Happy Dreams1
Where happy dreams and magic is just a castle away
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
Well, guys. It's time to start my Trip Report. It takes awhile to upload photos so bear with me. 
A Pirate Princess's stay at Walt Disney World: Wish trip 2011
- Thread starter Happy Dreams1
- Start date
Looking forward to your trip report. 
Happy Dreams1
Where happy dreams and magic is just a castle away
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
So, the day we were due to leave to Orlando, I woke up at around 5:30 a.m. My mom woke up a bit earlier than that. Was I hungry? A little bit, but who could eat when you're about to depart on a once-in-a-life time trip full of magic and wonders?! I served myself a bit of cheerios but didn't get through even half of it.
I do not have any pictures of us outside of our house because i was just too distracted to. I our plane's departure time was 10:00 a.m. and my sister's boyfriend got everything in the car by 6:40 a.m. We had more than enough time! Just to remind you guys, our MAW chapter does NOT provide transportation to and from the airport so my sister's boyfriend was the one to take us. Soon, you will find out about the not so good surprises and discoveries on our way to the airport.
This is in my sister's boyfriend's car, on our wait to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. It is about a 30-40 min. drive. Well, shortly after we left the house I realized that I had forgotten my I-pod ( including the headphones), my camera charger( oh man, did that put a damper on my mood for quite a bit), and my wallet!
I have to admit that I did cry somewhat in the car but I was calmed once we arrived at the airport.
My mom on the way in the car. She was a tad mad that I was crying.
You know how boyfriend and girlfriends can be when they leave eachother for a week! OMG I'M gonna die without you!
BUT , sweet.
My sister, Wanda, still texting Scott.
By this time, we had learned that our flight was delayed and we would be arriving in Orlando an hour later than expected. Oh, boy. A different airline AND delayed flight. What could get me more nervous? Oh, yes! When they announced on our flight that our plane was having technical problems so there would be no TV...just continuous movies on this:
So, an hour later than expected, we were off.
We did experience some turbulence near the end of our flight, but nothining unmanageable. Us on the plane:
We arrived in Orlando at around 2ish. Now, on to our first ride of the trip! The train ( or whatever it's called) to pick up our luggage.
My mom:
Before we went to pick up our luggage, who did we see? Guess? That's right! Our GKTW greeter! She was in a hurry 'cus she had another family literally 20 minutes after us so I couldn't get a picture of us all. I then asked her quietly if I can get a picture of just her and she said that she does not like pictures at all. I really wanted a picture of her with the sign so insisted. Felt a bit bad about it but oh well.
In the next post, I'll be posting pics of Winter Wonderland and of GKTW!
I do not have any pictures of us outside of our house because i was just too distracted to. I our plane's departure time was 10:00 a.m. and my sister's boyfriend got everything in the car by 6:40 a.m. We had more than enough time! Just to remind you guys, our MAW chapter does NOT provide transportation to and from the airport so my sister's boyfriend was the one to take us. Soon, you will find out about the not so good surprises and discoveries on our way to the airport.
This is in my sister's boyfriend's car, on our wait to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. It is about a 30-40 min. drive. Well, shortly after we left the house I realized that I had forgotten my I-pod ( including the headphones), my camera charger( oh man, did that put a damper on my mood for quite a bit), and my wallet!
I have to admit that I did cry somewhat in the car but I was calmed once we arrived at the airport.
My mom on the way in the car. She was a tad mad that I was crying.
You know how boyfriend and girlfriends can be when they leave eachother for a week! OMG I'M gonna die without you!
BUT , sweet.
My sister, Wanda, still texting Scott.
By this time, we had learned that our flight was delayed and we would be arriving in Orlando an hour later than expected. Oh, boy. A different airline AND delayed flight. What could get me more nervous? Oh, yes! When they announced on our flight that our plane was having technical problems so there would be no TV...just continuous movies on this:
So, an hour later than expected, we were off.
We did experience some turbulence near the end of our flight, but nothining unmanageable. Us on the plane:
We arrived in Orlando at around 2ish. Now, on to our first ride of the trip! The train ( or whatever it's called) to pick up our luggage.
My mom:
Before we went to pick up our luggage, who did we see? Guess? That's right! Our GKTW greeter! She was in a hurry 'cus she had another family literally 20 minutes after us so I couldn't get a picture of us all. I then asked her quietly if I can get a picture of just her and she said that she does not like pictures at all. I really wanted a picture of her with the sign so insisted. Felt a bit bad about it but oh well.
In the next post, I'll be posting pics of Winter Wonderland and of GKTW!
cantwaittoseemickey
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2005
Hello
I have subscribed to your thread. I am a bit of a lurker these days. You are off to a great start! Love your pictures!
I have subscribed to your thread. I am a bit of a lurker these days. You are off to a great start! Love your pictures!
Mom2mitokids
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2010
Great start to your TR Claudia. Sorry about the greeter. That's kind of bad on her part. She shouldn't be one if she can't take the time to take a picture.
angeque143
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2011
So glad that you made it!!! Subbing to follow along!
Happy Dreams1
Where happy dreams and magic is just a castle away
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
The greeter left us because she had another family coming in just after us and she was late! Little did we know that we would find out later on that that family also came from Puerto Rico. :O
The lady told us to wait outside in this bench because a MEARS shuttle would come pick us up shortly. I know that A LOT of families at GKTW drive rental cars, but we went through MEARS. If you are going through MEARS, do not worry about transportation to GKTW once you arrive. The greeter will take care of that and direct to where you need to wait. You will be given this device that will vibrate once the shuttle arrives. We waited outside for about fifteen minutes. While waiting, we were buzzing with excitement, all seeming surreal. I asked my sister to take a photo of me with the sign:
BUT, I wanted a family photo. Reading my mind, the very nice guy who part of MEARS offered to take a photo of us three. As he took the photo he said, " Welcome to Orlando!" I think that was the first pixie dust we received. I think that's when it sunk in. Here's the photo:
The shuttle arrived and we boarded. There were two other ladies with us. They were headed to this hotel very close to GKTW called Gaylord Palms. We would drop them off there and then head to the magical and once distant place called Give Kids the World!
I didn't really mind that GKTW was the second stop. More time to build up suspense! I was reading the map the sign with your name has and realized we were getting close! Not far after we saw Medieval Times did we see this plain yet spectacular sign!
So if anyone is driving to GKTW, watch out for this sign.
And of course, the famous Walmart
I'll be talking talking about Walmart in just a bit)
And at last!!!!!!
I have seen THIS photo SOOOO many times on the DISboards and the internet that I could not believe it was actually real! Give kids the World is definitely a world of its own.
We were dropped off at the House of Hearts and was wished a lovely week b the MEARS driver.
Once we entered the House of Hearts , it was all I imagines it to be and MORE!
I saw the little horsey I think Kylee ( or Korissa- don't know which is the younger one) loves! A warm "Hello" greeted us. We were asked if were just checking and said yes.
My sister when we were checking in: I love her!
A wonderful staff member ( a young adult named Ashley, who would later become my favorite staff person there) directed us to a table and gave us the village guide, my Mickey Mouse, and my my GKTW button. ( Our MAW chapter did not provide MAW buttons so I was glad to have some sort of button to identify my family and me as a MAW/GKTW family)
My button:
TIP/INSIGHT: Every family who is traveling with MEARS is given an itinerary. BUT, you can of course change that itinerary. You will be called the night before every day to confirm on which bus you're going on. The bus to Universal/IOA leave the village every day at 9:00 a.m. The bus to ALL the four Disney Parks leaves the village every day at 10:00 a.m. Yes, I know. Not so early but hey, at least you have the magic pass/button.
So, after the quick check-in, Ashely gave us a mini-orientation before the night's orientation. She told us what every building was, meal hours, etc. Our villa number was 181. We were very glad that it was right where EVERYTHING was- expect Mathew's Boundless Playground. I never got to go there.
When we saw our villa for the first time, we were stunned. Ashley took us a picture of us:
She gave us a tour of the inside, but first, the taste of many gifts to come!
As she showed us the kids' bathroom I told my mother that she couldn't come in it.
The lady told us to wait outside in this bench because a MEARS shuttle would come pick us up shortly. I know that A LOT of families at GKTW drive rental cars, but we went through MEARS. If you are going through MEARS, do not worry about transportation to GKTW once you arrive. The greeter will take care of that and direct to where you need to wait. You will be given this device that will vibrate once the shuttle arrives. We waited outside for about fifteen minutes. While waiting, we were buzzing with excitement, all seeming surreal. I asked my sister to take a photo of me with the sign:
BUT, I wanted a family photo. Reading my mind, the very nice guy who part of MEARS offered to take a photo of us three. As he took the photo he said, " Welcome to Orlando!" I think that was the first pixie dust we received. I think that's when it sunk in. Here's the photo:
The shuttle arrived and we boarded. There were two other ladies with us. They were headed to this hotel very close to GKTW called Gaylord Palms. We would drop them off there and then head to the magical and once distant place called Give Kids the World!
I didn't really mind that GKTW was the second stop. More time to build up suspense! I was reading the map the sign with your name has and realized we were getting close! Not far after we saw Medieval Times did we see this plain yet spectacular sign!
So if anyone is driving to GKTW, watch out for this sign.
And of course, the famous Walmart
I'll be talking talking about Walmart in just a bit)
And at last!!!!!!
I have seen THIS photo SOOOO many times on the DISboards and the internet that I could not believe it was actually real! Give kids the World is definitely a world of its own.
We were dropped off at the House of Hearts and was wished a lovely week b the MEARS driver.
Once we entered the House of Hearts , it was all I imagines it to be and MORE!
I saw the little horsey I think Kylee ( or Korissa- don't know which is the younger one) loves! A warm "Hello" greeted us. We were asked if were just checking and said yes.
My sister when we were checking in: I love her!
A wonderful staff member ( a young adult named Ashley, who would later become my favorite staff person there) directed us to a table and gave us the village guide, my Mickey Mouse, and my my GKTW button. ( Our MAW chapter did not provide MAW buttons so I was glad to have some sort of button to identify my family and me as a MAW/GKTW family)
My button:
TIP/INSIGHT: Every family who is traveling with MEARS is given an itinerary. BUT, you can of course change that itinerary. You will be called the night before every day to confirm on which bus you're going on. The bus to Universal/IOA leave the village every day at 9:00 a.m. The bus to ALL the four Disney Parks leaves the village every day at 10:00 a.m. Yes, I know. Not so early but hey, at least you have the magic pass/button.
So, after the quick check-in, Ashely gave us a mini-orientation before the night's orientation. She told us what every building was, meal hours, etc. Our villa number was 181. We were very glad that it was right where EVERYTHING was- expect Mathew's Boundless Playground. I never got to go there.
When we saw our villa for the first time, we were stunned. Ashley took us a picture of us:
She gave us a tour of the inside, but first, the taste of many gifts to come!
As she showed us the kids' bathroom I told my mother that she couldn't come in it.
Happy Dreams1
Where happy dreams and magic is just a castle away
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
Here's a bit of the bathroom:
My mom took the King bed, I took one of the twin beds, and Wanda took the sofa bed. The villa smelled like hotel! LOL
It was around 4ish and we really wanted to eat dinner at the Gingerbread House but the didn't open until six and we hadn't eaten lunch!
Our meal card only allows one place to eat per meal. So if we decided to eat something "light" at Katie's kitchen , we couldn't eat at the Gingerbread house at six pm because what we ate at Katie's Kitchen would be registered as dinner.
So, off to the Ice Cream Palace!
This was our view:
AND my sister chillaxing before going to eat some ice cream.
I don't remember what kind of ice cream my sister first ordered. I think it was caramel, pretty sure. They put ALOT of whip cream on it, which I LOVED and asked if they can do that to mine!
Which they did! The man serving the ice cream was HILARIOUS but it was the kind of jokes that you HAD to be there to get it.
My sister's ice cream:
My mother ordered a cone:
After eating our ice cream, we decided that we REALLY needed to go to Walmart. If you did not know, for those families who DO NOT have a rental car or simply wish not to drive somewhere WITHIN A 5 MILE RADIUS, there are people called "runners" who will drive you there. So, we called for one and we left 5 mins later. It was around 5 now. The guy was super nice! We were dropped off and in no later that 20 mins, we called to be picked up again. We bought A LOT of grocery which we would find out that we did not need to. The driver even said: "All that food for just three ladies?"
When we got back and put everything in its place, Wanda and I decided to play some mini-golf until 6 p.m. It was very fun but we would encounter the only thing that bugged me ( pun intended) throughout the whole trip! Giant Mosquitoes, ants, wasps, bees, and Bumble bees everywhere! I was scared. There were many lizards but I like lizards.
When it was six, my mom, Wanda, and I met at the Gingerbread House. But before I entered, I could resist taking a picture of the entrance to the Castle of miracles and the Enchanted Carousel which we would then ride after eating!
Castle of Miracles:
http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa362/Claudia_Cruz3ating at the
Carousel:
[IMG]http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa362/Claudia_Cruz3/DSC07293.jpg
Gingerbread House:
Next post: Winter Wonderland
My mom took the King bed, I took one of the twin beds, and Wanda took the sofa bed. The villa smelled like hotel! LOL
It was around 4ish and we really wanted to eat dinner at the Gingerbread House but the didn't open until six and we hadn't eaten lunch!
Our meal card only allows one place to eat per meal. So if we decided to eat something "light" at Katie's kitchen , we couldn't eat at the Gingerbread house at six pm because what we ate at Katie's Kitchen would be registered as dinner.
So, off to the Ice Cream Palace!
This was our view:
AND my sister chillaxing before going to eat some ice cream.
I don't remember what kind of ice cream my sister first ordered. I think it was caramel, pretty sure. They put ALOT of whip cream on it, which I LOVED and asked if they can do that to mine!
Which they did! The man serving the ice cream was HILARIOUS but it was the kind of jokes that you HAD to be there to get it.
My sister's ice cream:
My mother ordered a cone:
After eating our ice cream, we decided that we REALLY needed to go to Walmart. If you did not know, for those families who DO NOT have a rental car or simply wish not to drive somewhere WITHIN A 5 MILE RADIUS, there are people called "runners" who will drive you there. So, we called for one and we left 5 mins later. It was around 5 now. The guy was super nice! We were dropped off and in no later that 20 mins, we called to be picked up again. We bought A LOT of grocery which we would find out that we did not need to. The driver even said: "All that food for just three ladies?"
When we got back and put everything in its place, Wanda and I decided to play some mini-golf until 6 p.m. It was very fun but we would encounter the only thing that bugged me ( pun intended) throughout the whole trip! Giant Mosquitoes, ants, wasps, bees, and Bumble bees everywhere! I was scared. There were many lizards but I like lizards.
When it was six, my mom, Wanda, and I met at the Gingerbread House. But before I entered, I could resist taking a picture of the entrance to the Castle of miracles and the Enchanted Carousel which we would then ride after eating!
Castle of Miracles:
http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa362/Claudia_Cruz3ating at the
Carousel:
[IMG]http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa362/Claudia_Cruz3/DSC07293.jpg
Gingerbread House:
Next post: Winter Wonderland
Happy Dreams1
Where happy dreams and magic is just a castle away
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
Yes, I do agree about the greeter. I was looking forward to that family picture with her.
Happy Dreams1
Where happy dreams and magic is just a castle away
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
Carousel ride:
Now on with Winter Wonderland! Man, and this is just Day one!
My mom was in Orientation and my sister was at the villa so I went solo to Winter Wonderland.
Met some cool young girls who were there as a group volunteering. We talked for a while and had fun dancing and playing in the snow!
During this activity, I met the first Puerto Rican family out of the other 9 I would meet. Yes, including us, there were 11 Puerto Rican families while I was there! Wow!
My gifts of the day
We ordered pizza and it was goood.
next post: A bit of Magic Kingodm
Now on with Winter Wonderland! Man, and this is just Day one!
My mom was in Orientation and my sister was at the villa so I went solo to Winter Wonderland.
Met some cool young girls who were there as a group volunteering. We talked for a while and had fun dancing and playing in the snow!
During this activity, I met the first Puerto Rican family out of the other 9 I would meet. Yes, including us, there were 11 Puerto Rican families while I was there! Wow!
My gifts of the day
We ordered pizza and it was goood.
next post: A bit of Magic Kingodm
kdzbear
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2006
Claudia, your photos are fantastic! I love your ice cream lunch. I am so happy that they had someone drive you to Wal-Mart. I was worried that you were going to say that you walked! Your mom is beautiful in the picture of her smiling on the carousel! You and your sister look a lot alike. You are doing a fantastic job on your report! Thank you for sharing your trip with us! 
Your mom is beautiful in the picture of her smiling on the carousel! You and your sister look a lot alike. You are doing a fantastic job on your report! Thank you for sharing your trip with us! Happy Dreams1
Where happy dreams and magic is just a castle away
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
Welcome. Hopefully, if I get done studying and recuperating all that missed homeworks and studying for tests, I'll be able to post all of Day 2 tomorrow or most of it.Claudia, your photos are fantastic! I love your ice cream lunch. I am so happy that they had someone drive you to Wal-Mart. I was worried that you were going to say that you walked!
Lol..at the time, I didn't look at it as an "ice cream lunch." But I guess it was!
About Walmart, it's a bit too much to walk to it and I thought we would have to do it before getting more info a few days before the trip. We were so relieved! You can also get a runner to bring you to AppleBees to eat! AAAWW
It brings warmth to hear someone saying that my mom is beautiful! Thanks! She's been having a hard time since my dad and her recently separated. I saw a lot of MAW families who just had "one" parent and her their sister or brother( or another relative) coming along to help.YES! We got a comment from this family while were eating breakfast...the father asked me, "Ya'll are twins?" It would have been interseting to say yes but I couldn't lie. We get asked A LOT if we are twins. We are actually 5 1/2 years apart. My older sister sometimes gets confused for the younger one.
I love writing this trip report!
Owensheart
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2011
Claudia..great trip report! You will have to print it out so you have it as a journal of your trip! You mom and sister are adorable as are you! I can't wait to read more!
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