Make a Wish (and other organizations) ~ Wish Trippers UNITE! Volume FIVE!!

[threelittlebakers]

I was trying to have theme nights at home so the days would go by but my husband is a party pooper. I was going to do all harry potter movies in the next 8 days. Then do all spider man movies. Then work on all the Disney movies. But no. So i have been keeping myself busy around the house.

 

[newdrama12]

If GKTW is not available, where does MAW put people?

In local hotels...

 

[tracibulkley]

So my parents are going to meet us in Florida for Maddox's Wish trip. They are staying somewhere else, but we were told they can participate in everything at GKTW with us. Does anyone know about guests eating there? Like can my parents stay for dinner and just pay for their meal? Thank you all for your help!

 

[sarsop524]

So my parents are going to meet us in Florida for Maddox's Wish trip. They are staying somewhere else, but we were told they can participate in everything at GKTW with us. Does anyone know about guests eating there? Like can my parents stay for dinner and just pay for their meal? Thank you all for your help!

I am pretty sure I have read that guests can have one free meal with you and then have to pay a dollar for additional meals...sounds too good to be true when I type it I think that is what other people have said though. Good luck!!!!

 

[icecreamforbreakfast]

Does anyone know if GKTW will allow us to ship some items down in advance? MAW is not going to be able to get alot of the supplies we'll need, so we'd rather ship some stuff ahead of time.

They do! If you haven't already gotten that answer. When we inquired they said they had a warehouse to hold things in. We had about 10 boxes waiting for us in our villa when we arrived. They just said to label it with our wish child's name and arrival date.

Have a great trip!!!!!!!

 

[Momto15]

HI Everyone,
I can't believe that we are getting so close to Angelinas MAW date! (Less than 2 weeks.) I am trying to get organized in my mind and figure out what all we need to pack. Maybe someone here can help with my questions. I am sure that they have been answered here somewhere, so sorry if this is getting repetitive.

1. Car seats... are these provided in the rental van? Or do we need to bring them? (We have four kids in car seats btw!)

2. Medical equiptment... my Mom mentioned today that we should carry this on! We have a c-pap machine and nebulizer not to mention lots of other medical supplies. I was just planning on checking them in a bag. I think that they check for free. Then my Mom said that they could get lost... and we would be in big trouble. What do do? Let me know your thoughts.

3. Both Angelina and Jude use a walker. Jude also has a wheelchair and we have a big double stroller for Jude, Angelina and baby Izzy. I am trying to figure out if we should bring all. Will there be room in the rental van for all? Or do we just take the bare minimum? (One walker and the stroller?) What to do?

4. Clothes... What is realistic for clothes to pack. Since we have a washer and dryer... I was thinking two outfits each (plus a third that they are wearing) plus an extra for the little ones that are messy and have accidents. Thoughts?

5. Character breakfast... we are going to Ohana. Will this be a dressy thing? Or just shorts and a tee ok?

6. Keeping cool at Magic Kingdom... My Mom and two of the kids have issues with over heating. I know that MAW has a place you can go and cool down. Does anyone have any tips? My Mom actually will pass out and the two kids are on meds that make them over heat. Thoughts?

Thanks everyone!!
Many Blessings!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Sarah

 

[Cheshire Figment]

HI Everyone,
I can't believe that we are getting so close to Angelinas MAW date! (Less than 2 weeks.) I am trying to get organized in my mind and figure out what all we need to pack. Maybe someone here can help with my questions. I am sure that they have been answered here somewhere, so sorry if this is getting repetitive.

1. Car seats... are these provided in the rental van? Or do we need to bring them? (We have four kids in car seats btw!)

2. Medical equiptment... my Mom mentioned today that we should carry this on! We have a c-pap machine and nebulizer not to mention lots of other medical supplies. I was just planning on checking them in a bag. I think that they check for free. Then my Mom said that they could get lost... and we would be in big trouble. What do do? Let me know your thoughts.

3. Both Angelina and Jude use a walker. Jude also has a wheelchair and we have a big double stroller for Jude, Angelina and baby Izzy. I am trying to figure out if we should bring all. Will there be room in the rental van for all? Or do we just take the bare minimum? (One walker and the stroller?) What to do?

4. Clothes... What is realistic for clothes to pack. Since we have a washer and dryer... I was thinking two outfits each (plus a third that they are wearing) plus an extra for the little ones that are messy and have accidents. Thoughts?

5. Character breakfast... we are going to Ohana. Will this be a dressy thing? Or just shorts and a tee ok?

6. Keeping cool at Magic Kingdom... My Mom and two of the kids have issues with over heating. I know that MAW has a place you can go and cool down. Does anyone have any tips? My Mom actually will pass out and the two kids are on meds that make them over heat. Thoughts?

Thanks everyone!!
Many Blessings!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Sarah

2. Personally I would never check medical supplies or equipment but always have a backpack which I will carry on the aircraft. This includes a CPAP, medicines, Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar meters, syringes, etc.

5. 'Ohana is very informal and park clothing is most common there.

6. There are lot's of air conditioned locations at all the Parks, plus there is always First Aid if it is necessary to lie down and the MAW lounge. You'll be given more detailed information during Orientation.

 

[roach3770]

We haven't been on in awhile with all the doctors appointments and preparing for our trip. Mackenzie was cleared by her doctor last week so we leave in less than a week. We will be there April 15-21 at GKTW and an extended stay at Contemporary April 21-24. The kids don't know we are staying extra and they will be super excited to stay at the Contemporary. I hope to see other Wish Families while we are there. I think we overlap with Angelina's family. Are any other families from this board there at the same time! Would love to meet and say hi! We meet with Mackenzie's Wish Granters this Wednesday to get all the details and travel documents so it is all starting to seem real. This trip is all Mackenzie talks about and we are so looking forward to spending time as a family with no doctors appointments, tutors, IEP's, school aids, etc.

Shawna Roach
Mackenzie's mom
(diagnosed with a pylocytic astroctyoma brain tumor in September, 2011)

 

[ALLMama]

Duplicate post

 

[ALLMama]

See responses in bold

HI Everyone,
I can't believe that we are getting so close to Angelinas MAW date! (Less than 2 weeks.) I am trying to get organized in my mind and figure out what all we need to pack. Maybe someone here can help with my questions. I am sure that they have been answered here somewhere, so sorry if this is getting repetitive.

1. Car seats... are these provided in the rental van? Or do we need to bring them? (We have four kids in car seats btw!)

Rental should provide them. We didn't know this or wouldn't have brought ours which would have saved us a lot of stuff to carry. National is the car rental place for GKTW and they told us when we got the car that they had seats we could have had. I would call GKTW to make sure they know you need 4 just in case and also confirm they can do it.

2. Medical equiptment... my Mom mentioned today that we should carry this on! We have a c-pap machine and nebulizer not to mention lots of other medical supplies. I was just planning on checking them in a bag. I think that they check for free. Then my Mom said that they could get lost... and we would be in big trouble. What do do? Let me know your thoughts.

We carried on all meds peroid. It wasn't worth it to lose it. Are there any supplies that you can have rented while you are there? I'm pretty sure MAW will rent certain things if you need them on your stay but you have to ask to be sure.

3. Both Angelina and Jude use a walker. Jude also has a wheelchair and we have a big double stroller for Jude, Angelina and baby Izzy. I am trying to figure out if we should bring all. Will there be room in the rental van for all? Or do we just take the bare minimum? (One walker and the stroller?) What to do?

Take the minimum you can without sacrificining your kids' needs. We had MAW rent us a huge double jogger for the kids since my MAW kid was over the typical weight limit for regular strollers but couldn't/can't walk the distances Disney requires. They have wheelchairs to use at GKTW and you will be able to get one at Disney parks and airports also have them so if you can use those then I wouldn't take yours. Call GKTW and they should be able to give you more info.

4. Clothes... What is realistic for clothes to pack. Since we have a washer and dryer... I was thinking two outfits each (plus a third that they are wearing) plus an extra for the little ones that are messy and have accidents. Thoughts?

Just FYI our kids got really dirty each day from just the parks, rides, food etc. Sometimes we had to do 2 outfits a day because they got so messy. They are 6 and 2. We did do laundry but still took enough outfits per day we were there. Our washer and dryer were really really nosiy just an FYI and they are right next to the kids room. We had planned on washing clothes at night but it was too loud for them and us. Just something to think about and plan for. You might want to do it during the day if your kids are bothered by loud noises like mine are.

5. Character breakfast... we are going to Ohana. Will this be a dressy thing? Or just shorts and a tee ok?

Shorts and tee pretty much everywhere.

6. Keeping cool at Magic Kingdom... My Mom and two of the kids have issues with over heating. I know that MAW has a place you can go and cool down. Does anyone have any tips? My Mom actually will pass out and the two kids are on meds that make them over heat. Thoughts?

It wasn't very hot when we were there but I do recall misting areas? Maybe? Also the shops are really cool with lots of airconditioning but then the temptation for the kids to want lots of stuff... The indoor places to eat were nice and cool as well and so were the indoor shows. The personal mister fans may help?

Thanks everyone!!
Many Blessings!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Sarah

 

[wishin' on a star]

HI Everyone,
I can't believe that we are getting so close to Angelinas MAW date! (Less than 2 weeks.) I am trying to get organized in my mind and figure out what all we need to pack. Maybe someone here can help with my questions. I am sure that they have been answered here somewhere, so sorry if this is getting repetitive.

1. Car seats... are these provided in the rental van? Or do we need to bring them? (We have four kids in car seats btw!)
Our wish granters had asked us about this in their initial questionnaire. They would have taken care of this and had it included with the rental, but we chose to bring our own.

2. Medical equiptment... my Mom mentioned today that we should carry this on! We have a c-pap machine and nebulizer not to mention lots of other medical supplies. I was just planning on checking them in a bag. I think that they check for free. Then my Mom said that they could get lost... and we would be in big trouble. What do do? Let me know your thoughts.
We carried on a nebulizer and all meds. I put it all together in one bag, notified security that it was all medical supplies, and they hardly batted an eye at everything in there, including the liquids.
3. Both Angelina and Jude use a walker. Jude also has a wheelchair and we have a big double stroller for Jude, Angelina and baby Izzy. I am trying to figure out if we should bring all. Will there be room in the rental van for all? Or do we just take the bare minimum? (One walker and the stroller?) What to do?
I have two thoughts on this. Take what you know works for your family...you can gate check the stroller and wheelchair before flying, I think. There are strollers and wheelchairs to borrow at GKTW, but it may not be what you are used to...with three needing wheeled transportation at times, you may want what you know works best for your family. You can also check out one of the stroller rental companies in the Orlando area, and have one delivered to GKTW that you can use for the week. Maybe MAW would help with this? I don't know how much space your van will have, so no help there!
4. Clothes... What is realistic for clothes to pack. Since we have a washer and dryer... I was thinking two outfits each (plus a third that they are wearing) plus an extra for the little ones that are messy and have accidents. Thoughts?
I'd never be so brave as to only have three outfits on hand! However, I understand it's a lot to pack and bring for so many. I'd probably go with three plus the fourth that they were wearing. Doing laundry each evening is definitely doable!
5. Character breakfast... we are going to Ohana. Will this be a dressy thing? Or just shorts and a tee ok?
Definitely shorts and tee!
6. Keeping cool at Magic Kingdom... My Mom and two of the kids have issues with over heating. I know that MAW has a place you can go and cool down. Does anyone have any tips? My Mom actually will pass out and the two kids are on meds that make them over heat. Thoughts?
Utilize First Aid stations, wish lounges, and buy a couple of personal misters (Disney sells them, but you can also pick them up at the Walmart near GKTW, I think---and for much cheaper!). We stopped often and added ice to our misters and kept very cool that way. I know there are special cool wraps you can buy for your neck, too!
Thanks everyone!!

Many Blessings!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Sarah

Two weeks! You guys are getting close...I'm sure the troops are very excited!!

 

[Delaney21]

Hi everyone! We only have 29 days until Mitchell's trip and I'm trying to think of everything I need to pack. The questions and answers above were helpful, but I have an additional question - for medical supplies - do they let you bring them on the plane without charging you a fee? Do I need to have documentation from his doctor to be able to do this? Does it depend on the airline?

If any of you have a pre-trip report, will you please link it up here, I think I'm missing some people! Mitchell's trip report is in my signature and I just posted some of our Big Gives, so you should come check his out too!

 

[nasus216]

Hello, my daughter has a Make A Wish and we are going on a Disney Cruise on the Dream Ship. I am new to this site and having a hard time navigating it. LOL. I just wondered what to expect on our trip. Thank you!

 

[tracibulkley]

Good Morning everyone!

I've been trying to compile a packing list so I know what I need to pick up before we go and things to pick up when we get there. I found a great site I wanted to share, in case you haven't seen it. Tips from the Disney Diva.

The space saver bags is genius for those of us flying!

The other thing I wanted to share... I had asked about my parents eating at GKTW. I decided to just give them a call to be sure and they let me know that guests can buy one meal ticket for our stay there. So that's good to know for our planning!

I am getting so excited, but I have to be careful what I say around the kids. We aren't going to tell them until the Send Off party!

 

[Nanookz]

Hello, my daughter has a Make A Wish and we are going on a Disney Cruise on the Dream Ship. I am new to this site and having a hard time navigating it. LOL. I just wondered what to expect on our trip. Thank you!

Did she ask for the Dream by name or did she ask for a Disney cruise and that is what they came up with?

 

[disneylandkitkat]

Has anyone done a maw trip to hawaii? Also how can I be apart of big give I would love to help give stuff to maw kids. Trying to get info for my son kid that has cancer. He is getting visit from maw on this thursday at the hospital. Also I love reading maw reports and would love to help these kids out. Please send me a private message.

 

[twinmum]

[QUOTE Hello, my daughter has a Make A Wish and we are going on a Disney Cruise on the Dream Ship. I am new to this site and having a hard time navigating it. LOL. I just wondered what to expect on our trip. Thank you! QUOTE]

Hello! Sounds llike lots of fun! We were blessed with our son's Wish Trip in 2008, but I still pop in from time to time to relive the memories with the Wish Trippers here. We have cruised on the Dream twice (2 four nighters) and I'm happy to answer whatever questions I have...but this was not a Wish Trip, so I can't answer Wish Trip specific questions. However, I will share that our son has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair and walker etc so if you have special needs, I may have some insights.

What questions do you have?

 

[Nanookz]

Last night the wish granters came to our house to interview us. They will let us know in the next 6 weeks what about the wish that is granted.

 

[threelittlebakers]

What should I do. Its about two weeks and three days from our departure and I haven't heard anything from our wish granters. They told us that they would contact us a few weeks before to set a date to go over the trip and to give us our plane tickets and spending money. I don't know if I should contact them my self or wait a few more days. I know one of our wish grantees is on vacation but that's why she stopped by to give Matt a gift because she wouldn't be here for the meeting. I don't want to be pudgy but its coming up real close.

 

[4monkeys]

What should I do. Its about two weeks and three days from our departure and I haven't heard anything from our wish granters. They told us that they would contact us a few weeks before to set a date to go over the trip and to give us our plane tickets and spending money. I don't know if I should contact them my self or wait a few more days. I know one of our wish grantees is on vacation but that's why she stopped by to give Matt a gift because she wouldn't be here for the meeting. I don't want to be pudgy but its coming up real close.

We were told that our wish granters would come for Allison's send off party, when it was getting closer and hadn't heard anything we called. Actually, we emailed our contact. That helped get things rolling. I would get in touch with them!! How exciting, not too much longer!