Make a Wish info needed....trying to help a family friend

[blessedby3]

I posted this on the Theme park board, and they sent me here.....so Im reposting
Who has been on a make a wish trip----info needed


A family we are friends with has a sweet dd4 who has Downs and on top of that she has been fighting Leukemia for a while. They have been granted a wish from Make A Wish to go to Walt Disney World. I am just wondering if it is a "cookie cutter" type package, or if they are different for all families.
For instance, what do they do as far as meals. When they are in the parks do they have the meal plan, or do they buy their own, or does MAW give them an allowance or gift card?
Would they include things like BBB for Wonderland Tea Party for the child or do they just provide park tickets?
Would they get provided with fast passes, or front of the line access?
I would love for her to be able to get the rose at the B & B show. How do they pick a child for this, or could they request since it's a MAW child.

Thanks for any info you all can give to me.

I know that the mom said they would have transportation to the airport, airfare, rental car, lodging and stroller rental at the parks. She was wanting to pick my brain and get my input on things, but I just have no experience with MAW and what they provide. Im so excited for this precious little girl and her family.

 

[maroo]

Hello!

Every wish organization is different in what they provide...so it is hard to say...

Normally ALL of the expenses that will be incurred by the family are covered, including meals.

Most families stay at Give Kids the World - which is a wonderful resort made especially for wish families.

Their website is http://www.gktw.org and you can see lots of pictures, etc on that site.

You can also read the trip reports written here on the DIS by following the blue link in my signature - which may provide some more information.

Usually, about a week before the family leaves, the family is given an expense check that covers meals and usually a little extra spending money for the family. Some families have reported that the money was PLENTY to do just about anything they wanted including a BBB appt, character meal, or even a special ticket party. Sometimes the wish organization even plans these things for the family with or without their knowledge. The families can also ask specifically for something that they particular want for their child - like a BBB appt, meal with a special character or party tickets.

A few, really very few, have reported that their particular wish organization is having some financial issues with the current economy and they did not get very much spending money - but if they are staying at GKTW, then ALL of their meals are free and they can technically eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and have snacks there at the resort. The resort even provides meals to go if they are heading to the parks - so there is very little money "required" for the trip - of course, we all know that children are going to want something to take home from the trip and there is a gift shop around every corner.

Honestly, most families, including the family I went with in 2008, have reported that they had plenty of money from MAW.

Give Kids the World will provide them with a Guest Assistance Card specifically given ONLY to Wish Children which is about as "front of the line" as you can get at Disney. They also get a button that shows who the wish child is - the best advice I can give to the family is to USE THE BUTTON and GAC! Make sure the button can be clearly seen on the child's clothes. And it CAN be used for character lines - which most GAC cards can not. CM's really want the wish families to be able to get in and through the parks quickly, since they only have a few Disney days as part of their trip and there are activities in the morning and at night (and some during the day!) at Give Kids the World.

 

[blessedby3]

Wow, thanks for that information...it sounds truely wonderful for the families. I can pass this info on to the mom so she will know. I have lots of knowledge about WDW, but not MAW. I will also check out the link in your siggy. Thanks again SO MUCH!!

 

[blondietink]

My DS was granted his wish a few years ago and we were not able to stay at GKTW because it was full at the time. I believe they have added some villas since then. We were given a room at the Beach Club resort instead! we were given plenty of money for meals, which included extra money since we couldn't stay at GKTW and take advantage of all the meals served there. But, we had all the perks of staying at an on-site hotel. At first we were bummed by not having a villa, but in the end we were very lucky. I know of another family who got to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, savannah view.

Your local MAW will provide whatever the family needs if they have the money for it locally. I have also heard that some families are not getting as much money or other perks as in the past because of the economy.