Wish Trippers...Unite!! Volume One

[wendygrace]

This thread is no longer active as we have moved to...

Wish Trippers Volume Two!!

Please feel free to read as much of this thread as you like and join us in our new thread. We are very pleased to help you on your journey.


Alright, as per popular request, here is the Wish Trippers Community Thread! Now, I am no good at keeping these up. MOF, I have been known as a Thread Killer so I need your help to keep these going.

Some Background: Several months ago I was getting ready for my son's wish trip and saw a couple of trip reports. I figured I could expand on this idea and do a really detailed trip report to help other wish trippers with their trips. See, taking a wish trip is quite different then any other vacation. Usually this is the first vacation a family has taken. And occasionally, the only. I wanted to make sure Wish Trippers could get the most out of this experience.

Well, along the way, I found a group of other wish trippers. Some have met at Give Kids the World while most of us only know each other through our reports.

We started taking up more and more room in each other's reports getting updates about each other's kids check-ups and surgeries and such. We also, dare I say, started to form some friendships.

And so we decided to start a Community Thread for Wish Trippers, Past, Present and Future!

We'll share joys, sorrows, trials, tribulations and wish trip tips and tricks!

Enjoy!
Give Kids the World
Make A Wish Foundation
Texas Wishing Well
Magic Moments
The Dream Factory

Amazing Grace's Wish Trip (links)-MAW/GKTW-Late June 04
Wendygrace's Wish Trip - MAW/GKTW - Late June 07
5dwarves' Wish Trip - Magic Moments/GKTW-August 07
LeeLee2U's Wish Trip - Texas Wishing Well/Beach Club - September 07
Bill Lin's Wish Trip - MAW/GKTW - September 07
Who'syourMickey's Wish Trip-Dream Factory/GKTW - September 07
iluvmickeymouse!'s Wish Trip-MAW/GKTW-Oct.23-31, 2007
Winnielover's Wish Trip-MAW/GKTW-Nov.11-18, 2007
alizesmom's Wish Trip-MAW/GKTW-Dec.2-8, 2007
Eeyore's Mom's Wish Trip - MAW/GKTW - Jan 18-25, 2008
Queenie122's Wish Trip-MAW/GKTW-May10-20, 2008
lotferg's Wish Trip-MAW/GKTW-May 19-24, 2008
GoofyDoo's Wish Trip MAW/GKTW July 29-Aug 4, 08
HeatherN's Wish Trip August 2-8, 2008
Robin+5's Wish Trip August 16-23
laurenmama's Wish Trip Aug 19-25, 08
mistymouse5001's Trip Report MAW/GKTW Sept 5-11, 08
bigdisgrandma's Grandparent Trip Report Sept 10-16, 08 MAW/GKTW Extended Family Sept 10-16
NicoleDisneyFan's Wish Trip Sept. 22-27, 08
oklamomof4boys' Wish Trip MAW Nov. 16-22, 08
twinmum's Trip Report Starlight Starbright Foundation of CANADA Nov 08
Lambflock's Wish Trip - Nov. 6-12 MAW/GKTW

Upcoming!
hotmamac's Wish Trip MAW/GKTW Dec.13-19,08
PatMcDuck's Wish Trip DisneyLand MAW
Maroo's Wish Trip Report a CNA's perspective! Oct3-9, 08 MAW/GKTW
LuvGoing2Disney7's Wish Trip - Dec.17-23,08 MAW/GKTW
Extra Stuff
Bill Lin's Follow Up trip to Disney Land 08 with World Passport

 

[LeeLee2U]

ALL RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTTTT!!!
You started!!!!!! I'm so glad.. I think this is Wonderfull!!! I won't let you kill it Wendy, You know I won't and when Elisa gets back she won't let it die either!!!!!
For those of you that don't know either one of us you can get to know us a little better by reading our trip reports. The link is located in both of our siggies!! But I'll warn you, when you are reading Wendy's make sure you buy lots of Klee-Nix. In fact you might want to take some stock out in it. I wish I would have. I could've gotten rich!!!
I'mm LeeLee to you that is Actually that is a nick name that my nephew who is in Iraq right now gave me when he was a toddler! And it stuck with the kids and close friends. Of course once they hit over the age of 12 it's only LeeLee when they want something. When one of my Sis or Bro-in-laws calls me and says LEELEE...I know somethings up!
O.k. Those of you that know about Braeton and his surgery. If you pray please PRAY. His ears are starting to bleed, from the Bandages rubbing against the sutures. If this keeps happening throughtonight, then it's back to the Dr we go. He's been so brave through all this and he's doing an awesome job of not touching the bandages or his ears. When they itch he's been rubbing his jaw or the top of his head!!! Hey! Whatever works right!!!!

 

[wendygrace]

I'll be sending some positive thoughts your way LeeLee.

Now pray that we get a date soon for Michael's surgery please.

And, should we start talking about our January 2009 trip?

 

[AmazingGrace]

Benji went on a wish trip in 04. I'll have to find the report about it. it was awesome!!

 

[jennydep]

Hey, all! I'm here! Mickey's wish trip was in April/May of 2006. It was truly magical!!!

 

[Bill_Lin]

Checking in for duty... Bill and Lin from Washington (the State not the other place). This thread feels like a permanent home for me.

We got back from our WDW Make a Wish Trip on 9/23/07 and still have post-Disney depression. Here is the link to our thread.
and the link to Wendy's (who is apparently the actual Wendy from Peter Pan).
Another must read is 5Dwarves'.

When you visit these threads, be sure to paste the link to this one in your posts so that we can get more shamelessly free advertising to get people posting here.

Read these and you will have passed Wish Trips 101 and will be ready for anything.

I have posted an essay on The Magic of Wish Trips: Revealing the Soul of Disney.
Now that I am back from our trip, I may rewrite this. I have learned so much more.

This thread will be a great place for people to ask and give advice, get nostalgic by reminding us of memories and posting pictures we have already cried over. How about a few poems?

Look out LeeLee, I think I see a new Texan on the thread here. You will have competition.

Keep the posts and pictures coming.

Bill

 

[Bill_Lin]

Welcome Jenny! You were the first person to help me out on DISboards, so it is great to see you here.

 

[LeeLee2U]

Jenny!! So glad to have you on here!! Yours was the very first trip report I read. I had googled Disney wish trips came upon the DIS boards where you had mentioned yours and followed your link!!!
Amazing Grace..... HOWDY!!! It's great to have a fellow Texan!!!!!! And I have to say Your tags are great!!!

Wow Wendy I'm so glad you decided to go ahead and start this. I know that we will be a great source of strength for each other
Also just a source of laughter and tears as Wendy said. For of course who understands the warped sense of humor we get except for other people who are in the same or similar circumstances???
Wendy--- Do you have any idea of when they want to do his surgery? Do they have to wait untill a certain time? Or is just a matter of scheduling or Ins? I know we went @ and @ with ins on this surgery and then it ended up completly paid for!!
Here's for you and Michael!1 Ever since first getting to "know" you I pray almost constantly for little Michael, something about his smile and of course when you were writing your TR Boy that can't help but get into your heart!!!

 

[alizesmom]

I'm checking in prematurely. Alize's Wish Trip is from Nov 30 till Dec 11 (counting travel time). I'm currently trying to sum up the courage to start my own pre-trip thread but it'll be difficult since I can't post attachments. Karen

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

Yippee!!!! I love this idea!! Thanks Wendy for starting it!!! Here's a "oh why did that happen" moment for you. My DD4, yes the one who is getting the wish trip, decided to not listen to mommy on Sat. and stand up in the shopping cart. Which led to reaching for a toy, which led to falling out of the shopping cart, head first. Head hit the cement. Ouch!! We now have a black eye!!! We ended up spending the rest of Sat. in the ER and then got admitted for observation. All of her neurological tests have come back fine. She did fracture the bone right where your eyebrow is, but only like a millimeter, so no surgery needed to fix it. We have to go to the neurosurgeon tomorrow as a follow up. Oy! She was supposed to have pre-school pics on Friday! Don't think we will be doing those. Plus, doc said it would take two weeks for the bruise to go away. We leave for WDW in 13 days people!!!!! Thanks to Who'syourmickey I discovered Arnica, I got it in a gel form and have been applying that to the bruise to help it heal faster!!! I will post the pic of my DD4 and her lovely black eye when I get home tonight.

 

[Bill_Lin]

I wrote this poem on another thread quite a while before our trip. It was strangely prophetic:

Disney Whirled

Parking lot
Playful spot
Inspection hassle
Magic Castle
Rope Drop
Child Swap
See Winnie the Pooh
Whatever you do

Dumbo
Walk slow
Main Street
Character greet
Peter Pan
Touring Plan
Hair stylin’
Tom Sawyer Island

Breakfast
Fast Pass
Ariel
Liberty Bell
Snow White
Grab a bite
Jungle Cruise
Long-line blues

Toon Town
Princess gown
Mickey Mouse
Minnie’s house
Pirate’s curse
Empty purse
Parade Times
Count your dimes

Aladdin’s lamp
Hand stamp
Gifts shops
Potty stops
A President
Our money’s spent
Haunted Mansion
Hidden stanchion

Fireworks
Rude jerks
Small World
Flags unfurled
Splash Mountain
Thunder Mountain
Space Mountain
Costs mountin’

Tired feet
We’re all beat
Monorail
Please don’t fail
Find our car
It can’t be far
Its really late
We’re out the gate


The part about inspection hassle was really prophetic, since it was at the bag check I lost the disk with our first day of video from the Village and Sea World. We even had a money problem because one of our pre-paid debit cards from Netspend did not work, so half our money was tied up. They FINALLY moved all of the funds to one card and compensated me by waving my purchase cost for the bad card and giving me one month without the $20.00 service fee. If you don't pay this fee, they charge you 1-2 dollars everytime you use the card (OUCH!).

Here are the connections to the poem and what ACTUALLY happened on our trip:

Parking lot
(We got to the very front of parking with our magic GKTW button)


Playful spot
(Pooh's playful spot was closed when we were there, and I blew it by not arranging a greet with Piglet, Lysi's #2 goal)


Inspection hassle
(I lost the video discs at bag check)


Magic Castle
(We "magically" were able to eat brunch in the castle at the last minute and it was the most magical part of the trip)


Rope Drop
(Shall I just say that we slep too long each day to worry about rope drop-besides why hurry when we get to bypass lines?)


Child Swap
(We had to take Lysi down the line a few times and have her swap out so we could have two groups use the G.A.C. at the same time)


See Winnie the Pooh
Whatever you do
(We did the Pooh ride the last thing at MK)


Dumbo
(No line bypass here, but the crowds were not bad so only about a 20 minute wait)


Walk slow
(Not much choice there after the GKTW breakfast energy surge wears off. At one point Lysi said, "My little legs are getting tired" so back in the stroller)


Main Street
(We didn't spend much time there, but loved the window scenes of Disney characters... at Guest Services here, Jeff worked the magic to get us into the Castle Brunch)


Character greet
(The highlight of the trip for Lysi--- so many characters, so little time)


Peter Pan
(I think I liked this old favorite from DL more than the others did)


Touring Plan
(We actually kind of stuck to our touring plans for the most part)


Hair stylin’
(The Bipidi Boppity Botique was a bit rich for us)


Tom Sawyer Island
(Came in handy when Lysi was afraid to try TMRR)

Breakfast
(GKTW Gingerbread House ALL THE WAY on this one--"Waffles, did somebody say Waffles")


Fast Pass
(G.A.C. is a TURBO Fast Pass)


Ariel
(We did not catch her until the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show at
Disney Studios --I use the new name here-- on our last day)


Liberty Bell
(closed when we were at MK)


Snow White
(Okay.. I admit I always thought she was a bit sappy until I met her at MK... she was TOTALLY awesome and so attentive to Lysi... she is my favorite Princess now)


Grab a bite
(Too bad that the need to eat cut into our ride time... but we loved the Columbia Harbor House and, or course, the CASTLE!)


Jungle Cruise
(We skipped this as we were headed to AK the next day and it seemed expendable)


Long-line blues
(Well... this hardly applies now does it)

Toon Town
(Believe it or not we missed Toon Town, but apparenlty Mickey and Minnie were not offended because they showed up--with Goofy and Pluto-- the next morning at GKTW)


Princess gown
(Don't tell Lin I told you she left Lysi's Princess dress in the car and we didn't have time to retrieve it when we got our last minute access to the castle--- but she got to wear it for the Pirates and Princesses Party at GKTW)


Mickey Mouse
(See above about his visit to GKTW--- my middle son, at Chuck-e-Cheese for our send off party-- told me that Chuck-e is Mickey's ummmm {sorry to use a politically incorrect word here} retarded cousin--- and LeeLee's son got that from a posting I did and he asked Mickey if he were Chuck-e's cousin)


Minnie’s house
(Missed it)


Pirate’s curse
(Got to meet Jack Sparrow and he ROCKED, plus Kyle bought "the" medallion at POTC and a pirate sword at the Flea Market by GKTW-- not to mention to the Pirates and Princesses Party at the Village)


Empty purse
(Our pre-paid debit card that would not work)


Parade Times
(We skipped the parades- I hope that does not make me a Disney heretic-- but had to manuever around them)


Count your dimes
(Ditto on the debit card woes--- plus we had to keep track of our trip money and that was HARD to do when buying food and souvenirs in a hurry)


Aladdin’s lamp
(Lysi LOVED the Aladdin ride--- check out her big smile on my Trip Report)


Hand stamp
(I did not have to use this except when I ducked out to look for the lost disc)


Gifts shops
(At the end of most every ride)


Potty stops
(I won't tell you how many restrooms we "inspected"--- but we only had to use a companion one once)


A President
(We skipped this)


Our money’s spent
(We actually have $20.00 of our trip money left for me to buy gas today)


Haunted Mansion
(I CANNOT say ENOUGH about how much they improved this ride at rehab-- I also actually got scared here-- though in the line, not on the ride)


Hidden stanchion
(I can't remember where I read about this, but it has something to do with the hidden architecture of MK or something)

Fireworks
(Lysi spent this time looking to see if Stitch was really up on the castle tower as she has seen in Stitch's Great Escape)

Rude jerks
(Hmmm... not at MK... and only one at AK... but my Redheaded DW set him straight mighty quick-- you know I have never seen such a low "jerk quotient" in my life anywhere as at WDW)


Small World
(I actually LIKE this ride, but the song is torture to DS and DW)


Flags unfurled
(They were waving a bit during the "hurricane")


Splash Mountain
(YEAH Uncle Remus!)


Thunder Mountain
(Kyle and I had a great bonding time here)


Space Mountain
(Ditto the previous line)


Costs mountin’
(THANK YOU Make a Wish for your GREAT generosity)

Tired feet
(THANK YOU GKTW for the whirlpool bath and thanks to our Crocs for minimizing this-- by the way--- breaking them in is a must and Kyle did not much to his feet's despair)


We’re all beat
(EVERY Night)


Monorail
(We got to take this at the end of the MK day)


Please don’t fail


Find our car
(Thank you automatic unlock thingy that made the lights flash)


It can’t be far
(The distances were always greater on the way out than on the way in)


Its really late
(And the BIG bed at GKTW was waiting)


We’re out the gate
(That was always kind of sad, like the last day of senior high school)

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

Let's see if I can get this to work.....hopefully they won't be too big...

DD4 on Sun. when we got home....

Tonight...

It's looking a little better, right???? At least she can open her eye now.

 

[wendygrace]

It's looking a little better, right???? At least she can open her eye now.

OMG!!!! Look at that eye! Yes, put Arnica on it! Arnica is awesome. We used it for ds' black eye at age three and did wonders! Highly recommend it! BTW, love her t-shirt on that first photo. LOL

Bill, love your poems. Bring them on.

Karen, you are not here prematurely at all! Glad you made it!

LeeLee, we are just waiting on coordinating schedules. Michael's surgeries are long so I'm sure they are trying to find a date they haven't already scheduled surgeries on where they can fit a long surgery with two different doctors. At this point I don't care about insurance. Our insurance this year will cover whatever. Next year I don't know but don't care. I'll pay it out of pocket if they will just finish the poor kid up! LOL

And welcome to the "oldies" who were my inspiration. LOL

Ok, everyone find your wish trips and I'll post them on the first post!

 

[wendygrace]

Ok, make sure your link is correct and if you don't have a link, make sure you fix that and either give me your info or start a Trip Report!!

And that's an order!

please

 

[Momof2wCF]

ALL RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTT TT!!!
You started!!!!!! I'm so glad.. I think this is Wonderfull!!! I won't let you kill it Wendy, You know I won't and when Elisa gets back she won't let it die either!!!!!

I'm so happy!!
Now nothing will be off-topic, cause all we talk about is our kids and Disney anyway!!
OH MY GOODNESS!! What a SHINER! Hey Karla! I think that was DD's way of making sure we would all recognize her at GKTW! Hmm, THERE'S a little girl with a black eye... Why it's Karla and her family!

 

[AmazingGrace]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=613041
Day 1

http://http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=613370
day 2

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=614719
day 4

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=615786
day 5

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=615819
day 6

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=602615
Pictures

 

[wendygrace]

Loriann, thanks for the links. I can't get Day 2 to load though. I love how the cast member made a special moment for you guys. That's just awesome! Which organization did you go with?

 

[Purple Princess]

Thank you to Bill Lin for letting me know about this thread. This is a wonderful idea! We went on DD's Wish trip last November and had a wonderful time and I wanna go back NOW!

I didn't write an actual report on our trip but did reply to many posts asking questions about what to expect etc etc.... If I can help anyone in anyway I'd be more than happy to! Before our trip I came here a lot and got a lot of wonderful information to help ensure our trip ran smoothly. I had a LOT of questions because this was our very first trip ever with DD and most were so kind to help answer my questions and fears.

GKTW is top notch and I advise everyone to stay there if they can. I cannot begin to imagine how our trip would have been without all they did for my family. Angels on earth!

Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. I am enjoying reading them all. Again if anyone has any questions I'd be more than happy to answer the best I can. My girl is in a wheelchair and perhaps I can help those who are in the same boat.

Purple Princess

 

[wendygrace]

Ya know, Purple Princess, it's never to late to write a Trip Report.

Ok, I've updated links peoples! Please take a look-see!

 

[roseprincess]

Hi and joining the thread!

My DD, Chrissy, had her MAW trip in June of '04. First and only time DD and DS have ever been to WDW! We had a blast!
I didn't even know about the DISboards until after our wish trip. I had read stuff on the Disney message boards on AOL for awhile, before DD's actual wish trip, unfortunately no MAW trip reports there at the time.
Found the DIS about 3 months after our MAW trip.

That's so cool to have this thread running on the CB board!
I used to frequent the disABILITIES board alot, back in '04 and '05, but have only gotten to that board once in awhile now.

Unfortunately, I don't remember if I ever wrote a TR on the disABILITIES board. I think I did way back when

Well, I'm just so glad to join here