Make A Wish Trip - Questions

[okiemomof3]

Hello All,

I am a new member here. I just recently found this board in the last week and have already spent countless hours browsing the board and have found lots of wonderful information.

However, I do still have a few questions and am really hoping that someone who may have previously had a Wish Trip can be of some help.

My son was recently granted a Wish Trip to Disney World. We will be arriving on November 27th and staying at GKTW. My questions are...

Will someone from GKTW meet us at the airport in Orlando?

Do we need to take any food/snacks with us. I know that meals are provided, but what about snacks, etc are those covered as well??

What will be provided for us at GKTW? For example do we need to bring our own towels etc??

At Disney World are there any rides which can be ridden while in a wheelchair? The reason I ask is because my son is totally wheelchair dependant and can not sit up alone without either being in his chair, or being held, and I was pretty sure that Disney would not allow us to hold him on the rides as this could be unsafe.

What will the weather be like in November? Is it shorts/pants weather? Should we bring jackets/heavy coats? Raingear??

What are some good things to pack, and some things that we could do without???

What are some recommended attractions/ dinning/etc for Wish kids that are super special??

Are the Character meals really expensive??? I was told that they are extremely pricey, but I would love to take my son to one...

I have three children all under the age of 8 what are some attractions geared towards kids that age that we would enjoy as a family???

I am really sorry to ask so many questions, However we have never been to Disney, nor have we ever taken a vacation, and therefore I am unsure what to take/pack, etc, etc and am trying to get all the information possible before we leave...

Any and all suggestions, tips, advice, etc, etc are greatly greatly appreciated! Thank you so very much in advance....

 

[alizesmom]

Hi, I'm Karen and my son's trip is Dec2-8. From what I know GKTW provides the linens but you have to clean them during the time you are there (you will have washer/dryer and they provide laundry soap). All meals at GKTW are free including the ice cream shop. Your wish coordinator may supply money for eating in the parks (every group is different). You can check out GKTW at GKTW.org. A thread that may help you here is WishTrippersUnite. It is found under Just for Fun then Community board. My son too rarely comes out of his wheelchair. Also check the FAQ on this board for help with wheelchair rides. Most of all have fun. Karen

 

[Mason7AK]

Hi! I would like to try and help with some of your questions. Our wish trip was in 2003 with my DD (three yrs old at the time) and our family. My DD is full time in a wheelchair as well.
GKTW is so awesome! They did have somone meet us at the airport to take us to where we were meeting our driver with the van our wish organization rented for us. It was a full size van with a lift, which we had for the whole week we were there. If your wish organization is providing you with a rental vehicle, be sure and ask if you can get a wheelchair accessible van. It made life so easy for us! We were able to drive to the parks at our leisure, and also to Sea World and Universal. GKTW will provide everything you need in your cottage to make your stay very comfortable. We usually ate our breakfast and dinner there and had lunch at the parks. Our wish org gave us a certain amount of money per person per day to cover souveneers and food at the parks. I can't remember exactly how much it was, but am thinking it was somewhere along the lines of $25 per person per day. The free ice cream at GKTW was a hit with my kids! They ate so much ice cream that week!! LOL
GKTW provided the park tickets. We got three day park hoppers for Disney, two days for Universal and one day for Sea World. If you wanted more days at Disney, you could substitute for the days at Universal. I had my two teenagers with us and so we did do Universal and also Sea World. We were treated like royalty at all three places!
Your wish organization will probably be sending you more info soon, like what money allowance you will receive, info on a rental car, etc. That will probably answer a lot of your questions on logistics.
As for the rides being wheelchair friendly. There is a lot of info on this board on the FAQ's sticky thread. But I can tell you that we ALWAYS take DD and our DS out of their wheelchairs and hold them in our laps for many, many rides. There are some of course, where you are not able to do that, but there are just as many where you certainly can. How old is your DS? If he is small, of couse that will be easier. My DD, now six, still only weighs 39 pounds, so it is still easy for me to take her out and hold her for rides, especially in fantasyland. There are quite a few rides that have a "wheelchair car", where they can stay in their chair for the whole ride. It's A Small World, Buzz Lightyear and others. For Dumbo, I usually put DD in the seat right next to me (she has a backbrace that allows her to sit if I am close enough to steady her and hold her upright) and put my arm around her. She does fine with that - Dumbo is one of her favorite rides!
I hope this helps some. You will have a magical time at GKTW! Congrats on your wish trip!
Angela

 

[Mason7AK]

Forgot to mention, on the snack question. GKTW left us a huge basket with snacks in it at our cottage. They replenished it throughout the week. Maid service came in once during the week, if I remember right, but we did do our own laundry (towels, etc included) in the unit. The cottages are just beautiful! The grounds are lovely too and there are many things to do and activities for the kids each night. Disney characters come and visit as well. We saw Mickey, Minnie, Mary Poppins, Goofy and Pluto while we were there. There is a wheelchair accessible carousel on site as well as a train that goes around the property (it has a wheelchair car too). GKTW also left little presents for the kids every day the week we were there. It was lovely!
Angela

 

[Michigan]

You can hold your child on most of the rides.

 

[Purple Princess]

Hello okiemomof3!

We had DD's WISH trip in November last year. I think you picked a wonderful time to visit! The temps were fantastic in my opinion and the Christmas decor alone is worth the trip! YES, bring jackets and even gloves and a lap blanket for your son if you plan on being at the parks in the evening. We brought jackets and thank God we did because it got chilly! I like it cool so it was perfect for me. Only one day was in the mid 80's and the rest of the time it was in the upper 60's to low 70's in the day and dropped to the upper 40's at night a few times! That is why I said bring your son a lap blanket to cover his legs. We didn't know the temps would drop so fast and DD's legs were ice cold! She is in a wheelchair too. I went to several weather sites online the day before we left to see what they expected the weather to be like in Orlando. Do that along with watching the weather channel. By the way it rained only once while we were there and it was late night.

Many of your questions have been answered so all I can do is reiterate what was said.

We had a wonderful older couple meet us at the airport with a huge sign that said "Welcome DD's name to Orlando and GKTW" It was truly so cool to see! Plus they had a cart for our luggage so we didn't have to carry it all over the airport. We were given a handicap van to use too with a lift. We were given precise directions to GKTW by the Van rental company and our GKTW greeters. Everyone involved made sure we had our needs met coming and going. I doubt you'll have to ask for much. They do their best to make sure the Wish family is well taken care of, even pampered. Gosh you'll love it and it will go by much too fast!

We had a basket waiting in our Villa that had a GKTW Candyland game, book written about the wonderful man who started GKTW, 2 cans of Pringles chips, assortment of soda pop, snack crackers and a few cookies. They gave us a few bottles of water. They told us they do not refill the snacks and we have to purchase any others we may want. We had to buy another case of water to take to the parks and drink in our Villa. We did not like the taste or smell of the water so we drank only bottled. At the Ice Cream Shop they have bags of chips, pretzels etc. that you can get to eat if you wish. We ate lunch there a couple times and would get them with our sandwiches and bring back what we didn't finish to eat on later.

Our WISH granters provided us with spending money for food or souveniers at the parks and it was approximately about $30 per person a day. We actually came home with money left over! We ate breakfast everyday at GKTW and a couple dinners so that saved us money. If you need anything there is a Super Wal-mart very close to GKTW and the prices are the best! We bought several Disney t-shirts and autograph books there along with the extra water.

There is a small washer and dryer in your Villa and they provide small boxes of Tide and Bounce. I am allergic to Tide so we bought a bottle of detergent at Wal-mart. We used the washer daily and it sure was a life saver! Going home with clean clothes was great! There is also a small hair dryer in the bathrooms so you don't have to bother with bringing one. I believe there was an Iron and small ironing board in a closet as well.

There are wheelchair accessible rides in all the parks. DD loved the Buzz Lightyear ride the most! It is the only place she has ever been able to actually get on a ride besides the typical Trains all parks have. She was thrilled! She is totally dependent on her chair as your son is. By the way she had just turned 21 so actually going on a ride was the utmost for her. Yep, we just made it in on having a WISH granted for her as the cut off is age 21!

I could go on and on so if you have any other questions that I may answer please email me, even off the board. Your family will truly have the most wonderful time and will be saddened at how quickly it goes by. Savor every second of it! I want to go back soooo badly! Everyone was so kind to my daughter and my son as well. It was truly a wish come true!

P.P.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

I went to Disney World last summer at age 21, my first trip was age 7, my wish trip was age 11. There were some rides that I couldn't go on that I thought I could. I also have some viewing/ride access tips.

When the map says ECVs must transfer-it is talking about the 3 wheeled scooters or the chairs Disney rents NOT electric wheelchairs. Here is a list of rides that you can drive your wheelchair directly onto without transferring, sorted by park:

Epcot

Ellen's Energy Adventure: Only manual chairs allowed

Turtle Talk with Crush:
There is a separate wheelchair line. You might be given a return time. A girl in a wheelchair was allowed to sit up front with the kids (towards the back) but the parent had to ask.

Soarin' (transfer, but...):
Cast Members request that you park by the pole and walk (or are carried) the few feet to your seat. They will allow you to park right next to the seat and move your chair if you request it. Since I have breathing problems, I pulled the seatbelt all the way out looped it around the armrest (a tip I got from the Pooh sized thread). I was completely secure. The second time I rode a cast member made me unloop the seatbelt but I left it slack and was fine. I also used the strap between the legs for extra security. Grandma held my right arm and Dad was on my left with an arm in front and an arm in back. I was very secure-no problems-and I cannot sit up in any chair or surface (besides my wheelchair) without being held up. DO NOT ask if you can have a family member support you on the ride (made this mistake at DL).

Living with the Land:
Two wheelchair boats with one spot each. No FP needed-separate wheelchair entrance. You may be given a return time. We had a slight problem being allowed on this ride. At first the cast member said they only allowed Hoveraround chairs (???) but after my mom explained that experienced drivers of electric wheelchairs can make very tight turns, he let us on. You may have problems depending on the CM. Those who have problems using steps can walk down the ramp in the wheelchair boat.

Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment:
2 wheelchair cars with one spot each. The easiest wheelchair slot. Drive forward, the CM twists a platform and you face forward. At the end, the CM twists the platform and you drive off facing forward down a ramp. My chair was a tight fit. I took off my footplates. At the end, there is an effect that may cause a startle reflex.

Honey I Shrunk the Audience:
Separate wheelchair entrance-no FP needed. You will probably be given a return time. Unless you transfer to a seat, you will not get all the effects.

El Rio Del Tiempo-NEW name ??? 3 Caballeros (Mexico):
2 wheelchair boats-one spot per boat. The seats are pretty low if you transfer. There is a separate wheelchair entrance. But if you have trouble walking do NOT park your chair outside because you will not be allowed in the wheelchair entrance. We got separated from my Grandma this way. She was fine but walking the cue would have been bad for mom because the line is on a sloped surface. There is space to park about 4 chairs by the ride and you can transfer from that point.

The American Adventure:
You will be directed to seating in the very back unless you request the handful of seats up front (we sat in the back)

Illuminations:
Several of the wheelchair seating areas have trees blocking the view. The seating area by the Refreshment Port and by bathrooms (including Companion) does not and has a great view.

Epcot has good Companion Restrooms. You can get a list of the locations at allearsnet.com and First Aid at the park

ALL SHOWS HAVE WHEELCHAIR SEATS- The World Showcase is accessible (*note: The Kid cot fun stop crafts will be difficult to do unless you have a tray on your wheelchair because the table and chairs are low and the supplies are scattered)

I would avoid Honey I Shrunk the Audience

I especially recommend Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment, Soarin,' and Turtle Talk and Illuminations

Magic Kingdom

Tomorrowland
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin:
I did not fit. My midline control was in the way. My sister almost fit but not quite. She might have fit without her desk. If it's a small pediatric wheelchair he should fit...

Stitch’s Great Escape:
Only manual chairs are allowed on this ride. The batteries and different style backs prevent the electric wheelchair from getting into the proper position. She also specifically mentioned my headrest. So if you have a bulky headrest or one with a long support backing you may have a problem.

Carousel of Progress
Wheelchairs are parked on a slope.

Fantasyland
“it’s a small world”:
2 wheelchair boats with spots each. Enter through the exit.

Mickey’s Philharmagic:
!! The wheelchair spots experience all the special effects!

Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
1 wheelchair car with one spot. I thought backing in was easier. Request the bounce button be switched on for more affects.

Adventureland
Magic Carpet’s of Aladdin
Only accommodates manual wheelchairs. The device that secures the wheelchair goes between the front and back wheels and is about 6 inches tall. Batteries get in the way.

Jungle Cruise has a wheelchair accessible boat that you must request

Accessible stations for the railroad are Main Street, Mickey's Toontown, and Frontierland. Two wheelchair spots.

Liberty Belle Riverboat

Spectromagic & Wishes viewing tip:
If you plan to watch both use the Spectromagic wheelchair viewing area by the partner statue. Then you are situated for a great view of Wishes-just turn around. They do make two rows of wheelchairs for the parade...

ALL SHOWS HAVE WHEELCHAIR SEATS

On many of the slow dark rides-basically all of Fantasyland and a few others like Haunted Mansion-it's fine to hold kids in laps

I would especially recommend Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's Philharmagic, Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, and it's a small world, and Spectromagic, and Wishes. Peter Pan's Flight is a difficult for transfer into a moving ride vehicle but is awesome! I was able to be carried on and enjoyed this when I was 7.

Disney's MGM Studios

Star Tours:
There is a nonmotion ride available! I was thrilled to know this. There is a separate wheelchair entrance so no FP is needed. Only available in the evening

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular:
Ask to sit up front for a better view...stay after to meet Indiana Jones.

Backlot Tour:
2 wheelchair spots...I don't know how many accessible trams there are. Mom walked up the ramp to transfer.

Journey Into Narnia:
3 or 4 wheelchair spots-depending on the CM. We fit four (barely).

The Great Movie Ride
2 wheelchair trams with one spot each. I took off my footplates and extra bags and fit (barely) by backing in.

Beauty and the Beast:
Ask to sit up front for an excellent view. Those in ECVs may be asked to transfer.

Tower of Terror:
If you can't ride, you can still watch the pre-show.

Fantasmic!
CMs will direct you to where to sit (you can't pick). Wheelchair spots are marked and have a comfortable amount of space between them.

I had a hard time locating the Companion bathrooms. One of the best bathrooms (female) is the one located just outside the entrance to the park. The stall is as big as a companion restroom and has a sink. It's usually empty or has very few people.

ALL SHOWS ARE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE AND THEY ARE AWESOME

I would avoid Sounds Dangerous.

Especially recommend Muppet Vision 3D, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Indiana Jones, and Fantasmic.

Animal Kingdom

Kilimanjaro Safaris:
2 wheelchair vehicles with one spot each. I find it easier to back in. Usually has an extra long wait for the wheelchair car

Festival of the Lion King:
This show has some of the best wheelchair seats. I also happened to be at the sign language shows. I found my self watching the interpreters because they were so good. There expressions and body language showed the emotion of the music...

I would avoid It's Tough to be a bug

I especially recommend Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King. I have heard the Nemo show is very good.

Remember that all shows in all the theme parks have wheelchair seating.

Given that your son uses an electric wheelchair and doesn't plan to transfer, I wouldn't go to Universal. No electric wheelchairs are ever allowed on rides, only manual.

GKTW is awesome!! Everything is accessible from the arcade to the carousel to the pool. Make time to enjoy.

My recently completed trip report can give you an in depth view of the good and bad...

Good luck!

Christamae

 

[5dwarves]

Hey Okie Mom...welcome! It looks like several people have jumped on and provided you with some great info for your upcoming wish trip. There are several Dis-sers who are currently on their trip and others who have recently returned. There is a thread that is providing info to wish families from wish families. If you haven't found it yet, you will definitely want to take a look. Here is the link.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1606643

This thread has links to TR's (trip reports) from other wish families with all kinds of different special needs (food allergies, mobility issues, immunosupression). I am sure you will find even more valuable info for your trip there.

A couple of other wish families who are posting on this thread will be there in November as well, and would be good contacts for you to have.

Hope this helps out a little

~Elisa

 

[5dwarves]

OkieMom....you also need to visit the moderator's sticky thread DisAbilities FAQs. It will provide you with info on parking, bathrooms, bus accessibility, and so much more, to include links to the parks' rider's accessibility guides. There is a lot of info to cover, but these two links will be good places for you to start.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713

 

[okiemomof3]

Thank you all so much for the wealth of information, it is all greatly appreciated!

My son is 5 years old and is 48 pounds so it sounds like holding him on some rides would not be a problem. He also has a manual wheelchair (Zippie By Quickie) which has a custom poured sitting system, However the chair is not very large at all, so it appears as though the chair itself will not be a problem.

I can not thank you all enough for the enormous amount of information, it truly has been a great deal of help! Thank you very much!

Hi, I'm Karen and my son's trip is Dec2-8.

alizesmom, it looks like you will be arriving the day before we leave to head home. I hope that you have a great time!


Again thank you all so very much for all the amazing information, I greatly appreciate your help. If there is any other tips, or advice please feel free to share it, we can use all advice, tips or suggestions we can take..

Have a wonderful day!!

 

[5dwarves]

Ok, so I have been reading all afternoon on the suggested links and it has really been a huge help! However, I do have a few questions, what are GAC's and ADR??? I am really sorry if that is a super silly question, but I can not seem to find those answers anywhere, maybe I am overlooking them.

LOL....welcome to the world of acronyms...maddening, isn't it.

A GAC is a Guest Assistance Card. It is something that both Disney and Universal issue to provide accomodations to guests with special needs. If you go through GKTW you will receive your son's GAC in your orientation packet, along with a plastic sleeve that you can slip it in. The common thing is to hang it on a lanyard around his neck (or yours, if he is like my son who would tend to destroy it). When you approach an attraction you show the CM (Cast Member - aka Disney Employee) the GAC and they will direct you towards the special needs entrance, where there will be more CM's to assist you. Since your son is in a wheel chair you will be able to take it into the line with you. The GAC can, in other instance, reflect that a stroller is being used as a wheel chair so that you can bring the stroller into the que (disney word for line) with you so that the kids can sit as long as possible. This was a lifesaver for us.

An ADR is an Advanced Dining Reservation. If you have any aspirations of a character meal, then you have to call Disney Dining and make an ADR for the date and time. That means you need to know in advance which day you will be at which park. Since you have 3 boys under 8 (as do I), I would recommend Crystal Palace (pooh and friends) for breakfast or Liberty Tavern (with mickey and friends) There is also a Donad breakfast at AK (Animal Kingdom) but I read somewhere that it was stopping on 11/5 for refurbishing. My boys were not too pumped about dining with the princesses at Disney, and it is extremely difficult to get a reservation with Cinderella, so it was not a loss for us. If you are going to stay at GKTW and are going to go to Universal, I would also highly recommend the Spiderman Breakfast at IAO (Islands of Adventure). Spiderman, Cat in the Hat, and Things 1&2 are there. The food was good and it was relatively inexpensive, considering it was a sit down meal at a theme park ($15 adults, $9 kids). This meal was a huge highlight for my sons. Be forewarned the Disney character meals can get pricey. Check out allears.net and this site for more dining info on the character meals. The wonderful part about a character meal is that it is some quiet, one on one time with the characters, and great picture opportunities, without the feeling of having to rush through the line.

 

[5dwarves]

Some other ADRs you might be interested in are The Little Einsteins at MGM, The Garden Grill at Epcot with Chip and Dale, Chef Mickey's....

Here is a link with more Disney Character Dining info:

http://www.allears.net/din/cb.htm

The Character Dining at Universal was only Thurs-Sun during the summer. You will want to check with them for times and days if you are interested in that meal.

Other restaurants require ADR's too. They are the TS (Table Service) restaurants. One that your boys might enjoy is the Sci Fi at MGM...it is set up like a drive in movie theater and the booths look like classic cars.

 

[5dwarves]

Okiemom....LeeLee2U is doing her TR and her son is in a wheelchair. She is just getting started, but I am sure she has great tips to offer you. Here is in the link.


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21453057#post21453057

 

[okiemomof3]

5dwarves Thank you so much for all your help and information, I really appreciate it!

Also, I apologize for my deleted and edited posts... Thank you all for being patient with me while I figure out the workings of this board

 

[5dwarves]

Don't worry about the deletions...thank heavens for that edit button...been there done that! Glad you found us.

 

[MarieS]

My boys MAW trip was Nov 2005 and GKTW was fabulous! We were so busy touring the parks ( 3 days for disney, 1 for sea world and 1 for universal/IOA) that we weren't able to do as much as we would have liked at GKTW.

I think most of your questions were answered but I wanted to let you know that GKTW has certain nights with special activities that you might be interested in. One night was Christmas and one night was a birthday party. Both were a lot of fun! My boys ( both in wheelchairs and can't transfer) loved the accessible carousel. We went on it almost every day. We also loved the ice cream parlor. Several different times there were character meets. They will give you a schedule at orientation.

We ate breakfast and dinner at GKTW. For us, it was easier to have me go down and get breakfast to bring back. They also had a breakfast cart that came around. For lunch our local MAW chapter gave us spending money that we used to pay for character meals. If you want a character meal, make an ADR right now. You can always cancel if you change your mind, but some of them can be hard to get. We especially liked Crystal Palace ( pooh), Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary ( easy to get to from Magic Kingdom on the monorail) and the spiderman breakfast at Islands of Adventure. ( the only reason we went to IOA was to see spidey and cat in the hat!)

Other rides my boys liked were Buzz Lightyear and Pooh at Magic Kingdom. They also loved the Mickey's Philharmagic show. The parades were good and they also liked seeing the characters in toontown. At MGM, we liked the shows--especially playhouse disney and little mermaid. At Animal Kingdom the highlights were the safari( stay in your chair), the Lion King show and Dinoland. We also liked camp minnie mickey for characters. At epcot, they now have a nemo ride that is wc accessible you might want to try. My sons also like all the entertainment in World showcase like the Japanese drummers and Off Kilter in Canada.

At Islands of Adventure, we did the breakfast with spidey and cat in the hat. There is also a Dr Seuss area that has several rides that are wc accessible--a cat in the hat ride and a carousel. We only stayed half a day and then walked over to Universal. At Universal, the Barney show was a big hit as well as Barney's Backyard. It has all kinds of intereactive stuff that they could do in their chairs. You could also do the Jimmy Neutron ride in your chair.

The last thing I wanted to mention is about the first aid stations at the parks. Every park had one. They have cots that the boys could lay down on and take a rest from the chair. They had curtains so we could take care of personal needs in private. They also had large restrooms. The first aid stations were a huge help for us since my oldest needs frequent breaks due to stamina issues.

Hope this helps and have a magical trip!

Marie

 

[DISNEMOM]

what is gktw?

 

[alizesmom]

what is gktw?

Give Kids the World is a magical resort about 15 minutes from WDW where a lot of wish kids stay during their trip. There are things for the kids to do, villas for you to stay at, free food, parties and more than I know. Check some of the trip threads and you will see pictures of GKTW. They too have a website. I believe it is GKTW.org. Karen

 

[okiemomof3]

Give Kids the World is a magical resort about 15 minutes from WDW where a lot of wish kids stay during their trip. There are things for the kids to do, villas for you to stay at, free food, parties and more than I know. Check some of the trip threads and you will see pictures of GKTW. They too have a website. I believe it is GKTW.org. Karen

It is indeed www.gktw.org from what I have heard it is an amazing and magical place..