Ethan's Magical Make-a-Wish WDW PTR (November 11-17, 2012):

[maroo]

I am trying to get all caught up! I think you have gotten a lot of your questions answered, but I wasn't sure!

I can't always keep track of every pre-trippie - but if you post a question on the wish trippers thread, I will eventually see it! (Hopefully!!!) And I try to answer them all over there, even if I can't quite keep up!

But I will answer over here, too - as long as I see it pop up in my subscribed threads!

Do any of you know if we don't use all of our park hoppers during our MAW week if we can use them during our extended days?

If they let you extend - you can use your tickets! They are good for 14 days after their first use!

We are thinking of extending to the 20th to give us some time to chill at GKTW during the week. We would go ahead and do Sea World on the 17th (our normal departure day), move to our hotel and then do something Sunday and Monday, just the 3 of us (in-laws will fly back Saturday).

This is a great idea, if they will let you do it and you can swing the extra cost.

What do you think? I guess it wouldn't be to our advantage b/c we wouldn't have our GKTW button or MAW button, but for things to go smoothly during the week, I think this is a good idea.

You will actually still have your button. It has the dates of the trip on there - so they may or may not officially recognize it - but most families have told me that the CM's let them keep using it as long as they are on their official trip. A few times CM's have said no - and ONCE in the past 4 years a family has said that a CM threatened to TAKE the button because it was "after" the dates - but they didn't. I would raise heck if that ever happened - they don't have to recognize it, but the button is yours to keep!

The GAC will be expired and they are not always happy about extending a GAC - but check with GKTW and you may get some pixie dust on that, too - and if not, check with Disney Guest Services and they will usually help you, too. IF none of that works, just let Guest Services know what your needs are that are related to the purpose of your trip and they can issue you a regular GAC that should help some.

Here's our proposed itinerary:

Sunday- arrive, GKTW
Monday- Magic Kingdom/Epcot (even if we just ride the monorail over and back)
Tuesday- Universal/IOA
Wednesday- Animal Kingdom/Hollywood Studios
Thursday- GKTW (rest) Christmas party at GKTW
Friday- ??? then Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MK at 4pm)
Saturday- Cape May Breakfast/Sea World (inlaws fly home at some point)
Sunday-Hollywood Studios (may go back to the MK to see the electrical parade?)
Monday-Universal
Tuesday-Return home

Any issues you can pick out? I really wanted to see Wishes but I guess that wasn't meant to be

Ok. So, now that I have an idea of what we want to do, I imagine something is going to pop up that throws a wrench in it. QUICK! Note that I, Amy Durham, posted an itinerary at 9:20pm, CST. I DID IT! Even if it doesn't stick!! I. DID. IT!

I really, really want you guys to be able to see Wishes!! How do we move things around to be able to do that?

But you are not sure if you are extending yet, right? .... Hmm..... Let's get that answer first and then work on this. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Wishes...listening to that music...talking about Wishes coming true...on your WISH trip... Really magical moments have happened for me standing with Wish Families in front of that castle during Wishes!

 

[aym4Him]

Our new return date is 11/20!!

Now, to figure out lodging .

We need a relatively inexpensive but safe, clean, and comfy place to stay. Annnnnnnd go!

 

[Lilfoot93]

Yay! I am so happy for you guys that you get to extend!!

Jackie

 

[aym4Him]

Yay! I am so happy for you guys that you get to extend!!

Jackie

Thank you, Jackie.

Off topic---- I don't remember if I mentioned David (E's heart buddy) recently on this thread or if it was the Wish Trippers, but he was transferred to Children's and his parents will meet with the transplant eval team in the morning. I just can't imagine how they are feeling...I'm really praying that a. David won't need a new heart- that his own would perk up and the rest of his body would follow suit and b. If he does need one, he'll qualify and then things will fall into place. It just hurts my heart that he seemed fine before his Fontan and then things sort of went wonky . Kids shouldn't be sick. I really really hate this. I wish there was no need for Wish trips, transplants, chemo, tiny caskets. Sigh.

 

[aym4Him]

Well, we are combing through the various places to stay near the parks.

We could still have our rental car (unless we decide to turn it in).

I have no idea where to begin...I guess with rates. I found a Comfort Inn (Maingate) for $50.66/night with DH's work discount. With the resort fee, it looks like it will be around $54.82/night. There's also the Best Western LBV but it will be around $61.43/night with resort fees. It's non-refundable, though.

My SIL is staying at the Inn at Oak Plantation while we are at GKTW. That's a consideration but we really don't need anything close to GKTW since we'll have a car (if we want to visit after we check out).

I'd like to find a place that doesn't charge to park b/c that kind of defeats the purpose (unless it's considerably less than the park parking fees).

We don't care about staying on Disney property as we've never done it before and we won't know if we're missing anything

Thoughts? I posted in the Orlando hotels part of the board, too. No replies yet.

 

[lovethattink]

I have stayed off site recently three different times (June, July, August) at the Palms Hotel and Villas. Pictures of our room are in my TR. Here is a link to the room pics. The last room we had was a 2 BR upgraded room so it also had 2 bathrooms. Slept 8, but we are only 4. The living room is small, but there was plenty of room for ds to run around. The place is clean, has continental breakfast included. They do have a shuttle to Disney, Universal, and Sea World, but we drive every where, so I don't know how their shuttle is. I often hear nightmare stories of off site busing to the parks.

http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=46028318&postcount=456 They have been known to discount and upgrade rooms for MAW families. I would suggest calling the hotel and asking to speak to a manager. The staff is very friendly and we've had a great experience with them.

 

[aym4Him]

I have stayed off site recently three different times (June, July, August) at the Palms Hotel and Villas. Pictures of our room are in my TR. Here is a link to the room pics. The last room we had was a 2 BR upgraded room so it also had 2 bathrooms. Slept 8, but we are only 4. The living room is small, but there was plenty of room for ds to run around. The place is clean, has continental breakfast included. They do have a shuttle to Disney, Universal, and Sea World, but we drive every where, so I don't know how their shuttle is. I often hear nightmare stories of off site busing to the parks.

http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=46028318&postcount=456 They have been known to discount and upgrade rooms for MAW families. I would suggest calling the hotel and asking to speak to a manager. The staff is very friendly and we've had a great experience with them.

Thanks! I called (I didn't ask to speak with the mgr, though..I'm chicken like that) and mentioned we are extending our wish trip. The rate she gave us was $59/night plus the $8.95/night resort fee. I'm not sure if it's refundable or not...I need to check that b/c the Best Western (though not as roomy) is $61.43 with the resort fee included.

How was it driving around? How long did it take to get to the parks?

My brain is swirling, again, with all this information. I need some !

My plan today was to call around to some places and see if their in-house rates were comparable with the Internet rates I'm finding. When I got on the phone with the Wyndham, Ethan decided to go and wash his hands...with soap...with liquid soap...with a lot of liquid soap. Oy! Needless to say, I am waiting until Daddy gets off work to make any more calls (unless E actually naps!)

 

[lovethattink]

Thanks! I called (I didn't ask to speak with the mgr, though..I'm chicken like that) and mentioned we are extending our wish trip. The rate she gave us was $59/night plus the $8.95/night resort fee. I'm not sure if it's refundable or not...I need to check that b/c the Best Western (though not as roomy) is $61.43 with the resort fee included.

How was it driving around? How long did it take to get to the parks?

My brain is swirling, again, with all this information. I need some !

My plan today was to call around to some places and see if their in-house rates were comparable with the Internet rates I'm finding. When I got on the phone with the Wyndham, Ethan decided to go and wash his hands...with soap...with liquid soap...with a lot of liquid soap. Oy! Needless to say, I am waiting until Daddy gets off work to make any more calls (unless E actually naps!)

I'd check about the $58 rate. That sounds like the rate for an interior 1 br villa. Those have ALOT of foot traffic by them and won't be quiet. Anything near the pool wouldn't be quiet either. We had a retention pond view and it was super quiet. The pictures I posted were from our 2 BR villa it was $101/night. I think it was $67 for the 1BR king bed villa or 1 BR 2 double beds villa.

It's conveniently located off of I-4 and 192. It took us 5 minutes to drive to DHS, about 10 minutes to get to Sea World and 15 to Universal. Of course, that's when traffic cooperated. During rush time I-4 can get congested. There is free internet too.

It's very close to Celebration and Olde Town.

I think my BIL stayed at Best Western main gate. They were happy with it.

Did you check the rate at Pop Century or another value resort? They were offering up to 35% off general rates. Check on Disney's website under special offers.

 

[aym4Him]

I'd check about the $58 rate. That sounds like the rate for an interior 1 br villa. Those have ALOT of foot traffic by them and won't be quiet. Anything near the pool wouldn't be quiet either. We had a retention pond view and it was super quiet. The pictures I posted were from our 2 BR villa it was $101/night. I think it was $67 for the 1BR king bed villa or 1 BR 2 double beds villa.

It's conveniently located off of I-4 and 192. It took us 5 minutes to drive to DHS, about 10 minutes to get to Sea World and 15 to Universal. Of course, that's when traffic cooperated. During rush time I-4 can get congested. There is free internet too.

It's very close to Celebration and Olde Town.

I think my BIL stayed at Best Western main gate. They were happy with it.

Did you check the rate at Pop Century or another value resort? They were offering up to 35% off general rates. Check on Disney's website under special offers.

Thanks for the tip about the noise. She just said it was a Hotel Villa with kitchen. I'll double-check the details!

I checked the value resorts the other day. It was $129/night. I guess b/c it's the week of Thanksgiving and they consider that peak times.

I checked the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista b/c they have character breakfasts and kids 3 and under eat free. Well, it wouldn't be worth it once you add in the resort fee. It would still cost DH and I $44 to eat breakfast (the Tuesday we are checking out).

I really appreciate your help! Thank you!

 

[aym4Him]

In other news...

My friends found out their son isn't a candidate for a heart transplant. Should he beat the odds that are in front of him now, he likely won't make it to his teen years

My heart is shattered. I'm so amazed by the hope that continues to shine through this family, though.

David may get to go home on Monday. He will hopefully have a cath done in October (can't now b/c he has a cold) to give his lungs some oomph & maybe take some strain off his sick heart. They were told to go home & make memories. I'm sobbing...I wish they could take our place & go to Disney!!! I hope someone refers David for a Wish and that he's able to enjoy it. I'm serious when I say I'd give them our trip in a heartbeat!!!!!

 

[onceagain1]

In other news...

My friends found out their son isn't a candidate for a heart transplant. Should he beat the odds that are in front of him now, he likely won't make it to his teen years

My heart is shattered. I'm so amazed by the hope that continues to shine through this family, though.

David may get to go home on Monday. He will hopefully have a cath done in October (can't now b/c he has a cold) to give his lungs some oomph & maybe take some strain off his sick heart. They were told to go home & make memories. I'm sobbing...I wish they could take our place & go to Disney!!! I hope someone refers David for a Wish and that he's able to enjoy it. I'm serious when I say I'd give them our trip in a heartbeat!!!!!

That is so very sad, my worst fear. Hugs from us.
With respect to the wish though, can't anyone refer him for a wish? Meaning, couldn't you call to refer the family?

 

[lovethattink]

In other news...

My friends found out their son isn't a candidate for a heart transplant. Should he beat the odds that are in front of him now, he likely won't make it to his teen years

My heart is shattered. I'm so amazed by the hope that continues to shine through this family, though.

David may get to go home on Monday. He will hopefully have a cath done in October (can't now b/c he has a cold) to give his lungs some oomph & maybe take some strain off his sick heart. They were told to go home & make memories. I'm sobbing...I wish they could take our place & go to Disney!!! I hope someone refers David for a Wish and that he's able to enjoy it. I'm serious when I say I'd give them our trip in a heartbeat!!!!!

My heart breaks for this family. Sending prayers and pixie dust their way.

 

[aym4Him]

That is so very sad, my worst fear. Hugs from us.
With respect to the wish though, can't anyone refer him for a wish? Meaning, couldn't you call to refer the family?

My heart breaks for this family. Sending prayers and pixie dust their way.

Thank you both.

You know, I'm going to most definitely check on that! I'm sure there won't be any shortage of referrals for them (at least, I hope that his doctors are clamoring to get everything in order). E's wish granters might come to his soccer game today and I will talk to them.

In less-important but more on-topic news, we booked our hotel for the extended part of the trip. The in-laws are gonna be in town for E's game this weekend so I'm sure we'll do some planning with them (joy). Hoping I can sound like I've done my homework . They still need to buy park tickets and we're going to look into if buying early online will save them $$. I heard the Wal-Mart near GKTW sells them, too. I think we'll need to purchase a 1 day park ticket to Disney for our extended trip. Well, if our GKTW tickets haven't expired. I asked if we can use our left-overs for the extended part of the trip and they said that it all depends on the dates that are printed on the tickets. No way of knowing til we get there. Oh well! Just gonna roll with it!!

 

[maroo]

In other news...

My friends found out their son isn't a candidate for a heart transplant. Should he beat the odds that are in front of him now, he likely won't make it to his teen years

My heart is shattered. I'm so amazed by the hope that continues to shine through this family, though.

David may get to go home on Monday. He will hopefully have a cath done in October (can't now b/c he has a cold) to give his lungs some oomph & maybe take some strain off his sick heart. They were told to go home & make memories. I'm sobbing...I wish they could take our place & go to Disney!!! I hope someone refers David for a Wish and that he's able to enjoy it. I'm serious when I say I'd give them our trip in a heartbeat!!!!!

I finally responded to your PM... so there are some thoughts on there about hotels...

And this answered the car question!


I am soooooooo sorry about your friend! I just hate that was the outcome!


YOU can actually refer him for a wish! ANYONE can!

They ask the doctor, of course, to sign off...but anyone can refer for a wish!

 

[aym4Him]

Thank you, Maroo!


I found out that Children's has made the referral for them . I pray David knocks medical socks off again and again & has a glorious life! I just love that precious kiddo.

I made a countdown chain for E tonight. After I upload it to Flikr, I'll post here

 

[aym4Him]

Seeing if this works..

 

[aym4Him]

The first thing E asked when he barreled into our room this morning was if he could pull a "Disney fing (thing)" off . So, we happily followed him to the countdown chain and watched him remove the first ring .

I thought we had our itinerary pretty much as solid as it could be, but I'm seeing warnings about going to the MVMCP on Fri :/. Don't wanna miss the GKTW Christmas party on Thurs & figured that, by going later in the week, E would be more used to the characters. Thoughts?

E is doing really well in school and we are so proud of him! He is only clingy in the mornings and that's only for a few minutes. Does this mama's heart good to not have to pry a sweet crying body off every morning .

He is getting SO excited about Disney!! I can't wait to see his little face light up when he sees it all! Especially the Christmas lights & castle!

 

[aym4Him]

Ok. First- I'm going to probably end up repeating myself on the Wish Trippers Unite thread b/c it seems there's more cyber traffic over there...BUT I also don't want to clog up that thread w/ my goofy questions so we'll try here first .

Brita vs Bobble vs Rubbermaid vs. CamelBak vs CS water?? I've read pros and cons to the filtered water bottles. Does the free water from CS taste funky too? DH bought a CamelBak-like backpack the other day and I bought some collapsable water bottles but I didn't think about the "Florida water" taste (sulphur). It's been a while since I visited the Sunshine State. Anyway, if we won't be able to fill his backpack up with tasty water, we might just take it back to the store.

I finally got out a rubbermaid tote (small) to pose as our "Disney Box." I'm chucking in things that I find, here and there, that I think will be useful on our trip. Is it crazy that I need to clean and organize my house (closet, bedroom, etc) before I can even think about packing for WDW?? It's terrible...How is it that I'll pin things on Pinterest all day about organization and drool over the Container Store catalog but I can't stay on top of things to save my life!? (by the way, the slow tears on this emoticon are kind of heart-breaking!) I feel the desire for a nap coming on but that's only b/c I sleep to avoid insurmountable tasks

Shoes. Ugh. I got a pair of Crocs the other day b/c they are light and just feel so good...but then my feet sweat...I've only worn them around the house so I can take them back. I'm worried that my right arch will get angry with me after a while, too. I took my (not new) Chacos for a spin this morning. I used some of that blister prevention stuff (Body Glide...not to be mistaken for the OTHER kind of Body Glide ) and it helped except it seems that the Chacos kind of squeezed a "ridge" around the outside of my right foot (near the heel and just below the ankle bone). Felt like the start of a blister but then I noticed that it was a ridge instead once I got home. Odd. I so hate that the shoe thing is possibly going to be something that stresses me out! I'm worried about E's feet, too. He wears Crocs a good bit (much to my chagrin...but gosh darn it, they are so easy for him to get on and off and they are durable) but I'm worried that all day walking might not be good for his feet in them. I thought about investing in some Keens (DH has a pair) for him b/c most of their styles can get wet, but do you guys think the Crocs will be all right? I'll probably bring socks each day for him to put on if needed. As for me, I'm not sure. I may still bring my Birkenstocks to switch out with the Chacos. They aren't supposed to get wet, but maybe I can switch shoes before wet rides. Ditto for when (notice I didn't say if!) rains.

I hope we get our flight info soon. At first, we thought we were flying Southwest (as that's what our Wish Granter said b/c they mainly use SW) but I think the Wish Mgr said she was booking our extended flight with American. Would it be possible to fly one airline there and one back?? Just wondering- trying to decide how we'll pack b/c the baggage policy varies with both carriers . Is it weird that I'm ready to start packing?

I can't believe we are just 48 days away!

OOOOH! Camera!! Should I bring my DSLR? I was thinking of having both it and our smaller waterproof one (E can use it to take shots from his perspective?)- but don't relish the thought of lugging the DSLR around (I still need to learn how to work it for different situations- and I've had it for a year!). DH was very sweet to indulge me in my camera craziness. He is quick to remind me that he recommended a DSLR all along (I've had various point-and-shoots since we got married 9 yrs ago but none could keep up with E once he came along!). The waterproof one?? Well, I'm kind of smitten with pictures of my boy and he's too cute when he's playing at the neighborhood pool...or in a rainshower...or running thru the sprinklers.....Can't help it!

Here is a repost of our itinerary....with a few tweaks...

Sunday- arrive, GKTW
Monday- Magic Kingdom/Epcot (even if we just ride the monorail over and back), Halloween Party at GKTW??
Tuesday- Universal/IOA** May flip-flop with AK/HS
Wednesday- Animal Kingdom/Hollywood Studios** (or Universal!)
Thursday- GKTW (rest, SIL flies home) Christmas party at GKTW
Friday- Cape May breakfast at 10:10, ???, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MK at 4pm)
Saturday- Sea World (MIL/FIL fly home at some point)
Sunday-Hollywood and Vine 8:15am HS (may go back to the MK to see the electrical parade?)
Monday- MK Lunch at Crystal Palace 2:20pm (will probably need to buy a single day ticket- really wishing the MVMCP was this night!!!)
Tuesday-Return home

Questions: We do want to see Wishes and the MSEP. We also want to see the Christmas shows at Sea World (we are planning on going b/c they have that Polar Express Experience and E LOOOOOVES Polar Express), but they don't start until 11/17 and only run on the weekends until full Christmas season. We would need to go to SW on Saturday or Sunday. Unless GKTW lets us extend the magic of E's Wish button, we kind of need to choose what crowds we want to battle. Looking at the crowd calendar I have, it seems the disney parks are at 5/10 on Saturday the 17th (EP/AK being the best to visit--but this will still be part of his wish trip so MK shouldn't matter since he'll have his button, right??) but 8/10 and 9/10 on Sunday and Monday.

Character meals aren't something we are married to. First, there's the cost. Second, if one meal dictates our day and that day could be better spent somewhere else to ensure happiness, then we're all about changing/canceling! E has been talking up a storm about seeing Jake, Handy Manny, Oso, and Little Einsteins. Do y'all know if the meal at H&V is the only way to guarantee that? If so, that ressie may be sticking!

We also didn't realize (got conflicting info) that we had a 2 day PH to Universal/IOA. We thought we got one ticket there and one to Sea World....so, throw a 2nd trip to Universal in there somewhere DH wants to skip that rest day at GKTW on Thurs and hit Universal then. My SIL flies back that morning, though, so someone is going to have to take her to the airport...

 

[aym4Him]

Making silly faces before bed:

He painted that train with his aunt and his Grammy and then thought it was really fun to eat mashed potatoes off the beater!

 

[lovethattink]

Ok. First- I'm going to probably end up repeating myself on the Wish Trippers Unite thread b/c it seems there's more cyber traffic over there...BUT I also don't want to clog up that thread w/ my goofy questions so we'll try here first .

Brita vs Bobble vs Rubbermaid vs. CamelBak vs CS water?? I've read pros and cons to the filtered water bottles. Does the free water from CS taste funky too? DH bought a CamelBak-like backpack the other day and I bought some collapsable water bottles but I didn't think about the "Florida water" taste (sulphur). It's been a while since I visited the Sunshine State. Anyway, if we won't be able to fill his backpack up with tasty water, we might just take it back to the store.

I finally got out a rubbermaid tote (small) to pose as our "Disney Box." I'm chucking in things that I find, here and there, that I think will be useful on our trip. Is it crazy that I need to clean and organize my house (closet, bedroom, etc) before I can even think about packing for WDW?? It's terrible...How is it that I'll pin things on Pinterest all day about organization and drool over the Container Store catalog but I can't stay on top of things to save my life!? (by the way, the slow tears on this emoticon are kind of heart-breaking!) I feel the desire for a nap coming on but that's only b/c I sleep to avoid insurmountable tasks

Shoes. Ugh. I got a pair of Crocs the other day b/c they are light and just feel so good...but then my feet sweat...I've only worn them around the house so I can take them back. I'm worried that my right arch will get angry with me after a while, too. I took my (not new) Chacos for a spin this morning. I used some of that blister prevention stuff (Body Glide...not to be mistaken for the OTHER kind of Body Glide ) and it helped except it seems that the Chacos kind of squeezed a "ridge" around the outside of my right foot (near the heel and just below the ankle bone). Felt like the start of a blister but then I noticed that it was a ridge instead once I got home. Odd. I so hate that the shoe thing is possibly going to be something that stresses me out! I'm worried about E's feet, too. He wears Crocs a good bit (much to my chagrin...but gosh darn it, they are so easy for him to get on and off and they are durable) but I'm worried that all day walking might not be good for his feet in them. I thought about investing in some Keens (DH has a pair) for him b/c most of their styles can get wet, but do you guys think the Crocs will be all right? I'll probably bring socks each day for him to put on if needed. As for me, I'm not sure. I may still bring my Birkenstocks to switch out with the Chacos. They aren't supposed to get wet, but maybe I can switch shoes before wet rides. Ditto for when (notice I didn't say if!) rains.

I hope we get our flight info soon. At first, we thought we were flying Southwest (as that's what our Wish Granter said b/c they mainly use SW) but I think the Wish Mgr said she was booking our extended flight with American. Would it be possible to fly one airline there and one back?? Just wondering- trying to decide how we'll pack b/c the baggage policy varies with both carriers . Is it weird that I'm ready to start packing?

I can't believe we are just 48 days away!

OOOOH! Camera!! Should I bring my DSLR? I was thinking of having both it and our smaller waterproof one (E can use it to take shots from his perspective?)- but don't relish the thought of lugging the DSLR around (I still need to learn how to work it for different situations- and I've had it for a year!). DH was very sweet to indulge me in my camera craziness. He is quick to remind me that he recommended a DSLR all along (I've had various point-and-shoots since we got married 9 yrs ago but none could keep up with E once he came along!). The waterproof one?? Well, I'm kind of smitten with pictures of my boy and he's too cute when he's playing at the neighborhood pool...or in a rainshower...or running thru the sprinklers.....Can't help it!

Here is a repost of our itinerary....with a few tweaks...

Sunday- arrive, GKTW
Monday- Magic Kingdom/Epcot (even if we just ride the monorail over and back), Halloween Party at GKTW??
Tuesday- Universal/IOA** May flip-flop with AK/HS
Wednesday- Animal Kingdom/Hollywood Studios** (or Universal!)
Thursday- GKTW (rest, SIL flies home) Christmas party at GKTW
Friday- Cape May breakfast at 10:10, ???, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MK at 4pm)
Saturday- Sea World (MIL/FIL fly home at some point)
Sunday-Hollywood and Vine 8:15am HS (may go back to the MK to see the electrical parade?)
Monday- MK Lunch at Crystal Palace 2:20pm (will probably need to buy a single day ticket- really wishing the MVMCP was this night!!!)
Tuesday-Return home

Questions: We do want to see Wishes and the MSEP. We also want to see the Christmas shows at Sea World (we are planning on going b/c they have that Polar Express Experience and E LOOOOOVES Polar Express), but they don't start until 11/17 and only run on the weekends until full Christmas season. We would need to go to SW on Saturday or Sunday. Unless GKTW lets us extend the magic of E's Wish button, we kind of need to choose what crowds we want to battle. Looking at the crowd calendar I have, it seems the disney parks are at 5/10 on Saturday the 17th (EP/AK being the best to visit--but this will still be part of his wish trip so MK shouldn't matter since he'll have his button, right??) but 8/10 and 9/10 on Sunday and Monday.

Character meals aren't something we are married to. First, there's the cost. Second, if one meal dictates our day and that day could be better spent somewhere else to ensure happiness, then we're all about changing/canceling! E has been talking up a storm about seeing Jake, Handy Manny, Oso, and Little Einsteins. Do y'all know if the meal at H&V is the only way to guarantee that? If so, that ressie may be sticking!

We also didn't realize (got conflicting info) that we had a 2 day PH to Universal/IOA. We thought we got one ticket there and one to Sea World....so, throw a 2nd trip to Universal in there somewhere DH wants to skip that rest day at GKTW on Thurs and hit Universal then. My SIL flies back that morning, though, so someone is going to have to take her to the airport...

Just a couple comments here. If transporting your SIL interupts your day, could your SIL arrange to have Mears pick her up at her motel and take her to the airport?

As for Sea World after the wish trip. If you can't get the magic of the button extended, don't worry. Sea World is very good at accomodations. Just stop into guests services (it's just past the reservation desks) and they will give you their version of a GAC. It's a piece of paper that you take to each place. The only thing with Sea World's is that they only permit 1 additional person with theirs, where Disney allows up to 6.

We watched MSEP and Wishes for the first time in 2 years, last night!! I forgot how great they are. I hope you get a chance to see both!

As for those characters, I would suggest going on to Kennythepirates character blog and seeing what time and where those characters are out at DHS. I have seen Handy Manny outside of Playhouse Disney having a M&G.