Wish Trip - Need some info please

[scrappin]

We planning a wish trip and I have been searching through all the threads trying to get as much info as possible. We do not have a lot of extra money and do not know how much spending money we will be getting. From what I have read about characters I think we will not spend money on character meals because we should be able to interact with them.

We are going just before Christmas and I was considering the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This would be an added cost to us but I thought it would give us some extra time at the magic kingdom. The only night that would work if we could get tickets would be the day we arrive. Any thoughts from others would be appreciated. Is it worth it? It would also get us into the magic kingdom for a little bit of time that first night.

Does GTKW only have certain times for orientation? Would they work around your schedule if they knew you had tickets to something like the MVMCP?

Also what special nights at gtkw are must see's for an 11 year old girl and 7 year old boy.

We are so excited - it is almost overwhelming!

 

[okiemomof3]

Hey There, and congrats on your wish trip. Unfortunately I can will not be of much help answering your question, as we too are going on a Wish trip soon and it will be our first ever trip to Disney, however I started a thread last week that ended up being very helpful to me and thought that I would share it with you http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1618904 There are lots of helpful links in that thread. You may also want to check out the Wish Trippers link http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1606643 There are trip reports, Pre Trip reports and lots of tips in that thread. Everyone here is really nice, and very helpful, I am sure you will find the answers your are looking for.

 

[MarieS]

My boys MAW trip was in 2005 so I don't know if they have changed the nights. When we were there Thursday night was Christmas and Saturday was Mayor Claytons' birthday party. If you want, I will look up the newsletter we received to give you the rest. Let me know. Every day they will drop off a schedule of events. You can also get this info at orientation. They also has 2 different times for character events at GKTW. They will assign you a time for Mickey, Minnie and friends and they also had friday morning for Barney and friends and Jimmy Neutron.

You can eat breakfast and dinner at GKTW and then would only need to pay for lunch at the parks. GKTW also has a free ice cream parlor and during our stay each villa received a snack basket and beverages. Have you asked your wish grantor for the specifics so you can plan expenses?

I haven't been to MVMCP, but we did go to MNSSHP. It can get pretty crowded and with all the special holiday events we didn't even try any rides. ( I've heard there has been a lot of rain lately, but our night weather was beautiful!) There are a lot of threads on MVMCP in the theme park attractions forum so you might want to look there.

GKTW was fabulous! I wish we had been able to spend more time at the resort with all they have there. I think the staff would try to work something out with you for orientation ( we arrived at dinner and ours was in the evening) if you ask.

Have a magical trip!

 

[mechurchlady]

If you can afford a character meal then you can contact Brenda.Bennett@disney.com and explain that your child is a Wish kid. Then inform the restaurant that the child is a Wish Kid when you arrive there. Disney cast members tend to go out of their way for Wish Kids.

The second link listed above has a wealth of information. The GKTW site has a wealth of information and is easy to navigate. It is one of the best sites I have seen on the net.

 

[scrappin]

Thanks so much for all your responses. We are so excited and fell so blessed to have this opportunity. It was a great surprise and thankfully the date was close so we don't have a ton of time and with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and two family birthdays, I believe time will fly by.

The Wish organization called and has a bunch of stuff to drop by and have us sign but is waiting to see if they have all the travel arrangements completed so we can do everything at once. I am anxiously awaiting to hear from them. I haven't asked too many questions yet - I guess I am still in shock mode - this is such a dream come true because we could not afford this between the hospital bills, medical equipment, and prescriptions this year!

Any tips would be appreciated. I was leaning toward just using the passes we will receive for the parks and doing as much at the GKTW as we can and not doing any extra character breakfasts.

Again, thanks so much for your responses - I have been reading and reading every night since I found the boards....it's a lot of info!

 

[Nick's Grandma]

My grandson got a wish trip two years ago. Our local MAW supplied everything including spending money. We stayed at GKTW, it is a wonderful place geared towards the wish child and not forgetting the family. Our tickets were parkhoppers, also tickets to Universal and Sea World. We ate breakfast at GKTW and dinner there. The atmosphere there was wonderful. My gs is a ham, so he made friends with the tram driver who would not pass our house without Nick wanting to jump on.
At Disney we were given private character meet and greets, and the CMs went out of their way to make a fuss over him.
Sit back and enjoy your trip, don't stress, they will tell you everything you need to know

 

[LindaBabe]

Here's Grandma Linda's opinion - I wouldn't buy the Christmas party tickets, not because it isn't a wonderful party, it is, but for other reasons.

1. You'll be tired from traveling and won't feel like rushing.
2. There are many many fun things to do at GKTW Village, and you won't have time to do them all, however much you might want to!
3. Even if you bought party tickets, you wouldn't see "everything" the world has to offer. Depending on the night, the party can be very VERY crowded. Fridays and Saturdays are the worst.
4. If resources are limited, I suggest, instead of another energy consuming event, either spending them on something to make your lives easier while there - ie. a sit down lunch instead of counter service so you can be served, in air conditioned comfort - or on something that will prolong the memories once you get home - ie - music cds, books, or videos.

 

[Bugsmom73]

Having never done a GKTW trip, I would not totally discredit a character meal. It is a great way to interact with the characters.

 

[scrappin]

4. If resources are limited, I suggest, instead of another energy consuming event, either spending them on something to make your lives easier while there - ie. a sit down lunch instead of counter service so you can be served, in air conditioned comfort - or on something that will prolong the memories once you get home - ie - music cds, books, or videos.

Thanks for the advice. I actually started out with the mindset that we would just do what we could and not try to cram everything in - This will probably be the only time my kids get to go to Disneyworld with us and I want it to memorable but I don't want it so crammed that we just don't enjoy what we are doing. I doubt they will notice anything not covered - just be so glad to 1) travel on a plane and 2) be at disney - anything else will be icing on the cake.

I think I will take a deep breath - go back over the parks least crowded days, and figure out the 3-4 things that each family member is really looking forward to doing. Keep it simple!

By the way, it feels like our trip is getting closer - our local radio station started playing Christmas music today!!!

BYW, what rides would there be a problem carrying a large backpack on? I will have to carry around some medical supplies along with other things. If I cannot take the backpack with me - will they let us switch off so my husband and I can take turns holding the pack while the other rides?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to both DisBoards and disABILITIES!

BYW, what rides would there be a problem carrying a large backpack on? I will have to carry around some medical supplies along with other things. If I cannot take the backpack with me - will they let us switch off so my husband and I can take turns holding the pack while the other rides?

When you say "medical supplies" what is the degree of urgency that you need to have them on your person?

Each park has a First Aid station staffed by at least two RNs during all hours the park is open. They will store medical equipment and supplies for you, including refrigeration if necessary. And this is done securely.

Also, each first aid has space where you can sit or lie down to rest if needed.

All this is done at no charge to you.

 

[SueM in MN]

BYW, what rides would there be a problem carrying a large backpack on? I will have to carry around some medical supplies along with other things. If I cannot take the backpack with me - will they let us switch off so my husband and I can take turns holding the pack while the other rides?

In all the shows and in many rides, you should be able to take the backpack with you and either hold it on your lap or put it on the floor.

 

[scrappin]

One of my kids has Type 1 diabetes...so we have all those supplies, snacks, juice, etc. to contend with and carry around. We will have to disconnect their insulin pump for some rides and will not be able to bring it on board. It just throws another wrinkle into our daily planning/coordination.

 

[SueM in MN]

One of my kids has Type 1 diabetes...so we have all those supplies, snacks, juice, etc. to contend with and carry around. We will have to disconnect their insulin pump for some rides and will not be able to bring it on board. It just throws another wrinkle into our daily planning/coordination.

In the disABILITIES FAQs thread in post #3, there are some links to past threads about diabetes. One of the links is specifically about pumps.

 

[scrappin]

Thanks Sue - I try to scan through everything but missed that thread - it is very helpful!