Wish Trippers...Unite!! Volume One

[5dwarves]

It seems to me like the best way to do that would be to schedule the trip as far out as possible and then make payments toward your trip. I THINK you can still reschedule or cancel with a full refund up to a certain amount of time before the cruise. So if you got that close and knew you wouldn't be able to finish paying in time, you could either reschedule it or cancel and do something else with that money you've saved. I think when all is said and done, it truly is not much more than taking a more "traditional" vacation, since the only extra things you pay are excursions, spa treatments, Palo, babysitting for children under 3, and alcohol. None of those are necessary, however, so you could easily go for exactly what you pay for your cruise, plus tips. Even room service is free!!

I hope you get the chance to do it! I can not WAIT for them to announce our name as we walk on that ship!!

I'll have to give them a call for 2011! Woo Hoo!

I feel soooo much better, thank you to you all. The wish gods must have heard me because yesterday after I vented all of my worry I recieved the GKTW letter in the mail and my wish coordinator called scheduling a small icecream party at the fire dept for her on Wed.

I am so happy that my dd gets her wish. She has gone through so much. She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of four after much damage has been done and now due to this she has chronic pancreatitus. She has been life flighted to Stanford many times. To make matters worse her dad passed away at the age of 29 3 years ago from a heart attack, it happend the day after we got home from a 6 week trip at stanford.

I know this site is about our childrens wishes to DW but it also feels like a support system also!!

It certainly is a support system and it sounds like your family deserves this wish. I am glad it is all coming together.

 

[NicoleDisneyFan]

AWESOME! I am very curious about the cruises. If the funding is there, I would love to take my family on a Disney cruise after my oldest DS graduates from high school in 3 years...you know, the last family vacation with everyone involved. I need to win the lottery I guess, and my state doesn't even have one....

~Elisa

We wanted to take the disney cruise for our ds wish trip but since he was to young to go out of the states so we are going to dw. We are going on the cruise anyways in the end of may and it is so funny that you say about winning the lottery because all of my dh friends keep telling him, "how did you become rich because only people with a lot of money go on that cruise" We are a one income family so we saved up our tax return and was blessed with a MIL who payed for both kids to go for their birthdays. It is a very expensive cruise but we got a lower level cabin and since everything is pretty much payed for then it ended up being about how much we would pay for a 7 day vacation anyways. We are lucky to get to go on the ship in LA so we will drive there and not pay for a plane ticket to go to Florida. So far, I only hear good stuff about the cruise and keep putting money aside if you can and one day you will go and that is what happened to us.

 

[lotferg]

I am with Make a Wish. Right after she was granted her wish and we told them the dates they did send us a one page letter stating the airline times and dates we would be going but that is all.....I am getting nervous and have a call out to MAW. What is the GKTW package we will be staying there and everyone seems to be mailed something a couple weeks ahead of time but I have not.

We are in the same predicament...we received a one page letter on April 14 with flight information. We have been assured that more information is to follow. On a side note, we were told that we were staying somewhere other than GKTW. They did not indicate where we would be. I am the most anal retentive trip planner ever; it's freaking me out that we're "homeless" right now. I NEED TO PLAN! Is there a TR out there for a wish family that did not stay at GKTW?

 

[Camster0307]

I did not do a TR, but didn't stay at GKTW; stayed at Disney's BW. I think a poster named LeeLee did a TR for her son's trip - they stayed at the Beach club, I believe.

If you have any questions, just post them!

 

[5dwarves]

We are in the same predicament...we received a one page letter on April 14 with flight information. We have been assured that more information is to follow. On a side note, we were told that we were staying somewhere other than GKTW. They did not indicate where we would be. I am the most anal retentive trip planner ever; it's freaking me out that we're "homeless" right now. I NEED TO PLAN! Is there a TR out there for a wish family that did not stay at GKTW?

Did your wish agency tell you that you were not staying at GKTW, or did GKTW tell you that. On ocassion, when GKTW is fully booked and the wish agency still uses them, GKTW has other hotels in the area that will provide lodging. You will still have to go to GKTW for meals, orientation (to get your packet) and are welcome to attend all their functions and use their facilities. If your agency has told you that they are placing you somewhere else, then that is different. I would speak to the wish agency and find out what they know. There are dozens of hotels around GKTW and we were only about 15 minutes away from the entrance to WDW property there. You will probably be close if you are off site, but your agency may be placing you onsite. If you need to arrange for medical equipment to be delivered, etc., you do need to know where you will be staying. I would definitely ask.

LeeLee2u is still in the process of doing her TR. Not only does she have a child with special needs, but her DH is on the waiting list for a transplant, and they just moved into a Habitat for Humanity house. The thread for her TR is here...http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=24772808#post24772808. She too is a planning person, and she didn't get her expense money until they were at the airport getting ready to go through security... I would have been going nuts! They stayed on property and had a wonderful time.

~Elisa

 

[5dwarves]

We wanted to take the disney cruise for our ds wish trip but since he was to young to go out of the states so we are going to dw. We are going on the cruise anyways in the end of may and it is so funny that you say about winning the lottery because all of my dh friends keep telling him, "how did you become rich because only people with a lot of money go on that cruise" We are a one income family so we saved up our tax return and was blessed with a MIL who payed for both kids to go for their birthdays. It is a very expensive cruise but we got a lower level cabin and since everything is pretty much payed for then it ended up being about how much we would pay for a 7 day vacation anyways. We are lucky to get to go on the ship in LA so we will drive there and not pay for a plane ticket to go to Florida. So far, I only hear good stuff about the cruise and keep putting money aside if you can and one day you will go and that is what happened to us.

I'd love to get everything locked in now. I'll check and see if they start this early though. I wasn't sure if they would book 3 years in advance. I know that their two new larger ships will set sail for the first time in 2011, which is when we will be going, so who knows...definitely something to start working towards....

 

[lotferg]

Did your wish agency tell you that you were not staying at GKTW, or did GKTW tell you that. On ocassion, when GKTW is fully booked and the wish agency still uses them, GKTW has other hotels in the area that will provide lodging. You will still have to go to GKTW for meals, orientation (to get your packet) and are welcome to attend all their functions and use their facilities. If your agency has told you that they are placing you somewhere else, then that is different. I would speak to the wish agency and find out what they know. There are dozens of hotels around GKTW and we were only about 15 minutes away from the entrance to WDW property there. You will probably be close if you are off site, but your agency may be placing you onsite. If you need to arrange for medical equipment to be delivered, etc., you do need to know where you will be staying. I would definitely ask.

LeeLee2u is still in the process of doing her TR. Not only does she have a child with special needs, but her DH is on the waiting list for a transplant, and they just moved into a Habitat for Humanity house. The thread for her TR is here...http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=24772808#post24772808. She too is a planning person, and she didn't get her expense money until they were at the airport getting ready to go through security... I would have been going nuts! They stayed on property and had a wonderful time.

~Elisa

MAW told us. Our original plan was to go in March and stay at GKTW, however, his immune system was too fragile at the time. The trip was rescheduled, but GKTW was booked. Thanks for the info on the other TRs! I'll check those out.

 

[5dwarves]

MAW told us. Our original plan was to go in March and stay at GKTW, however, his immune system was too fragile at the time. The trip was rescheduled, but GKTW was booked. Thanks for the info on the other TRs! I'll check those out.

You never know, just as you had to cancel a trip and reschedule, another family may have to do the same...you may still end up at GKTW...let us know what happened...best wishes!

~Elisa

 

[twinmum]

Hello! I'm new here, and first, I'd like to say thank you to all of you who have posted so much info here! I especially love the trip reports!

We have learned that our son ha qualified for a wish granting program. He (and his twin brother) was born >3 months early, has cerebral palsy and some medical issues. He is age appropriate in all areas but mobility, which of course affects his independence. He walks with a walker, is working on quad canes and took 8 independent steps in physio last week! Our next step is to meet with our wish coordinator to talk about the specifics of his wish.

So...we're just starting out, but I know his wish will be Disney-based. And of course, I have some questions for those of you who have been down the lovely wish path.

I should point out that we're from Canada, and we're being blessed with the kindness of the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. Also, our son is actually a twin. While our wish child faces significant challenges every day, his twin brother is also a survivor, having spent the first 3+ months in hospital, and also several medical issues (mostly lungs), hospitalizations etc. On top of that, it's not easy being the twin brother of a very bright guy who has special needs. It's been a tough road for him, too. One of the reasons I didn't explore the Wish possibility before is that I wanted to wait until able-bodied twin had mature some to understand why special things might happen for the Wish child. I still have some concerns.

Question #1: Has anyone encountered any issues with siblings feeling left out of the wish? Any parents of twins out there? Are the CM's and volunteers sensitive to the feelings of the non-Wish twin, and ensure he/she is as included as possible without diluting the experience of the wish child?

We were thrilled when my mother gave us a family trip to WDW in 2006. We stayed on property and never left WDW! We enjoyed the 4 parks and DTD. Between accessibility and helpful, empathetic CM's we wanted more Disney, so we went to Disneyland last December! Another great trip. So what will our son's wish be? We know he loves the rides, but he also enjoys meeting characters and CM's. We've wondered about a short cruise. Hmmm....

Question #2: Has anyone who has gone on wish cruise written a trip report? (Sorry if I missed it?)
We've already been told that we could likely be accommodated at GKTW, but there is some flexibility. We enjoyed our on-site stay, but GKTW sounds so special. However, we do need rests (endurance) and may want to split up sometimes. GKTW wouldn't be the most convenient for that. Most of the wish kids I've read about going to GKTW seem to be young (and oh so many beautiful princesses!).

Question #3: Will my boys feel older than most at GKTW - they'll be 10 when we go, likely? Is there lots that will appeal to them?
OK, I've got lots more questions, but this is already so long. I'll be back!

 

[5dwarves]

Hello! I'm new here, and first, I'd like to say thank you to all of you who have posted so much info here! I especially love the trip reports!

We have learned that our son ha qualified for a wish granting program. He (and his twin brother) was born >3 months early, has cerebral palsy and some medical issues. He is age appropriate in all areas but mobility, which of course affects his independence. He walks with a walker, is working on quad canes and took 8 independent steps in physio last week! Our next step is to meet with our wish coordinator to talk about the specifics of his wish.

So...we're just starting out, but I know his wish will be Disney-based. And of course, I have some questions for those of you who have been down the lovely wish path.

I should point out that we're from Canada, and we're being blessed with the kindness of the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. Also, our son is actually a twin. While our wish child faces significant challenges every day, his twin brother is also a survivor, having spent the first 3+ months in hospital, and also several medical issues (mostly lungs), hospitalizations etc. On top of that, it's not easy being the twin brother of a very bright guy who has special needs. It's been a tough road for him, too. One of the reasons I didn't explore the Wish possibility before is that I wanted to wait until able-bodied twin had mature some to understand why special things might happen for the Wish child. I still have some concerns.

Question #1: Has anyone encountered any issues with siblings feeling left out of the wish? Any parents of twins out there?

We were thrilled when my mother gave us a family trip to WDW in 2006. We stayed on property and never left WDW! We enjoyed the 4 parks and DTD. Between accessibility and helpful, empathetic CM's we wanted more Disney, so we went to Disneyland last December! Another great trip. So what will our son's wish be? We know he loves the rides, but he also enjoys meeting characters and CM's. We've wondered about a short cruise. Hmmm....

Question #2: Has anyone who has gone on wish cruise written a trip report? (Sorry if I missed it?)
We've already been told that we could likely be accommodated at GKTW, but there is some flexibility. We enjoyed our on-site stay, but GKTW sounds so special. However, we do need rests (endurance) and may want to split up sometimes. GKTW wouldn't be the most convenient for that. Most of the wish kids I've read about going to GKTW seem to be young (and oh so many beautiful princesses!).

Question #3: Will my boys feel older than most at GKTW - they'll be 10 when we go, likely? Is there lots that will appeal to them?
OK, I've got lots more questions, but this is already so long. I'll be back!

Welcome to the wish thread! Congratulations on the wish and especially on the independent steps in PT! Awesome! I went to GKTW with my husband and 5 kids. My wish child was 8 at the time and my other kids were 14, 12, 7 and 5 at the time. (four boys and 1 girl). They all enjoyed their stay, but a lot of the gifts, and activities are geared more towards the younger children. There are movies everynight at the movie theater. My other children were definintely welcomed with open arms at GKTW. There were only ocassional moments when they felt a little left out, but they were few and fleeting. The wish child does receive a little more in the way of gifts from GKTW, but the other children are not ignored. For instance, Adam received a stuffed Mickey when we first got there. Mickey was about 12" tall. My other children all received stuffed Shamu's from Sea World. They were about 7" tall. All five of my children received GKTW T-shirts. I had spent time my with youngest boys letting them know why we were going on this special trip and that Adam would be receiving a lot of attention. They were excited to be included in the gifts and did not make a big deal of the size difference in the gifts. On Thursday night at GKTW it is Christmas. All my children were able to choose gifts after seeing Santa. Hasbro donates toys. The table of toys was filled with toys ranging from preschool aged items, up to board games and things for older teens. They were all happy with their selections. The only hitch was that my 14 year old was alittle embarassed when he was given a teddy bear. All the kids were given teddy bears on the terrace outside the playroom before they saw Santa, and my oldest felt a little self consious about it.

Someone is getting ready to go on a cruise, but they haven't been yet. There is someone else on the DisAbilities section that went on a cruise, but it wasn't a wish trip. I think they focused on accessibility in rooms, etc. with a wheel chair. When I come across the posts I'll send you the threads. here is the thread for the pre trip report for the cruise....she is on this thread as well....http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=24723512#post24723512

Your boys will probably be a little older than 60-70% of the kids there (if the dynamic is the same when you are there as when we were there) but everyone is there with families and there are several teens and older kids. Don't forget that there are VIP lounges especially for wish families at MK and Epcot that will provide you with an place to rest in the parks if your son needs it.

~Elisa

 

[lotferg]

Hello! I'm new here, and first, I'd like to say thank you to all of you who have posted so much info here! I especially love the trip reports!

Question #1: Has anyone encountered any issues with siblings feeling left out of the wish? Any parents of twins out there?

Question #2: Has anyone who has gone on wish cruise written a trip report?

Question #3: Will my boys feel older than most at GKTW - they'll be 10 when we go, likely? Is there lots that will appeal to them?
OK, I've got lots more questions, but this is already so long. I'll be back!

I am traveling with cousins on a wish trip in three weeks. My uncle and I are taking a 12 year old, and 10 year old twins. The male twin is the wish child. He has cancer. The "healthy" children have been extremely supportive of their ill sibling. They have not complained once about the special treatment, gifts, etc., he has received. Most people who have done nice things for our special boy do the same for the siblings to ensure they aren't left out. MAW is sending all three kids, all three are excited, and they don't know when we leave (for our sanity). Are the other siblings not going?

We aren't staying at GKTW, but I heard that we should visit frequently for activities and meals. I'm writing a TR, so I'll be sure to note how the 10 and 12 year old boys like GKTW for your reference.

Twins are fun....

 

[lotferg]

You never know, just as you had to cancel a trip and reschedule, another family may have to do the same...you may still end up at GKTW...let us know what happened...best wishes!

~Elisa

You were right...we were just told that there was room for us. We will be staying at GKTW!

 

[5dwarves]

QUOTE=lotferg;24798490]You were right...we were just told that there was room for us. We will be staying at GKTW![/QUOTE]

Awesome!!! That almost makes me giddy! (Not because I was right , but because things are coming together for you.) I am so happy that your worries are resolving and that it is almost time for your trip. Have a wonderful time!

~Elisa

 

[Queenie122]

You were right...we were just told that there was room for us. We will be staying at GKTW!

That's awesome! I was just thinking you might end up with our room - we may have to cancel. Little Bella is still not well, she isn't getting better yet and I have no idea what the recovery time is for this virus. I do know there is no way we'd take her like this.

We still have a little bit of time, hopefully things will resolve, otherwise we're all going to be very disappointed in this house.

 

[Camster0307]

That's awesome! I was just thinking you might end up with our room - we may have to cancel. Little Bella is still not well, she isn't getting better yet and I have no idea what the recovery time is for this virus. I do know there is no way we'd take her like this.

We still have a little bit of time, hopefully things will resolve, otherwise we're all going to be very disappointed in this house.

Oh, I'm so sorry Bella is still not feeling well. Please know that extra prayers are being said for her so you all may take this much-deserved trip!

And, remember, if you have to cancel, Disneworld will always be there..... Bella WILL get her trip eventually!

 

[wendygrace]

Wanted to let you know I've updated the first page. I wish I had more time but do not have internet access. We'll be in St.Louis next week so hopefully I'll be able to sneek in some time then. Hope all is well with everyone.

Queenie, I hope Bella gets well very soon.

Welcome to all the newbies!!

Wendy

 

[lotferg]

That's awesome! I was just thinking you might end up with our room - we may have to cancel. Little Bella is still not well, she isn't getting better yet and I have no idea what the recovery time is for this virus. I do know there is no way we'd take her like this.

We still have a little bit of time, hopefully things will resolve, otherwise we're all going to be very disappointed in this house.

Queenie, I'm so sorry Bella isn't feeling well. I will pray for a super speedy recovery so she can have lots of fun at WDW!

 

[Queenie122]

Oh, I'm so sorry Bella is still not feeling well. Please know that extra prayers are being said for her so you all may take this much-deserved trip!

And, remember, if you have to cancel, Disneworld will always be there..... Bella WILL get her trip eventually!

Queenie, I hope Bella gets well very soon.

Welcome to all the newbies!!

Wendy

Queenie, I'm so sorry Bella isn't feeling well. I will pray for a super speedy recovery so she can have lots of fun at WDW!

Thanks everyone. I know we'd be rescheduling instead of canceling per say but we are all so excited, this is just devastating. Even worse is my poor baby! Her mouth is full of sores and her gums are just bleeding and so swollen you can't see her teeth and she has a high fever since Thursday! I feel so badly for her, she's just miserable, we all are. We're supposed to be enjoying packing and counting down and instead we're talking care of a sick baby and scared we have to cancel. *sigh* It never gets easier.

 

[alizesmom]

Thanks everyone. I know we'd be rescheduling instead of canceling per say but we are all so excited, this is just devastating. Even worse is my poor baby! Her mouth is full of sores and her gums are just bleeding and so swollen you can't see her teeth and she has a high fever since Thursday! I feel so badly for her, she's just miserable, we all are. We're supposed to be enjoying packing and counting down and instead we're talking care of a sick baby and scared we have to cancel. *sigh* It never gets easier.

Sending hugs to all of you. Karen

 

[bex271]

just a quick update. Jonah is fine just had some skin covering his anchors and had a loose screw too. We are home now for a little bit anyway. I'll update everyone later

becca