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

[mommy_lisa]

Hello everyone, my name is Melissa (30ish), husband is Tim (aka MacGyver), (2 months younger and likes to rub it in), DD#1 (wish child) is Princess Phoebe (8 yrs), and DD#2 is Hurricane Tessa (3.10 yrs). I found this board as I was trying to get as much info as possible on other families' Wish Trips. We met with Phoebe's Wish Granter last weekend and couldn't decide on a wish. After googling blogs and reading TR's on this board we decided to go with the GKTW trip. I say "we" because Phoebe is non-verbal and severely delayed. It was easy to come up with a list of things she likes and enjoys but difficult to translate that into the wish of a lifetime.



Glad you found us, I have learned so much from everyone here. Your husband sounds a lot like mine. He is 4 months younger than me and rubs it in every chance he gets.

Phoebe getting her wish granted

 

[kdzbear]

yinyanggirls: Welcome!

 

[maroo]

to the Wish Trippers thread!

Wow! Quite a few years you guys have had.


I am so sorry for your frustrating few months.

I am so glad that you guys are going to be able to get a WISH! It is truly a trip of a lifetime!

 

[Rowlf]

Welcome, yinyangirls! Planning is one of my favorite parts of a Disney trip, definitely.

We are leaving next Tuesday for Orlando; we have our wish presentation at Wes' favorite mexican restaurant this Thursday, which means I'll have about five days to plan around what MAW has planned. But it will all work out - this trip is all about Wes!

 

[Matt1026]

I have been checking in daily but never had the time to start a pre trip report. We are now 17 days out ( technicaly 18 but it will be sunday in a few hours), so I think I will just write a trip report once we return.

Lucas (3) is our wish kid and loves any ride, as long as it is not scary. Kayla (10) loves all rides, especially roller coasters. Was wondering what you guys thought about Universal Studios and IOA. When we enter the park should we try to hit the larger roller coaster first to try to beat the lines and then head to the kid rides, or head to the kid rides and hopefully get Lucas on each of them a couple of times and then head to the roller coasters and use the MAW button so we don't have to wait. Universal/IOA is our first park during our trip, and I am really not comfortable right now using the MAW button. I don't know how comfortable I will be, so I would like to know what the best route would be hoping not to use it much the first day.

Also our tentative plans depending on how Luca holds up are
Wednesday
Arrive at noon
Orientation
Hang out at GKTW or go to downtown disney

Thursday
Disney characters and breakfast at GKTW
Universal Studios, IOA or US not sure yet
Christmas party at GKTW

Friday
Breakfast at GKTW
Animal Kingdom
Head over to Epcot
ADR Biergarten at 245pm
Illuminations at 9pm

Saturday
ADR Cinderallas Royal Table 825am
Magic Kingdom all day, breaks at the wish lounge
Dream Come True Parade at 3pm
ADR Crystal Palace 435pm
Spectromagic 8pm
Wishes 9pm

Sunday
Breakfast at GKTW
Sea World???
Head off to a beach for the day

Monday
Breakfast and disney characters at GKTW
Disney Hollywood Studios
ADR Hollywood and Vine 115pm
Blockparty bash 3pm
Head back to GKTW or stay for fantasmic 730pm

Tuesday
Breakfast and Nick characters at GKTW
Check out of GKTW and hang out for awhile or head to downtown disney
Check into Nick hotel and swim for a couple hours
BBB for my daughter at 3pm (thinking I might cancel this)
MNSSHP

Wednesday
ADR Nick Character meal at the hotel at 8am
Universal Studios (IOA/US depending on where we went on thursday)
Or go to Sea World
Swim at the hotel ofr the afternoon and evening

Thursday
ADR Chef Mickey's 810am
Head to the airport, leave at noon


Should I have a plan of attack for the parks or just go with the flow?
Praying the kids don't get sick before we leave. Luca started preschool and a lot of kids are out in both of their classes.

Thanks

We just got back from our trip. We did Universal and IOA our first day too! We split the moring at Universal and the afternoon at IOA. My feelings are you should have some sort of plan of attack. We had our plans for the Disney parks but did not Universal and we wasted some valuable time figuring out what we wanted to do. For Universal there is a children's play area. They have a Woody Woodpecker rollarcoaster for children and my boys just loved that rollar coaster and we had to ride that a few times. They also have the Curious George Area which has alot of water. So you may want to bring some extra clothes. My boys are 5 and 7 and had a great time there. IOA in my opinion had the better children's area.

I too was nervous about using our GKTW button at first. There were some lines that were short and was not going to use it and they would tell us to come on. For example we were waiting for a character and was waiting in the line and they saw our button and came and pulled us out. Everyone was kind to us with the button. So do not feel nervous about using it.

I hope that helps.

 

[Matt1026]

Hi there, I'm new to the boards, just started researching this week as my daughter officially made her wish. I'll introduce our family later tonight, as hungry tummies await their dinner.
I wanted to ask if GKTW told you a schedule of characters that are coming to their village? I mentioned my daughter loves Blue's Clues to her wish granter and they replied that maybe they could set up a meet at the Nick hotel. I checked it out online and don't think there is much to do there for my wish daughter, besides meet Blue. I have seen some pics of people meeting Blue at GKTW and thought that would be so much simpler. So, I'm curious how much info you got and from whom? I also noted that you are going to the hotel for a character meal, and wondered if you plan to do any other activities while you are there. I only glanced at their website but it looked like great fun for older kids. Anyway, I'll be anxiously awaiting your TR and pics.

We have been back from GKTW for about 2 weeks nows. Blue was there on Tuesday when we were there. We had asked the night before who was going to be there and they share they did not know who Nick was sending. But the people at GKTW are great and so helpful. You may just want to call them and ask. Again those people are so very helpful.

 

[pipersmom]

I'll add more pics in my pre-trip once things are more set, but I finally figured out photobucket to some extent, so I figured I'd go ahead and post one of Miss Piper.

This one is actually from last summer ('08) my cousin did a bunch for us. Now if I could just hi-jack dsl from somewhere and not have to deal with uploading on dial-up

Ok..didn't think it would be THAT big..I did the resize for 15" screen deal..may have to mess with it some more..

 

[pipersmom]

Welcome Lisa and Melissa!

 

[yinyanggirls]

Matt1026 - Thanks for the update on Blue. I'm thinking if Blue goes to GKTW (even sometimes) it would be fairly easy to arrange a meet there rather than Nick hotel. I guess I'll have to wait until we have dates to ask about it.
~ Melissa

 

[yinyanggirls]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone.
~ Melissa

 

[yinyanggirls]

Welcome, yinyangirls! Planning is one of my favorite parts of a Disney trip, definitely.

We are leaving next Tuesday for Orlando; we have our wish presentation at Wes' favorite mexican restaurant this Thursday, which means I'll have about five days to plan around what MAW has planned. But it will all work out - this trip is all about Wes!

You must have had your travel dates already, but what other plans did you have to wait on? I was thinking it would be great to have so many months to plan so I could get the reservations we want, etc. Is it typical to wait until the week before to present the wish package?
~ Melissa

 

[yinyanggirls]

Maroo - We've been very lucky to have not had a lot of medical issues after her first year (her eye surgery was a planned out patient procedure). The seizure activity is frustrating because they can't catch it in a clinical setting even though for a couple of years they were quite predictable and long lasting (5 mins). We moved from TX to AZ about 3 years ago and I intended to find a neuro here who could use the portable monitoring but by the time we got settled and I found all the docs we needed she stopped having the seizures. Every once in a while I think I see one, but they are rare now, thankfully. Also, moving to a new state was a big challenge in trying to find a good school for her. The school district we moved into had her in a full-inclusion kinder class. With the cognitive skills of a 1 yr old! She got 15 mins of various therapies per week. It was a joke. So we moved to a new district that admitted they were not prepared to take her on, and allowed us to bus her 30 mins away to our state school for the blind. They are awesome! She gets to swim, ride horses, do music, art, and weekly field trips...It took another move (4th in 5 yrs) but we're glad we did it. Other than that our big challenge is moving her around and lifting her chair in and out of the van. Why insurance pays for a chair but not something to lift it with is beyond me. Also, as everyone knows, dealing with insurance and docs and schools and therapists is a full time job in itself!
~ Melissa

 

[maroo]

You must have had your travel dates already, but what other plans did you have to wait on? I was thinking it would be great to have so many months to plan so I could get the reservations we want, etc. Is it typical to wait until the week before to present the wish package?
~ Melissa

Every state is different with their MAW procedures.

Most of them will give you dates several months in advance. Ours actually asked for 2 sets of dates...but then didn't use either.

Have you already done the official wish request? They may ask you for dates...so you might want to figure out what time of year you guys might want to go.

The thing that was hardest for me, personally, in planning...was that we did not get our expense check (or budget) until the week before we left. I had 3 sets of plans...low budget, regular and the dream trip.

Also...most MAW chapters will schedule and pay for one extra thing for your child...so if you plan to go during Christmas, for example, you could ask to go to the Christmas Party in Disney. Or if it is to meet Blue - then they could set that up and actually cover that meal for you guys.

Maroo - We've been very lucky to have not had a lot of medical issues after her first year (her eye surgery was a planned out patient procedure). The seizure activity is frustrating because they can't catch it in a clinical setting even though for a couple of years they were quite predictable and long lasting (5 mins). We moved from TX to AZ about 3 years ago and I intended to find a neuro here who could use the portable monitoring but by the time we got settled and I found all the docs we needed she stopped having the seizures. Every once in a while I think I see one, but they are rare now, thankfully. Also, moving to a new state was a big challenge in trying to find a good school for her. The school district we moved into had her in a full-inclusion kinder class. With the cognitive skills of a 1 yr old! She got 15 mins of various therapies per week. It was a joke. So we moved to a new district that admitted they were not prepared to take her on, and allowed us to bus her 30 mins away to our state school for the blind. They are awesome! She gets to swim, ride horses, do music, art, and weekly field trips...It took another move (4th in 5 yrs) but we're glad we did it. Other than that our big challenge is moving her around and lifting her chair in and out of the van. Why insurance pays for a chair but not something to lift it with is beyond me. Also, as everyone knows, dealing with insurance and docs and schools and therapists is a full time job in itself!
~ Melissa

I am so glad she has a good school! That is so, so important!!

What kind of chair does she have? We had a time finding Lauren a new van after her last surgery. Her Mom was shocked when she was suddenly too tall to fit.

I can't imagine transferring her in and out all the time.

 

[maroo]

I'll add more pics in my pre-trip once things are more set, but I finally figured out photobucket to some extent, so I figured I'd go ahead and post one of Miss Piper.

This one is actually from last summer ('08) my cousin did a bunch for us. Now if I could just hi-jack dsl from somewhere and not have to deal with uploading on dial-up

Ok..didn't think it would be THAT big..I did the resize for 15" screen deal..may have to mess with it some more..

She is PRECIOUS!

I usually do mine in "large" unless there is something (like the castle) that I want to be really big!

That size on there right now is great!

 

[yinyanggirls]

What kind of chair does she have? We had a time finding Lauren a new van after her last surgery. Her Mom was shocked when she was suddenly too tall to fit.
I can't imagine transferring her in and out all the time.

She got the chair when she turned three because her PT said the school would need it. They didn't really need it for a couple more years but oh well. It's a hot pink frame, black seat, Quickie. Not a power chair and only small wheels in front since she can't push herself. Kids are always scoping it out 'cause it's very cool. She's 8 now and pushing it's limits, height wise, so we will be looking to get a new one soon. We've adjusted it as far as it will go. I'm hoping the next one will be either lighter or easier to take apart. With only two kids I get tired of driving a van.

I looked at some of your links and saw Lauren. She's gorgeous! And lucky to have you in her life. We have been getting respite/attendant care for about a year now and the first girl was nice but you could tell it was "just" a job. Our lady now is my parents' age so it's like an extra grandma for Phoebe. She is so sweet and always does extras for us like not charge to watch our younger one if we go out. I always trick her into a payback by paying for her dinner when she and I take the girls out or something like that. Phoebe gets so excited when she arrives for our dinner and bedtime routine. She really loves her and I think she can tell she's genuine. I often think how she has become like part of our family. Thank heaven for angels like you guys!
~ Melissa

 

[yinyanggirls]

I'll add more pics in my pre-trip once things are more set, but I finally figured out photobucket to some extent, so I figured I'd go ahead and post one of Miss Piper.

This one is actually from last summer ('08) my cousin did a bunch for us. Now if I could just hi-jack dsl from somewhere and not have to deal with uploading on dial-up
Ok..didn't think it would be THAT big..I did the resize for 15" screen deal..may have to mess with it some more..

Piper is so cute! I love how her hair is bouncing too.
Dial-up is SO frustrating. When we switched to cable I was so happy! Also, I don't think you have to use Photobucket to post pics, but then I haven't been able to do it yet so I don't know. I used photos from my blog and it looked like it was working, but I got a message that I didn't have enough posts here yet. Sometimes computers make life MORE complicated. LOL
~ Melissa

 

[pipersmom]

Piper is so cute! I love how her hair is bouncing too.
Dial-up is SO frustrating. When we switched to cable I was so happy! Also, I don't think you have to use Photobucket to post pics, but then I haven't been able to do it yet so I don't know. I used photos from my blog and it looked like it was working, but I got a message that I didn't have enough posts here yet. Sometimes computers make life MORE complicated. LOL
~ Melissa

Thank you, that's one of my fave pics of her..actually have one framed and in the living room. I used to have broadband, then we moved into uncivilized territory .. I think I was just spoiled At any rate, I think you can post them from any web hosting site, but as I didn't already have one, just decided to use photobucket. If you need to get your 10 posts, Maroo has posted a link on the first page of the thread for a test board (she's awesome!). We're looking forward to getting to know you and your family as we're in the same stage of planning that you are, I think

 

[pipersmom]

She is PRECIOUS!

I usually do mine in "large" unless there is something (like the castle) that I want to be really big!

That size on there right now is great!

Thanks, Maroo

 

[yinyanggirls]

Thank you, that's one of my fave pics of her..actually have one framed and in the living room. I used to have broadband, then we moved into uncivilized territory .. I think I was just spoiled At any rate, I think you can post them from any web hosting site, but as I didn't already have one, just decided to use photobucket. If you need to get your 10 posts, Maroo has posted a link on the first page of the thread for a test board (she's awesome!). We're looking forward to getting to know you and your family as we're in the same stage of planning that you are, I think

Oh well, now I know... LOL. I think this reply puts me at ten anyway but thanks!
I found your recent intro and it's funny that Piper and Phoebe are both 8 and both just starting the wish process. I have heard from a few friends that their wishes took a while to get approved and planned but ours seems to be moving along quickly. The day after our Docs office verified our contact info and sent in the referral I was contacted by MAW. From there it took less than 3 months before our wish granter contacted us to go over the paperwork and get the wish. They were moving pretty fast. I didn't realize that the first WISH was granted in AZ and that's what started the foundation. When we met the WG we weren't sure what she should wish for and wanted to get some info from MAW first. I just emailed her WG last Friday to say it's GKTW for sure. She was leaving for vacation so it'll be a couple more weeks before we hear from her, but I'm already anxious to find out the next step. (The paperwork we signed was the press release info, liability, checklist, etc and the first packet we received announced she had been approved for a wish.) It sounds like every chapter is a little different, so maybe you are already past some of that stuff. The last time we spoke of timing, she said something about waiting until spring if we didn't want cold, and I replied that cold wasn't an issue, just our calendar is crazy until the end of this year. So my guess is that any time after the new year is when we'll be going. Phoebe has a school break in Feb that I suggested we take advantage of but we will take her out if we have to, of course. Okay, I'm rambling now. It's hard not to get carried away....

 

[yinyanggirls]

Princess Phoebe at her recent Enchanted Garden Bday party

Hurricane Tessa at the party

Me lighting the candles as excited little fairies looked on (or grabbed or blew or...note my other hand guarding one side)

My hubby kissing a fairy

Tim carrying Phoebe from the trampoline back to her chair. I'm often grateful for his muscles.

And just to throw in a little Disney, this is on our last trip (the girls' first trip) to Dland last March. They both LOVED it! (the redhead in our cup is my SIL)