VickyBaby, Aisling, BethR and anyone else unsure of or offended by the Pal Mickey swap:
I am one of the guilty parties trying to get a Pal Mickey swap going. I thought it was a great idea from what I had read regarding the previous PMswaps, and seeing the Illuminations Cruise and stroller swaps. I just thought it would be so great to only use him for a month and then donate him. I'm glad to see that VickyBaby was wrong about GKTW accepting the PM, and that they are even excited about it. Thanks Beth R for confirming they will accept him. I knew HaleyB or MicroCell - or someone - was calling GKTW directly to see if they would accept the PM at the end of the month. The reason we're donating him is out of fairness - it's not fair for one to keep him when everyone has paid for him. But more importantly, it is to bless those with GKTW, who have had many more things to worry about - adding a little more magic to their special time. I fully understand how VickyBaby could think it's tacky that we are giving a used toy, but we didn't intend on handing down a scruffy toy - it is more out of fairness and trying to bless others. And what a great lesson for our own kids! Why should WDW be all about US?!
As for someone making money off this, I never gave an exact amount in my post. I am waiting to see how many wanted to be in on the swap and intend to divide it equally among the swappers. If we could cover 45 days, it would be even better because, as Vicky pointed out, it would lower the cost. The $2.25 or so on the other swaps was not only the cost of Pal Mickey. They were trying to insure that they had a backpack to put him in, including some cleaning solution for him to be cleaned, and a notebook to jot down his adventures. (I think that was a neat idea - we found a teddy bear with a notebook at the Smithsonian Zoo in DC in 1/2001 and it was SO cool to read where he had been. We jotted down where we found him, what he did with us - he got to go to Pres. Bush's Inauguration - sent the owner a postcard and then left him somewhere else to be found by another family. It was some school in Kansas' project to be mailed back by May).
I really was leary at first of being involved and I completely understand if no one wants to try to join my swap, since I have only been on this board for a month or so - maybe a little longer. I just thought it was a great way to share the costs and be able to 1) give my children a little more majic during the trip, and 2)not have another stuffed animal around to trip over once we get home (I know, I'm a mean-ole-mom, but we have TOOOOO many stuffed animals).
I don't think anyone was trying to cheat anybody or fool anyone or make money. Thank the Lord there are still people who do give to charity and have good hearts and good intentions.
Thank you Beth R for looking into this. If you have any questions about my integrity, please PM me and I'll be glad to give references. I hope this didn't cause a lot of problems, and I'm sad to see that some were offended. I really do wish I could get a swap going for June, if it ends up being okay with the moderators. I am about topped out on my WDW budget. I can just hear DH now - "You want to buy a WHAT?! for $60!?" Maybe the grandparents would like to pay rental fees for one. But with the DISers, I would trust that they would clean him good, or I could do it myself when he got to me. Okay, I'm rambling - Thanks again - MOMlovesDAD