Make a Wish (and other organizations) ~ Wish Trippers UNITE! Volume FOUR!

[Mom2mitokids]

if my daughter gets the disney cruise. Do we need passports?

2. IF she gets GKTW tickets can you save them and use them during the extra days that we would pay for? I do not want to over whelm her with a different park every day so we are thinkg about every other day do park and pay to stay extra days so she can have rest days.

Suggestions?

Yes on the passports

The tickets you get expire 14 days after first use of tickets. The problem is...your special button only last while staying at GKTW. They have dates on them and Disney World and all theme parks does look at them. After the dates you no longer have the special button pass(front of line..or really fastpass line). Now Universal and Island of Adventure will extend the passes, but Disney Parks & Sea World won't(at least that is what they told us).

We stayed 4 extra days and we left Unversal for after we left GKTW. I knew to get the GAC extended but the line was long and we got there late. We just said we will see what they say. We had no problem all day(they even looked at the GAC) until the very last ride. They were going to take it away from us. We told them we wanted to keep it as we will be putting in a scrapebook and he did give it back to us but he said really they aren't suppose give it back. He said just go to guest relation and they will extend the pass. Problem...we only had 45 min left before the park was to close so we just left. The kids were upset as this was the ride they wanted to go on twice(the rocket rollercoaster).

 

[LVMom23]

More Mickey Mail today x2!!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=40538578#post40538578

 

[angeque143]

So we decided not to let anyone rain on our parade and are forging ahead....Some more questions

1. Good bag for carrying around everything? I was thinking the diaper bag (yes we still use one BUT ours has a flap over front and no zipper and it cannot attach to the stroller well) Then thought back pack but again I am stuck carrying it all day!

2. Good place to get some Disney tops....We do not have a Disney store or Disney outlet here...I am goping to try to get to the outlet in Long Island when I go down for Easter BUT you never know if I have the time...Our Kmart had some things but they were sets and the bottoms would not work for Eva

3. Are the children allowed to use swimmies in the pool?

That is all I can recall at this time

Pop over to our PTR and see Eva with her Woody and Buzz...

 

[brookerene]

Hi Everyone.... I just wanted to let Wish Trippers know that I can create a personalized printable countdown calendar for your families.... Just PM me and I will give it a shot! I don't have a thread on the Disigners forum, but you can find me here!!! Thanks
Brooke

 

[Perrinsmommy]

So we decided not to let anyone rain on our parade and are forging ahead....Some more questions

1. Good bag for carrying around everything? I was thinking the diaper bag (yes we still use one BUT ours has a flap over front and no zipper and it cannot attach to the stroller well) Then thought back pack but again I am stuck carrying it all day!

2. Good place to get some Disney tops....We do not have a Disney store or Disney outlet here...I am goping to try to get to the outlet in Long Island when I go down for Easter BUT you never know if I have the time...Our Kmart had some things but they were sets and the bottoms would not work for Eva

3. Are the children allowed to use swimmies in the pool?

That is all I can recall at this time

Pop over to our PTR and see Eva with her Woody and Buzz...

I haven't been yet but I am bringing the diaper bag (its like a messenger bag thing, sort of) but for the parks I am bringing a messenger bag, since I can sling it over the handles. I heard the walmart right down the road from GKTW has a HUGE selection of Disney shirts, lanyards, etc. As for swimmies, I heard they have life jackets but the pool I believe is only 3 ft deep. I'm sure you can put their swimmies on. Oh and Eva is ADORABLE with the woody and buzzA

 

[mom2pixies]

Hi Everyone.... I just wanted to let Wish Trippers know that I can create a personalized printable countdown calendar for your families.... Just PM me and I will give it a shot! I don't have a thread on the Disigners forum, but you can find me here!!! Thanks
Brooke

Thanks, Brooke! I will definitely take you up on that generous offer when we visit with the wish grantors and get some dates. Fingers crossed!

 

[mom2pixies]

Totally random question: Does anyone here know of if there are character meet and greets with the other unsung heroines of Disney movies? I'm thinking of Gisele from Enchanted or Megara from Hercules? Or Esmerelda from Hunchback or Princess Kida from Atlantis? Or how about the fairy godmothers from Sleeping Beauty--Flora, Fauna and Merriweather? I've never seen photos of these characters so I doubt they are available, but just curious!

Kinda want to do a 'princess hunt' with Brooke, since she is soooo into them right now. (I often have to play 'Prince Eric' or 'Fairy Godmother' with her. I also get to be the evil queen. Rare is it I ever get to be the princess!) And I was just thinking of other princesses.

If there are no character meetings, is there somewhere I can find them at the parks (like a statue or a topiary)? I think it would be a cool game to play!

 

[mom2pixies]

I'm sure many of you already know this or have already done this, but on the off chance that you haven't, you can organize a free Enchanted Call from one of the Disney characters (you choose the character) for your wish kid. You can have it personalized to wish the kid congratulations for overcoming a triumph, wish them a happy birthday or an amazing vacation.

I've done it before for Brooke's 3rd birthday and she was just....ENTHRALLED!!! I had Ariel call--the phone call is short (probably less than a minute total!), but you know the time of the call, so you can plan to put the phone on speakerphone and videotape the call.

Anyways, here's what you do:

1. Head over to Disney Movie Rewards and sign into your account (or create a new, free account if you don't already have one).
2. Enter the code ''ENCHANTEDCALL'' and receive a promotional code for a FREE call.
3. Follow the link to the ordering page and fill out the information (time, date, character, type of greeting). Make sure you enter your birthdate, not your child’s (must be over 18 to schedule a call).
4. Sit back and wait for the call to come! You can schedule it far in advance, or have them call immediately.

Enjoy watching the surprise and amazement on their precious little faces!

 

[Mom2mitokids]

I hope all that are in Florida now are staying safe. Severe storm are going through. Thoughts and prayers. I hope Christy and family can land safely.

 

[maroo]

Oh no!!! I was gone over a day and all heck broke loose.

oh dear...i feel really embarassed. it looks like i have not found exactly the right place to post about evan's trip..i did not realize that this thread was pretty specifically GKTW. but i really appreciate all you kind words and help. evan's condition is not life threatening. it is chronic, and difficult, but certainly not as tough as some of the things that folks on this thread are facing. i may try to start a sunshine foundation thread under disAbilities and for any of you who were reading our PRT and upcoming TR, i will keep posting there!

Oh no!!!!!!!

thanks guys...i was just worried i was intruding on the "wrong" place. but i would love to stick around and hear about all your trips and share evan's too. thanks again for your kindness. i think i will keep my questions about specifics on our PRT, so not to get mixed up. and as i learn more about sunshine foundations trips, iwill let you know. thanks so much

Thank goodness!!!

I would have felt so bad if you had left us!

I am so glad the entire thread went nuts when you posted that.

This thread is for ALL wish trippers!! There have been at least two other kids on this board that have gone on the "chronic illness" sort of trips. kdzbear's child, Tyler, is one of them - if you want to read her TR. She was a poster here and I got the chance to actually meet her and we spent some time touring Disney World when I was there this past October! So you are just as much part of this family as anyone else. In fact...I don't care who posts...anyone can post....not just wish families.

But...I think it is great that you are aware that there are some differences. The trip will be a little different from some of the things you may read on this thread - but it will still be the trip of a lifetime! How cool to be able to go to Disney World for a trip with little or no cost to the family!

Lauren has what some might consider a "chronic" condition...in fact her official diagnosis is the same as your son - quad CP...but in reality her doctors knew that she was progressing rapidly in her disease process and that CP doesn't progress. She has gone from walking (a very little bit when she was little) to now only being able to write with her mouth - slowly losing her abilities to write, put on her own makeup, feed herself, etc, etc. So they signed her up for MAW as a child with a life threatening illness.

So it really varies from child to child in regards to how the wish is handled.

I really hope that you stay on, not only for your planning, but also to do a TR for us so that we can see the Dream Village and how it operates. Even if it is just a pictorial TR - it doesn't have to be anything fancy - of course you can go all out if you want and tell us every story from your trip (we would love that), but I also really appreciate the simple stories and pictures from trips, too!

I am so glad you are staying!!!!

 

[maroo]

Wondering how it works if you need to put off wish....Long story short how long is the consent good for...Eva's dad is causing a lot of problems (child support wise) and I am thinking that this may not be the time to go.....

This one is a hard decision since my son knows...he is NOT going to understand. Eva still is in the dark...I think! How sad that this has to cloud a good thing for Eva...it gets me so angry!!

Oh, this stinks!!

I know MAW is pretty good about moving wish trips around. They have to do it a lot for medical reasons. I think they prefer to do it before they buy plane tickets - but they can move it if you have to.

But...you may have to sign new paperwork? So if he has to sign off...then you might want to go while the gettin' is good...???

if my daughter gets the disney cruise. Do we need passports?

2. IF she gets GKTW tickets can you save them and use them during the extra days that we would pay for? I do not want to over whelm her with a different park every day so we are thinkg about every other day do park and pay to stay extra days so she can have rest days.

Suggestions?

YES! On the passports! Please take passports - even if they tell you that you won't need them. With any sick child, you would need it in the event of an evacuation from the boat or a flight home from a port - so definitely take one for all of you guys. Not sure if MAW helps cover that cost or not??

You can use GKTW tickets for 14 days after the first use.

I would ask if you can extend your GAC. Usually the parks are ok if you are extending this particular trip - the rub is that someone is trying to SELL the GAC's, they are not necessarily excited about just extending the dates because then they can be misused by someone totally different from the wish child.

I know at least one family asked at GKTW and they issued them a new GAC with extended dates on there...but that may vary depending on who you talk to there. Same with CM's at the parks - some may be ok with it and some may not.

If an employee tried to TAKE the GAC because it was out of date, I would throw a fit.

thanks guys...i was just worried i was intruding on the "wrong" place. but i would love to stick around and hear about all your trips and share evan's too. thanks again for your kindness. i think i will keep my questions about specifics on our PRT, so not to get mixed up. and as i learn more about sunshine foundations trips, iwill let you know. thanks so much

I, for one, have a really hard time following every pre-trip report...I really wish I could (I used to be able to)...but work is crazier now and I don't have as much time on the DIS as I used to have...

So...I guess I am just saying...feel FREE to post here any questions you have, especially if you don't have any answers on your PTR after a little bit. And you can also PM me, too, if you want. I am not on here a lot, but I usually check it daily.

I hope all that are in Florida now are staying safe. Severe storm are going through. Thoughts and prayers. I hope Christy and family can land safely.

aw man! They are getting DRENCHED down there.

That stinks...

Although when a DJ at a radio station asked Lauren (a year after we went) what her favorite part was - she said it was playing in the rain at the Electric Parade...so maybe they will make some great memories in the rain?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If an employee tried to TAKE the GAC because it was out of date, I would throw a fit.

If you come to an attraction and are attempting to use an outdated GAC you are violating the terms of the GAC. It would be very correct for a CM to confiscate the GAC. At the very least you would have to discuss the situation with a manager, and more than likely you would be told to go to Guest Relations to get a new one. And if it were the special GKTW "Green Light" GAC it could not be reissued at Guest Relations.

 

[maroo]

If you come to an attraction and are attempting to use an outdated GAC you are violating the terms of the GAC. It would be very correct for a CM to confiscate the GAC. At the very least you would have to discuss the situation with a manager, and more than likely you would be told to go to Guest Relations to get a new one. And if it were the special GKTW "Green Light" GAC it could not be reissued at Guest Relations.

Actually, Guest Relations has issued a Green Light GAC to one of our kids on a previous version of this thread. It isn't something they normally do, but they have the stamp.

If this happened to me, I would definitely talk to a manager. I may be in the wrong here...and they may tell me I am and take it...but I would ask for a manager before I let them take it.

And I think that a manager would bend over backwards to make sure a family had a great time at Disney - even if they are there for a couple of extra days. Particularly for the families that have children that are so sick that they need rest days during their trip. Of all of the managers I have met at Disney I can't even imagine one of them giving a wish family a hard time about this. They have all been over the top nice to our wish kids.

I would definitely ask for a manager if this were to happen to me on my child's wish trip. And I hope anyone reading this would also feel comfortable in asking to speak to a manager.

CM's follow rules - they strictly follow rules - and I have been around several that don't really think through what is going on because it is simply breaking a rule to do this or that - because that is the only way Disney World would function...but managers can think through specific situations and say "YES" to the guest whenever it is possible and I definitely think a situation like this would fall into that category.

Having said all of that - I would ask before I use it...I know GKTW has extended them before and most of these kids would qualify for a regular GAC that accomplishes basically the same thing...so they could just go to Guest Relations and explain the situation and see what could be done to help the family.

 

[angeque143]

Oh, this stinks!!

I know MAW is pretty good about moving wish trips around. They have to do it a lot for medical reasons. I think they prefer to do it before they buy plane tickets - but they can move it if you have to.

But...you may have to sign new paperwork? So if he has to sign off...then you might want to go while the gettin' is good...???

We decided to forge ahead!! Not going to let him rain on Eva's parade!! Now if we can just get her well!!!


aw man! They are getting DRENCHED down there.

That stinks...

Although when a DJ at a radio station asked Lauren (a year after we went) what her favorite part was - she said it was playing in the rain at the Electric Parade...so maybe they will make some great memories in the rain?

I hope things are ok for those down there I heard the storms were HORRIBLE...Collapsed an air hangar!!

 

[HeatherSP]

I can't believe it but the big gives keep coming!
Stop by and visit Lhea's PTR

 

[Mom2mitokids]

Actually, Guest Relations has issued a Green Light GAC to one of our kids on a previous version of this thread. It isn't something they normally do, but they have the stamp.

If this happened to me, I would definitely talk to a manager. I may be in the wrong here...and they may tell me I am and take it...but I would ask for a manager before I let them take it.

And I think that a manager would bend over backwards to make sure a family had a great time at Disney - even if they are there for a couple of extra days. Particularly for the families that have children that are so sick that they need rest days during their trip. Of all of the managers I have met at Disney I can't even imagine one of them giving a wish family a hard time about this. They have all been over the top nice to our wish kids.

I would definitely ask for a manager if this were to happen to me on my child's wish trip. And I hope anyone reading this would also feel comfortable in asking to speak to a manager.

CM's follow rules - they strictly follow rules - and I have been around several that don't really think through what is going on because it is simply breaking a rule to do this or that - because that is the only way Disney World would function...but managers can think through specific situations and say "YES" to the guest whenever it is possible and I definitely think a situation like this would fall into that category.

Having said all of that - I would ask before I use it...I know GKTW has extended them before and most of these kids would qualify for a regular GAC that accomplishes basically the same thing...so they could just go to Guest Relations and explain the situation and see what could be done to help the family.

GKTW will not extend your GAC. We even asked on Kylee's wish trip and Korissa's(just in case they changed the rule). I also read on here that 2 other people asked the same thing and got the same answer. We were told Disney and Sea World won't extend the GAC. Universal and Island of Adventure will. If you read my comment for this post...we almost got Korissa's GAC taken away at Universal but we begged to let us have it because we were going to use it in the scrape book I'm going to do. He did say just go to guest relation and they would extend it, but we only had 45 min. before the park closes so we just left.

 

[mommy2girlswv]

We had another big day at the P.O. come over and check out what in the packages...

 

[brookerene]

The Big Give has blessed up again.... come over to see the goodies!!!!

 

[LVMom23]

I'm sure many of you already know this or have already done this, but on the off chance that you haven't, you can organize a free Enchanted Call from one of the Disney characters (you choose the character) for your wish kid.

Thank you for sharing this!! I ended up doing this for Abby since her birthday is on Sunday. She is getting a call from Belle!

On a separate note, I received a call from GKTW confirming our address. I guess they are sending us a packet of some sort? Can anyone share what is in this packet?

 

[mom2pixies]

Thank you for sharing this!! I ended up doing this for Abby since her birthday is on Sunday. She is getting a call from Belle!

On a separate note, I received a call from GKTW confirming our address. I guess they are sending us a packet of some sort? Can anyone share what is in this packet?

You are most welcome! Happy Birthday to her!