is the height req? Is he way off...or just a little?

I do not think they make exceptions on purpose. I am not saying you could not sneak him in...but honestly...those height requirements are usually for safety...and I am not sure you really want him on there due to size?

Not sure about Alladin...?

You could always ask...but I bet they say no. If you really want him to ride and you feel safe enough, you could just hop in line. If they think he could ride...they will probably let you...especially if they see his button.

They let Lauren get on rides that she had no business on...like POTC in Lisa's lap...sitting up on boat...not a good idea. It had been 10+ years since I rode it and I only barely remembered the drop!!! Lauren could have fallen out because Lisa was not ready...I was like screaming...hold her, hold her...and Lisa was not "with" me...we are going to drop...then Lisa was like, "Why didn't you tell me!?"

And we got her on Peter Pan...lol...that was a sight. But we had to hold on to her tight!! She is tall enough, but can't even sit upright. It would be safer holding an infant.

But, I have to say...there is NO way Lauren was going to fall...we had her TIGHT.

And I WILL get Lauren on Soarin...if it is the last thing I do!

All that to say...go for it! If you feel safe. But make sure you really know what you are getting into! Maybe even really ride it first! What looks like a simple boat ride may throw you overboard