Wish Trippers...Unite!! Volume One

[Bill_Lin]

Linda,

That is so smart its scary, especially the part about losing your camera.

 

[Momof2wCF]

Staci, Just checking in after my *Girl's Weekend on the Coast* and saw your post. My DS is 17, and is probably also too old for most GKTW stuff, but I will post when I get back so you know what he thought was fun. WhosyourMickey also has teens, I think, so she might be able to help as well...
ONLY SIX MORE DAYS!!!

 

[Eeyore's Mom]

You guys are so amazing. Did I mention that already? I don't have to ask any questions, I can just sit back and read about everything I ever wondered .
In regards to the food question - as already mentioned there is someone at GKTW that will work with you prior to your arrival. I have also googeled a health food store that is not too far from GKTW. I know that will be one of our first stops to pick up Eeyore's food. I have also been wondering about getting dairy free (and corn free) ice cream at Friendly's. That would be a wish in itself to be able to take Eeyore out for ice cream!


Here's the link for my pre-trip- I will try and follow Bill's instructions for adding it to my signature too
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21303385&posted=1#post21303385

 

[Pez Pez]

Staci, Just checking in after my *Girl's Weekend on the Coast* and saw your post. My DS is 17, and is probably also too old for most GKTW stuff, but I will post when I get back so you know what he thought was fun. WhosyourMickey also has teens, I think, so she might be able to help as well...
ONLY SIX MORE DAYS!!!

Thanks so much for keeping me in mind. I just want to make sure he has an awesome time. Although it seems we will be busy all the time, teens always find ways to be bored. My son is really a good kid (not only because I am his mom)he is very grateful for the opportunity (as am I), but I want to maximize every second....go at it commando style

When you get to the parks there will be photographers there. The first time you get your picture taken by them, they will give you a card (size of a credit card). Each time thereafter when you get your pic taken by a photographer, give them the card, they will scan it so the pics go into your account. Getting the pics taken is the free part. Getting the pics is the expensive part!!

http://www.stitchkingdom.com/photopass/

If you are interested in photopass and cost is an issue - check out the photopass sharing on the main boards. I have already signed up and have spoken with my group leader several times, she is really sweet and from Oregon (like me). Basically you split the cost of the photopass between 6-8 of you and then the group leader takes payment responsibility as well as getting everyone a CD. I love to save money, so I signed up right away. Looking at previous posts it has worked really well - but you do chance giving your $20 to a stranger. If you keep your photopass numbers you could always purchase on your own in the event that someone took advantage of you.
If you purchase photopass ahead of time then you get some sort of discount also. I am not sure exactly how much but reference the previous links to bradk and Disney. I already created my photopass account and I still have 50 days to go
Also another poster on the photopass boards said that you can get a new card every time you see a photographer. She also takes a picture of the card so she has all the numbers, this eliminates you from digging in a diaper bag or purse in the event that a photographer or moment catches you by surprise.
Hope this helps, I am new too but spend about 15 hours a day on this board...

 

[5dwarves]

Wendy....I am so glad you did this. I came back from the trip to TX to visit my parents, very down and sad. My mom has Alzheimers and has gotten much worse since I saw her a few months ago. My dad, whose health is not good either, and I spent a lot of time talking about the next steps we need to take in her care and how to involve my two sisters, who are really in a lot of denial about it all. This is just what I needed to get a positive outlook back. I have only read the first page of the posts, but I will catch up tomorrow. I am very pumped about the Wish trip reunion. I had thought about asking everyone if they were interested in meeting at Disney and I am so glad that others were thinking the same thing! Wow...brilliant wish trip minds think alike! More later! Glad to see this is up and running!

~Elisa

 

[5dwarves]

Take a picture with your own camera of the back of the photopass (side with photopass#). That way, if you do lose the photopass card, you can still have access to your pix on the website - just plug in the number from the card. If you don't have that number -- you can't get to your pictures!

I also take a picture of the closest sign to my car in the parking lot....scrolling through the photos is much easier than walking up and down aisles!

 

[jennydep]

This comes straight from a photopass photographer. If you plan on buying the CD, be sure to tell each photographer that you will be getting the CD. Most of them will take extra pictures to help make it worth your money. One photographer took a few pictures of me while I was watching Michaela meet a character.

 

[Camster0307]

I also take a picture of the closest sign to my car in the parking lot....scrolling through the photos is much easier than walking up and down aisles!

How did we every survive without digital cameras and cell phones?

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

Our wish granter stopped by tonight and gave us all our stuff!! They gave us a little booklet with all our info in it and towards the back there is a sheet that says that they have made arrangements for DD (ok all of us) to have supper in the castle with Cinderella. Except, I am going to have to call our coordinator because it says that is on the 24th and continues to say that it is on a MNSSHP night. Ummmm, the 24th is not a MNSSHP night. They said to pick up tickets at will call for MNSHHP. Which is great, except we already bought tickets for the 28th. I guess I will just have to wait and see what the coord. says in the morning. I would love for DD to do this....just hope it works out.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Hello! I took my wish trip when I was 11...11 years ago! Stayed at GKTW-awesome place! Especially for wheelchair users. Everything is accessible. My sister took a road trip for her wish-basically the western USA. Drove from Oklahoma (moved to California in 2002) and saw Painted Desert, Grand Canyon, two days in San Francisco, Muir Woods, Yosemite, Body ghost town, Yellowstone, Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and Dinosaur National Monument.

I just finished a trip report on a trip that was as magical as the wish trip. And I have a special traveler sign up going on...

alizesmom- Tell me what kind of wheelchair he has and I will post the ride's it can go on (there is a difference for manual and electric).


You know how I found out about Make A Wish...a book. A Babysitter's Club book.

-Christamae

 

[Momof2wCF]

Catching up.. Bill, can I use your MK poem in DD's scrapbook? Would you mind? I think it will describe her MaW trip perfectly!
I wanted to post a poem DD wrote last October when she found out we were going to meet with the MaW coordinators. She was inspired by the MaW CD we got at DL, but she wrote it on the school bus. I still have it with the little kid spelling and the pictures on the edges. It's beautiful to me.*happy/sad/proud mommy tears*

Make A Wish
By Ally Ricketts
October 2006

People may be in a box of disease
which you can’t go out of.
You may think you are the only one
but no, just make a wish.

It isn’t hard. Just try.
You can go far off in France.

They cannot find the cure of Cystic Fibrosis
but it still means cure found.

Make a wish. You can do it.
It doesn’t matter if you’re blind
you can still have fun.

Just ask your mother or father
to sign you up.
Make a wish.

Just wish your wish.
You can be any age
from 1– over.

I want to find a cure for CF.
I don’t care when,

I don’t care where, you see.
I just can’t handle this disease.

Just make a wish
Get a day away from home.
Go with your dream.

Fly and feel the breeze.
Let it run through your hair.
Just do what you want and have fun..
Make a wish.
Just go on just wish a nice wish.
Some wish a dream.
Some wish for a family.

Make a wish
you always can do it.
Always, yes always,
Make a wish
just Make a Wisshhh...

 

[wendygrace]

Kirsten that's a beautiful poem!

ChristaMae, thank's for joining us.

I can't add anything more to the photopass and pictures tips. I also took pics of the photopass number, the kids in their outfits for the day and the parking sign every day! the pics of the kids were nice because I knew when the day started right away!

Still feeling pretty blah around here. Danae was sick all weekend and it looks like Michael now has a fever. Fun!

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

Well, we got most of it sorted out!!!! I called our coord. and asked her to double check on the date of our dinner. It is on the 28th, not the 24th. But, now we have two sets of tickets for that night. So, I called WDW ticketing and explained what had happened and they said I could send our tickets back and get a refund! We are keeping the one for my MIL as MAW did not get one for her. Soooo....Camster.....talk to your org. and tell them you want MVMCP tixs!! This all would have been taken care of and I would not have had to deal with this if I would have just told them in the first place that we wanted to go to MNSSHP. Now the other prob we have is that our reservation for Cinderella at the castle is for just the four of us and not MIL. I called WDW Dining and they are booked solid, no luck getting her in. I don't know what to do there. I don't want her to not be included. I would be more than happy to have DD1 sit on my lap if it means MIL can eat with us. What to do....what to do???

 

[alizesmom]

Hi Christamae, good to see you here. Alize is in a zippie. By the way everyone, I love the idea of a meet in 2009 just haven't figured a way of introducing it to Charlie. Karen

 

[roseprincess]

Well, we got most of it sorted out!!!! I called our coord. and asked her to double check on the date of our dinner. It is on the 28th, not the 24th. But, now we have two sets of tickets for that night. So, I called WDW ticketing and explained what had happened and they said I could send our tickets back and get a refund! We are keeping the one for my MIL as MAW did not get one for her. Soooo....Camster.....talk to your org. and tell them you want MVMCP tixs!! This all would have been taken care of and I would not have had to deal with this if I would have just told them in the first place that we wanted to go to MNSSHP. Now the other prob we have is that our reservation for Cinderella at the castle is for just the four of us and not MIL. I called WDW Dining and they are booked solid, no luck getting her in. I don't know what to do there. I don't want her to not be included. I would be more than happy to have DD1 sit on my lap if it means MIL can eat with us. What to do....what to do???

Hi, haven't been here in a few days.
As of your MIL, for the character meal at Cindy's, you might want to give your Wish coordinator a call and see if they can include MIL in the reservation part, even tho MIL has to pay her way to eat there.
I know MAW is pretty strict as of not paying for anyone that is not part of the immediate family. Immediate family are the siblings of the wish child and mom and dad of the wish child.
You can try to see if MAW can include her in the reservation. Would be worth a try.
Hope it works out

 

[Camster0307]

Well, we got most of it sorted out!!!! I called our coord. and asked her to double check on the date of our dinner. It is on the 28th, not the 24th. But, now we have two sets of tickets for that night. So, I called WDW ticketing and explained what had happened and they said I could send our tickets back and get a refund! We are keeping the one for my MIL as MAW did not get one for her. Soooo....Camster.....talk to your org. and tell them you want MVMCP tixs!! This all would have been taken care of and I would not have had to deal with this if I would have just told them in the first place that we wanted to go to MNSSHP. Now the other prob we have is that our reservation for Cinderella at the castle is for just the four of us and not MIL. I called WDW Dining and they are booked solid, no luck getting her in. I don't know what to do there. I don't want her to not be included. I would be more than happy to have DD1 sit on my lap if it means MIL can eat with us. What to do....what to do???

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll put in a call to my MAW volunteers - haven't heard from them all summer but they said they would be contacting us a month or two before the trip. They had joked that I was leaving them nothing to do for us since I had taken care of all of our ADRs - let's see if they can come through for us!

As far as your ADR at CRT, I can't believe that if you show up the day of your ressie, they wouldn't accommodate your MIL - especially being a MAW family. Will your DD1 sit in a high chair? I know it can be a problem going from a table for 4 to a higher number, but if your DD can sit in a high chair you should still all be able to sqeeze in at the table for 4. Might want to suggest this?

 

[LindaBabe]

If you can't get a legitimate ressie for five, I'd just show up with mil and throw yourself on the mercy of the cast members at the podium. It can't hurt to try and they might come through for you.

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

woohoo I finally figured out how to do multiple quotes.

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll put in a call to my MAW volunteers - haven't heard from them all summer but they said they would be contacting us a month or two before the trip. They had joked that I was leaving them nothing to do for us since I had taken care of all of our ADRs - let's see if they can come through for us!

As far as your ADR at CRT, I can't believe that if you show up the day of your ressie, they wouldn't accommodate your MIL - especially being a MAW family. Will your DD1 sit in a high chair? I know it can be a problem going from a table for 4 to a higher number, but if your DD can sit in a high chair you should still all be able to sqeeze in at the table for 4. Might want to suggest this?

DD1 would sit in a high chair, or on my lap if need be!! I had thought about the squeezing in part too!!

If you can't get a legitimate ressie for five, I'd just show up with mil and throw yourself on the mercy of the cast members at the podium. It can't hurt to try and they might come through for you.

Yup, thought of that one too!!!! I can't imagine that they would turn her away, especially since it would upset my DD4. But, you never know.

When I call WDW Dining and mention that we are coming on our wish trip, it's almost like, yeah, so what. I've had a couple that have been really nice and have tried to work with me, but the one this morning I could have done without. Oh well no biggie.

Now the next question....I had made ressies at 1900 Park Fare for the 24th, just to make sure that DD saw Cindy, in case MAW didn't get anything for us. Now, do I cancel that one or keep it? I really want to go to that one because now the stepmother and stepsisters are there. Maybe we will keep it.....

Oh yeah...toll booths...quarters ok?????????? and about $2 per way (to wdw and back to airport)??????

 

[Camster0307]

Ok, first: I still have figured out how to do multiple quotes - how did you do it?

Secondly: I've done 1900 Park Fare; doing it again this trip. I think it's one of the best buffets and have heard that now the stepsisters are there, it's really one of the more entertaining character meals. Give it a try!

Lastly, heard back from my MAW coordinator: big fat NO to the MVMCP tix; said I could get them myself or wait and use the money they give us for expenses. So I'm just going to get them now - I can sleep easier knowing I've filled that hole in our schedule!

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

Ok, first: I still have figured out how to do multiple quotes - how did you do it?

Secondly: I've done 1900 Park Fare; doing it again this trip. I think it's one of the best buffets and have heard that now the stepsisters are there, it's really one of the more entertaining character meals. Give it a try!

Lastly, heard back from my MAW coordinator: big fat NO to the MVMCP tix; said I could get them myself or wait and use the money they give us for expenses. So I'm just going to get them now - I can sleep easier knowing I've filled that hole in our schedule!

Quotes....down in the lower right hand corner of the post you will see a button for quote and then a button with a "+ click on the "+ on the posts that you want to quote and then on the last one you want quoted hit the quote button.....at least that is what I did.

I know, I am really looking forward to the stepsisters.....I think that will be a lot of fun!!

I'm glad you asked about the tickets. At least now you know and can plan accordingly!!