Hi there! Thanks for taking a swing by my lil' pre-trip report. The other ones I've read were great - so much detail! - that I thought I'll post our story.
Our MAW trip starts with Emily, who's 6. Emily has nonketotic hyperglycinemia NKH which is a very rare genetic metabolic disorder. About 50% of infants with NKH die from it, the others live with a great variation of how severe they're affected. Luckily Emily is on the mild end. She's one of five known cases here in New England.
You also have me (Sarah), I'm 38 and my husband Joe, who is 40. Emily's brother Spencer (10), will also be going. Patrick, our 19 year old, bowed out. Please drive by my house and make sure he's not partying while we're gone - it will be New Years, after all.
When we told Emily she was being granted a wish, she said she wanted to see the princesses. We've been to Disney before; Emily went when she was 2 but that doesn't count. We are so incredibly happy to be going on this trip, words can't express.
We were under a constraint in that I am an assistant principal at a middle school, and cannot take time off while school's in session. So we told MAW that Christmas would be great, or April if need be. Jenna at our chapter really pulled through in getting our flights and reservations at GKTW - thanks!
Since we've been before we're treating this trip as a do what we can do, not a rush "do everything" trip. Planning to relax and let the kids enjoy as much as they can. If I don't get to do Space Mountain, so be it! Here's our plan so far:
T 12/29: Flight arrives at 10:00 AM. Spend day at GKTW, settle in, go to Wal Mart to get all the stuff we forgot.
W 12/30: Magic Kingdom and Parent's Night Out
Th 12/31: Hollywood Studios
F 1/1: Sea World
S 1/2: Animal Kingdom or Epcot, Hoop Dee Do show
S 1/3: Magic Kingdom, breakfast at Cinderella's Castle
M 1/4: Day at GKTW, fly out at 6:30 PM, arrive home at midnight
(Bummer is I have to work Tuesday.)
Some questions for those of you who have gone on this trip....
1) Does Disney/MAW pay for the PhotoPass thing?
2) Can you add a day to the 3 day pass they give you for a price at WDW?
3) How's the food at GKTW? I know Friendly's sponsors the ice cream, are the Gingerbread House and Katie's Kitchen also sponsored (or something like that)?
4) We have MAW buttons, "Genie" wish stickers from Disney - but everything I read says to wear the GKTW button... is there a difference?
Thanks so much for reading this. If you happen to have an answer to a question, thanks a bunch. Have a great night!
---Sarah
Our MAW trip starts with Emily, who's 6. Emily has nonketotic hyperglycinemia NKH which is a very rare genetic metabolic disorder. About 50% of infants with NKH die from it, the others live with a great variation of how severe they're affected. Luckily Emily is on the mild end. She's one of five known cases here in New England.
You also have me (Sarah), I'm 38 and my husband Joe, who is 40. Emily's brother Spencer (10), will also be going. Patrick, our 19 year old, bowed out. Please drive by my house and make sure he's not partying while we're gone - it will be New Years, after all.

When we told Emily she was being granted a wish, she said she wanted to see the princesses. We've been to Disney before; Emily went when she was 2 but that doesn't count. We are so incredibly happy to be going on this trip, words can't express.
We were under a constraint in that I am an assistant principal at a middle school, and cannot take time off while school's in session. So we told MAW that Christmas would be great, or April if need be. Jenna at our chapter really pulled through in getting our flights and reservations at GKTW - thanks!
Since we've been before we're treating this trip as a do what we can do, not a rush "do everything" trip. Planning to relax and let the kids enjoy as much as they can. If I don't get to do Space Mountain, so be it! Here's our plan so far:
T 12/29: Flight arrives at 10:00 AM. Spend day at GKTW, settle in, go to Wal Mart to get all the stuff we forgot.
W 12/30: Magic Kingdom and Parent's Night Out
Th 12/31: Hollywood Studios
F 1/1: Sea World
S 1/2: Animal Kingdom or Epcot, Hoop Dee Do show
S 1/3: Magic Kingdom, breakfast at Cinderella's Castle
M 1/4: Day at GKTW, fly out at 6:30 PM, arrive home at midnight
(Bummer is I have to work Tuesday.)
Some questions for those of you who have gone on this trip....
1) Does Disney/MAW pay for the PhotoPass thing?
2) Can you add a day to the 3 day pass they give you for a price at WDW?
3) How's the food at GKTW? I know Friendly's sponsors the ice cream, are the Gingerbread House and Katie's Kitchen also sponsored (or something like that)?
4) We have MAW buttons, "Genie" wish stickers from Disney - but everything I read says to wear the GKTW button... is there a difference?
Thanks so much for reading this. If you happen to have an answer to a question, thanks a bunch. Have a great night!
---Sarah