Make A Wish/Give kids the world

[AmazingGrace]

Hi, I posted this on the family forum, but was told that I should move this post here, so here goes,
Hi, my name is Loriann. My son Benji just got a wish from Make A Wish. He wants to go to Walt Disney World. We'll be going after my husband comes from deployment this summer.
Make A Wish has been awesome. On the day of the formal interview, they gave Benji a wish kit, with a make a wish tee shirt, a badge, a birmbaums guide to Disney and a special make a wish ball cap. They told him he NEEDS to wear the shirt and the badge as much as possible while at the parks. They told us we'll be staying at Give Kids the world Village in Kissimmee. Benji is so hyped, and frankly, so are we! This is going to be the vacation of a lifetime. My question is, has anyone on here done a Disney vacation as a wish? If so, would you mind sharing your experiences? Thank you,
I'm looking forward to getting to know you all.


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[Safari Steve]

I think you will like the village. When you arrive, or just prior to leaving home (I'm not sure when, actually), you will recieve an envelope with papers and things. The contents of the envelope are vastly more important than the shirt, badge, or stickers. The badge and shirt may indicate to some that you are traveling with Make a Wish/GKTW, and your son may enjoy wearing them, but they do not entitle you to anything exclusively of themselves, as they are much easier for people not associated with either organization to acquire than the legitimate paperwork that will be in your envelope.
Best wishes for a safe and happy trip, and many thanks for your husband's generous service to us all.
-Steve

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES.
If you don't get replies here, I will hunt up some of the old threads about GKTW and Make a Wish for you.
Here's a link the Give Kids the World Website to start you out.
And a wholehearted second of Steve's thanks to your DH and all the other armed forces.

 

[joshsmom]

Hi AmazingGrace!! I'm Joshsmom and we went to Disney through MAW. I don't know what all you want to know, but I'll give you the highlights. If you have more questions, feel free to post them or PM me and I will be happy to give you all the info I have.

I went with my DS7 to Disney in April/May through MAW. Grandma got to go with us! MAW paid for our trip to the airport in a limo and for the airline tickets. They work in conjunction with GKTW. When you get to the airport, there will be a volunteer from GKTW holding up a sign with your child's name on it. They will take you to the rental cars and get you set up there. You then drive to GKTW. When you check in, they give you a brief run-down. One parent has to come back to orientation later that evening. You HAVE to attend, that's where you get your park passes, etc.

The villa that I stayed in was a 2 bed/2 bath with kitchen, kitchenette, large LR, and had a washer and dryer. In the kitchen there are frozen meals, snack food, milk, juice, soda, and water. The washer and dryer come with detergent and fabric softener. You have your own driveway. There is a bunny out front with your villa number on it. In the morning, that's where you put your trash and they come pick it up.

For breakfast and lunch there is a train that comes around and picks you up. Just stand by the bunny!! It comes around about every 15 minutes or so. It takes you to the Gingerbread House to eat. The food is wonderful and you can have as much as you like!

There's an ice cream shop that is open early morning to late evening and the ice cream is free!!! They have a movie theater there that shows Disney and other movies with free popcorn and soda. There's a miniature golf course that is AWESOME!! There are 2 pools. There are activities every night and some during the day for when you are bushed from the parks!!! Everyone is FABULOUS and it is a wonderful place to stay. It is magical every day there and you will have a great time!!! Take time to walk around GKTW, it really is cool!!!

Like I said, if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask!!!

 

[joshsmom]

oops, forgot to tell you about the PIN!!! MAW tells you to wear their shirt and pin as much as possible, GKTW also tells you to wear their pin. Josh wore both! He wore his MAW shirt a couple of times, but he wore the pins every day.

Although NOTHING is guaranteed, the CMs recognize both pins. More often than not, we were escorted to the front of the line to meet characters, ride the rides, and had special seating for shows!!!! Without those perks, we wouldn't have been able to do as much as we did. These are definitely not things to be expected, but they are wonderful gifts. GKTW and MAW bend over backwards to make your trip unforgettable and they are the best at their jobs!!!

 

[meeshi]

Well, Joshsmom said it all. It is a wonderful place! We were there in November of 2001 and honestly, words cannot describe the place nor the experience. Our word for the week was "surreal" because it was so beyond what we could have ever imagined! If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask or PM me. I am so excited for you and your family, you are going to have such a great time!