Wendy Gets Her Wish! Make A Wish Trip

[Manymosi]

Saturday, January 23, 2011

One treat we were able to keep a secret from Melissa and Heather was that a limousine would provide transportation to and from the airport. Saturday morning we kept the front blinds closed so that they wouldn’t see it too soon. The limo was due at 8:05 a.m. Stephen went out before 8:00 to move Philip’s and Rebecca’s cars out of the way and to do a bit of shoveling. While he was out, he saw the limo arriving at 7:55. He came in and quietly notified Rebecca and Sarah. Melissa and Heather noticed their communication enough to get suspicious, but didn’t know what was happening until Garry pulled on the blinds’ cords. We were all gathered in the living room to see them gape in awe.
"That’s for us?" Heather exclaimed. "Wow, Dad! You must be rich!"
Melissa was more matter-of-fact, "Oh! Okay! I guess I’ll ride in that."
It was after all this that Philip woke up and joined us.
After James, our driver, loaded our luggage into the limo, we all stood for photos of the group ready to go. Our neighbors April and Holly Bennett came running up the street to join Philip and Rebecca in sending us off. It was only seven degrees outside.
The limo was an eighteen-passenger Lincoln Navigator, very big and roomy! The kids sat along the side while Garry and I sat in the back. I texted to Facebook, "On our way, in a limo!". Soon I discovered that I had a heated seat! What luxury! I texted another Facebook status, "I could used to heated car seats really fast." (forgetting the "get") However, after Garry found that the front of the limo was warmer than the back, we moved forward. Wendy Rose watched pensively out the window. Heather sat on my lap.

The sparsity of traffic early on a Saturday morning can’t be the only reason our drive to the airport was much faster than expected. The smooth and comfortable ride, while enjoying ourselves in attractive surroundings, must have rushed time a bit. James dropped us off at the Air Tran doors and pulled out our luggage. Garry checked in one large bag, and we each had two carry-ons to take onto the plane. As we headed toward security, I couldn’t find my identification and feared having left it home in my usual handbag. The attendant was kind, and I finally found it. Going through the people-scanner, Wendy Rose’s back brace caused a little delay, but the airport wasn’t very busy and lines weren’t long. (Despite all we’re hearing about the people scanners, we really didn’t have any problem with them.)
We made our way through the terminal to the sitting area for Flight 1485 and found seats near a window. Wendy Rose had been eager to teach Melissa and Heather all about riding on an airplane, and here they could see what was happening to prepare for our flight. Some of us walked around and got food.
We were all wearing our "Wendy’s Make-A-Wish Trip 2011" shirts for this travel day. As we boarded the plane, a Boeing 737, a flight attendant noticed the shirts and asked which child is Wendy. When I pointed her out, he offered her a visit with the captain in the cockpit. Captain Jerry Parson explained to her that the controls are like an Xbox, but much more expensive. He showed her how he makes the plane go up, down, left, and right. He also introduced her to Co-captain Edwards. Wendy Rose was told to talk on their microphone, so as we were stowing our carry-ons, we heard her voice declare, "I am Wendy, and I’m going to Orlando." (They had told her what to say.) Several people applauded.
At 11:12 an announcement was made that our flight should take two hours, thirteen minutes; and the plane may need to be de-iced. It did. We watched out the plane’s windows as cherry-picker-type trucks sprayed green liquid all over the wings and body of the plane. The de-icing took about fifteen minutes, delaying take-off to almost noon; but they still estimated our arrival time to be 2:02. During our flight the stewardess brought everyone a beverage and pretzels. When she got to Wendy Rose’s row, she called her by name and asked her if she can drink juice; then offered her and the sisters sitting with her a special drink. Melissa decided against the special drink, but Wendy Rose and Heather enjoyed a punch of cranapple juice and Diet Sprite. Also, they were offered both pretzels and animal crackers instead of only one snack. The plane landed at 2:07 p.m, but it wasn’t until 2:29 that I got around to notifying friends on Facebook, "Landed in florida!"
The Orlando airport has a monorail to shuttle passengers between their terminals and the main building. After we got off it and were finding our way around, we saw an elderly couple with a sign welcoming Wendy Rose. The couple volunteers for Give Kids the World (GKTW), and was there with a luggage cart to keep us from having to carry everything. (They put Stephen to work pushing the cart.) They directed us to baggage claim, then to the office of our vehicle rental. GKTW volunteers greet and assist several families each day.
Our rental vehicle was a white, fifteen-passenger Ford E 350 XLT. Being much newer than the van we drive up here, it was almost as luxurious to us as the limo. Our ride was as smooth as one in a car, and everyone appreciated the van’s comforts. The first place it took us was Give Kids the World Village.

Pulling in:

Give Kids the World is a village in that it has many duplexes and single-family dwellings available for Wish families that are going to Disney World. It is not on Disney property, but about five miles away. A main building for greetings and meetings, a carousel, a castle, a few restaurants, a playground, a pond, a miniature golf course, and a building for other types of recreation are some of the public structures available there. Even though we did not stay at GKTW, GKTW handled some details of our trip and allowed us to enjoy their benefits. As we were being introduced to the place, Larry and Alice (Kim's brother and sister-in-law) arrived. They had come from their home in the Tampa area to visit us, and they have a friend who works at GKTW. One of the benefits of GKTW is free meals provided by Boston Market, so we had a delicious and very filling late lunch. GKTW also provides free ice cream at all times, including sugarless and lactose-free varieties. That was a treat many of us, especially Wendy Rose and Sarah, enjoyed despite our large lunch. Because we had to be at GKTW for an orientation meeting in the evening, we couldn’t hurry on to Disney yet. This waiting time allowed several opportunities. Garry spent some of it buying groceries at the nearby Walmart, and we all enjoyed visiting with Larry and Alice while exploring GKTW.
First we went to Amberville, an area of GKTW with a library, a TV and game room, train rides, and a model town featuring many animations. Then a volunteer told us about the playground and other places available. It was chilly outside, but we still had fun on the carousel, checked out the surprises in the castle, spent some time at the playground, got a tour of the village, and attended Mayor Clayton’s birthday party. I think the kids’ favorite features are the carousel and the train ride. When Larry and Alice had said good-bye and the orientation meeting was ended, we loaded back into the van and began the final leg of our trek toward Disney World.
Let me explain a couple things now. Make-A-Wish provided generously for our whole trip, including money to check a lot of luggage and to eat well at Disney World. Our checking only one bag and doing some grocery shopping were not caused by any lack on their part, but by Wendy Rose’s desire to avoid excess spending and give the saved money away. The groceries we took to Disney World made it easy to eat breakfasts in our villa and pack healthy snacks for during the day. When we bought a meal there, it was more because we wanted that particular meal than because we were hungry and needed something convenient to eat.
The second side note is that we allowed Wendy Rose to enjoy some sugary sweets during her Wish Trip. In order to strengthen her immune system to fight the cancer cells, she usually avoids such treats. Since this was her once-in-a-lifetime trip, we told her she could have up to one serving of a sugary sweet at each lunch, supper, and evening snack according to how much she wore her back brace. She hadn’t been wearing her brace as she ought because of its upsetting her stomach. A large hole that was cut into the brace a couple days before we left made it much more comfortable, but we still had to encourage its use. She was able to eat some foods she’d long been missing as well as try treats she’d only heard about.
At 8:52 p.m. I texted to Facebook, "We are on disney property!"

Once there we proceeded directly to Wilderness Lodge, a luxury resort! The hotel is modeled after the national park lodges of a hundred years ago. It could perhaps be called a gigantic log cabin, but such a description doesn’t do it justice. We’d hoped to get there in time to see the Electric Water Pageant on the adjacent lake, but the parade was early and we missed it. Because there were eight of us, they gave us a two-bedroom villa, number 5537. Sarah, Susanna, Wendy Rose, Melissa, and Heather stayed in the room with two queen-sized beds, a full bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a balcony. Stephen slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room/kitchen area. He also had a balcony, and he shared a bathroom with Garry and me. Garry and my room had a king-sized bed, Jacuzzi, and walk-in-closet, with a large window through which we could see over and through the trees to the lake. Our villa was on the fifth and highest floor of that part of the Lodge. It was late by the time we’d settled in, so there wasn’t any more excitement before bedtime. The next morning I texted my new-found discovery to Facebook, "A king-sized bed is awfully big, as if it is made for couples who are mad at each other."

 

[brookerene]

woohoo!!!!! WHAT AN AWESOME START! I love how you are writing and the photo of your family is great and what a limo that was! I can't wait to read more!

 

[mommy2mrb]

great start of your trip report!!
that limo is HUGE!!!
how neat Wendy got to meet the pilots and see the cockpit!
can't wait to hear more!

 

[maroo]

First....GREAT start!!

I started crying when I read that Wendy wanted to save money and give it away...reminds me so much of sweet Lauren. Hug that child for me!!

Great details! Loving this!!

And this picture...well...I need some tissues. I have no idea why this particular picture got me...because it seems pretty standard...but it is just perfect! the feeling you get driving under that sign!!!!

 

[jj0plin]

Great start... cannot wait to read more!!!

 

[blessedmom4]

AWESOME START!!! I am in! (Tears and All, I am so emotional).

 

[Manymosi]

Sunday, January 23, 2011

This was our first day in a park. We boarded a bus and were on our way to Epcot. En route, we spotted a couple deer grazing at the edge of a wooded area, a wild turkey, and some type of swimming mammal. After letting the kids take in their long-awaited surroundings, we headed to Soarin’. Everyone except Heather enjoyed this simulation of a flight over parts of California. The differing angles of our seats, the scent of oranges, the jerk when flying into a firework – all of these make the attraction a fun introduction to a far-off state. However, Heather kept her eyes closed most of the time.
On our way to Test Track we took a detour to see the jumping fountains(one of my absolute favorite things at Disney World), and on our way to the jumping fountains we got distracted by the JAMMitors, garbage can percussionists. I really like the unexpected entertainments that pop up at Disney. Most of the kids managed to catch a handful of water at the fountains before we proceeded to Test Track.

Heather’s stomach was bothering her, and Soarin’ had made her a bit fearful; so she chose to wait while we enjoyed this ride that Garry, Sarah, and Stephen rode on thirteen times when they came to Disney World in 2003, compliments of Aunt Dorothy.
Ellen’s Energy Adventure was interesting, and Spaceship Earth is more fun now that there’s some interaction via in-car computers. My mind remembered home, though, as I texted to Facebook that Kimberly Moses "is enjoying her time at disney, but misses her family at dixie(our church)."
We met Sarah and Stephen at The Land for lunch. They had separated from us after Test Track, bought Mickey Ears at the Disney Shop, walked around World Showcase as far as Germany, taken the boat back to Future World, and explored Innoventions. Some of us had an oriental-style lunch, Sarah had a Caesar salad, Stephen had chicken nuggets, Susanna had soup, and Melissa and Heather had macaroni and cheese. Then we all went to Soarin’ again. By now Heather understood my mantra of, "It may be scary, but it will still be safe," and chose to again board the mock flight. She closed her eyes for only a little bit, and by the time it was over, she liked the ride. Nearby we got on a boat to ride Living with the Land. Going through the atriums and greenhouses at the end of the trip was so interesting that most of us immediately went again. (There was no line.) However, Heather realized she’d left her backpack at Soarin’, so Sarah and Stephen took her back there to retrieve it. Yes, it was found intact.
Sometime amidst everything else we did, we had stopped in Club Cool. There we could sample flavors of soda pop from many countries. We liked the apple pop from Mexico and the orange pop from Germany, but no one liked the Italian pop(Beverly). Wendy Rose said it tastes like liquid dexamethasone.
One of the things Wendy Rose was given at GKTW is a Guest Assistance Card (GAC). This card clipped onto a lanyard which WR was instructed to wear, along with a specific pin, whenever she went into the parks. It told cast members (every Disney employee is considered a cast member) that WR and her companions were to be put into/onto the attraction without waiting long in line. If there was a Fast Pass line, we were directed to it. If not, we were taken another way to be boarded as soon as possible. This is one of the ways in which we felt like VIP’s, and the time we saved by not standing in long lines kept us from being anxious about the inevitable problems which slowed us down.
An advantage to our having tickets for four days in the parks is that we could go back to our villa to rest in the afternoons without feeling like we would be missing too much of what Wendy Rose wanted to do. An afternoon nap has been a long-standing custom at our house, and we especially didn’t want Wendy Rose to be too worn out by the increased activity, so we made it a point to take a break each day. This day, Sarah, Stephen, and Susanna rode the monorail around before joining us at the villa. During quiet time, Garry saw a deer in the woods below our balcony.
Because our "villa break" didn’t begin until mid-afternoon, we ate a supper of crackers, carrots, dip, and string cheese before returning to Epcot. This time when we entered the park, we headed straight to the World Showcase, arriving after dark and touring it clockwise. We took time for the Maelstrom at Norway; and, at Canada, found a place from which to view Illuminations. While we waited for the show to begin, Wendy Rose got the Mickey Ice Cream Bar she’d been wanting; and we all shared fish and chips from Great Britain.
Make-A-Wish had arranged for us to have use of a wheelchair. In the early stages of planning this trip, we hadn’t thought one would be necessary; but Wendy Rose’s broken back changed our minds, especially because activity aggravates her pain. The wheelchair was helpful for carrying our extra layers of clothes, water bottles, and backpacks; and for when Sarah, Melissa, Heather, and I needed to get off our feet awhile; but Wendy Rose didn’t use it nearly as much as we expected.
Illuminations ends the day at Epcot, so it seems that everyone leaves the park at the same time. Rather than wait in long lines for our bus back to Wilderness Lodge, we decided to ride the monorail first (forgetting that the monorail would also have long lines). When an attendant saw us with the wheelchair, he led us to an empty space along the track. We were given a wheelchair-accessible section of the monorail all to ourselves, while other sections were crowded with riders. This is another reason we felt like VIP’s. After a relaxing round trip, we headed for our bus stop. The crowds and lines were gone. We had an easy ride to the Lodge.

 

[mommy2mrb]

how neat to see wild life at Disney!!

Yay that Wendy took another ride on Soarin', she's a brave girl to give it another go!

We love the boat ride at The Land too, there is never a line and its a nice sitting down break for tired feet!

Its so wonderful that you all get the GAC cards to help get you through the parks quicker....all MAW families more than deserve the VIP treatment you receive!!!

Sounds like you had a great, fun day at Epcot!

 

[Loodlow]

Great job so far! Can't wait to read the rest!

 

[brookerene]

I love soarin and am glad she tried it. Makes me miss home and the orange groves (most of which are long gone) can't wait to read more!

 

[Manymosi]

Monday, January 24

Many friends had asked Wendy Rose to write to them from Disney World, and because Wendy Rose likes to write, she was happy to comply. She worked on post cards this morning in order to get them mailed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they were then forgotten and didn’t get mailed until Tuesday. I sent a message to my Facebook friends that "We are being treated like vip’s! WOW!!! No amount of money could buy a disney experience like this!" and followed it with, "The best part is that Wendy Rose is looking wonderfully well and happy!"
Because Wilderness Lodge is near Magic Kingdom and a waterway connects their shores, we could take a boat from our resort to the park. The route takes us both under a monorail bridge and over a road. Before entering any of the parks, security personnel check inside all bags, purses, etc. Once we got inside Magic Kingdom, we went straight down Main Street and to Cinderella’s Castle. From there it was just a short walk to the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, which we all rode.
Sarah, Stephen, and Susanna went off separately while the rest of us proceeded to Mickey’s Philharmagic, a 3-D movie. It’s a small world was right around the corner, so it came next; then we crossed the street to Peter Pan’s Flight. While we were there suspended in space, the ride stopped in the dark. Wendy Rose, Melissa, and Heather were in a different vehicle ahead of Garry and me; but we called out to them that all would be okay and to just sit still. The ride wasn’t stopped long. Wendy Rose told us later that the younger girls did just fine. Snow White’s Scary Adventures followed. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was right next door to that, so we got in line for it. While we were waiting, a problem stopped that ride for several minutes. Once we were on it, it worked fine; but later in the day it was closed for repairs. Now we headed to the Haunted Mansion. Wendy Rose’s GAC got us right onto a vehicle without even the usual introduction to the ride. From there we went to Thunder Mountain Railroad, which Heather hated, Melissa disliked, and Wendy Rose thought too jerky for her head and back. On we proceeded to Tom Sawyer Island. During this time Garry called Philip to get his input concerning the lack of heat at our house. (Rebecca had texted us, "Why is it only 44 degrees in our house.") While he was on the phone, I followed the girls into a cave. We got separated, however, and I couldn’t find the girls when I came out. I called Garry, but he hadn’t seen them since we entered the cave. Shortly after we hung up he called me back to say he’d found them. I gave my location and we were soon reunited. Again, Melissa and Heather did well at not being afraid while Wendy Rose helped them get back to us.
We decided to see if we could eat lunch earlier than our 1:05 p.m. reservation for Crystal Palace, so met Sarah, Stephen, and Susanna there. There were a lot of people waiting. We would have to wait too. Garry stayed to hear when our name might be called, and I took the kids to relax in the Disney Wish Lounge. It’s a comfortable room near the first-aid station, and we were the only ones using it. Sarah, Stephen, and Susanna said they had been to the Mad Tea Party, Tomorrowland Speedway, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, TTA People Mover, Mickey’s Philharmagic, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Crystal Palace is a large restaurant with ceiling and walls of glass, and decorative greenery. We were led to a round table. When we all had taken our seats, Sarah pointed out that we were sitting in order of age, something totally unplanned. Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger tour the dining area, taking time to sign autograph books and to hug children. Occasionally there is a parade of whoever wants to be in it. We all partook of the buffet. The herbed roast was especially delicious. Their rolls, macaroni and cheese, rotisserie chicken, and strawberries were also favorites of this family. Near the end of our meal a couple workers who volunteer at GKTW came over to meet Wendy Rose and converse with us.

As we left Crystal Palace, people were lining the street in anticipation of the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade. We found a spot among them. Wendy Rose’s eyes sparkled as the Disney Characters passed by, waving. Cinderella looked directly at her. When it was over, we headed back to the boat dock and returned to Wilderness Lodge for a rest, a quick swim in the Villas’ pool, and a short "warm up" in the hot tub.
By the time we returned (again, by boat) to Magic Kingdom, it was dark. We were too late to get good seats for the Main Street Electrical Parade, but the girls were able to see some of it over the crowd’s heads. As soon as that was ended, we rushed with the crowd toward Cinderella’s Castle for the Magic, Memories, and You! Presentation and the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks display.(Even though we were there during a very slow time, the crowds were crazy! We thought for a moment of just leaving the park, but decided to stay and just besr with the crowds) After that, the park was open only for guests staying on Disney property. Sarah and I were very tired and considered going back to the Lodge, but decided to stay and just relax there in Magic Kingdom. Wendy Rose had been wanting a Dole Whip, and we all headed over to where they’re available. I told Facebook friends, "So now…Wendy rose is pushing me in the wheelchair. She feels great, but I’m exhausted!" Our snack there provided us with more energy so even Sarah and I continued with the family.
Nearby was the Jungle Cruise, and from there we went to Pirates of the Caribbean. Next we headed across the way to Space Mountain. Garry, Stephen, Susanna, and Wendy Rose rode on that while the rest of us relaxed on the TTA People Mover. When they were done, they wanted to ride the people mover too; so we all went together. There was time for the Tomorrowland Speedway (where Stephen got delayed and finished last) before we returned to the dock for our boat ride back to Wilderness Lodge. We didn’t get to bed until around midnight, but at least the next day was to be a relaxing one.



Stay tuned for Tomorrow - Pixie Dust is flying!!!!!

 

[Manymosi]

Tuesday, January 25, 2010

(From the start we had planned this day to be a relaxing one. We figured after a long day of traveling and then two full days at the parks we would be exhausted - and we were !)This day of rest began around 8:00 with phone calls regarding the furnace at home. While Garry was arranging for someone to look at the situation, Rebecca texted, "Holzers know someone who can look at our furnace for free." That turned the arrangements toward a more positive direction. Scott Saffron, Jeff Holzer, and Jeff’s friend worked things out to see what could be done. By the end of the day, the heat was working, but the water heater had to be shut off because of a gas leak. The water heater didn’t get replaced until after we got home again.
Everyone else got up around 9:00, thinking about breakfast. We wanted the kids to have Mickey waffles, but they weren’t available at the Lodge. We took the boat to the Contemporary Resort. They didn’t have the waffles, but it gave us a chance to see the hotel.(We took this picture there. We used a coupon we got at GKTW to get a free poster sized print.)

We then boarded the monorail and proceeded to the Polynesian. There we ate our breakfast outside.(Yes they had Mickey Waffles.)

I really liked that resort. I felt relaxed among the greenery and their music. After breakfast and a little pin trading, we got back onto the monorail and visited the Floridian. Its lobby was bright and sunny, but more formal than the Polynesian. Because Wendy Rose was getting tired and we still wanted to ride the monorails all the way around (which included switching at the TTC), we didn’t stay long. When we finally got back to the Contemporary, we took the boat back to Wilderness Lodge. There in the lobby we realized it was almost time for our lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe.(It was about 1:30)
Garry asked at the desk if we could eat earlier than our 2:00 reservation, and they soon had our table ready for us.(Before Kim gets into the story some background information: Saturday evening when Stephen and I went to the van to bring in the groceries we had purchased at WalMart, I stopped at the WCC desk and asked to speak to the manager on duty. It was a young lady named Aron. I explained that we were on a Wish Trip and my Wish child loves to cook. I asked if Wendy could possibly help out in serving our food or maybe prepare our salads, or maybe take a tour of the kitchen. I assured her that there would be no hard feelings if nothing could be arranged. She said she didn't know if there was any thing they could do but she would check on it. I left it at that, thanked her and left. I didn't even tell Kim what I had done. When we arrived at the desk Arin waved at me and smiled, so I was hoping that something would happen. In my wildest dreams I never would have expected what would follow for the next two hours!) We knew to expect some unusually fun goings-on there. These began when our waiter, "Rusty" Rafael, singled out Wendy Rose to write down everyone’s order and pass out our beverages. He was careful to learn each of the kids’ names. Rafael was funny; and, since he was paying particular attention to her, Wendy Rose was giggly.

(Rusty has a way of pretending to be very serious but in a light hearted way, so the kids were not intimidated in any way.) Not long after that, Chef Eddie came from the kitchen and introduced himself. He told Wendy Rose that they have a problem in that "the Moses family of Waterford, Michigan, is supposed to have a cake for dessert but the staff doesn’t have time to frost and decorate it". He explained that they can’t allow her to go back into the kitchen, so they brought the cake, frosting, and other decorating tools out to our table. He even provided Krissa (not sure about name), their cake decorator, to teach Wendy Rose some decorating techniques. They’d prepared Wendy Rose a special chef’s hat, which they set on her head. Wendy Rose was so flabbergasted she could hardly stop laughing even to answer his questions. All of this was done at no extra cost to us. (Eddie spent quite a while with Wendy - probably 20-30 minutes. And he was really funny - telling jokes and one liners all relating to food!)

While Wendy Rose was frosting and decorating, Krissa watched, Chef Eddie came out to check her progress occasionally, and Rafael continued to serve us and keep us laughing. He’d tossed our straws and several extras onto the table, and fluttered our paper napkins to us. Sarah used the extra straws and drank her Coke quickly. Rafael noticed and returned a little later with a huge (half gallon) mug of Coke for her, complete with an extra-long straw! When Heather teasingly asked for more straws, Rafael brought them and used them to decorate her hair!

He later asked Stephen to help him bring us our refills. Stephen had to wait outside the kitchen while Rafael got them ready, but Rafael had also made a "crown" of straws standing in a gold cloth napkin for Stephen to wear as he carried the beverages.

At one point, Wendy Rose, Melissa, and Heather joined several other kids in a parade around the restaurant, riding stick horses. I can’t remember all that was done, but we laughed a lot through that lunch. A couple of the other families told us that they really enjoyed watching all the goings on! Near the end Rafael decided to take a family picture of us,

then beckoned for everyone in the restaurant to get into the picture.

Wendy Rose thought that the extra attention and opportunity they gave her was something which Make-A-Wish had arranged.
In the preceding months as he was researching Disney, Garry had read that it doesn’t hurt to ask for special favors, "and see if the pixie dust falls." The pixie dust fell generously on us that afternoon at Whispering Canyon Cafe. As I later summed it up for Facebook, "Wendy rose got to decorate our dessert at whispering canyon cafe. They turned a lunch into a memorable event." Wendy Rose named it as the highlight of her trip. ( It truly was a magical two hours! We laughed so hard our sides hurt. Rusty did a fantastic job at making it something we will remember and laugh about for years to come. As we walked out I think we were knee deep in pixie dust!)


Back at the villa I grabbed the couch cushions and an extra blanket, and made myself a place to nap on the balcony. The weather was too pleasant to be indoors unnecessarily. Stephen went for a run along the trail behind the Villas and saw two deer about ten to fifteen feet away. After quiet time we got ready and headed to the main pool to swim. By now it was raining, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the exercise and the water slide. Too soon, though, lightning was sighted and the staff was forced to close the pool. We all returned to the villa. Heather and I kept our swimsuits on and enjoyed the Jacuzzi together. Garry, Wendy Rose, and Melissa went to the gift shop. The other kids relaxed in front of the television. (ESPN and America’s Funniest Home Videos were popular viewing.) In the evening the kids watched It’s a Bug’s Life in our villa while Garry and I enjoyed a date relaxing in and looking around the wondrous lobby. Finally, we all got to eat the delicious cake Wendy Rose had decorated for us.

 

[mommy2mrb]

How sweet Wendy took the time to write to her friends!

Great photos of CP!!

sounds like you hit all the best rides and attractions!

the boat ride back and forth is so relaxing isn't it...can't wait to read about the pixie dust!

ooops, I just realized your posted the pixie dust story right before I posted.....what a wonderful treat for Wendy, she did a great job on the cake!!

we love eating there too! such a fun place!

 

[Loodlow]

What an amazing pixie dust story! That is wonderful, thanks for sharing your families wonderful memories.

 

[brookerene]

Wow that is awesome! that cake looks great....! What an exciting bunh of pixie dust!

 

[jj0plin]

Great updates!!! Whispering Canyon Cafe sounds like an awesome place!

 

[maroo]

Oh I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am just bawling!

Disney is so awesome! The CM's are so great to do that for her. What a special time your whole family had together - and how cool it was that you guys go to include the whole restaurant! Something that they won't soon forget.


Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PenelopeL]

That last report made me cry (for joy)! One can truly see the magic of Disney in that post. I'm so glad Wendy Rose got to decorate the cake and have a good time, and that everyone else got to join in on the fun. It's just awesome!!

 

[Manymosi]

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

We took the bus instead of the boat to Magic Kingdom in the morning because it was rainy. There Wendy Rose got her time with only Garry, Susanna, and me, as she originally expected the whole trip would be. We went to the Swiss Family Treehouse and took another trip on the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. Then, while Dad and Susanna rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Wendy Rose and I watched a Frontierland Hoedown. When the four of us were back together, we went into the Hall of Presidents for their show, to it’s a small world because Susanna hadn’t been there yet, and to Peter Pan’s Flight and Philharmagic because they were nearby and the kids like them. Next we headed to Toontown and took the train ride around Magic Kingdom, walked through Mickey’s house, visited Mickey and Minnie for autographs and photos,

walked through Minnie’s house, and rode the Barnstormer. Finally we hurried to Carousel of Progress to complete everything on Wendy Rose’s to-do list. We met Sarah, Stephen, Melissa and Heather in front of Cinderella’s Castle where Mickey’s Castle Party was just ending. After a photo shoot of us all wearing our "Wendy’s Make-A-Wish Trip 2011" shirts there, we headed for the exit. Our departure was delayed a bit as we enjoyed the Main Street Philharmonic band.

Wendy Rose declared that her Magic Kingdom experience was complete, and we boarded the boat to return to Wilderness Lodge.

Wendy Rose did find, however, that she prefers being with Melissa and Heather instead of Susanna. She likes teaching and helping her younger sisters.
So what had Sarah, Stephen, Melissa, and Heather done all morning? Stephen rode on Space Mountain while the girls went on Buzz Lightyear four times, then they all went on Buzz Lightyear. Next they rode the Mad Hatter, Peter Pan’s Flight, and it’s a small world. Stephen rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while the girls ate chicken nuggets. They rode Alladin twice and went on the Jungle Cruise, rode the train around Magic Kingdom, visited Toontown, rode the TTA People Mover, and were at Cinderella’s Castle in time to see all of Mickey’s Castle Party.
At our villa we ate lunch and took quiet time. Garry told my Facebook friends Kimberly Moses, "Is mapping among the treetops." (He meant "napping,’ – on the balcony again.) Then we packed up for the evening and walked to the bus stop to catch a ride to Epcot.
Together we rode on Spaceship Earth, Soarin’, and Test Track; then Sarah, Stephen, and Susanna went off on their own. They rode Test Track again, went to Club Cool, walked around the World Showcase to Germany, rode the boat to Mexico, walked to Canada to watch Oh, Canada, ate fish and chips, and waited for Illuminations to begin. We ate supper at Mexico in the World Showcase with Martin, Marie, and Jack, whom we saw getting ready to order at the same time and restaurant at which we were ordering. Then we walked around the World Showcase, stopping to ride the Maelstrom again, looking at the glass and pastry shops in Germany, and getting a funnel cake for Garry. We met the older kids where they were saving a place for us at Illuminations.

Again, as we left the park, I asked Wendy Rose if she were satisfied that she’d done enough there, and she said she was.
We had to wait a while for the bus to take us back to the Lodge, and while we were waiting we met a Texan family with eight kids.

 

[jj0plin]

Sounds like a wonderful and very busy day! Love the pictures It's great that you all got to see Mickey and Minnie's house before they were destroyed