Special Trip for a Special Boy

[new_yawka]

Hello DVC Board....long time no...well, you get the point...I hope you are all well!

I am leaving for WDW on Friday with my wife and 2 DSs. What will make this trip different, is that we are bringing another child with us...his name is Danny. He comes from a family in NYC with very little money (5 people - 1 room apartment). We met Danny a few years ago, when we agreed to host a child from the Fresh Air Fund, a great organization which pairs inner city (NYC) children with suburban families to provide the children of a taste of life outside the big city....Well, 3 years have past and we have hosted Danny for 2 weeks over each of the past 3 summers (and a few other weeks here and there). Despite significant language barriers - his mother speaks spanish almost exclusively - Danny is coming to WDW with us!

To say I am excited to share my favorite place on earth with him would be a monstrous understatement. This will truly be a once in a lifetime experience for him and I know he will love it.

Although I am very well versed in WDW, I figured I'd open it up for suggestions for what I might do to make this experience particularly memorable. I want Danny to feel like the true VIP I believe he is and can be.

FYI - we will be staying at SSR (1/12-1/19).

Thanks for any thoughts you may have.

 

[CarolA]

I don't have any real good ideas, but wanted to say how great this is! I know he will have the experience of a lifetime with you!

 

[disneybass]

I think that the fact he will be at the most magical place on earth with people that love him will be about as good as it gets

 

[bobbiwoz]

Have a wonderful time! We participated in the Fresh Air Fund hosting when we lived in Buck County PA and had the same fellow for a few years. My DS worked in Sesame Place in Langhorne, and it was one of Ricki's favorite places to go. My only suggestion is to go slowly. Ricki was streetwise, but had no experience with some things, rides, he told us he could swim, but no, he couldn't...that was taken care of the second year he was with us, we signed him up for swimming lessons.

You've been with this fellow for a few years, but you also may find that he is homesick (in Florida), we were surprised when we took Ricki on a trip...and he had been in our home in years past.

Patience and love, that's all I can say...and listen to him. Who knows, this may not be a "trip of a lifetime," it could give him a spark to be a CM in future years!

Bobbi

 

[BeccaG]

How old is Danny? That might help with some suggestions!

 

[new_yawka]

Danny is 10.

We too got swim lessons for Danny last year...same issue with "he thought he could swim"...he's doing better.

We have taken Danny to Sesame Place and have taken him to the Great Wolf Lodge....This is his first trip on an airplane though, so I certainly expect the unexpected!

Louis

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Hard to say. I think trying to plan something out like this will end up off plan anyhow. I agree with disneybass in that being at WDW will be magic. I think you should just go with the flow or feelings once you get there and you will have little better time than trying to follow a plan or meet some goals. Just enjoy the moments. Thanks for doing what you're doing.

 

[Granny]

I think that the fact he will be at the most magical place on earth with people that love him will be about as good as it gets

That pretty much sums it up!

Hard to say. I think trying to plan something out like this will end up off plan anyhow. I agree with disneybass in that being at WDW will be magic. I think you should just go with the flow or feelings once you get there and you will have little better time than trying to follow a plan or meet some goals. Just enjoy the moments. Thanks for doing what you're doing.

I also agree with this post 100%. Don't stress about trying to make it "perfect" or special. Disney will take care of that for you. Just head on down and let the young man give you the indications of what he likes. Who knows, he might be fascinated with something that you would never suspect. I'd play it flexible, have loose touring plans and adjust as necessary. In football terms, it's called "letting the game come to you".

I think what you're doing is special as well. Very nice.

 

[cherokeemamma]

Good Morning new yawka!

I don't know when Danny's birthday is but perhaps you could celebrate - his actual b-day if it close or celebrate his un-birthday. We celebrated our un-birthdays on our last trip and my kids loved it. (one is 7 and one is 12)

Regardless of what you do, it will be fantastic and WDW has a way of making you feel extra special just by being there. I do hope your trip is filled with tons of pixie dust!

Danny is truly blessed to have you and your family in his life.
I would love for you to write a TR or at least let us know how everything went. I know he is going to be WOWed! You will have to let us know his first reaction to the MK and the castle. How exciting!

Have fun and God Bless!

Cherokeemamma

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I think a trip to DQ would be fun for a 10 year old boy. My ds 10- loves the all-you-care-to-play arcade there. Since you are staying at SSR it is nice and close.

Also- simple stuff like taking the ferry might be nice.
I might also try and schedule a lunch or dinner at AKL because the building is so impressive and the animals are cool.

Please enjoy yourself! I think this is going to be a memorable trip for all of you.

 

[dsnymomof4]

That is so nice of you. What a wonderful program. I agree that just being in Disney is magical in itself. Also, I think a character breakfast/dinner would be fun. Disneyquest is always a hit with boys his age. My DS loves the water parks. Maybe get him one of those special name badges. No matter what you do, I think he'll have a wonderful time! Have a great trip!

 

[elijahpep]

Dittos on the Disney Quest! My kids love it and can't wait to get back there everytime we go. It's just a lot of great fun!

Test Track, The Indian Jones show, Soarin, and Pirates of the Carribean are some of the favorites of our kids and nephews love very much.

The program Fresh Air sounds like an incredible opportunity to help kids! Sounds like a great program. I'm certain the Special Boy will enjoy it all and will cherrish this trip for years to come. Thank you for sharing this and hope all goes wonderful and Mickey Magical for you all!

~DW

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Soory- off-topic: My Dad (Age 79) grew up a poor city kid and always remembers his summer trips to the fresh air farm as a kid. He broke his arm climbing (more accurately falling from) a tree. But he always thought it was so nice at the farm. He grew up, pulled himself out of poverty through lots of hard work - and now he and my mom live in a beautiful home in the country- a literal stone's throw from that very summer retreat he enjoyed as a kid. It is just a few street numbers away from my parent's home. Things have really come full circle for him and he is grateful for the programs that were extended to him when he was a needy kid. Thanks for participating in this program!

 

[new_yawka]

It has been a wonderful learning/growing experience for us and our kids. I do not pretend that Danny is the one getting the best of this deal....it is very much WIN WIN!

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes...We are looking forward to a magical time!

BTW - on DQ....We are definitely considering it...thank you for the recommendation...all our trips to WDW, we have yet to go to DQ...walked past it MANY times, just not in!

 

[BeccaG]

He might enjoy "driving" the Liberty Tree Riverboat. The kids get to steer and get a certificate and everything. Just ask to ride with the captain at the dock! It will definitely be a different experience for a "city boy." May God Bless you and your family, including Danny, on this trip and I hope it is magical for you all!

 

[Mich Mouse]

Your involvement with Danny is defintiely "Win-Win" but you are the one making this possible!!!

Your commitment to this young boy is heart warming.....I love to hear stories like these. It increases my faith!

I wish you a trip of safe travel, wonderful weather and the most magical Disney vacation ever experienced.

 

[JimMIA]

First of all -- Bravo for what you're doing!

I suspect that the issues you are most concerned about will prove to be the least troublesome.

The language barrier, in particular, should not be a big problem. You probably already have learned more Spanish than you realize. Also, kids communicate in their own ways, and the most of the communication -- both in terms of quantity and quality -- will probably be between your boys and Danny. If you need translation, it's never far away in Disney -- either from helpful CMs or from the many Spanish-speaking guests. (They'll have their own language problems with Danny, but that's another story!)

I also suspect that the things you take for granted will be the most difficult for Danny. Homesickness can strike any kid. Many inner-city kid's have never been out of their own neighborhoods, much less to WDW, and leaving familiar surroundings can be tough. Nightly calls to Mami would be very important, I think -- and those should be private times, not times where the whole family listens in.

So many things we accept as commonplace can be frightening to a kid who's never "been there, done that." Examples would be the airport (crowds, parking, security, gate waiting areas, boarding, etc.) and the aircraft and flight experience itself, which can be challenging for adults. Also, for a young kid in a brand-new environment, just the sheer overload of the sights, smells, and sounds of following the crowds off the monorail, through security and into Main Street will probably be very tangible for Danny. Some of the things our kids consider "cool," like the monorail or rides, may be really bizarre to a kid with no context to relate to them.

OTOH...Kids are very adaptable. The first time down main street may be scary, but he'll quickly figure it all out. He may have some apprehensive moments, but he'll have the time of his life.

I'd be sure to go to Epcot and do a "Leave a Legacy" tile for Danny. That way, 30 years from now when he's a successful businessman, he can take his kids to WDW, and explain to them about his wonderful first encounter with the Mouse, and the family who showed him "A Whole New World."

Have a great trip!

 

[new_yawka]

Although we have several "bricks", we have never done a "leave a legacy" at Epcot....awful lot to pay for a tiny picture...that said...I think this is a great idea. I will definitely discuss with my wife.

Although I am doing better with Spanish, this is not an issue with Danny (he actually speaks fluent English (only speaking Spanish with his mother - and other relatives - at home).

We have expressly built in down time into our schedule so as to avoid overstimulating him and will be very vigilant about this.

Again, thank you for the thoughts.

Louis

 

[OKWJan]

Let them know what you are doing at the resort you are staying at, and let them know what a special visit this is. We sent friends for a first time visit to OKW, and they had balloons for Joey, and a postcard of welcome from Mickey and Minnie. He was so excited, and it made the trip even more fun for him.

It is a wonderful thing you are doing.

Jan

 

[TiggerMan2007]

What a great and wonderful thing you are doing! WTG!

Monorail Captain
See if you can wait to be first in line at the monorail. He gets a captian's License. They let the kids in the very first car and give them a Monorail Drivers License. You may have to wait, 1 or 2 monorail rides, but if you ask a CM, they will hook you up. He will enjoy that and it will make him feel very special and memorable. My son did this from Magic Kingdom, he thought it was the best!

Great Movie Ride Family of the Day

Another thing that happened to us is, we were choosen to be the Great Movie Ride Family of the day at MGM. I don't know if you can request this, they just walked up to us and handed it to us. But check with a CM. If you ask they will probbaly take care of you. I think they select 1 family every half hour or hour, a few hours before the parade. They walk you in a back entrance and sit you in the front of the first car and tell everyone you are the family of the day, so you also avoid waiting in line for this ride as well. With this, you get a certificate saying you are family of the day and you also get premier roped off seating for the parade that afternoon with a great view of the parade. Ask a cast member when you get there and tell them your story and tell them you would like to be the family of the day on " The Great Movie Ride" and they should be able to hook you up.