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

[pnutallergymom]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

My DD3 was just granted her MAW and she has wished to go to DisneyWorld.

I have alot of questions for you, though!! Hoping here would be a good place to get some good answers. I have been a long time Disboards lurker and have actually planned two trips in the last 3yrs with all of the information I have gotten from you guys and from TGM!!

I am an uber planner and live on the computer when I am not taking care of DD!! I think that is why I am freaking out about this trip already!!!

Our first vacation was 3yrs ago and we stayed onsite at POFQ and took advantage of the DDP, ME and the busses etc!! We had gone in late April of 2007. FABULOUS!!! Not a single complaint!!

Our last trip was this past February 2009...lets just say it wasn't at all what we had hoped for. We stayed offsite at Bonnett Creek (gorgeous), rented a car, and did alot of offsite meals. We also did US/IOA and SW....hated SW and US/IOA was ok....but not great for our kids. I have three other children ages 8,7,6. There was alot they couldn't take advantage of. We HATED having the rental car and having to figure out where to go, where to eat, etc....It just didn't work for us. I think as our kids get older, this would be fine...but not now when our kids really just enjoyed MK, EP, HS, and AK...and the water parks.

Fast forward to this trip. I am totally freaking out. We have told our MAW chapter that we aren't interested in GKTW, or the other parks and that B's wish is just to do Disney....

It doesn't seem as though it is going to work out that way, though. They have said that we can stay onsite (not sure where yet)..but we will have to take a taxi over to GKTW to pick up our packet etc. We will still only be able to get the 3 day PH passes, and the tickets to SW, IOA/US....

I should also add that we are adding on 4 days out of pocket to extend the vaca a bit longer. After the long 3yrs we have had....without an end in site, we need this desperately. We really want to relax, do things slowly..hence not wanting the rental car etc. We really want to take our time.

Sooooo, I have alot of questions!!!!

I know that there is typically an expense check that MAW gives you. Could some of you PM me and let me know what I can probably expect? I am just trying to figure out how to make this all work. Luckily, we have a friend who works for Disney and might be able to get us some more park passes, but I am not sure how many.

Also, how will our dining plans be affected. I know if we were staying at GKTW, we would have alot of the meals there...will they take into consideration that we will just be in the Disney parks without a car etc??

I know that I will have a ton more questions, but those will probably come after I get some of your opinions!! I am feeling really bad about being "picky"..but we know what works for our family and what doesn't....I hope it doesn't come across as selfish...we are very grateful to have been given this opportunity!!!

Thanks so much!!

 

[LindaBabe]

Has anyone that's stayed at GKTW had to deal with food allergies (that were not related to the wish child) and other meal modifications?

Cambell has Celiac and is also allergic to milk and soy. Will they have things she can eat or do I need to plan on hitting up a health food store when I get there? (Speaking of which, where is one so we can pick up some snacks and stuff? Is there a Whole Foods close by?)

Do I need to call GKTW ahead of time and let them know her meal restrictions?

What about US (if we go, not sure yet) and Sea World? Will they be as helpful as Disney is with food allergies or will I need to take everything in for her?

They won't have a 'list ' of things she can eat, but YOU know what she can eat, which you can communicate with the manager of the restaurant.

You may find this place helpful http://allears.net/din/guestceliac.htm There is also a section in the book "WDW for your special needs" published by Passporter.

Peanut mom,
The tickets are donated, and to my knowledge, everybody gets the same thing. Plan on it costing you at least 20-30$ each way in taxi fare to get to GKTW. It's a good 15-20 minute drive. Dining on property can be expensive. Perhaps for the part of the trip you are funding, you may want to consider the dining plan, or, if it's offered during that time, some kind of package including tickets and dining.

 

[kellyw8863]

Of course...this totally varies family to family...
It would be particularly hard since Maya doesn't really know about Ali's condition...so maybe that would be a starting place? But I understand if you just don't want to go there...

And I expect it would be strange for Maya - since Ali doesn't "seem" sick - I would think that may even prompt Maya to want to be "sick" too...since it doesn't seem so bad.

To be honest...this was a problem for Lauren's trip...William was really jealous of her. Especially since William had been sick, too. William had spent just as many days in the hospital and day-to-day is probably "sicker" than Lauren (GI issues, etc). We joke that Lauren is the healthiest member of their family - she takes less medicine...and despite the fact that she can't walk or breathe right and will probably die of her condition sooner rather than later, she IS healthier than the rest of the family...

So this was a struggle for them.

William threw several "fits" when the wish granters would come and bring things for Lauren and not him...Lauren told William during one of these episodes that she picked Disney so that the whole family could have a trip (which was true) and we told William that Lauren could have picked something that she would have only benefited from...like a shopping spree or meeting a famous person, etc. So that helped a bit.

The other thing was making sure there was something special for William. On our trip, it was the Pirate Dinner Adventure (which was a nightmare and a whole different story) - and that was William's night and we made a BIG deal about it being HIS night!

GKTW does an excellent job of making the siblings feel special. For the most part, most of what they do they also do for the sibling...toys, gifts, etc...are given to both children. So that helps.

Our MAW chapter did not do this, though, and were vocal about this being "only for Lauren" and only brought stuff only for her. If we could do it all over again, we would have had toys for William for that night - we just did not anticipate that problem.

Short of telling her she is sick... I don't know? You could probably tell her she is sick and not make it seem like a big deal...but tell her that sick kids get to pick a wish. But the next time she has a virus...

I think just making a point to include her in the planning..."what do YOU want to ride"...what do you want to do...etc. And maybe a special event just for her that is all about her and make it a BIG deal.

Just the fact that you are being sensitive to it is a big help. It is so hard on the siblings, too.

Thank you for sharing Lauren and William's experiences - I appreciate it! I like the idea of planning something just for Maya, and I think I will take it one step further and plan something for just me and her. I'm thinking BBB, which she would LOVE. It will just depend upon our financial situation at the time. We did talk a bit last night about why this is happening for Ali and kind of left it at, "Well, this is to make up for all the time she has spent in the hospital and for all the operations she has had." Maya seemed to understand that okay, so we'll see how it goes.

Ughhhh....I get it.....and I am sure Feb would be to soon, so they will give your April dates for sure...would just love to be there when Ali did her wish pillow or star...

Can't wait to follow her trip report...it really is amazing being on the other end ( after your wish trip) cause you know what this family ( yours) will be going to expereince....

That would be too cool! I think it's awesome that you guys are going back to volunteer. And I can't believe that you're going so soon!

Kelly! Glad to see you back! It will be fun for us if she chooses WDW.
I just keep waiting for someone to come on here with some April dates. Sounds like you will try to go around Easter which we avoided so maybe even you will pass us by. We arrive 4/17, or so I was told (no tickets or confirmation info yet).

Phoebe doesn't have the ability to understand a conversation about being sick or "different" and Tessa (barely turned 4 last week) accepts Phoebe without questions. She obviously sees that Phoebe uses a wheelchair, doesn't talk, gets fed by adults, etc. but she has never asked why. I have mentioned the trip to her and that it is Phoebe's wish and her fairy godmother is making it come true. She accepted that info without question and was focused more on the fact that I said "we" were going on a trip for Phoebe's wish. When the wish granter first met us she did bring a gift for both girls. Tessa was happy to get a gift, but didn't ask why. She just goes with the flow sometimes. If I have more conversations with her about it or think of any better ideas I will be sure to share it.

That's actually our April vacation and what we would hope for in terms of a departure date! Maya is the same way with Ali. In fact, she likes to "show off" her sister, and is always quick to point out her AFOs and g-tube. She doesn't see it as a big deal at all, most likely because we try to treat it like it's not a big deal. And please, do share - I'm looking forward to it since we are a couple of steps behind you! I hope that you get your dates confirmed soon. I just want everything set so that I know I can truly look forward to it.

So I was talking to Ali this afternoon about "getting her wish," and now she's insistent on going to the zoo. I know why, too, which is pretty funny. Last September, we were supposed to go to the Franklin Park Zoo as part of a Starlight Foundation thing. Because of the weather, it was post-poned to October, and then it was finally just cancelled, again, because of the weather. Ever since then, she has obsessed about it. Now if her wish granters come here and she says she wants to go to the zoo, will they think "bigger" than the Franklin Park Zoo? I'm thinking Animal Kingdom is a zoo, right? I can just picture us spending her wish in Dorchester.

Crying kid - need to go find out what the lastest fight is about!

Kelly

 

[maroo]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

My DD3 was just granted her MAW and she has wished to go to DisneyWorld.

Woo Hoo!!

I have alot of questions for you, though!! Hoping here would be a good place to get some good answers. I have been a long time Disboards lurker and have actually planned two trips in the last 3yrs with all of the information I have gotten from you guys and from TGM!!

I am an uber planner and live on the computer when I am not taking care of DD!! I think that is why I am freaking out about this trip already!!!

You will fit in great here!

Our first vacation was 3yrs ago and we stayed onsite at POFQ and took advantage of the DDP, ME and the busses etc!! We had gone in late April of 2007. FABULOUS!!! Not a single complaint!!

Our last trip was this past February 2009...lets just say it wasn't at all what we had hoped for. We stayed offsite at Bonnett Creek (gorgeous), rented a car, and did alot of offsite meals. We also did US/IOA and SW....hated SW and US/IOA was ok....but not great for our kids. I have three other children ages 8,7,6. There was alot they couldn't take advantage of. We HATED having the rental car and having to figure out where to go, where to eat, etc....It just didn't work for us. I think as our kids get older, this would be fine...but not now when our kids really just enjoyed MK, EP, HS, and AK...and the water parks.

Fast forward to this trip. I am totally freaking out. We have told our MAW chapter that we aren't interested in GKTW, or the other parks and that B's wish is just to do Disney....

Interesting! The plot thickens!

It doesn't seem as though it is going to work out that way, though. They have said that we can stay onsite (not sure where yet)..but we will have to take a taxi over to GKTW to pick up our packet etc. We will still only be able to get the 3 day PH passes, and the tickets to SW, IOA/US....

This is exactly what we did! You get the benefits of GKTW (and trust me, it is a wonderful place...not something that can be accurately described with pictures or even stories...something about that place... The sights? The sounds? The music? I have no idea...but that place is the most magical place on earth.)

Anyway...

What you would do is stay onsite...so you would go to GKTW your first day and do orientation there... then you can eat there, do any of their activities at night and you will always be welcome back at GKTW anytime. You will also get the star and other really cool stuff they don't probably tell you about on here when you leave.

I should also add that we are adding on 4 days out of pocket to extend the vaca a bit longer. After the long 3yrs we have had....without an end in site, we need this desperately. We really want to relax, do things slowly..hence not wanting the rental car etc. We really want to take our time.

This is a GREAT plan!

Sooooo, I have alot of questions!!!!

I know that there is typically an expense check that MAW gives you. Could some of you PM me and let me know what I can probably expect? I am just trying to figure out how to make this all work. Luckily, we have a friend who works for Disney and might be able to get us some more park passes, but I am not sure how many.

Unfortunately...this is VERY hard to determine. I have - over the past year or so - heard of everything from a couple of hundred dollars (I know - I almost fell out) to a few thousand dollars...It totally depends on your chapter, size of your family (we had one family go with 8 kids...that was probably a pretty large expense check!) and what they are specifically paying for.

Having said that...if you are staying on Disney property - they consider that...and you will probably get more expense money than if you stayed at GKTW - since you will be paying for more meals that you would normally out of pocket.

But how much it is?? Who knows. And...unless your wish organization is feeling generous...you won't know until right before you leave (like the week before) because it changes based on their budget and even what the gas prices are?

I can tell you that we were fine on our trip - we were able to eat several meals there onsite and counter service. We went easy on the snacks and brought some of our own and were able to do MNSSHP for the 5 of us.

You do get less to spend for a child than an adult - because they know the meals are less expensive.

If they can get you more park passes - that would be really good - because they won't give you any more from GKTW. And you would have to start back over from being "the first day" - you can't just upgrade a 3 day hopper to a 7 day...if that makes sense. That would be cheap...but you would have to start over and buy a 4 day hopper... (if you were shooting for 7 park days).

Also, how will our dining plans be affected. I know if we were staying at GKTW, we would have alot of the meals there...will they take into consideration that we will just be in the Disney parks without a car etc??

Yes. But...I think they will still rent you a car?? Maybe? I know they were planning on renting us one...I drove instead, to bring Lauren's wheelchair...but I think we were supposed to have a car anyway...

I know that I will have a ton more questions, but those will probably come after I get some of your opinions!! I am feeling really bad about being "picky"..but we know what works for our family and what doesn't....I hope it doesn't come across as selfish...we are very grateful to have been given this opportunity!!!

Don't feel bad at all!

Thanks so much!!

First of all! to the Wish Trippers thread!

I answered all of your questions above in PINK!

Do you have dates?

 

[kellyw8863]

Quick question - I'm about to place an order with Amazon. What's the best planning guide for the clueless?

 

[pnutallergymom]

Thanks for all the input Maroo!!

We are planning on April 24-April 30 (MAW dates) and adding on and staying on our own until May 4th. My cousin works for Starwood properties and thinks she can get us a pretty good discount at the Swan/Dolphin for the extra days!! Do you know if MAW (I believe they go through GKTW to get the rooms at Disney) always puts families at a Deluxe resort while they are staying on property?

Our MAW chapter (NH) has said that they will factor in cost for us for a taxi over to GKTW for the orientation. Other than that, we have said we don't want a car.

When you went with Lauren and her family (Ive read all the MAW trip reports, remember I said, I am obsessed!!!) did you do SW and US/IOA or just the Disney parks...I can't remember??

The MAW office did call today to ask what Brigitte's favorite character is and we did tell them Mickey and Minnie. They wanted to plan a day at the BBB for her, but unfortunately, there is no way she would sit still for it. The trauma of constantly being poked, prodded, touched etc...makes for a very uncomfortable situation and she would NEVER let them touch her hair, and do makeup!! So I asked them not to do that.

I hate to say it, but I wish they would just say, "here is your budget, do what you can with it"!! We really just want to go to the parks and relax at the pool for a bunch of days...last time we went in April, my kids were so hot they just wanted to swim all day and could care less about the parks until it cooled off at night time. It made for a very relaxing vacation, which is exactly what we need right now. That and I love making the ADR's and eating on the dining plan! We are total foodies!!

There are 6 of us, so I am hoping that they will take into consideration that it will be fairly expensive to eat onsite all week!!! I hate not knowing EVERYTHING!!!!


Kelly, We have met before at CHB. I follow Alli's CB page...I am Brigitte's mom, Shannon. Congrats on MAW. I would highly suggest subscribing to TourGuide Mike's website. It has great information on it, but I also like to have something to hold in my hands and look at too when I am planning, and the 2010 Unofficial Guide to Disney is great too!! They make a version for kids too, which would make a great holiday gift!!!

 

[momma_mouse]

I just realized that if all goes as planned, in 43 days we'll be hours away from loading up and heading to the airport on our way to Florida.

Start throwing info at me. Anything and everything. Please?!?

 

[Momofwishkid]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

My DD3 was just granted her MAW and she has wished to go to DisneyWorld.

I have alot of questions for you, though!! Hoping here would be a good place to get some good answers. I have been a long time Disboards lurker and have actually planned two trips in the last 3yrs with all of the information I have gotten from you guys and from TGM!!

I am an uber planner and live on the computer when I am not taking care of DD!! I think that is why I am freaking out about this trip already!!!

Our first vacation was 3yrs ago and we stayed onsite at POFQ and took advantage of the DDP, ME and the busses etc!! We had gone in late April of 2007. FABULOUS!!! Not a single complaint!!

Our last trip was this past February 2009...lets just say it wasn't at all what we had hoped for. We stayed offsite at Bonnett Creek (gorgeous), rented a car, and did alot of offsite meals. We also did US/IOA and SW....hated SW and US/IOA was ok....but not great for our kids. I have three other children ages 8,7,6. There was alot they couldn't take advantage of. We HATED having the rental car and having to figure out where to go, where to eat, etc....It just didn't work for us. I think as our kids get older, this would be fine...but not now when our kids really just enjoyed MK, EP, HS, and AK...and the water parks.

Fast forward to this trip. I am totally freaking out. We have told our MAW chapter that we aren't interested in GKTW, or the other parks and that B's wish is just to do Disney....

It doesn't seem as though it is going to work out that way, though. They have said that we can stay onsite (not sure where yet)..but we will have to take a taxi over to GKTW to pick up our packet etc. We will still only be able to get the 3 day PH passes, and the tickets to SW, IOA/US....

I should also add that we are adding on 4 days out of pocket to extend the vaca a bit longer. After the long 3yrs we have had....without an end in site, we need this desperately. We really want to relax, do things slowly..hence not wanting the rental car etc. We really want to take our time.

Sooooo, I have alot of questions!!!!

I know that there is typically an expense check that MAW gives you. Could some of you PM me and let me know what I can probably expect? I am just trying to figure out how to make this all work. Luckily, we have a friend who works for Disney and might be able to get us some more park passes, but I am not sure how many.

Also, how will our dining plans be affected. I know if we were staying at GKTW, we would have alot of the meals there...will they take into consideration that we will just be in the Disney parks without a car etc??

I know that I will have a ton more questions, but those will probably come after I get some of your opinions!! I am feeling really bad about being "picky"..but we know what works for our family and what doesn't....I hope it doesn't come across as selfish...we are very grateful to have been given this opportunity!!!

Thanks so much!!

I dont have any answers for you but just wanted to say Welcome and congrats on DD picking Disney for her wish trip! Im sure there are lots of experience Disers here that will help you with any questions.

 

[maroo]

Quick question - I'm about to place an order with Amazon. What's the best planning guide for the clueless?

Depends on what you want....

My personal favorite is the Unofficial Guide to WDW (Len Testa is one of the co-authors). Another good one is Birhnbahm...or something like that...?

The Unofficial Guide has EVERYTHING you would ever want to know PLUS some things you could care less about...like how soft the pillows are...But it is also a funny book and a good read.

Birnbaum's book has more pictures and is more of a general overview...but not very many details.

I was all about the details!

Another GREAT book for ANYONE going on a Wish Trip is Passporters Open Mouse - this has a LOT of great tips about doing Disney with any disability...everything from autism to mobility issues to allergies to morbid obesity...it covers everything! I highly recommend that book!

Thanks for all the input Maroo!!

We are planning on April 24-April 30 (MAW dates) and adding on and staying on our own until May 4th. My cousin works for Starwood properties and thinks she can get us a pretty good discount at the Swan/Dolphin for the extra days!! Do you know if MAW (I believe they go through GKTW to get the rooms at Disney) always puts families at a Deluxe resort while they are staying on property?

Totally depends on the chapter. I can't remember where they were going to put us first...but they decided against that and put us on the monorail line. Mainly because of Lauren's mobility issues mixed with other medical needs in the family - we needed to be close to the resort and the monorail line made sense to MAW. They had chosen POLY cloud9, but they had no handicapped rooms, so they moved us to the Contemporary. I actually was bold enough to ask for a Tower Room. That was the only time they would ever be able to stay at The Contemporary and I really wanted them to have that experience.

The really cool thing was that we got two rooms...since there were 5 of us. That was beyond helpful! But our rooms were way far apart since they upgraded us.

But that was just our experience.

I have heard of Wish families staying at All Stars, AKL and POR...so it can vary greatly. Depends on lots of factors, I guess.

Our MAW chapter (NH) has said that they will factor in cost for us for a taxi over to GKTW for the orientation. Other than that, we have said we don't want a car.

That is good that they will factor in the cost! That will be cheaper than renting a car...

My only hesitation there is that you would not be able to go back to GKTW it you wanted in order to go to the parties. Have you read any of the TR's yet? Each of the parties that they have at night are special in their own way...my personal favorites are the Christmas Party (every week, usually on Thursday), the Candyland Party (every week, usually on Sunday) and a Birthday Party (every week, usually on Friday?? or Sat...can't remember)...

There are also lots of things to do at GKTW and you could really spend hours there checking it all out, etc. It is like going to a park for me. We will plan a full day there when we come back, because we missed a lot of what we wanted to do there since Lauren got sick on our trip. (Another HUGE benefit to having the car! I guess we would have had to call an ambulance??)

Anyway...I guess I would get them to rent us a car even if I wasn't planning to use it much...just in case?

When you went with Lauren and her family (Ive read all the MAW trip reports, remember I said, I am obsessed!!!) did you do SW and US/IOA or just the Disney parks...I can't remember??

Well...scratch what I said above! You already know about the parties!

We did a few hours at Sea World (Lauren LOVED the dolphins - even though she was quite sick when we were there) and never did do Universal. That was a mistake in my mind, though. The VIP treatment you get there is great - the park is not Disney, but the service to Wish Families is VIP! But I have yet to even go to Universal at all. I will be going when the Harry Potter land comes out, though.

The MAW office did call today to ask what Brigitte's favorite character is and we did tell them Mickey and Minnie. They wanted to plan a day at the BBB for her, but unfortunately, there is no way she would sit still for it. The trauma of constantly being poked, prodded, touched etc...makes for a very uncomfortable situation and she would NEVER let them touch her hair, and do makeup!! So I asked them not to do that.

We did this...BBB...and Lauren did not like it as much as we thought she would (or as much as she thought she would)...but I did make just her and her Mom a ressie at CRT...just the two of them.

I hate to say it, but I wish they would just say, "here is your budget, do what you can with it"!! We really just want to go to the parks and relax at the pool for a bunch of days...last time we went in April, my kids were so hot they just wanted to swim all day and could care less about the parks until it cooled off at night time. It made for a very relaxing vacation, which is exactly what we need right now. That and I love making the ADR's and eating on the dining plan! We are total foodies!!

They have great pools at GKTW, too. And some new ones.

I am not sure how they will do the Dining Plan?? I wonder if you could add it to the reservation? I wish I could remember how much they gave us a day for food??? It seemed like a lot at the time...but I don't think it really was all that much per day.

There are 6 of us, so I am hoping that they will take into consideration that it will be fairly expensive to eat onsite all week!!! I hate not knowing EVERYTHING!!!!

This is the hardest part - I had 3 budgets...the bare minimum, medium and go for it plans!

Kelly, We have met before at CHB. I follow Alli's CB page...I am Brigitte's mom, Shannon. Congrats on MAW. I would highly suggest subscribing to TourGuide Mike's website. It has great information on it, but I also like to have something to hold in my hands and look at too when I am planning, and the 2010 Unofficial Guide to Disney is great too!! They make a version for kids too, which would make a great holiday gift!!!

My thoughts exactly!

I just realized that if all goes as planned, in 43 days we'll be hours away from loading up and heading to the airport on our way to Florida.

Start throwing info at me. Anything and everything. Please?!?

LOL...

I pretty much throw out info all day. More than my friends can stand!

What would you like to know?

 

[momma_mouse]

LOL...

I pretty much throw out info all day. More than my friends can stand!

What would you like to know?

Anything and everything I might need to know about GKTW, Disney, Universal or Sea World.

What are the do not miss things at GKTW?

I read something about a free meal at Hard Rock???

Do you get front of the line at Universal?

Anything you can think of would be great. I'm kind of stressing knowing that a.) I'm taking 3 kids 6 and under, 2 who have special needs. We're going to be out numbered!! b.) I can't plan this trip out the way I would like. We're going to be flying by the seat of our pants.

 

[maroo]

Anything and everything I might need to know about GKTW, Disney, Universal or Sea World.

At first I put a laughing smilie here.... There are volumes written about the subject....To write it ALL here.... You totally made me smile.

I am leaving Monday for a trip with my disabled friend and her family...normally I would not have been invited on their family vacation.... but...

It started several months ago when they were planning....they wanted me to "tell" them everything they need to know for their trip.... about an hour later they were begging me to stop and inviting me to come!

I would start on the 2nd post of this thread...

There is a link there to a thread on the disABILITIES section of the boards...where you can find a BUNCH more information.

Information like crazy!!! Probably WAY more than you need to know.


Frankly...you need to know just a few really important things...

1. Only you know your family and what they would like, what schedule they can keep, etc...

2. Take it easy on your trip so you don't get sick there or after you get back.

You will have a great time!


What are the do not miss things at GKTW?

Depends on the age of your kids and when you go...but generally I say the Christmas Party is a don't miss. I also - for young children - think the Candyland Party is a don't miss...and the birthday party.

Make sure you eat breakfast in the Gingerbread house at least one time - it is yummy! And try out Katie's Kitchen (Boston Market food)...

and OF COURSE...Ice cream. Every day.



I read something about a free meal at Hard Rock???

I can't remember who reported this?? Or what they said? Seems like it was half off of merchandise? I don't know of any free meals except at GKTW. But they do offer some deep discounts on some things.

Do you get front of the line at Universal?

Yes. - in fact, many have reported that they actually do a even "better" job of granting VIP access to rides there.

Anything you can think of would be great. I'm kind of stressing knowing that a.) I'm taking 3 kids 6 and under, 2 who have special needs. We're going to be out numbered!! b.) I can't plan this trip out the way I would like. We're going to be flying by the seat of our pants.

Don't be too stressed. Just set your expectations reasonably...you probably won't be showing up at rope drop with your three kids and go all day with no rest. It will take longer to get around...and all of that is totally fine.


I would read some of the TR's on post 1 - they will give you a good idea of what you may expect...

Focus on the ones that say MAW/GKTW - so that you get ones that will be similar to yours (as opposed to Disneyland or a Cruise or someone that stayed onsite at Disney).

Each trip has a special moment...a moment that was not planned...a special character greeting or a cast member does something over the top nice...or at GKTW....EVERY trip has that moment. But none have the SAME moment...

I have not seen a magical moment repeated yet...different characters, different kids, different families and trips - but they have all come back and said it was wonderful! And was over before they knew it!

 

[maroo]

Ok...

I am copying this in several places...so if you follow my pretrip reports and such...you may see this more than once...

We leave MONDAY to go to Disney.

I am going with my friend Rachel (not to be confused with Lauren, who is pictured below) as her nurse and to help "guide" them in Disney.

Rachel's condition is terminal and we almost lost her in July/Aug of this year - after an ICU stay...she finally has gotten a LOT better in the past few months.

But within the last few days she is having all sorts of issues with seizures, confusion and she is now sick - 101F fever and a lung infection. It is not pneumonia. Her doctor was talked into letting her go - and gave us a list of instructions - including staying in the room if she is sick.

I am asking you guys to please pray for her - that she would feel better and feel GOOD for this trip!

Also that the weather would hold out for us...specifically that it would not be so cold. Right now some forecasts are saying that it may be as low as 41F at night...which is cold to these people from MS!

I would appreciate you guys praying for the trip!

 

[LindaBabe]

Prayers are on the way Maroo! May this family have a dream trip and make wonderful magical memories to hold in their hearts forever.

 

[maroo]

Thank you, Linda!!



I HAVE to add this picture...
She is hanging in her hoyer lift with a towel on her head...looking pitifully sick. She thought the picture was so funny she posted it on her Facebook page! She cracks me up.

So...pray with us....that we will have some HAPPY ... DISNEY ... pictures to post next week!

 

[momma_mouse]

Can you tell me more about the parties? The Christmas party is pretty self explanatory but what is this Candy Land party?

No, definately no rope drops to closing for us. I'm planning on cutting out lots of things that I don't think they will absouletely love because there is no way my 2 year old will handle that. She is the child who asks to take a nap and asks to go to bed, some nights at 6 or 6:30.

I'm still debating US. I'm thinking we could do it in a day, instead of 2. What do you think? We would only do some character meets, maybe 1 playplace and some of the kids rides.

We can't do a lot of rides since our youngest is only 36 inches. As of now, Sloan, the wish kid, is only 39. I'm crossing my fingers he grows just a wee bit between now and then. We don't want to split up much. I've promised our oldest a few rides of her choices so we will use parent swap some, but not much....it just doesn't feel very fare to me to do that to the little ones.

 

[Momofwishkid]

Prayers for Rachel and the weather getting better. I really hope she has the greatest trip ever and gets lots of happy disney pics.

 

[twinmum]

Thanks, Maroo! We're positively thrilled for her to have something to look forward to, though I know she's a little young to understand the whole scope of things.

For those of you with multiple children, how do you address the needs of the non-wish child? As soon as I got off the phone with MAW and relayed the news to my husband, my other daughter wanted to know when she was going to get her wish. We've never really talked to Maya about Ali's mitochondrial disease, though she certainly knows something is up. And to be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready to address it just yet because we certainly don't treat Ali like she is "sick." And for the most part, her health is stable right now so I don't want to go there in my mind, either. So thoughts on how to address it? Thanks so much!

Kelly

Hello! I'm not on the boards every day, and just saw your question. Our son Mark had his Wish Trip to WDW/GKTW in November 2008. Mark is a twin, and we were very concerned about his twin brother's reaction to all this. I understand that your situation is different because everything has not been explained. In our case. Douglas has always known of his brother's disability. Still, as Mark is cognitively, socially and verbally typical for age, Douglas sometimes has a hard time understanding why people make a fuss about Mark.

We were very concerned about Douglas' reaction. Our wish granting organization, Starlight Starbright of Canada, was so inclusive from the very start - Douglas also received lovely gifts when we first met out Wish Granter, and also when she came with the Wish Trip tickets etc package...it was a HUGE box filled with gifts for the boys...and tickets etc.!

We did try to think of something that would make Douglas feel special and it worked. Unfortunately, I also know that WDW has stopped doing this, so I'll try to think of another idea as well. We had a meal at the Coral Reef at Epcot, where you can eat right beside a HUGE fish tank. There are divers who have work to do etc in the water, but they also used to "deliver" special messages to the folks at the tables right by the glass. I was able to arrange a special sign that said "Welcome to the Coral Reef, Douglas Bowen and Family. Best Wishes to a Wonderful Brother and Son." They also did personalized menus for us - had a picture of the boys, and same message. It worked like magic! I did tell Mark about it ahead of time (they were 10 at the time, so he was able to understand) and he appreciated that this was a special time for Douglas.

So...I just wish I could suggest this to you, too...but I have read that they don't do this anymore. I suspect they were inundated with requests. Do you have any special meals planned? Perhaps you could arrange a special dessert with a special message?

Another thought is to try to be clear about what you other child would really, really like to do at WDW and make sure it happens. This story comes from after our time at GKTW, when we extended our stay. Our weather was a little iffy and we hadn't had any swim time. Douglas wanted to go back to the hotel and swim; Mark wanted to stay at the MK. For sure, my hubby took Douglas back and Mark and I stayed on. That was the day we visited the Wish Lounge and met a CM who was a triplet...and had the same bday sa my guys! She arranged a gift of Mickey ears for the boys. If there is anything your other child would love to do but your Wish Child doesn't care for, so your best to do it.

Those are my initial thoughts, and if I think of anything else, I'll let you know!

Alison

 

[tinytreasures]

prayers for Rachel

 

[yinyanggirls]

Thank you, Linda!!



I HAVE to add this picture...
She is hanging in her hoyer lift with a towel on her head...looking pitifully sick. She thought the picture was so funny she posted it on her Facebook page! She cracks me up.

So...pray with us....that we will have some HAPPY ... DISNEY ... pictures to post next week!

That's a funny pic! I have oft complained that Phoebe is not much "work" it's all of her contraptions and equipment! Sending happy thoughts to FL, hoping for good weather and good health!

 

[yinyanggirls]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

My DD3 was just granted her MAW and she has wished to go to DisneyWorld.


Congrats!!

I am an uber planner and live on the computer when I am not taking care of DD!! I think that is why I am freaking out about this trip already!!!

I was really freaking out at first too! I hated not having dates so I could start planning!

Sooooo, I have alot of questions!!!!

I know that there is typically an expense check that MAW gives you. Could some of you PM me and let me know what I can probably expect? I am just trying to figure out how to make this all work. Luckily, we have a friend who works for Disney and might be able to get us some more park passes, but I am not sure how many.


I don't really want to know ahead of time. I'm planning the dining reservations that we want assuming we will pay for it one way or another. I haven't decided whether or not to add on any other extras like BBB (since GKTW has something similar now) or the pirate makeover. It might just depend on the kids that day.

Since my kids are younger also, I have decided that we will do US/IOA and SW just because we can. We will only hit the little kid areas and rides, and not worry about doing any big rides unless the mood hits when we are there and time and moods allow for it. Phoebe's vision is very poor for long distances, so the SW shows will probably bore her to tears, literally. We will visit/touch/feed all the animals we can, and maybe eat at the underwater restaurant. I figure that those nights we will be done early, and can use the extra time to play and explore at Universal Citywalk, DTD or GKTW. Just go with the flow and not feel pressured to hurry. As for the 3-day passes for WDW we are going to hit MK first to make sure we hit all the faves there first. Then divide the days between 2 or even 3 parks, so that we can go back to MK if we want. I'm hoping that our dates will allow for low crowds and plenty of time to do everything we want.

I can see what you mean about the indecisiveness of staying off-site and stressing over those decisions, but I think that GKTW is always a good backup. Unless you have somewhere that you specifically want to go for dinner, just plan on GKTW. I'm not trying to convince you, just pointing out that GKTW is similar to an "onsite" hotel in terms of meals. I guess the travel time is still an issue for you though. I like the idea of having our own vehicle so that we can explore anything we want to (even though we probably won't - we can if we want!). I'm sure whatever they work out for you, you can make it work for your family.