Make a Wish (and other organizations!) - Wish Trippers...UNITE!! Volume 2!

[motherof4greatkids]

Im getting ready to put pictures of my family on here. How do i get there where they will stay when i post messages?

 

[StefaniLyn]

Just got an email. We will be meeting our MAW volunteers on Saturday night to go over our "packet"......I am beyond excited!!!!

I have more questions to all who have gone...
What are the 5 Do's you would recommend - and the
5 Don'ts...

We haven't gone on our wish trip yet, but from the plethera of knowledge I have gained here on the DIS, here's my recommendations:

Don't:
~be shy about using your GAC, MAW pin, and any other item available to get front of the line access and save your family time in lines
~feel guilty about your child's Wish. Bottom line is - You ALL deserve a Wish, You are not preventing another child from receiving a Wish, and MAW (or other foundations) grant wish this because they want children like your child to have this incredible experience.
~forget that you will need to make reservations if you want to do any character dining or other extras. Even if you don't have your dates yet, you can make reservations 180 days out and cancel if you need to.
I can only think of those 3 . . . . sorry!

Do:
~keep your Wish Granter on speed dial. Even during your trip, if you run into snags they can often untangle things for you. While planning, they can answer (or find the answer) to many little questions.
~be flexible
~take lots and lots and LOTS of pictures.
~have at least a basic schedule in mind before going. This will prevent wasting time deciding where to go
~consider extending your trip by a day or two if possible. A Wish trip is generally 6 park tickets for 6 days with children who are often medically fragile. That is a lot of go, go, go and exhaustion is a given. We are extending by 3 and the cost for lodging and car rental is less than $200 total. It will give us time to relax and enjoy our time at GKTW as well.

Just a heads up, especially to the families who will be going on their trips in December (like us!). HGTV is having a special on WDW....something like "Behind the Magic - Holidays at WDW" on 11/29 @ 8 o'clock!!!! How fun is thatf

Pamela

Matty's Wish Trip http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2325607

Thank you! I am going to set that up to DVR!

In 1972 the cost of a ticket to the Magic Kingdom was, for an adult, $3.50-$3.75; for a Junior (ages 12-17) $2.50-$2.75; and for a child (3-11) $1.00 - $1.25

Wow, I am so wishing I had purchased about a million of those tickets back in '72 because they would still be good today! Except of course, I wasn't born yet in 72 so that would be kinda difficult. Thanks for sharing!

We got our dates for April !!!

I've been waiting anxiously for so many reasons including, starting a PTR!
Here's my first crack at it...
Princess Phoebe's Pre-WISH-Trip Report (4/17/10)

great start to your PTR! I subbed already!

 

[thatkid]

Does anyone know how far the University of Florida hospital is from GKTW??
my doctor said today that's the only place that can treat me without giving me the runaround, and help would be super! I googled it on google maps, it says its about 50 minutes, is this right??

 

[yinyanggirls]

Im getting ready to put pictures of my family on here. How do i get there where they will stay when i post messages?

I had a really hard time with pictures at first. If you go to the start of this thread and read the instructions there you will get it after some trial and error. You can't just paste the photos in, you have to have it link to an album on Photobucket.com. It takes some time at first but it's worth it to share pics of our awesome kids.

 

[yinyanggirls]

Does anyone know how far the University of Florida hospital is from GKTW??
my doctor said today that's the only place that can treat me without giving me the runaround, and help would be super! I googled it on google maps, it says its about 50 minutes, is this right??

If you don't get any info on this thread you could try the disABILITIES thread. Wish I could help.

 

[maroo]

Does anyone know how far the University of Florida hospital is from GKTW??
my doctor said today that's the only place that can treat me without giving me the runaround, and help would be super! I googled it on google maps, it says its about 50 minutes, is this right??

That is a good question.

I would call the hospital and see...And maybe even ask them specifically how you would get to them quickly in an emergency? I mean...the obvious is to call an ambulance...but I don't know that an ambulance from Disney (Reedy Creek) is going to drive you 50 minutes away?

I don't know your disease specifics, but Celebration Hospital ER was WONDERFUL to Lauren when we had to take her. The billing has been a nightmare, since we were out of "network," but they took very good care of her and are very used to treating patients from all over the place.

GKTW could also help you with this information.

 

[maroo]

Thank you Maroo your very helpful

Thank you.

Im getting ready to put pictures of my family on here. How do i get there where they will stay when i post messages?

Melissa is right...There are instructions on Post 2 of this thread...

You can get there easiest by just clicking on the blue link in my signature...that should take you to the first page of this thread. It is in the second post - below the list of all of the wish trip reports.

 

[kdzbear]

Help! Last minute trip planning questions!

Ok, I was looking over our paperwork from Dream Factory again and now I have a new question. They did not send us a Dream Factory button. I also do not have anything recent on letterhead stating that Tyler will be at Disney for his Wish Trip. Will we be able to use the Wish lounges or do I need a Dream Factory pin or something? I have emailed his Wish granter, but those of you following my pre-trip report know that that never has good results. We won't have a GKTW button since we are staying on Disney property. Help, we leave in 3 days!

 

[motherof4greatkids]

Hi does anyone have myspace i have lots of pictures there of my family maybe i could add you all as friends ill put my link on here so you can see my pictures tomorrow im going to try and do a face book. Tomorrow ill also work on trying to get pictures on the photobucket.

 

[motherof4greatkids]

Goodnight everyone ill be back tomorrow with pictures

 

[maroo]

Help! Last minute trip planning questions!

Ok, I was looking over our paperwork from Dream Factory again and now I have a new question. They did not send us a Dream Factory button. I also do not have anything recent on letterhead stating that Tyler will be at Disney for his Wish Trip. Will we be able to use the Wish lounges or do I need a Dream Factory pin or something? I have emailed his Wish granter, but those of you following my pre-trip report know that that never has good results. We won't have a GKTW button since we are staying on Disney property. Help, we leave in 3 days!

Gosh...I absolutely have NO idea!

But...do this...If you never get an answer...take you GAC that they gave you on your last trip - the one with the good stamp on it. And when you get to Guest Services, make sure they know that you are on a Dream Factory Wish Trip - and you will have your shirts and bring your paperwork with you - and HOPEFULLY they will put the right "stamp" on there that will give you guys the FOTL access. Your paperwork will also get you in the Lounge at the MK - but I am not sure about the Epcot ones...because you have to have a code and I think that may be a GKTW thing??

If they don't issue the same stamp - try another CM at a different park - you never know how each will handle it.

Keep your paperwork with you at all times, too.

I am so sorry. You have had an awful day.

 

[mommy_lisa]

Help! Last minute trip planning questions!

Ok, I was looking over our paperwork from Dream Factory again and now I have a new question. They did not send us a Dream Factory button. I also do not have anything recent on letterhead stating that Tyler will be at Disney for his Wish Trip. Will we be able to use the Wish lounges or do I need a Dream Factory pin or something? I have emailed his Wish granter, but those of you following my pre-trip report know that that never has good results. We won't have a GKTW button since we are staying on Disney property. Help, we leave in 3 days!

Not sure if everyone that stays off property goes to orientation at GKTW to receive their park passes and info, but at our orientation there were families there that were not staying at GKTW. If you do attend orientation they will give you the code for the one at Epcot and a card with the info for the one at Magic Kingdom. Your GAC pass and GKTW button should get you in. ( The people that were off property but attended our orientation got all the same stuff as me)

 

[motherof4greatkids]

Kieth while he was in the hospital this was before his surgery october 21,2009

Katlyn she is the little sister she is 9 shell be 10 on jan. 15

sarina she trys to be the big sister she is 12 a big help

zach the little brother he is 8 hell be 9 on jan 4

 

[motherof4greatkids]

I resized these but they didnt work only one did im sorry i tried if anyone can help with resizeing my pictures please help.

 

[motherof4greatkids]

Hi what is world passport and how do you get one?

 

[kellyw8863]

Man, this board moves quickly! Thank you all for such a warm welcome! I'm home sick this morning (bah), so I'm going to try and play a little catch up...

Hi Melissa - Thanks for the welcome! It was hard holding back, but I guess I just wasn't at a point where I was "ready" to accept that Ali qualifies for a Wish Trip. And, I was just having fun reading everyone else's stories. As for Gabe, the girls LOVE having a big brother in the house! It's really worked out quite well because they are not in competition for the same kind of attention, if that makes sense. And, I think he really likes having little ones that look up to him, even though they drive him crazy a lot of the time. His mother is contesting his removal, so we have no plans at this time to adopt him. His plan is that once he turns 18, he will sign himself into DCFS custody to take his mother out of the picture entirely. His termination hearing is actually next month, but as far as I know, the plan is still technically for reunification.

Hi Amber! Your name sounds awfully familiar, though I'm pretty sure I don't "know" you from any other boards. Do you belong to any of the online mito groups? I hope you don't mind, but I've already been checking out your blog. You have a beautiful family! How is Savannah doing now that she has a diagnosis? I feel like Ali is as stable as she has ever been now that we do have the dx, but it's a balancing act. KWIM? Anyhow, thanks for the welcome!

Maroo, thanks for introducing us!

MomTo4+More, I'm sorry, but I don't know your name! Thanks for the info regarding DCFS. We have taken Gabe out of state before, as my husband's family is from RI and we have a summer cottage in ME. So, we have a standing letter to go to those two places. I'm sure his mother will say that she does not want him to go, which is what she did last year when he wanted to go on a school field trip to VA Beach, but the state overrode her since they legally have custody. My guess is that since he is almost 18, they will override it again. He has not seen nor talked with his mother since his removal last January and according to him, he does not have the desire to. Thanks for the welcome and the kind words!

Jennifer, thank you for the welcome! It's quite the nerve-wracking process, isn't it? I look forward to following you through the planning stage since I have no idea what I am doing! Best of luck with everything, and I hope you get your dates soon!

Pamela, yes I did read it all! In hindsight, it does seem crazy. Everyone IS so welcoming here - I love it! We are also from Central Massachusetts - along the route 2 corridor. I'm interested in reading more about the process here in MA. As far as I have been able to find, there's only one other MA person here. How have you found it to be working with MAW here? Do you remember how long it was from your initial referral until someone made contact with you? I'm looking forward to following your trip planning and reading all about your trip when you go!

Ana, great question about the Dos and Don'ts. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's responses!

Tina, my, Keith has been through a lot! My neighbor and dear friend also has a micropreemie. I believe he was also born at 23 weeks and was 1lb 2oz. Kudos to you for sticking through everything and for being such a wonderful advocate for Keith. I hope that everything works out so that you can extend your trip and get married - how exciting! You have a beautiful family.

kdzbear, I'm sorry, I don't know your name - I hope you get everything worked out. Things usually do. Have a wonderful trip, and I look forward to reading all about it when you get back!

Okay, I think I was able to get everyone, but if I didn't, I'm sorry! I wish I had something meaningful to contribute right now, but unfortunately, I don't. I'm hoping that we will hear something soon from MAW, as I sent the initial referral over a week ago. I'm eager to get the paperwork off to Ali's mito doctor, as I KNOW it will take forever to get back. He is wonderful, as is his staff, but the office is incredibly busy so things that are not urgent tend to fall by the wayside. If I don't hear from them soon, would it be reasonable to put a call in to our local chapter to make sure they got the online inquiry? I don't want to be pushy...

Hope all are well. Off to try and get a little rest and see if I can get rid of this headache.

 

[maroo]

Not sure if everyone that stays off property goes to orientation at GKTW to receive their park passes and info, but at our orientation there were families there that were not staying at GKTW. If you do attend orientation they will give you the code for the one at Epcot and a card with the info for the one at Magic Kingdom. Your GAC pass and GKTW button should get you in. ( The people that were off property but attended our orientation got all the same stuff as me)

There are 3 types of wish trips...
1. Those staying at GKTW and hosted by GKTW.
2. Those staying on property (at a Disney resort) and hosted by GKTW.
3. Those staying on property and not affiliated with GKTW.

Most of the families on this board fit into the first category. They are sponsored and stay at GKTW.

For Lauren's wish trip - we were hosted by GKTW, but we actually slept at a Disney Resort.

In the case of Kristin (kdzbear) - Tyler's trip falls under the third category...which means his trip is not at all associated with GKTW. So he won't have the GKTW orientation, GAC or button.

This is all very confusing. And the differences in some cases are small - but in some cases are really big. The second group above has access to all GKTW activities, they simply sleep somewhere else. But the third group is not really allowed at GKTW at all.

Theoretically the third group is normally wishes granted for chronically ill children that do not have life threatening conditions. Tyler's report goes into some detail about why his condition is considered to be more of a chronic illness than a life threatening one - but it is a very controversial distinction.


Kristin - I am really, really sorry that the whole process has been so difficult! I hope that Guest Services will be able to help you get a GAC that will help his trip to go smoothly. You guys are going to have a GREAT time!

Kieth while he was in the hospital this was before his surgery october 21,2009

Katlyn she is the little sister she is 9 shell be 10 on jan. 15

sarina she trys to be the big sister she is 12 a big help

zach the little brother he is 8 hell be 9 on jan 4

Hi what is world passport and how do you get one?

Great pics!!!

Are you wanting to make the pictures larger?

 

[maroo]

Man, this board moves quickly! Thank you all for such a warm welcome! I'm home sick this morning (bah), so I'm going to try and play a little catch up...

You know...it is so funny...sometimes it takes days for us to "talk" one page - and other times it really does fly!

Hi Melissa - Thanks for the welcome! It was hard holding back, but I guess I just wasn't at a point where I was "ready" to accept that Ali qualifies for a Wish Trip. And, I was just having fun reading everyone else's stories. As for Gabe, the girls LOVE having a big brother in the house! It's really worked out quite well because they are not in competition for the same kind of attention, if that makes sense. And, I think he really likes having little ones that look up to him, even though they drive him crazy a lot of the time. His mother is contesting his removal, so we have no plans at this time to adopt him. His plan is that once he turns 18, he will sign himself into DCFS custody to take his mother out of the picture entirely. His termination hearing is actually next month, but as far as I know, the plan is still technically for reunification.

Bless his heart. I will be glad when he can make the decision on his own and am very thankful that he found a family that will be family no matter how old he is!

Hi Amber! Your name sounds awfully familiar, though I'm pretty sure I don't "know" you from any other boards. Do you belong to any of the online mito groups? I hope you don't mind, but I've already been checking out your blog. You have a beautiful family! How is Savannah doing now that she has a diagnosis? I feel like Ali is as stable as she has ever been now that we do have the dx, but it's a balancing act. KWIM? Anyhow, thanks for the welcome!

Amber is probably very active in the Mito groups. I believe she went to a conference recently, too.

When you get some time - check out her blog - she really goes into great detail about the diagnosis process and gives regular updates on how the whole family is doing. She takes lots of pictures of everything. Especially medical stuff. Very educational!

Maroo, thanks for introducing us!

You are very welcome!

MomTo4+More, I'm sorry, but I don't know your name! Thanks for the info regarding DCFS. We have taken Gabe out of state before, as my husband's family is from RI and we have a summer cottage in ME. So, we have a standing letter to go to those two places. I'm sure his mother will say that she does not want him to go, which is what she did last year when he wanted to go on a school field trip to VA Beach, but the state overrode her since they legally have custody. My guess is that since he is almost 18, they will override it again. He has not seen nor talked with his mother since his removal last January and according to him, he does not have the desire to. Thanks for the welcome and the kind words!

Surely the State would override a trip to Disney World!

Jennifer, thank you for the welcome! It's quite the nerve-wracking process, isn't it? I look forward to following you through the planning stage since I have no idea what I am doing! Best of luck with everything, and I hope you get your dates soon!

Pamela, yes I did read it all! In hindsight, it does seem crazy. Everyone IS so welcoming here - I love it! We are also from Central Massachusetts - along the route 2 corridor. I'm interested in reading more about the process here in MA. As far as I have been able to find, there's only one other MA person here. How have you found it to be working with MAW here? Do you remember how long it was from your initial referral until someone made contact with you? I'm looking forward to following your trip planning and reading all about your trip when you go!

Ana, great question about the Dos and Don'ts. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's responses!

Tina, my, Keith has been through a lot! My neighbor and dear friend also has a micropreemie. I believe he was also born at 23 weeks and was 1lb 2oz. Kudos to you for sticking through everything and for being such a wonderful advocate for Keith. I hope that everything works out so that you can extend your trip and get married - how exciting! You have a beautiful family.

kdzbear, I'm sorry, I don't know your name - I hope you get everything worked out. Things usually do. Have a wonderful trip, and I look forward to reading all about it when you get back!

kdzbear is Kristin.

Okay, I think I was able to get everyone, but if I didn't, I'm sorry! I wish I had something meaningful to contribute right now, but unfortunately, I don't. I'm hoping that we will hear something soon from MAW, as I sent the initial referral over a week ago. I'm eager to get the paperwork off to Ali's mito doctor, as I KNOW it will take forever to get back. He is wonderful, as is his staff, but the office is incredibly busy so things that are not urgent tend to fall by the wayside. If I don't hear from them soon, would it be reasonable to put a call in to our local chapter to make sure they got the online inquiry? I don't want to be pushy...

You are contributing already! I think it takes a bit...and probably depends some on who is in the office...the holidays, etc. I would give it 2 weeks...and then just put a call in to confirm that they received the inquiry. Hopefully they are already working on it and will have you guys going soon!

Hope all are well. Off to try and get a little rest and see if I can get rid of this headache.

Bless your heart! That doesn't sound fun! Hope you feel better soon!

 

[maroo]

Hey guys.

This isn't a wish trip - but a dream come true -

Check out this thread...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2207107

This young lady is getting MARRIED at GKTW. She is a former wish child. It looks like it is going to be magical!

 

[Savannah's Mami]

Hey guys.

This isn't a wish trip - but a dream come true -

Check out this thread...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2207107

This young lady is getting MARRIED at GKTW. She is a former wish child. It looks like it is going to be magical!

Oh my goodness....I can not even BEGIN to imagine the emotions that her parents will be going through and GKTW is taking care of the ceremony! What an amazing place!!