A Fairy Affair -- Aidan's MAW TR 3/1-3/7

[cajunfan]

First, I am glad to hear Aidan is feeling better.

Secondly, thanks for pointing us in the direction of the trip report.

Now about that ride to the airport...

WOW! That was really awesome of the limo company!

Love the pics from the airport...and Aiden holding onto those tickets makes my heart smile! Too sweet!


Lynn

 

[pipersmom]

Yeah can't wait to read more That is odd about getting your money after you pass through the gates

I'm not Miranda..lol..but I have heard of a couple of instances where families got their spending money and then blew off the trip! I'm sure there are also some that spend a lot of it before they go, hence getting the money right before you leave..though I think waiting til you get through security at the airport may be taking it a bit to the extreme!

 

[jenb1023]

Wow - you are off and running on this TR! What a cool limo! How cute that Aidan was holding onto those ticekts. I love how excited the boys were and they aren't even there yet! I can't wait to read/see more!

 

[Momofwishkid]

Im here!! Great start and Wow what a ride to the airport. I bet the kids loved it. It was nice to meet you for a second. We had to call it a night before the parade. Sorry we missed you.

 

[cantwaittoseemickey]

That limo WOW!! Now every limo I see going down the road Im going to wonder if the doors go up like that

I love the pic of them asleep in the limo!!

Can't wait to read more of your tr!

 

[Thumper321]

Yeah can't wait to read more That is odd about getting your money after you pass through the gates

I know Amanda already answered this, but just thought I'd tell you that she's right. Unfortunately, some people have taken advantage in the past, and they want to make sure that your expense money is actually spent on the trip. It's sad that they have to have such a policy, but I understand it.

First, I am glad to hear Aidan is feeling better.

Secondly, thanks for pointing us in the direction of the trip report.

Now about that ride to the airport...

WOW! That was really awesome of the limo company!

Love the pics from the airport...and Aiden holding onto those tickets makes my heart smile! Too sweet!


Lynn

Thanks, Lynn! Glad to see you over here!

Yes, the limo company was really awesome! They could've sent any limo, but they sent one of their best. They really went out of their way to do what they could to make the trip even more special.

He held on to those tickets for the longest time. I finally convinced him to leave them in the van and we could always go back and get them if we needed them.

I'm not Miranda..lol..but I have heard of a couple of instances where families got their spending money and then blew off the trip! I'm sure there are also some that spend a lot of it before they go, hence getting the money right before you leave..though I think waiting til you get through security at the airport may be taking it a bit to the extreme!

You're exactly right about people misappropriating or taking advantage. Although, it was kinda weird having our airport guide with us the entire time until we boarded the plane. I would've liked to have had that time more to ourselves because the boys were so excited. But at the same time, he was a big help. I also think it's a little extreme, but for what they did for Aidan and the rest of us, I really can't complain about something so minor.

Wow - you are off and running on this TR! What a cool limo! How cute that Aidan was holding onto those ticekts. I love how excited the boys were and they aren't even there yet! I can't wait to read/see more!

Hi, Jen!

Im here!! Great start and Wow what a ride to the airport. I bet the kids loved it. It was nice to meet you for a second. We had to call it a night before the parade. Sorry we missed you.

Glad you made it! Are you feeling better? The kids really loved the limo! I must admit that I did too. I'm sorry that you missed the parade. We did too, though. We waited forever to see Santa! We also had our tuck-in scheduled for that night, so we were in somewhat of a rush after Santa to get 'home' and get in bed.

That limo WOW!! Now every limo I see going down the road Im going to wonder if the doors go up like that

I love the pic of them asleep in the limo!!

Can't wait to read more of your tr!

You know, the doors were cool, but I think my husband and 9 year old were the only ones who really appreciated them. The rest of the limo-- well, we all loved it! We were just too ready to get in the limo to pay too much attention to the doors.

 

[Thumper321]

So, we get to Orlando and take the monorail to the main terminal. When we get there, we are greeted by our GKTW greeters, Mary and Ray, who are holding the infamous welcome sign.

Mary and Ray help us to get our baggage and find the Avis counter. We get our van and they help us to get our luggage loaded into it. Then, we say our goodbyes and head for Give Kids the World. We stop at WalMart first and then find our home for the next 7 days.

As we pull into GKTW, we see this beautiful welcome sign.

Then we go to the House of Hearts to get checked in.

While I take care of most of the check-in, Chris and the boys are talking to a volunteer who tells them the best route to take at Magic Kingdom and makes them a map with which characters are at which character greeting locations. They also gave Aidan a stuffed Mickey, and Keegan and Peyton were given a smaller stuffed Shamu. After check-in, I gave the kids the option of getting something to eat or going to the villa first. Despite all of us being very hungry, they're anxious to see the villa. The boys and I board the golf cart while Chris follows us in the van. We get to our villa, which is one of the older villas, but it doesn't take long for it to feel like home. (Ours is on the left.)

Our villa sign:

The five of us:

Our van for the week:

The villa porch:

And we're home:

Up next. . . "The Lellow House"

 

[shelbys mommy]

How cute! I love the welcome mat!

 

[cantwaittoseemickey]

Lovin it!! I like how the greeters helped you to the van. Your villa looks very cozy. My daughter used to say "lellow" when she was little too. That brought back some memories for me I love the family picture!!

 

[Thumper321]

I should start this post by explaining the title. Each day, when we would head back to the villa, one of the kids would inevitably ask where we were going now. To which Chris or I would reply that we were heading back home. Every time that we said home, Peyton would say "to the lellow (yellow) house?". So, that became our way to differentiate between home in Tennessee and home in Florida.

That being said, how about a quick tour of the lellow house?

When we arrived at the lellow house, there was a bag full of goodies on the kitchen table.

And it didn't take Aidan long to get into it.

Apparently, the above pictures are the only ones I took of the kitchen area, but I want to go into a little more detail for the wish trippers who are waiting to go to GKTW. The kitchen has a refrigerator, stove, double sink, coffee maker, microwave, and dishwasher. It is also stocked with cooking and eating utensils, dishes, and some cookware. When we arrived, there were drinks (Coke, Diet Coke, and bottled water) and a box of doughnuts in the refrigerator, which are not restocked after the first day. There was also a limited supply of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, but you could get more at Guest Services. They provide dish liquid, dishwasher powder, trash bags, coffee filters, etc. They also have both trash and recycling containers in the kitchen. No need to sort your recyclables, they do it for you. There are ice trays in the freezer, or you can pick up ice in the Gingerbread House, I believe. But enough about the kitchen, let's move on to the rest of the villa.

Of course, the first room we have to check out is the kids' room!

The lamp (yes, I'm a sucker for the details)

The kids' bedroom had a rollaway bed and extra sheets/blankets. There was a crib in the adult bedroom closet.

The boys' bathroom:

Complete with jacuzzi tub:

And accessible shower:

Their bathroom was stocked with standard towels and washcloths, sunblock, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap.

The living room (with sofa-bed):

The laundry room:

Our laundry room was stocked with all of the Tide detergent that you see. You could also get more detergent at Guest Services, if needed. You are responsible for washing your own towels, washcloths, and sheets (if needed).

I also wanted to mention for those who use injectable meds, there was a sharps container in the laundry room. And, they delivered an IV pole to our room for us as well.

Now, for the adult bedroom and bathroom! And if the kids' bathroom has a jacuzzi tub, then the adult rooms must be spectacular, right?! Not exactly. It is Give Kids the World.

Our bedroom was very comfortable with a king size bed, a dresser, 2 nightstands, TV, and closet.

It also had an ironing board and iron in the closet.

Our bathroom was a little bit *minimal* after seeing the kids.

It does have a tub out of view on the left side of the picture, but it is a standard tub. The bathroom was again stocked with toothpaste, shampoo, and soap. It also had a hairdryer.

We hope you enjoyed your tour of our villa. Coming soon, life outside the lellow house.

 

[cajunfan]

I love lellow house! I actually like the oustside of these...love the greenery and I am a succor for rocking chairs outside.

Thanks for the update! Between you and Amanda today, I am totally fixed for trip reports...at least for the next 12 hours or so!

Lynn

 

[Mtopher4]

More on the TR

WOW. The older villa looks really nice.. the bathrooms looked SPOTLESS and new. Were the beds comfy?

I am kinda sad Ash chose the 4 night Disney Cruise over GKTW Sniff

Can't wait to read more.

 

[Thumper321]

I love lellow house! I actually like the oustside of these...love the greenery and I am a succor for rocking chairs outside.

Thanks for the update! Between you and Amanda today, I am totally fixed for trip reports...at least for the next 12 hours or so!

Lynn

Chris and I spent so much time in those rocking chairs. It was so nice to be able to go outside when the kids were asleep and talk about our day. Just some nice alone time for the two of us. And during the day, when we weren't at the parks, beach, etc., the kids loved to play in the yard. Keegan even loved the spanish moss. He had never seen it before. I had initially hoped for one of the newer villas, but in the end, I was so glad that we got the one we did! It was closer to most of the stuff we did at the village, and it was just kinda cozy.

I'm glad I could help you get your fix for the day!

More on the TR

WOW. The older villa looks really nice.. the bathrooms looked SPOTLESS and new. Were the beds comfy?

I am kinda sad Ash chose the 4 night Disney Cruise over GKTW Sniff

Can't wait to read more.

The villa was very clean! And as far as I know, the beds were comfy. But to be honest, we were pretty much sound asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows. The days were so long and busy that we slept like babies. No, seriously, the beds were pretty comfortable. No pillow tops or anything, but they were comfortable.

You are going to have a great time on the cruise! GKTW is great, but Ashley is going to be so excited about her cruise! And it wouldn't be the same experience if it weren't what she picked. Besides, you're going to have stories to tell that most of us wish trippers haven't done! I can't wait for your cruise! And I really can't wait for the trip report!

 

[yinyanggirls]

Oops, I missed 3 updates already, but it was having so much to catch up on. I really like the southern look of the older villas, but will be happy with wherever we end up. It really does look homey, and all the details they cover are great!

How sad that they have to be so paranoid about the expense money.

 

[kellyw8863]

I loved the tour of the "lellow house." I'm such a sucker for detail. Can't wait to read about your days outside of the lellow house!

 

[cherokeemamma]

WOW!!! The report is great. Thanks for sharing so many details and pictures. That limo was awesome! Your kids must have been in awe of that...what a great way to start your trip.

GKTW looks amazing. Can't wait to read more. Love your comparisons of the bathrooms... Thanks for sharing!

TTFN
Darlene

 

[scouthawkk]

So glad the crayon rollups helped. I made some for my DS and my sisters in law (though, I made theirs a little taller for colored pencils) for a trip a couple of years ago. DS still uses his when we go out to eat.

Can't wait to hear more!!!

 

[Momofwishkid]

Great update!! I love the lellow house! We were in one of the newer ones and didnt have have all the little details your's did.

 

[Mtopher4]

So True
Thanks...
patiently awaiting more updates

 

[Thumper321]

Oops, I missed 3 updates already, but it was having so much to catch up on. I really like the southern look of the older villas, but will be happy with wherever we end up. It really does look homey, and all the details they cover are great!

How sad that they have to be so paranoid about the expense money.

I think with three wish trip reports (that I know of) starting at the same time, it's easy to miss updates. I'm sure having a hard time staying caught up! All of the villas looked really nice. Like I said, I had my hopes on one of the newer ones, but I wouldn't change it now for anything. Ours was perfect, and I'm sure that all of them really are.

I loved the tour of the "lellow house." I'm such a sucker for detail. Can't wait to read about your days outside of the lellow house!

Thanks, Kelly! I got my Photo Pass CD, so maybe I can get things rolling again!

WOW!!! The report is great. Thanks for sharing so many details and pictures. That limo was awesome! Your kids must have been in awe of that...what a great way to start your trip.

GKTW looks amazing. Can't wait to read more. Love your comparisons of the bathrooms... Thanks for sharing!

TTFN
Darlene

The kids enjoyed every single detail! It was just magical!

So glad the crayon rollups helped. I made some for my DS and my sisters in law (though, I made theirs a little taller for colored pencils) for a trip a couple of years ago. DS still uses his when we go out to eat.

Can't wait to hear more!!!

We love the crayon rollups! Thank you again! I anticipate that we'll be using them for a while. The kids have colored a lot in their books since we got back home and they get their rollups out every time! I think they like that they can keep their crayons separate from their brothers'.

Great update!! I love the lellow house! We were in one of the newer ones and didnt have have all the little details your's did.

Hi, Jennifer! I haven't responded to your TR yet, but I'm sorry that you had some problems with the flights. How cool about Santa being so great to Gavin though! That's special. I'll try to get over to your TR and respond there soon, but I wanted to go ahead and let you know that I am following along -- just haven't had a lot of time to respond lately.

So True
Thanks...
patiently awaiting more updates

I'm hoping to get another update posted later today. But we'll have to see if life allows it. I've also got to post a couple more Big Give updates on our PTR. I'm feeling motivated today, so hopefully I'll get some done before bedtime. Thanks for being patient.