Help please! We are heading to the US in three weeks and have no idea where to start

[Jaxons wish]

My 10 yr old has terminal brain cancer, his biggest wish is to go to the uS to see the New York Knicks play and go to DW!
It was touch and go but he has improved and we have the green light to go!
The NBA season starts at the end of the month so we are planning to leave around the 27th of October (from Aus)

We are a couple who are taking 3 boys 12,10 & 7.
Never been overseas.
The plan so far is to head to NY for a week the we have to decide do we go across to DW or just do DL!
We are planning three weeks with a stop over in Hawaii on the way back for a couple of days to break the trip up.

Any hints tips or advise is greatly appreciated!
Thanks

Ps We have the tickets for the Knicks game sorted

 

[LisaAJ]

Oh wow! What a wonderful thing to be able to do for your son. I know you will create amazing memories xxx

There are many more knowledgable people on here than me but if you are in NY you are not far from Orlando for WDW. Does he like Harry Potter? universal also has the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Plus there is Kennedy Space Centre and Legoland within driving distance.

Please keep us posted on your plans. I'd love to hear what you decide to do

 

[iheartglaciers]

Oh wow! What a wonderful thing to be able to do for your son. I know you will create amazing memories xxx

There are many more knowledgable people on here than me but if you are in NY you are not far from Orlando for WDW. Does he like Harry Potter? universal also has the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Plus there is Kennedy Space Centre and Legoland within driving distance.

Please keep us posted on your plans. I'd love to hear what you decide to do

If he likes HP, I would definitely recommend going to Orlando and doing one day at Universal. The new Diagon Alley is amazing!

 

[beejai]

Hi, I'm glad you've posted on here, I replied to you on essential baby forum, I'm sure there will be some very helpful people on here.

 

[Agent 86]

I would recommend Walt Disney World because it's absolutely massive. If you stay on-site, you can pretty much remain in a Disney "town" for at least a week. Also, by staying on-site you'll have much more flexibility in planning what to do and see and when to have rest periods, etc. We stayed at Pop Century which I think is the "budget" accommodation option and I was very happy with the facilities, especially the frequency of the buses to and from the various Disney theme parks (including the two water parks).

Also, with three children, the substantial variety available at Disney World should ensure that everyone finds something uniquely appealing. And, as others have mentioned, Universal Studios is pretty incredible. As much as I love Disney, I have to admit that the Harry Potter world was pretty mind-blowing. It was incredibly immersive and butterbeer is delicious.

I hope you all have an amazing time.

 

[Tashinwdw]

This will be an amazing holiday for your family no matter which disney you decide to go to. I would have to agree that Disney World would be the best option especially if you want to immerse yourself in the magic of disney and stay on site . Art of Animation is also a great option for the budget accommodation but they have such a good range of resorts to stay at and each individually themed. Go onto the disney site to check out the different resorts, also youtube them, that will give you a better idea on what the resorts are like. Staying at the different resorts can be an experience in itself, with lots to do. Do you plan on hiring a car while you are there?

I am not positive but I think disney may be be decorated for christmas by the time you will be there or during your stay. Mickeys very merry christmas parties start on the 7th November.

Once you decide which park you will be doing let us know, there is a lot of information ppl on here can help you with.

 

[ssour]

My only hesitation with going to Disney World would be the difficulty involved in getting dining and FastPass reservations this close to departure. Depending on what you want to do that might make things a bit difficult. Disneyland is much easier for a last minute trip.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My only hesitation with going to Disney World would be the difficulty involved in getting dining and FastPass reservations this close to departure. Depending on what you want to do that might make things a bit difficult. Disneyland is much easier for a last minute trip.

I have to agree with ssour that a Disneyland holiday would be much easier to plan in such a short amount of time. In saying that, having been to both, I much prefer Disney World.

Whatever you choose, I hope it turns out to be magical and everything you hoped for. I can not even begin to fathom what you are going through right now, but I think it's awesome that you have this opportunity to create priceless memories for you and your son.

 

[Jaxons wish]

Thank you so much everyone. It was so daunting we ended up going to a travel agent.
We fly into NY on the 28th of October (yep next week)
spend i think 5 nights and he gets to go to see the Knicks game (the whole reason for his trip)
We fly into Orlando on the 3rd and we are staying at the DISNEY'S ALL-STAR MUSIC RST, i have just looked it up and not sure if it was the best pic becuse the restaurants are closed there for renovation. Will it be ok?

we have 7 days at DW then to LA for a couple of nights and a 3 night stop over in Hawaii before home.

 

[LisaAJ]

Glad to hear you got it all booked. I used a travel agent too and it was the best thing I ever did!! Takes all of the pressure off

I'm sure it won't be too big a deal that the food court is closed. From what I understand, all of the All Star resorts are quite close together and they have food courts. I'm sure ASM will have some limited food options.

Can't wait to hear how it all goes Is your son excited?

 

[LivingforDisney]

Oh how exciting for you.
As for the renovations, you might find it a bit of a hassle, as those resorts are massive, yes are all near each other, but it is still a fair walk to get to another one, I assume they will have buses to catch to the other all stars resorts to use their food courts.
I don't want to put a damper on your trip, but that happened to us last year, we were booked for all star sports & then they closed the food court for renovations, so I asked to move to POP Century which they did for free, it should have been a couple of hundred dollars more.
So glad we changed, it was a marathon some days to walk up to their food court, just to get a coffee or drink as we had the mugs with the free dining.
We used the food courts sometimes when we came back from the parks to eat, and I was so glad we had it there and didn't have to trek to the other all stars, which I wouldn't have done.
The size of the place is quite overwhelming.
Wishing you all a safe & fantastic time, just enjoy ......

 

[jerseygal]

VERY BEST WISHES for the BEST DISNEY TRIP EVER and NYC, Hawaii!

Here are my suggestions for NYC...
1. Since your son LOVES basketball, the NBA Store, which is at 590 5th Ave.
It is SO COOL Huge, tons of basketball apparel, sneakers, and arcade type basketball games!
2. A fun PLAY ON BROADWAY...In Times Sqare, there are booth locations, located at Broadway and 47th Street..The booth is called Tkts Discount Booth, website atthebooth.com. Here you can hopefully snag deeply discounted tickets for Wed, Sat, Sun matinees. There are lines, but very worth it. I haven't been in YEARS, but I believe that the tickets are for SAME DAY matinee, so get there very early, say morning for an afternoon matinee.
3. Visit the 9/11 Memorial Memorial and Museum. There are websites for tickets for that as well.

May you, your son, and your entire family be BLESSED WITH COURAGE, FAITH, AND HOPE!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Have a wonderful trip!

May it be everything you and your son have ever dreamed of

 

[PrincessInOz]

Wishing you a fantastic and safe trip.

 

[Jaxons wish]

Thank you so much

Any sugestions on the best place to watch the fireworks?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thank you so much

Any sugestions on the best place to watch the fireworks?

If you are staying on-site, you should be able to book a FP+ for the fireworks at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I would recommend that you use one of your FP+ on the day you are planning to go to MK for this. The location is usually a decent enough spot to watch the fireworks from without having too many people around you.


And I am late to catching up on your thread details (and forgive me if I'm asking a personal question and you don't have to respond)...but have you contacted the Give Kids the World organisation? I know they have a resort in Kissimmee. You may not be staying there but if you haven't already contacted them, it might be worth doing so and seeing if they have any special privileges to help sick kids experience the parks.

 

[Jaxons wish]

Thank you princess in oz.
I found out about give kids the world a few months ago and when i contacted them they said we had to go through a wish granting foundation. Make a wish and starlight are unable to do any wishes outside of Australia any more. i also asked them if any people from Australia had stayed there recently but i received no answer.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

If you are staying on-site, you should be able to book a FP+ for the fireworks at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I would recommend that you use one of your FP+ on the day you are planning to go to MK for this. The location is usually a decent enough spot to watch the fireworks from without having too many people around you. .

While I normally agree with everything my friend PIO has to say, we hated the FP+ spot in the Rose Gardens for fireworks viewing. On the good side, it wasn't crowded. But on the bad side, our view was largely blocked by trees. There were a few unobstructed places to stand, but we were too late to claim any of them.

If you can score a FP+'for the Electric Light Parade, I recommend sticking to that spot after the parade is finished and watching the fireworks from there. Otherwise anywhere where you are looking straight on at the castle will work well.