We're back! First let me say thanks to everyone on the DIS for all the helpful info. I felt really prepared and it made a big difference. 
Monday Oct 31: We arrived at GKTW around 5 pm. ( We had already been in Florida for several days with my family who had flown down to meet us.) The boys were surprised with gifts and we were given a tour of our villa. It was very large and had two bedrooms, two baths ( the accessible bathroom was huge!), a living room and kitchen. I went straight to orientation where they explain about GKTW, give out tickets and daily schedule. Since it was halloween they were having a party until 9. It was hard to have my boys take a rest and tube feed my oldest since they were curious to see what was going on. A friend of the family was with me during the trip to help with the boys. She and I ate dinner at the Gingerbread House before taking the kids to the party. The is the restuarant and it's staffed by volunteers. The food was good and we ate dinner from there every night. We ate breakfast at the villa since it was easier with the boys schedule. They also have a breakfast cart that you can request.The party was great with music, dancing, games, trick or treat, and the ice cream palace ( which became a family favorite!) Everybody was so friendly and there were tons of volunteers helping out.
Tuesday Nov 1: Magic Kingdom. We arrived at nine and took pictures in several places using photopass. We went first to Ariel's Grotto, then to Toontown. Met a bunch of characters while waiting for it to officially open. Then went through all three character lines. Got lots of great character pictures! We had reservations for lunch at Crystal Palace with Pooh. Wonderful lunch buffet--esp chicken asiago pasta. Characters were very sensitive of my older son who is shy. Then we went to first aid to take a break, get the boys out of their chairs and do tube feeding, etc. The first aid stations were all great and made a big difference in our park experience. The boys really needed that break to be able to continue touring in the afternoon. After lunch we did the Buzz Lightyear ride. Since no one else needed the accessible car and there wasn't much of a line, we were able to ride several times. The CM told me they use to have 2 accessible cars and wished they would bring the second one back. We also did the Pooh ride and Mickey's Philharmagic (loved it!). The week before we did some touring with my family and did Small world and the parade. The was the only day it rained and after two hours of wearing ponchos, we decided to call it a day. Seemed like the first week of Nov is a good time to be in the parks because we found the crowds very manageable and easier to push the wheelchairs around than the week before. Boys were tired when we got back to GKTW so we made it an early night. The boys received a surprise everyday when we got back to our villa.
Wed Nov 2: Animal Kingdom Parking here was great and very close to the entrance. Couldn't believe they had Christmas decorations up already! We had already spent a day here with family as well and did the Safari, Lion King show( fabulous!), Tarzan Rocks ( very loud!), Pocahontas show, parade, boneyard and Pangani Trail. Boys wanted to do the safari again ( think they like the bumpy ride more than seeing animals!) They have several accessible vehicles. So we were only about 10 minutes apart on the ride. We did Donald's Breakfastsaurus. The quiche and eggs were good. There was only one thing my youngest could eat on this buffet and the chef was very accomodating about making up some oatmeal for him. They take your picture here and bring it around during the meal for you to purchase. Boys enjoyed meeting Donald. After our first aid break, we took the train to Rafiki's Planet watch. Boys enjoyed touching an iguana and petting the goats. Lots of and sanitizer around! We finished up the afternoon at Camp Minnie Mickey meeting characters. If you go during a show the lines are much shorter. Again, boys were tired when we got back to GKTW and decided to stay in. I should mention that the Gingerbread House has take out boxes, so this made it easy for one of us to walk over and bring back dinner to the villa.
Thurs Nov 3. This was our morning to meet and get a photo with Disney characters. Each wish child is given a time to have his photo ( and family) taken with Mickey and Minnie. You are given a 5x7 of this when you check out. There were also 3 other characters out in the courtyard for kids to meet. We spent the morning enjoying the village. The boys loved riding the carousel. It has room for 2 wheelchairs. We also had activities to do at the castle( don't want to give away too many surprises!). They also have have pools, movie theater, and other play areas we didn't have time to explore.
After lunch, we went to Epcot for several hours. My oldest wanted to hear some of the bands in the World Showcase. We enjoyed the shaved ice in Japan. They had their autograph book stamped in several countries as well.
We came early to eat since tonight was the Christmas party at the village. We saw how "snow" falls in Florida, rode the carosel again, took a carriage ride in an accessible carriage( very cool!), met Santa and Mrs Claus and finished the night with banana splits! Thankfully one of the few things my son who is tube fed can eat is soft serve ice cream!
Friday Nov 4 . Started the day with meeting Barney and friends at the castle. Then it was off to Islands of Adventure for breakfast with Spiderman. The boys were excited to meet Spidey and he didn't disappoint! The restaurant only had a few families there and the photographer took lots of pics for us. We also met Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and 2. They kidded around alot. Had my picture taken with Spidey as well when he climbed onto the back of my chair! Went to Seuss Landing and did the Cat in the Hat ride. Much bumpier and more spins than the Pooh ride and it scared my oldest. While it was accessible, we almost didn't get my sons wheelchair in it. Had to take the handles and footrests off and it was still a tight fit with lots of wiggling to get it in. The bar on the car is also in the way. We also did the Car-seuss-el which was also accessible--again took some doing to get them in the car. It took a lot more time to load the boys on these rides than it did for the ones at WDW, though the staff was pleasant. Back to SuperHero Island to meet Spidey again and have photos taken at the store. Spidey was very patient when we had to re-take photos a few times to get one with eyes open. Very loud in this part of the park. Boys were ready for a break after buying some spidey souvenirs so we headed for first aid. After a break we went to Margaritaville for a late lunch. We split a cheeseburger and quesadillas and they were delicious! Also had a strawberry colada without alcohol. I thought the boys would enjoy seeing the Barney show at Universal and it was a big hit! They clapped and smiled to the music which was great to see. After the show we were able to meet Barney. The boys also loved Barney's Playground. Lots of buttons to push and music. We finished up with the Jimmy Neutron ride. We sat in the stationary seating which is right up front and a bit too close for us. While my youngest enjoyed it, the oldest didn't like the feeling of things coming at him. Another busy day and an early night.
Sat Nov 5 SeaWorld: Arrived early to get food to feed the dolphins. A trainer helped us by calling a dolphin over so the boys could touch it. They weren't able to throw the food themselves. This was a really neat experience for us. Supposedly photographers are taking pix while you feed them, but we found out later this didn't happen for us. Thankfully, there was another trainer that afternoon who agreed to help us have the boys touch the dolphin so we could get pix. There was also sea lions and sting rays to feed. We saw the Shamu show, but the wheelchair seating is in the splash zone so we had to stand way back and the boys couldn't see well. We also saw the new dolphin show. Maybe we were just tired after a long week and the long steep ramp to get the boys up to the show, but we didn't really care for this show. Went back to first aid, not as wheelchair friendly as the other stations we have been to. It was tight squeeze. Walked thru several exhibits--sharks, penguins. Had pictures taken with shamu ( the super imposed kind--but they were cute!) Saw the clydesdales. We left to get an early dinner so kids would be rested for last night at the village. Tonight was the birthday party for Mayor Clayton ( the bunny who runs the village). It was sponsored by American Airlines. We did a takeout dinner then came back for games and music. Finished the night with rides on the carosel and ice cream. Can't believe how fast this week went!
Sun Nov 6: Time for one last ride on the carosel and into the car for the long ride home.
Final thoughts: We all thought the WDW parks were so much nicer(not sure if this is the right word?)than than the others. Just the theming and overall feel. I can't say enough great things about the people from Make a Wish and Give Kids the World. They really made my boys feel special. They helped us make memories we will treasure forever. I am still in the process of developing 19 rolls of film and a whole memory card. Can't wait to start scrapbooking them! One other thing, I had a problem with my van while we were there. They arranged an accessible shuttle for us to use the day it was in the shop getting fixed. I was so stressed out and were all so helpful.
In re-reading this I know I left some things out, but didn't want to be too long. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them.
Monday Oct 31: We arrived at GKTW around 5 pm. ( We had already been in Florida for several days with my family who had flown down to meet us.) The boys were surprised with gifts and we were given a tour of our villa. It was very large and had two bedrooms, two baths ( the accessible bathroom was huge!), a living room and kitchen. I went straight to orientation where they explain about GKTW, give out tickets and daily schedule. Since it was halloween they were having a party until 9. It was hard to have my boys take a rest and tube feed my oldest since they were curious to see what was going on. A friend of the family was with me during the trip to help with the boys. She and I ate dinner at the Gingerbread House before taking the kids to the party. The is the restuarant and it's staffed by volunteers. The food was good and we ate dinner from there every night. We ate breakfast at the villa since it was easier with the boys schedule. They also have a breakfast cart that you can request.The party was great with music, dancing, games, trick or treat, and the ice cream palace ( which became a family favorite!) Everybody was so friendly and there were tons of volunteers helping out.
Tuesday Nov 1: Magic Kingdom. We arrived at nine and took pictures in several places using photopass. We went first to Ariel's Grotto, then to Toontown. Met a bunch of characters while waiting for it to officially open. Then went through all three character lines. Got lots of great character pictures! We had reservations for lunch at Crystal Palace with Pooh. Wonderful lunch buffet--esp chicken asiago pasta. Characters were very sensitive of my older son who is shy. Then we went to first aid to take a break, get the boys out of their chairs and do tube feeding, etc. The first aid stations were all great and made a big difference in our park experience. The boys really needed that break to be able to continue touring in the afternoon. After lunch we did the Buzz Lightyear ride. Since no one else needed the accessible car and there wasn't much of a line, we were able to ride several times. The CM told me they use to have 2 accessible cars and wished they would bring the second one back. We also did the Pooh ride and Mickey's Philharmagic (loved it!). The week before we did some touring with my family and did Small world and the parade. The was the only day it rained and after two hours of wearing ponchos, we decided to call it a day. Seemed like the first week of Nov is a good time to be in the parks because we found the crowds very manageable and easier to push the wheelchairs around than the week before. Boys were tired when we got back to GKTW so we made it an early night. The boys received a surprise everyday when we got back to our villa.
Wed Nov 2: Animal Kingdom Parking here was great and very close to the entrance. Couldn't believe they had Christmas decorations up already! We had already spent a day here with family as well and did the Safari, Lion King show( fabulous!), Tarzan Rocks ( very loud!), Pocahontas show, parade, boneyard and Pangani Trail. Boys wanted to do the safari again ( think they like the bumpy ride more than seeing animals!) They have several accessible vehicles. So we were only about 10 minutes apart on the ride. We did Donald's Breakfastsaurus. The quiche and eggs were good. There was only one thing my youngest could eat on this buffet and the chef was very accomodating about making up some oatmeal for him. They take your picture here and bring it around during the meal for you to purchase. Boys enjoyed meeting Donald. After our first aid break, we took the train to Rafiki's Planet watch. Boys enjoyed touching an iguana and petting the goats. Lots of and sanitizer around! We finished up the afternoon at Camp Minnie Mickey meeting characters. If you go during a show the lines are much shorter. Again, boys were tired when we got back to GKTW and decided to stay in. I should mention that the Gingerbread House has take out boxes, so this made it easy for one of us to walk over and bring back dinner to the villa.
Thurs Nov 3. This was our morning to meet and get a photo with Disney characters. Each wish child is given a time to have his photo ( and family) taken with Mickey and Minnie. You are given a 5x7 of this when you check out. There were also 3 other characters out in the courtyard for kids to meet. We spent the morning enjoying the village. The boys loved riding the carousel. It has room for 2 wheelchairs. We also had activities to do at the castle( don't want to give away too many surprises!). They also have have pools, movie theater, and other play areas we didn't have time to explore.
After lunch, we went to Epcot for several hours. My oldest wanted to hear some of the bands in the World Showcase. We enjoyed the shaved ice in Japan. They had their autograph book stamped in several countries as well.
We came early to eat since tonight was the Christmas party at the village. We saw how "snow" falls in Florida, rode the carosel again, took a carriage ride in an accessible carriage( very cool!), met Santa and Mrs Claus and finished the night with banana splits! Thankfully one of the few things my son who is tube fed can eat is soft serve ice cream!
Friday Nov 4 . Started the day with meeting Barney and friends at the castle. Then it was off to Islands of Adventure for breakfast with Spiderman. The boys were excited to meet Spidey and he didn't disappoint! The restaurant only had a few families there and the photographer took lots of pics for us. We also met Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and 2. They kidded around alot. Had my picture taken with Spidey as well when he climbed onto the back of my chair! Went to Seuss Landing and did the Cat in the Hat ride. Much bumpier and more spins than the Pooh ride and it scared my oldest. While it was accessible, we almost didn't get my sons wheelchair in it. Had to take the handles and footrests off and it was still a tight fit with lots of wiggling to get it in. The bar on the car is also in the way. We also did the Car-seuss-el which was also accessible--again took some doing to get them in the car. It took a lot more time to load the boys on these rides than it did for the ones at WDW, though the staff was pleasant. Back to SuperHero Island to meet Spidey again and have photos taken at the store. Spidey was very patient when we had to re-take photos a few times to get one with eyes open. Very loud in this part of the park. Boys were ready for a break after buying some spidey souvenirs so we headed for first aid. After a break we went to Margaritaville for a late lunch. We split a cheeseburger and quesadillas and they were delicious! Also had a strawberry colada without alcohol. I thought the boys would enjoy seeing the Barney show at Universal and it was a big hit! They clapped and smiled to the music which was great to see. After the show we were able to meet Barney. The boys also loved Barney's Playground. Lots of buttons to push and music. We finished up with the Jimmy Neutron ride. We sat in the stationary seating which is right up front and a bit too close for us. While my youngest enjoyed it, the oldest didn't like the feeling of things coming at him. Another busy day and an early night.
Sat Nov 5 SeaWorld: Arrived early to get food to feed the dolphins. A trainer helped us by calling a dolphin over so the boys could touch it. They weren't able to throw the food themselves. This was a really neat experience for us. Supposedly photographers are taking pix while you feed them, but we found out later this didn't happen for us. Thankfully, there was another trainer that afternoon who agreed to help us have the boys touch the dolphin so we could get pix. There was also sea lions and sting rays to feed. We saw the Shamu show, but the wheelchair seating is in the splash zone so we had to stand way back and the boys couldn't see well. We also saw the new dolphin show. Maybe we were just tired after a long week and the long steep ramp to get the boys up to the show, but we didn't really care for this show. Went back to first aid, not as wheelchair friendly as the other stations we have been to. It was tight squeeze. Walked thru several exhibits--sharks, penguins. Had pictures taken with shamu ( the super imposed kind--but they were cute!) Saw the clydesdales. We left to get an early dinner so kids would be rested for last night at the village. Tonight was the birthday party for Mayor Clayton ( the bunny who runs the village). It was sponsored by American Airlines. We did a takeout dinner then came back for games and music. Finished the night with rides on the carosel and ice cream. Can't believe how fast this week went!
Sun Nov 6: Time for one last ride on the carosel and into the car for the long ride home.
Final thoughts: We all thought the WDW parks were so much nicer(not sure if this is the right word?)than than the others. Just the theming and overall feel. I can't say enough great things about the people from Make a Wish and Give Kids the World. They really made my boys feel special. They helped us make memories we will treasure forever. I am still in the process of developing 19 rolls of film and a whole memory card. Can't wait to start scrapbooking them! One other thing, I had a problem with my van while we were there. They arranged an accessible shuttle for us to use the day it was in the shop getting fixed. I was so stressed out and were all so helpful.
In re-reading this I know I left some things out, but didn't want to be too long. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them.
), Lyn 
---Kathy
