Wish Trippers...Unite!! Volume One

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

Jill, I was planning on making all my reservations, but didn't know if I needed some sort of proof that we're going from MAW that entitles us to make the advance reservations at Disney restaurants? We haven't been to Disney since 2000, so I don't remember all the ins and outs! Plus we're staying at the Hard Rock on Universal property (at least that's what we requested, but I'm sort of second guessing that request), so I'm not sure how that plays into this. I think it's going to call for some creative planning and going with the flow as opposed to 'doing it all' but my son really liked the idea of staying at the Hard Rock - teen appeal, I think.

Anyone can make advanced dining reservations up to 180 days out. Just call Disney dining ....407-wdw-dine...(I think) and tell them which restaurant, which day and how many people. Jill is right....no credit card required to make the ressie except for at the castle. allears.net has a wonderful restaurant section with menus so check that out if you need more info on where to eat. I also mentioned that we were on a wish trip when I made ressies and got the same response Jill did. You can make ressies now and change them later if need be. I think you can even cancel the ressies on the day of if you need to.....much better choice than just not showing up!

Are you getting a rental vehicle? Getting to the parks shouldn't be too hard. I felt as though everything had good signing (I only got lost once! ) We made it the parks by 9 most mornings.

Never been to the Hard Rock hotel but I could see where it would have teen appeal! Seaworld was a must for us. If you have never done it....it is definitely worth a visit.

Feel free to ask us any questions you may have. And as I have said before.....CALL....call your coordinator and find out what is going on....I bypassed our wish granter because she really didn't know much. Which was kind of sad for how long she had been doing this.


Good luck with the planning.......oh yeah, I think it is Disney Hollywood Studios now!

 

[Camster0307]

patticake3 - Your last post didn't show up on my computer until I replied. Hope you get into the Hard Rock!

You can make your ADRs 180 days in advance - don't need to give them a resort confirm# - just your phone #. That's what I did. I highly recommend doing this - the better character meals and dining experiences book up quickly.

 

[Camster0307]

Camster, hopefully this will post okay - I've been having DIS trouble today!

We requested to go March 1-8, or possibly Feb 29 to be there for a full day on March 1. We're going for ESPN weekend as my son is a huge sports fan and listens to many of the radio personalities that will be there. ESPN weekend is Feb 29-Mar 2. We're not sure how ESPN weekend will be organized, but we're assuming that we'll want to spend time at MGM (can't remember the new name!) on March 1 and possibly part of March 2. We'll also fit in the other parks over the next few days and spend the last 2 or 3 days at Universal and maybe Sea World. My son requested to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal, which will mean some creative transportation during our Disney days so we make the most of the Disney parks without totally wearing ourselves out! Our MAW coordinator is supposedly working with Nat'l MAW because she wasn't familiar with ESPN weekend and how to work that all out (according to our MAW rep), so that's apparently been the holdup with her contacting us with info. We haven't talked much about the trip because we want to be sure that they're able to grant the wish, especially w/ the ESPN and Hard Rock twists.

There's an ESPN Club restaurant on the Boardwalk - I've seen many sports and broadcast people there over the years. Plus it's a fun place to eat if you're into sports. Another secret - you can park at the Boardwalk Hotel; then walk to MGM or Epcot. Not sure if you're SUPPOSED to do this - but I know many, many people do. Very convenient! (BW is where we usually stay. It's a great area!)

 

[patticake3]

Thanks for the info, Camster and Iluvmickeymouse! I'm trying to be laid back and cool about this in terms of our Wish coordinator. I haven't wanted to be too pushy, but figured that if I hadn't at least gotten the word that my son's wish was granted by New Year's, I'd be a tad more assertive. My wish granter said that she asked the coordintor yesterday to at least call me in the next 2 days to introduce herself and give me an idea where things stood. The rep couldn't tell me if we would get passes for WDW, US, and SW like other Disney wishes - she said it totally depends what's available at the time, plus our wish was different than most Disney wishes. I don't think the wish is too complicated, so I'm hoping the coordinator is just overloaded with work as opposed to not knowing how to handle the wish! Obviously I wouldn't want to stay at the Hard Rock unless we get the passes for US and SW, and all the planning of what parks to visit which day and where to eat are wrapped up in that info too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the wish coordinator is on the ball! I'm fighting the urge to start checking flight and hotel availability, calling Disney to inquire about how ESPN works, etc, etc!!

 

[Eeyore's Mom]

Thanks for the info, Camster and Iluvmickeymouse! I'm trying to be laid back and cool about this in terms of our Wish coordinator. I haven't wanted to be too pushy, but figured that if I hadn't at least gotten the word that my son's wish was granted by New Year's, I'd be a tad more assertive. My wish granter said that she asked the coordintor yesterday to at least call me in the next 2 days to introduce herself and give me an idea where things stood. The rep couldn't tell me if we would get passes for WDW, US, and SW like other Disney wishes - she said it totally depends what's available at the time, plus our wish was different than most Disney wishes. I don't think the wish is too complicated, so I'm hoping the coordinator is just overloaded with work as opposed to not knowing how to handle the wish! Obviously I wouldn't want to stay at the Hard Rock unless we get the passes for US and SW, and all the planning of what parks to visit which day and where to eat are wrapped up in that info too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the wish coordinator is on the ball! I'm fighting the urge to start checking flight and hotel availability, calling Disney to inquire about how ESPN works, etc, etc!!

You are resisting the urge better than I did! I called several times and suggested/requested things. I held off for a while then realized they have no idea what would make Marek's trip special if I didn't request it. I did ask for an extra day at Disney but I don't think we got it. I am just a little dissapointed (I mean how dissapointed can one be with all that they do offer ) but most of what Marek will really enjoy will be at Disney and he hasn't asked for anything above the normal so I was just hoping they would add that in. We get our packet on Friday so I'll know for sure then, although I really am not planning on it. I think there is a lack of communication between the wish volunteers and the actual coordinator, so I found it much more helpful to go straight to the coordinator, who was always very friendly and quick to respond. I didn't contact her a lot but probably 4 or 5 times over the past 6 months when I wasn't hearing anything or thought of something I wanted to add. It was the people on here that encouraged me to contact them and I was always glad I did. As for checking flights etc.- I did that too!! And I got the exact flights I wanted too. I didn't exactally ask for a specific flight but did request some times and perimeters that would meet our needs best and there were only so many flights from Anchorage to Orlando I also requested a mini van as there are 5 of us with 2 car seats and all of the luggage. With both requests for the flight and the van I was told no problem and that is what they have done many times. I didn't feel like a pest or nag, just felt good about getting what I knew would work best for our family. So ask away!! This should be a fun and grand event, not one that you have to wonder if it will happen. For me a lot of the joy has been in looking forward to the trip. For Marek and the rest of the family it will be the magic of being there! Good luck with your planning and I would really encourage you to contact the coordinator if you haven't heard anything today.

 

[Camster0307]

patticake3 - I sooooo agree with what Jill said - ask away! This is special for your family and I would want in on the details as much as possible

 

[alizesmom]

Had to show my favorite Disney picture. This was a photopass. Karen

 

[alizesmom]

Jill (Eeyores mom) Just had to ask about your son's name. Marek. That is my grandson's name and I was curious how you chose it. Karen

 

[Eeyore's Mom]

Karen- Awesome picture! It really is special.

Wow... I can't believe that is your grandson's name- I have only heard of about 3 or 4 others with the same name and they were all spelled different than our Marek. My husband is Polish and we were having a really tough time coming up with a second name, so I did a web search of polish names and came acrossed it. It was the first name that we both liked. It means "Warlike One" and since he started out having to fight for his life, it seemed a very fitting name, but perhaps I should have found something that meant "Easy, healthy life" .

 

[wendygrace]

Karen, that is such a cute photo.

Jill, you have a wonderful trip! You have just two days!!

 

[alizesmom]

Karen- Awesome picture! It really is special.

Wow... I can't believe that is your grandson's name- I have only heard of about 3 or 4 others with the same name and they were all spelled different than our Marek. My husband is Polish and we were having a really tough time coming up with a second name, so I did a web search of polish names and came acrossed it. It was the first name that we both liked. It means "Warlike One" and since he started out having to fight for his life, it seemed a very fitting name, but perhaps I should have found something that meant "Easy, healthy life" .

My Marek's dad is Hungarian (second generation). I guess it's Hungarian too. Karen

 

[patticake3]

Karen, what a great picture! Very heart-warming.

Jill, looks like you leave tomorrow! Have a wonderful, magical trip!

 

[LindaBabe]

Hello from Sunny COLD Florida! DO NOT leave your coats in the car - yesterday I wore my long john bottoms under my jeans, closed shoes with socks, two shirts. polar fleece and shell. In the afternoon I took off the fleece for a couple hours. That was it! And yesterday was warmer than the day before. Of course the KIDS are still in the pools! Brrrr.

Can't WAIT for your arrival, Jill & family. I'll give you a couple days to settle in and calm down, then call you. Safe journey, girlfriend!

 

[patticake3]

I was wondering if anyone extended their Make A Wish trip and if that worked out pretty easily?

I finally heard from our coordinator today. She was able to confirm that the wish was granted - going to Disney for ESPN weekend. My son's wish was to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel for the week of ESPN. She couldn't confirm the hotel, just that we could go to ESPN. We didn't ask to meet anyone, just to be there at that time, but they still view it as a celebrity wish and apparently things don't work the same way as a 'typical' Disney wish. She did confirm that our trip would be 6 days. She could not confirm if we would get park passes to Universal and Sea World; I told her that we wouldn't want to stay at the Hard Rock on Universal property if we were just getting Disney tickets, so she said she'd keep me posted on that.

I'm wondering how you all got everything in or if your trips were longer than 6 days? If we travel 2 days, that leaves 4 days in the parks, unless you arrive in Orlando pretty early and leave in the evening. Seems very fast-paced and crazy, so I told the coordinator that we'd most likely try to add a few more days on so that we could have 6 full park days.

Please share any advice or experience in terms of extending your trip or just fitting it all in on a 6 day trip. Thanks and hope everyone is doing great!

 

[Camster0307]

patticake3 - I agree, six days is certainly not long enough. It didn't even occur to me to extend our trip on my expense - could kick myself!

Anyway, our MAW org. still would only give us Disney passes for four days - they didn't think we would go to the parks on our arrival or departure days. "Um, heck yeah, we are!" I tried to get them to pay for the extra two days but they wouldn't - so that was an extra expense I incurred.

Being that we stayed on Disney property and didn't have access to the free meals at GKTW, I did spend some of our own money to cover costs.

Congrats on getting the wish granted,though. You will have a magical trip! Have you made any ADRs yet?

 

[patticake3]

I didn't make reservations yet but have gone back and forth in my mind if I should! The first time I spoke to the Wish coordinator was last week, and at that time she said she didn't know if our wish would be granted, so I've been hesitant to plan anything. When she called today, the dates she said they were suggesting were not the dates we requested (2 days earlier so we would have the full ESPN time, although we didn't really want to spend 3 full days at ESPN/MGM) and would mean pulling the kids out of school for more days (traveling on weekends help save school days). So we'll have a family pow-wow tonite and see what we decide. And not knowing what kind of park tickets we'll get, I really had no idea how to go about planning our days. So my approach has been to make lists of what we want to do in each park and list various restaurants that we're interested in. I'll try to make reservations when I find out what MAW is doing in terms of park tickets - there are many choices and I'm sure it will all work out! I'm stepping out of my comfort zone in that I like to plan to the last detail, but I'm just going with a positive attitude that it will all fall into place and there will be some fun surprises along the way because I haven't done the intense planning. Bottom line, we're going to the Happy Place!

 

[Camster0307]

Just an FYI - you could make ADRs at various places and then cancel the ones you don't want to use without penalty (as long as it's not at CRT or a dinner show - they'll still charge if you're a no-show).

I know there is so much too plan - but you really want to get some ADRs lined up asap - it's virtually impossible to get a into a TS restaurant w/out one. Good luck!

 

[Iluvmickeymouse!]

I was wondering if anyone extended their Make A Wish trip and if that worked out pretty easily?

I finally heard from our coordinator today. She was able to confirm that the wish was granted - going to Disney for ESPN weekend. My son's wish was to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel for the week of ESPN. She couldn't confirm the hotel, just that we could go to ESPN. We didn't ask to meet anyone, just to be there at that time, but they still view it as a celebrity wish and apparently things don't work the same way as a 'typical' Disney wish. She did confirm that our trip would be 6 days. She could not confirm if we would get park passes to Universal and Sea World; I told her that we wouldn't want to stay at the Hard Rock on Universal property if we were just getting Disney tickets, so she said she'd keep me posted on that.

I'm wondering how you all got everything in or if your trips were longer than 6 days? If we travel 2 days, that leaves 4 days in the parks, unless you arrive in Orlando pretty early and leave in the evening. Seems very fast-paced and crazy, so I told the coordinator that we'd most likely try to add a few more days on so that we could have 6 full park days.

Please share any advice or experience in terms of extending your trip or just fitting it all in on a 6 day trip. Thanks and hope everyone is doing great!

We extended our trip by two days. We had no problem doing it. We asked MAW if we could and they said yes. We just had to let them know how much longer we were going to stay so that they knew which day to schedule our return flight. We did have to return our rental van on the day that our MAW technically ended. We made our own arrangements for lodging at a Disney resort. We used Disney transportation for those two days so that we didn't have to worry about renting another vehicle. It all worked out quite well.

We were able to fit a lot in since we extended it. So I can't help with the squeezing it in to 4 days issue.

I agree with Camster......roughly make some plans and make some ADR's....you can always cancel or change them later. Good luck.....I hope everything falls into place soon!

 

[patticake3]

Thanks for the input, Camster and Iluvmickeymouse. We decided that we didn't want to rush, so I did call our MAW coordinator and told her we would extend 3 nights. Although she couldn't confirm our departure date or Disney hotel, I did make some ADR's as well as reservations at Universal (hotel and park tickets). I can cancel the Universal reservations up to 5 days prior, so I guessed on the dates and if I have to change them slightly, I should have enough time to do that. I was surprised that I didn't have much trouble with the ADR's - we picked a few choices in case some weren't available, but I got our first choice on all but 1, and we just went with an alternate on that one. I'm anxious to hear a few more details from our MAW coordinator, but we're making progress and we're all starting to get really excited!

 

[LindaBabe]

Hello, All!

I'm Back after a great trip - worked at GKTW Village for two mornings, and was blessed to meet Jill (Eeyore'smom) and Marek! They are JUST SWEET! he came running right up with a hug - I choked right up at that, I can tell you. Got a photo too, but will wait for her permission to post it.

My two mornings were spent in the warehouse packing gift bags. It was fun but very quiet because I was mostly alone - which had been what I wanted - I'm shy. Not next time, babes! I'm going out front and play with the families! The ones I met were so nice

Another woman read what I wrote about volunteering and signed up and took the training class for volunteers on Saturday - so the circle grows ever wider.

Also finished 105 scrapbook pages for the GKTW Scrapbook project.

It was a great trip, and I kept a special eye out for wish families in the park so I could speak to them (to let them know they aren't always "invisible" (see LeeLee's trip report) just in case they'd had a bad day.)

No post cards, however - they just don't have a selection for some reason - Hopefully that will change with the new summer season - the kids have had the ones that are out now.