Make a Wish (and other organizations) - Wish Trippers UNITE! Volume THREE! :)

[casper_jj11]

You all are so supportive. I wish I had come here just after DD was granted her wish. I've felt so 'guilty' about accepting it; that somehow others have been through so much more. Kelly, I think you're right that life as I know it is normal to me. Those who hear about everything DD has been through always ask how we manage and cope ... we just do... we've known nothing else.... its one step at a time always being grateful that the news isn't worse I guess... I never really thought about others going through these same feelings ... you're all very understanding.

Maroo, I hope they find out the correct diagnosis for Lauren soon. She's a very brave little girl.

 

[Wee Annie]

You all are so supportive. I wish I had come here just after DD was granted her wish. I've felt so 'guilty' about accepting it; that somehow others have been through so much more. Kelly, I think you're right that life as I know it is normal to me. Those who hear about everything DD has been through always ask how we manage and cope ... we just do... we've known nothing else.... its one step at a time always being grateful that the news isn't worse I guess... I never really thought about others going through these same feelings ... you're all very understanding.

Maroo, I hope they find out the correct diagnosis for Lauren soon. She's a very brave little girl.

I hope I didn't make you feel worse by my post re why we're staying at GKTW -- that was most certainly not my intention! I think in one of your posts you said something about being "lucky." And it's wonderful that you feel that way -- it shows a healthy acceptance of all you've been through and an appreciation for the good you have found. However, everything is relative. I think you, like many of us, often compare our children to those who are worse off, i.e., I still have my child, who am I to complain? My child hasn't relapsed, aren't we lucky! And yes, we who still have our children -- in any condition -- are oh-so-lucky. But it doesn't negate the fact that, compared to the population as a whole, you weren't so lucky. You have a child that had cancer. You went through a lot as a family, still have to undergo medical exams and tests, and still have scares that are terrifying, like your recent one, that other families never have to worry about. In that regard, you will be very similar to many families at GKTW.

I know several families that chose to wait until their child was off-treatment and older to follow through with MAW. It seems like a very good decision. I only didn't do so because of my older daughters, who have truly suffered through the last year and a half. I know the wish trip is supposed to be all about the wish child, but our trip, in my mind, is also for her siblings. We had to cancel a trip to WDW because of Elke's diagnosis, and I felt that by going now we could begin a return to a new "normal" for our family.

But I think many "survivors" and their families go on MAW trips, and take advantage of GKTW. So do consider it. If you think a WDW hotel will be better for your family, go that route. But I'm sure you would be made to feel 100% comfortable at GKTW, if you chose to stay there.

Ann

 

[maroo]

I don't normally announce this on this thread...as most of us are already following a family through a pre-trip report...

But one of our "old" wish parents is starting her Trip Report very soon!!!

Becca - who is a precious little fighter - went to Disney almost exactly a year ago today. When she came home, she had a devastating illness that resulted in a very lengthy hospital stay and many very rough days.

She is doing better now and her Mom is ready to write a TR - even if it is a little mixed up from a year ago memory.

So...let's join her!!

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW BECCA'S TR!

 

[pnutallergymom]

Hey Joanne,


I just noticed that you guys stayed at the Swan in Feb. Did you like it?? We are staying there for part of our extended trip. My SIL works for Starwood properties so was able to get us a really good rate for 3 of the days. We are trying to figure out whether to book the other two there or try something different too!! The Swan looks great, I was just wondering what your thoughts were of it??

Maroo, Thanks for linking Beccas trip report...can't wait to follow it!!

 

[llurgy]

Thanks so much for the info!

Our wish coordinator didn't say anything about negating GKTW. I actually don't have much info yet just that we'd have our choice of GKTW or a disney hotel.

I guess I should have broken up a few of those questions. When I asked about OOP I was wondering if wish groups used the dining plan if staying at a disney resort or if meals were OOP. I wasn't so much wondering about the expense of extending the trip. I fully expect to pay it all OOP. I'm wondering how people who have extended the trip have been able to do so with respect to car rentals, air tickets, and park tickets.... did you do it beforehand, once you were there, did the contract for rental start over, did you have to return to the airport to do it, etc.

Thank so much about the info for GAC. I had no idea. Same with the info for the park tickets. You mentioned a bunch of other activities that come with GKTW... are they automatic or do you need to prebook those... is there a place I could find information on them? I've been hesitant to stay there... not quite sure why. We have three kiddos.... DS2, DS7 and our wish kiddos DD4 ... i just figured it would be easier for us and more enjoyable for them to be immersed in Disney and stay on site...

If we were to use the Disney tix for the extended portion of the trip, would DD still get the special treatment?? I really want her to feel like a princess on this trip. We've been there before but this is special and I want her to experience all the fantasy that a wish trip can provide...

I am another one who is going to pipe in with the GKTW cheer.
GKTW is so much more than somewhere to lay your head at the end of the day. You are totally immersed in an atmosphere of good cheer and well being. Your every wish is catered too without them breathing down your necks all the time.
Everyone is so friendly!! The whole family is treat like royalty but that extra special bit is reserved for the Wish Child. Becca (13) would have quite happily spent a lot more time there than we actually did. The character greets were amazing. Christmas is great, the carousal, the food, the Ice Cream parlour but mostly the atmosphere.

When we left to go home Becca was so sad. She said the thing she would miss most about her Wish Trip was the fact that every person you pass in GKTW, smiles, waves and says hello. It is totally up to you whether or not you elaborate on that greeting.

To make your wish trip that bit extra special GKTW does that and more.
It is quite humbling to think that we could all be billionaires but still not be able to pay to stay at that magical place.

Mandy

 

[casper_jj11]

I hope I didn't make you feel worse by my post re why we're staying at GKTW -- that was most certainly not my intention!

I didn't think that for a second. Everyone here has been so helpful. Whether we stay at GKTW or not is still in the air and likely will be until I have to make a firm decision. At this point, its just amazing to realize that there are so many that feel the same way that I've been feeling lately without voicing it. I'm glad I raised it because you've all managed to alleviate some of my concerns.

Hey Joanne,
I just noticed that you guys stayed at the Swan in Feb. Did you like it?? We are staying there for part of our extended trip. My SIL works for Starwood properties so was able to get us a really good rate for 3 of the days. We are trying to figure out whether to book the other two there or try something different too!! The Swan looks great, I was just wondering what your thoughts were of it??

Well, honestly, I don't think we'd stay there again. We stayed at the Dolphin the previous trip and just loved it. We stay there free with Starwood points so figured we'd try the Swan last Feb instead since the Dolphin was so big. I figured same pool but smaller location so it would be great. The service was actually really bad. It took them two days to get the wifi working (and since DH needs to check in daily with work that was a huge deal), there were no restaurants there really so we ended up trotting over to Pikabu for breakfast/brunch on our off days anyway, and front desk was relatively useless for getting information. We also all came down with stomach flu while there and it took them several calls to bring fresh towels. One day I stayed in bed to try and recoup while DH took the kids to AK. I tried to grab a cab from the front lobby and the concierge... or whoever hails the cabs.... told me all the cabs took credit card and it would cost about $10 to get to AK... ended up costing $25 and cash only. I was outside AK for 45min, feeling not so great, with a cabbie not wanting me to leav euntil he could figure out how I could pay.... he ended up actually calling in to the depot so I could pay. Overall, it was enough that I wouldn't stay again. Now, the Dolphin is a different story. They upgraded us automatically, gave us a balcony when it wasn't requested until checkin and a great view when asked. We asked at the Swan but they said we don't give upgrades... and then proceeded to ask the next person in line if they wanted one. If I had a choice and could get the same deal, I'd definitely choose the Dolphin. That said, I've spoken with people who have had terrible experiences at the Dolphin and swear by the Swan. Maybe ours was just bad timing it was just that there was so many things... there's no gift shop so we couldn't even buy a carton milk there for our little guy for goodness sake.

As for location, its great! Close to Epcot and HS as well as the miniputt (fun Disney Summerland course just across the street). Really close to the boardwalk which is wonderful. Also fantasic pool area and play area for little ones.

 

[pacrosby]

Thanks Ann and Maroo

I'm pretty sure I know my reasons for not wanting to stay at GKTW... its the same reason I feel kind of strange contacting the wish foundation to finalize things.... we were really really lucky. DD was diagnosed at 12mo and had surgery at 13mo. She never needed chemo or radiation. She had MRI's and CTscans every 3 months for a year (under anesthetic for all) and then has been back to oncology every 6mo for follow up since. We had a huge scare last fall when her catecholomines came back seriuosly elevated... it ended up being lab error but it was the worst month of my life (they wanted to wait a month before rerunning the tests). We are so very lucky. Most children with this type of cancer just don't survive. DD thinks its normal to being going to the children's hospital as often as she does and doesn't really remember the surgery or the fear because she was so young. She just knows she has tiny scars on her belly where she was made well again. Even her older brother is only now able to somewhat understand what cancer is.... she deserves this trip and I know that with all my heart but she doesn't remember why... she doesn't remember what she's been through... and that's a wonderful thing but it makes me feel different somehow from many of the other families

Obviously I'm alittle late to the party here (been away from the boards for a couple of days) but I just wanted to share my point of view....for whatever it's worth

When we first decided to pursue the WDW Wish Trip for my Matty I also initially thought a WDW property would be a better plan for us than GKTW. Like you, I believed that staying on property would allow for us to be fully immersed in Disney and make the logistics of the trip (we have 4 children ages 4-9) much more managable. Plus, Matty is 'well' and wouldn't require special accomadations that I was sure many of the Wish kids did. After thinking it through however (and researching the GKTW experience) I realized that GKTW was indeed the right choice. I wanted Matty's trip to truly be "his" Wish trip. We are fortunate to be in a good situation financially (partially due to fabulous medical insurance) and take many family trips over the course of a year. The more I thought about it the more I wanted 'this' trip to be different from all the others. Having Matty's Wish granted was not about the 'free' family vacation............it was about a very special opportunity, an opportunity for Matty to live the life of a VIP in a child's fantasyland, morning, noon, and night. It was the opportunity to experience a 'once-in-a-lifetime' week of wonder. He deserved that.

It doesn't matter how much money one has, the experience that GKTW offers can never be duplicated. You may go to WDW again. You may stay on property again. You may go to the parks again. You may even be able to plan your days at Disney so well that you rarely if ever have to stand in a line again. But you'll never stay at GKTW. You'll never be able experience that atmosphere. It's hard to describe. Personally, as melodramatic as it sounds, my family found it to be life-changing. It was as if a lightbulb went on in our heads. We are now planning yearly anniversary trips to WDW (barring unforseen circumstances) with time set aside for the whole family to volunteer at GKTW. I am now looking into volunteering for MAW myself. And my husband? Well he is in the process of starting a foundation in Matty's name and dedicating the proceeds to GKTW/MAW. I honestly don't think we would be in the same place we are today if we hadn't stayed at GKTW. I almost feel as if it were part of a 'larger plan'. But, I know, not everyone believes in such things.

Please understand that I'm not trying to suggest 'you' would be making a mistake by not staying there. I'm just suggesting you make sure you understand fully what you could be missing out on by not choosing to stay at GKTW. It was really only because I took the time to do my research and allowed myself to think about it in terms of the 'bigger picture' that I changed my mind. You, on the other hand, might very well look into it, think about everything, and still feel like on-property is the preferred way to go for your family. You just don't know what you don't know, if you know what I mean.

Anyway.....just wanted to share. For whatever it's worth


Pamela

Matty's Wish Trip PTR http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2325607
Matty's Wish Trip TR "Mom, Dad, 3 Kids, and a Gingerbread Boy" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2356739

 

[momma_mouse]

I just wanted to check in one last time before leaving. Our flight takes off at 8 Saturday morning, but we're staying the night in a hotel there (airport is 2.5 - 3 if you figure in all of Sloan's bathroom breaks - hours from our house) the night before. I've got tons to do tommorow plus I've got to go into work for a few hours so it's going to be a busy day.

I'm taking my laptop so I'll try to check in at some point if I get a chance.

Have a great week...I know we will!!!

 

[twinmum]

I didn't think that for a second. Everyone here has been so helpful. Whether we stay at GKTW or not is still in the air and likely will be until I have to make a firm decision. At this point, its just amazing to realize that there are so many that feel the same way that I've been feeling lately without voicing it. I'm glad I raised it because you've all managed to alleviate some of my concerns.



Well, honestly, I don't think we'd stay there again. We stayed at the Dolphin the previous trip and just loved it. We stay there free with Starwood points so figured we'd try the Swan last Feb instead since the Dolphin was so big. I figured same pool but smaller location so it would be great. The service was actually really bad. It took them two days to get the wifi working (and since DH needs to check in daily with work that was a huge deal), there were no restaurants there really so we ended up trotting over to Pikabu for breakfast/brunch on our off days anyway, and front desk was relatively useless for getting information. We also all came down with stomach flu while there and it took them several calls to bring fresh towels. One day I stayed in bed to try and recoup while DH took the kids to AK. I tried to grab a cab from the front lobby and the concierge... or whoever hails the cabs.... told me all the cabs took credit card and it would cost about $10 to get to AK... ended up costing $25 and cash only. I was outside AK for 45min, feeling not so great, with a cabbie not wanting me to leav euntil he could figure out how I could pay.... he ended up actually calling in to the depot so I could pay. Overall, it was enough that I wouldn't stay again. Now, the Dolphin is a different story. They upgraded us automatically, gave us a balcony when it wasn't requested until checkin and a great view when asked. We asked at the Swan but they said we don't give upgrades... and then proceeded to ask the next person in line if they wanted one. If I had a choice and could get the same deal, I'd definitely choose the Dolphin. That said, I've spoken with people who have had terrible experiences at the Dolphin and swear by the Swan. Maybe ours was just bad timing it was just that there was so many things... there's no gift shop so we couldn't even buy a carton milk there for our little guy for goodness sake.

As for location, its great! Close to Epcot and HS as well as the miniputt (fun Disney Summerland course just across the street). Really close to the boardwalk which is wonderful. Also fantasic pool area and play area for little ones.

Dear Fellow Canadian:

First, welcome to this thread...and you'll find that there are a few fellow Canucks here!

Next, I have tears in my eyes as I read all the post from other Wish Tripper parents. What a wonderufl community we have here!

Our son's Wish Trip was in November 2008. Mark has cerebral palsy. with some related medical issues. We stayed at GKTW, then extended our stay at the Grand Floridian, where we had stayed once before.

A Wish Trip is different. A wish Trip is special. A Wish Trip is memorable for everyone in the family and offers opportunities and moments that simply cannot be recreated. I am taking the boys (Mark has a twin brother) for a return trip next month (unfortunately Dad can't come along) and we know it won't be quite as special. Mark will be eligible for a Guest Assistance Card and even so...it won't be as special.

The boys LOVED GKTW. We spent lots of time there and could have spent more. They also love that as a GKTW family, they can come back and visit.

In the 11 years that our boys have been alive, I have never...NEVER...felt as supported as I did during that week. We have all travelled different roads, but each has had its challenges. For some, the worst is over. For others, darkness lies ahead. For our family, the challenges will be life long, but we are blessed with knowing that Mark is relatively healthy.

We started out, taking almost 3 years to accept this Wish. Only when we accepted that this was not a "free vacation" but rather a Wish, our son's heart's desire, were we ready to accept it. It was magical, and GKTW was a big part of it. It was our 3rd Disney vacation, but it will forever stand out as the one and only Wish Trip.

Only you can know what is right for your family. Follow your heart.

Alison

 

[noahsketomom]

Have a great trip Ashley!!

Thank you all for SHARING your valuable insight and all your amazing stories! I find myself tearing up after reading stories of your families, your trip planning, you trips, etc. I am convinced that our wish children are stronger and braver than we are!

I'm also so grateful because they called yesterday with DATES!

APRIL 7th - APRIL 13th!!!

Is there some rule about how many posts before doing a pre-trip report? The way my week is going, it will take forever anyhow, but I wanted to get started....just to give something to do with all my nervous energy!!!

 

[llurgy]

Have a great trip Ashley!!

Thank you all for SHARING your valuable insight and all your amazing stories! I find myself tearing up after reading stories of your families, your trip planning, you trips, etc. I am convinced that our wish children are stronger and braver than we are!

I'm also so grateful because they called yesterday with DATES!

APRIL 7th - APRIL 13th!!!

Is there some rule about how many posts before doing a pre-trip report? The way my week is going, it will take forever anyhow, but I wanted to get started....just to give something to do with all my nervous energy!!!

Congratulations on getting your dates!! How exciting!

The only rules as far as I know is that you have to have 10 posts before you can posts pictures.
So you will have to post 5 more times so get going

Mandy

 

[casper_jj11]

Alison, its nice to meet someone from home. We aren't even close to deciding yet where we'll stay but its so nice to get different viewpoints. DH got home from the U.S. last night and I mentioned my discussions with the wish coordinator ... he's actually open to doing the land/sea option which I really didn't think we'd do. We have so many decisions to make. I'm looking forward to getting the travel package from the foundation. Which organization did Mark get his wish through? How did you handle extending the trip? We really want to extend it by 4 or 5 days but it sounds like its going to be complicationed.

Same question for you Shannon. You mentioned you're staying for awhile later. I meant to ask how you're managing the flights and rental car.

I had been thinking that extending the trip should't be too hard but there are so many things I hadn't thought of.

 

[pnutallergymom]

Hi Joanne,

From what I'm reading, every wish organization works differently on how/if you can extend the wish trip. I know for us it wasn't an issue becasue the price of the flights were exactly the same if we had left on 4/30 as they are on 5/5. The rental car for us is a separate issue. We have to return our rental back to MCO on 4/30. At that point we are on our own as to what we want to do. Our wish organization would not let us return the rental at one of the Disney site rentals....has to go back where it came from!!!

My plan for right now is to just have DH return it and take a cab back. THen we will get one of the shuttles to take us back to MCO on 5/5. I found one that will do it for 85.00 one way. But, that may change. If I can get a decent enough price on priceline (which I had AMAZING luck with) then we will get our own rental for the rest of the trip.

 

[maroo]

Have a great trip Ashley!!

Thank you all for SHARING your valuable insight and all your amazing stories! I find myself tearing up after reading stories of your families, your trip planning, you trips, etc. I am convinced that our wish children are stronger and braver than we are!

I'm also so grateful because they called yesterday with DATES!

APRIL 7th - APRIL 13th!!!

Is there some rule about how many posts before doing a pre-trip report? The way my week is going, it will take forever anyhow, but I wanted to get started....just to give something to do with all my nervous energy!!!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31288549


You can go to that thread and go ahead and post 5 more times so that you can send private messages and post pictures.

Check out post #2 (on the first page of this thread) and it will give you hints on starting a pre-trip report and posting pics.

 

[casper_jj11]

Hi Joanne,

From what I'm reading, every wish organization works differently on how/if you can extend the wish trip. I know for us it wasn't an issue becasue the price of the flights were exactly the same if we had left on 4/30 as they are on 5/5. The rental car for us is a separate issue. We have to return our rental back to MCO on 4/30. At that point we are on our own as to what we want to do. Our wish organization would not let us return the rental at one of the Disney site rentals....has to go back where it came from!!!

My plan for right now is to just have DH return it and take a cab back. THen we will get one of the shuttles to take us back to MCO on 5/5. I found one that will do it for 85.00 one way. But, that may change. If I can get a decent enough price on priceline (which I had AMAZING luck with) then we will get our own rental for the rest of the trip.

Thanks Shannon. Our wish coordinator mentioned that we'd have to arrange the flight change ourselves at the airport but I figure taht we should be able to do that earlier once we get the reservation number. As for the car, that's what I expected. I've never used Priceline but I've gotten amazing rental deals from MCO using rental discount codes found on mousesavers. You may want to try there.

 

[momma_mouse]

I'm busy in the middle of packing but have a quick question...

Can I take dried fruit on the plane?

I'm putting together a bag of stuff for the kids. It had coloring books, crayons, sticker paper dolls, and some other things. I picked up some of those individual packages of Disney dried fruit and was wanting to put it in there but didn't know if they would make it through security. (This is our wait on the plane and not drive mom and dad nuts bag!)

Also, what about gummy fruit snacks.

Thanks so much!!

 

[yinyanggirls]

We asked to extend our trip and our chapter of MAW said okay. They arranged the flights so that we don't have to change it. They just moved the return date back a week. I don't know if it cost more or less or the same. They approved it before they even booked it so I don't think that was a detail they worried about.
They made sure we understood that we must leave GKTW (we knew) and told us to get a new rental car on the same day we check out of GKTW. I am hoping to get all the res. numbers and details soon, so that I can call and try to arrange things ahead of time. If the rate is decent I'd like to just keep the same vehicle and start a new contract on that day but don't know if they will allow that. Then we wouldn't have to take the time to return it or move all our stuff from one vehicle to another.

 

[maroo]

Maroo, Thanks for linking Beccas trip report...can't wait to follow it!!

You are very welcome!

We followed Becca through some hard stuff and Mandy was great about keeping us updated - so we all followed along as she really fought for her life and then regained her strength over the months that followed.

Obviously I'm alittle late to the party here (been away from the boards for a couple of days) but I just wanted to share my point of view....for whatever it's worth

When we first decided to pursue the WDW Wish Trip for my Matty I also initially thought a WDW property would be a better plan for us than GKTW. Like you, I believed that staying on property would allow for us to be fully immersed in Disney and make the logistics of the trip (we have 4 children ages 4-9) much more managable. Plus, Matty is 'well' and wouldn't require special accomadations that I was sure many of the Wish kids did. After thinking it through however (and researching the GKTW experience) I realized that GKTW was indeed the right choice. I wanted Matty's trip to truly be "his" Wish trip. We are fortunate to be in a good situation financially (partially due to fabulous medical insurance) and take many family trips over the course of a year. The more I thought about it the more I wanted 'this' trip to be different from all the others. Having Matty's Wish granted was not about the 'free' family vacation............it was about a very special opportunity, an opportunity for Matty to live the life of a VIP in a child's fantasyland, morning, noon, and night. It was the opportunity to experience a 'once-in-a-lifetime' week of wonder. He deserved that.

It doesn't matter how much money one has, the experience that GKTW offers can never be duplicated. You may go to WDW again. You may stay on property again. You may go to the parks again. You may even be able to plan your days at Disney so well that you rarely if ever have to stand in a line again. But you'll never stay at GKTW. You'll never be able experience that atmosphere. It's hard to describe. Personally, as melodramatic as it sounds, my family found it to be life-changing. It was as if a lightbulb went on in our heads. We are now planning yearly anniversary trips to WDW (barring unforseen circumstances) with time set aside for the whole family to volunteer at GKTW. I am now looking into volunteering for MAW myself. And my husband? Well he is in the process of starting a foundation in Matty's name and dedicating the proceeds to GKTW/MAW. I honestly don't think we would be in the same place we are today if we hadn't stayed at GKTW. I almost feel as if it were part of a 'larger plan'. But, I know, not everyone believes in such things.

Please understand that I'm not trying to suggest 'you' would be making a mistake by not staying there. I'm just suggesting you make sure you understand fully what you could be missing out on by not choosing to stay at GKTW. It was really only because I took the time to do my research and allowed myself to think about it in terms of the 'bigger picture' that I changed my mind. You, on the other hand, might very well look into it, think about everything, and still feel like on-property is the preferred way to go for your family. You just don't know what you don't know, if you know what I mean.

Anyway.....just wanted to share. For whatever it's worth


Pamela

Matty's Wish Trip PTR http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2325607
Matty's Wish Trip TR "Mom, Dad, 3 Kids, and a Gingerbread Boy" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2356739

Thanks for sharing that.

I just wanted to check in one last time before leaving. Our flight takes off at 8 Saturday morning, but we're staying the night in a hotel there (airport is 2.5 - 3 if you figure in all of Sloan's bathroom breaks - hours from our house) the night before. I've got tons to do tommorow plus I've got to go into work for a few hours so it's going to be a busy day.

I'm taking my laptop so I'll try to check in at some point if I get a chance.

Have a great week...I know we will!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!! Have a great time!

Dear Fellow Canadian:

First, welcome to this thread...and you'll find that there are a few fellow Canucks here!

Next, I have tears in my eyes as I read all the post from other Wish Tripper parents. What a wonderufl community we have here!

Our son's Wish Trip was in November 2008. Mark has cerebral palsy. with some related medical issues. We stayed at GKTW, then extended our stay at the Grand Floridian, where we had stayed once before.

A Wish Trip is different. A wish Trip is special. A Wish Trip is memorable for everyone in the family and offers opportunities and moments that simply cannot be recreated. I am taking the boys (Mark has a twin brother) for a return trip next month (unfortunately Dad can't come along) and we know it won't be quite as special. Mark will be eligible for a Guest Assistance Card and even so...it won't be as special.

The boys LOVED GKTW. We spent lots of time there and could have spent more. They also love that as a GKTW family, they can come back and visit.

In the 11 years that our boys have been alive, I have never...NEVER...felt as supported as I did during that week. We have all travelled different roads, but each has had its challenges. For some, the worst is over. For others, darkness lies ahead. For our family, the challenges will be life long, but we are blessed with knowing that Mark is relatively healthy.

We started out, taking almost 3 years to accept this Wish. Only when we accepted that this was not a "free vacation" but rather a Wish, our son's heart's desire, were we ready to accept it. It was magical, and GKTW was a big part of it. It was our 3rd Disney vacation, but it will forever stand out as the one and only Wish Trip.

Only you can know what is right for your family. Follow your heart.

Alison

Is a Canuck a Canadian?

You are so right..."Only you can know what is right for your family. Follow your heart."

 

[Wee Annie]

I'm busy in the middle of packing but have a quick question...

Can I take dried fruit on the plane?

I'm putting together a bag of stuff for the kids. It had coloring books, crayons, sticker paper dolls, and some other things. I picked up some of those individual packages of Disney dried fruit and was wanting to put it in there but didn't know if they would make it through security. (This is our wait on the plane and not drive mom and dad nuts bag!)

Also, what about gummy fruit snacks.

Thanks so much!!

The only restriction is for liquids. Non-liquid snacks are fine (and I have taken them through many times).

The 3-1-1 rule applies to any carry-on liquids, except for medical liquids. We traveled last November with a literal cooler-full of medical liquids and ice packs, and had no problem. Had additional screening, but no problem.

But no, no problem with bringing snacks through.

Have fun!!!!!!!

Ann

 

[casper_jj11]

The only restriction is for liquids. Non-liquid snacks are fine (and I have taken them through many times).

The 3-1-1 rule applies to any carry-on liquids, except for medical liquids. We traveled last November with a literal cooler-full of medical liquids and ice packs, and had no problem. Had additional screening, but no problem.

But no, no problem with bringing snacks through.

Have fun!!!!!!!

Ann

I was going to say the same thing. Its international flight for us we always take dried fruits and snacks. Just wanted to mention that some things may not seem like liquid but aren't permitted like applesauce and yogurt (unless you ahve an infant flying with you). Anything solid is fine.

Have a great trip!