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

[sarsop524]

Sarah's wish granters came tonight and she officially made her Disney wish! They said travel could take a year to a year and a half to happen...how will we ever wait patiently enough to find out when it will happen?!?!

 

[5dwarves]

Hi, I am one of the original posters for the first Wish Tripper's Unite thread back in 2007. I am glad to see that the tradition is continuing. My Wish Tripper is 10 now and has been cancer free for 7 + years. We are so grateful and believe that our wish trip helped.

I volunteer with Make a Wish now. Keep up the good work everyone.

Bill

So glad to here Lysi has been cancer free for so long! I just hopped back on too. Didn't expect to see any of the old disboard friends still hanging out. We are headed back for our redo trip this summer. Looking forward to it.

 

[atlantamoi]

This question was asked in our orientation at GKTW (in November) and we were told that the idea behind the button and GAC for wish kids was so that time was not wasted waiting in any lines, regardless of whether the wish kid was riding or not.

Thanks for your detailed response. So, I got two answers with opposite opinions! Hmmm. I guess we'll play it by ear. The parks might not be too crowded next week and it might not be an issue anyway. GKTW has a night for parents to be alone, so you can see at least one example where they do consider what the adults might like (although with our two-year-old we won't be able to take complete advantage of it).

I'm still amazed by Make-A-Wish and all they have done for us. Our granters had a nice tea party for my daughter this past weekend. It was so sweet. Can't wait to spoil her a bit next week after the past 18 months.

 

[wishin' on a star]

This question was asked in our orientation at GKTW (in November) and we were told that the idea behind the button and GAC for wish kids was so that time was not wasted waiting in any lines, regardless of whether the wish kid was riding or not.

My two oldest wanted to ride Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios and my wish kid did not. They took her button and the GAC and had no questions asked. Same thing with Rip Ride Rocket...my husband and oldest son rode it multiple times and my daughter wasn't tall enough. (We never made it to IoA but I feel it would be the same over there.)

We did the same thing multiple times at Disney for rides that she was either not tall enough or wasn't interested in riding....Rock n Roller Coaster and Kali River Rapids are the first two that come to mind.

We never had any employee at any park bat an eye at this or make us feel like we were taking advantage or doing something that was not allowed.

I shared this conversation one other time on here but there was a point during our trip where my 14 year old son said he felt bad about going to the front of the line while others were waiting. I then reminded him of the 9 (so far) times that he got up (by his own choice) at 4:30 a.m. so he could accompany his little sister to the hospital for her surgery because he "makes her feel safe." I also reminded him of the hours that he napped in the hospital waiting room on a hard plastic couch just so he could be there when she woke up.

Your stay at GKTW is not only for your daughter but it is for your entire family. GKTW understands this and goes above and beyond to make sure that everyones needs are met...not just the wish child.

Don't feel bad about using her button or the GAC to ride anything. I would be shocked if a CM or any employee will tell you can't use it to expedite your time.

And as far as napping, my kids are older but I would definitely consider getting the free strollers that are provided at the parks and see if your 2 yr old might nap while riding. I would definitely try it.

Hope you have a magical trip!!!

My DD was granted a wish two years ago, and this was exactly our experience. I do hope it hasn't changed since then, because I do believe that a wish trip is indeed for the WHOLE family! There's no describing the incredible amount of pixie dust and magic that your entire family feels while on a wish trip. We were made to feel like everyone deserved the perks of the trip. Yes, at GKTW orientation, we were told that the GAC given to wish kids was for the whole family, to expedite time for others to ride whether the wish child rode or not. We never encountered anyone at Disney who questioned this.

We have since returned to Disney, and while Catherine still had a GAC, it was not the same experience, and we would never expect that once in a lifetime experience again.

I hope you have a fabulous, magical trip!!!

 

[Moodyzblu]

Sarah's wish granters came tonight and she officially made her Disney wish! They said travel could take a year to a year and a half to happen...how will we ever wait patiently enough to find out when it will happen?!?!

Yay for Sarah making her wish !!

But I wonder why they said it will take so long ?? We heard form MAW like a week after Jayden made his wish and had our dates in like 1 month. Maybe they are very busy .. or tell you that so you won't panic if you don't hear form them by a certain time. Hopefully it won't really take that long !

 

[mckevor2001]

Hi

Our son just got accepted by maw. Now the planning begins. He wants a european disney cruise and a day atbdisneyland Paris. Does anyone know if that's even possible? Thx!!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi

Our son just got accepted by maw. Now the planning begins. He wants a European Disney cruise and a day at Disneyland Paris. Does anyone know if that's even possible? Thx!!

It depends on the chapter. I know a family from New York City that was able to go to Tokyo Disneyland (and about four other Japanese parks) on a Wish Trip.

 

[nesser1981]

I guess it depends on the chapter, but the information packet we got said they were not doing any international travel or any Disney Cruises or Disney Land & Sea Packages.


It even said Hawaii was a case by case basis. I'd suggest waiting until you get your info from MAW, because it will vary from chapter to chapter.

Hi

Our son just got accepted by maw. Now the planning begins. He wants a european disney cruise and a day atbdisneyland Paris. Does anyone know if that's even possible? Thx!!

 

[Wee Annie]

I want to thank everyone for the great info here. I have a question in regards to front of line access at Disney/Universal. We are staying at Give Kids next week and plan on going to four different parks during this time. Unfortunately, our two-year-old will need a nap each afternoon which will cut our time at the parks down considerably. Our Wish child (five-year-old daughter) will get to do anything she wants... it's her trip. But I can see my wife and I wanting to ride maybe one big rollercoaster at Islands and Universal. I see they have a babyswap deal where you can take turns riding (one adult rides while the other holds the kids and then the next adult rides while holding the kids). I'm just curious if it's bad etiquette to go to the front of the line with a Wish child and then only the adults ride. I really want to play by the rules!

Of course, we may be doing this anyway a few times with my five-year-old riding with parent while the other is holding our two-year-old. I won't feel weird about that since our Wish daughter is actually riding.

This is a really small thing... just curious if anyone else has dealt with it.

My daughter had her wish trip to WDW two years ago, and I can tell you what our experience was. She wore the GKTW button, and I think they tell you that no one else should wear it. I wore her wish trip GAC on a lanyard around my neck. And I, like you, was eager "to play by the rules," so on rides where she was too little, I started getting fast passes for my older daughters and husband to ride. We did this in the beginning, and I was actually "scolded" (nicely) by several CMs when they saw me getting fastpasses. They told me there was no need to, so I explained that I was getting them for rides where the wish kid was not riding. They still insisted there was no need to, and to use the wish trip GAC for the entire wish family. After going through this a couple of times, I pretty much stopped getting fast passes (because I felt stupid ), and my older girls and husband used the wish trip GAC on a ride here and there. So this was at multiple CM's insistence. Anyways, the wish trip GAC pretty much is the same as getting a fast pass -- it doesn't get you up to the front of the line at Disney on most rides -- it gets you in the fast pass, or perhaps an alternate entrance, with a different line.

HTH

 

[kellyw8863]

Hi Kelly, so happy to see you here! We haven't been back since the Wish Trip; however, we took Lisa before the Wish trip five years ago, so if it is GAC questions, first aid, etc, I might be able to help. CONGRATS on going back! We returned to GKTW on LIsa's wish trip as a post wish family since we extended our trip if you need to know how that went.

Thank you! We will need a GAC, since Ali's condition is progressive, and we are in no better place than when we went in 2010. Her metabolic doc is fantastic, and I'm confident that he will walk us through whatever accommodations she will need. And then I'm sure Disney will do its best to work with us. I'm still nervous, though! How was your visit back to GKTW? That's definitely something we plan on doing!

I want to thank everyone for the great info here. I have a question in regards to front of line access at Disney/Universal. We are staying at Give Kids next week and plan on going to four different parks during this time. Unfortunately, our two-year-old will need a nap each afternoon which will cut our time at the parks down considerably. Our Wish child (five-year-old daughter) will get to do anything she wants... it's her trip. But I can see my wife and I wanting to ride maybe one big rollercoaster at Islands and Universal. I see they have a babyswap deal where you can take turns riding (one adult rides while the other holds the kids and then the next adult rides while holding the kids). I'm just curious if it's bad etiquette to go to the front of the line with a Wish child and then only the adults ride. I really want to play by the rules!

Of course, we may be doing this anyway a few times with my five-year-old riding with parent while the other is holding our two-year-old. I won't feel weird about that since our Wish daughter is actually riding.

This is a really small thing... just curious if anyone else has dealt with it.

We were told the same thing as others, that the trip is for the entire family and that anyone could use the GAC. Use it frequently and with confidence!

My daughter had her wish trip to WDW two years ago, and I can tell you what our experience was. She wore the GKTW button, and I think they tell you that no one else should wear it. I wore her wish trip GAC on a lanyard around my neck. And I, like you, was eager "to play by the rules," so on rides where she was too little, I started getting fast passes for my older daughters and husband to ride. We did this in the beginning, and I was actually "scolded" (nicely) by several CMs when they saw me getting fastpasses. They told me there was no need to, so I explained that I was getting them for rides where the wish kid was not riding. They still insisted there was no need to, and to use the wish trip GAC for the entire wish family. After going through this a couple of times, I pretty much stopped getting fast passes (because I felt stupid ), and my older girls and husband used the wish trip GAC on a ride here and there. So this was at multiple CM's insistence. Anyways, the wish trip GAC pretty much is the same as getting a fast pass -- it doesn't get you up to the front of the line at Disney on most rides -- it gets you in the fast pass, or perhaps an alternate entrance, with a different line.

HTH

Great to "see" you! I read each and every one of Elke's CB updates and think of you guys often. I hope that you all are doing well!

 

[Delaney21]

Sarah's wish granters came tonight and she officially made her Disney wish! They said travel could take a year to a year and a half to happen...how will we ever wait patiently enough to find out when it will happen?!?!

Mitchell's wish is through the Michigan chapter also and they told us it could take a year to happen when he made the wish. That was in December and we have our reservations made for May. I know they are backlogged a little, so don't expect fast results, but I think a 5-6 month timeframe is more realistic for Disney trips.

It is hard to play the waiting game, but it makes it even more exciting once you get your dates!! I started pre-planning his trip with our requested dates and thankfully we were able to get those dates. I'm happy we had that extra time because it gave me time to following along with other trip reports so I could plan Mitchell's trip based on other peoples experiences and suggestions. So join in and start making your lists!

 

[Wee Annie]

Thank you! We will need a GAC, since Ali's condition is progressive, and we are in no better place than when we went in 2010. Her metabolic doc is fantastic, and I'm confident that he will walk us through whatever accommodations she will need. And then I'm sure Disney will do its best to work with us. I'm still nervous, though! How was your visit back to GKTW? That's definitely something we plan on doing!




Great to "see" you! I read each and every one of Elke's CB updates and think of you guys often. I hope that you all are doing well!

Hey Kelly! Just like old times, huh? Good to "see" you again too!

We are returning to WDW this coming April, so I can possibly answer questions about returning with a child who is still medically fragile. For us, Elke is definitely in many ways in better shape than she was on her wish trip. For one, she's off chemo. And she was in so much pain on her wish trip we often had to give her morphine to get her through the day. Her pain has definitely improved. BUT, she's actually MORE "fragile" in her bones than she was back then -- her femur is even more eaten away and so much weaker it's in even more danger of snapping (fun fun fun!). And she still struggles with severe nerve damage, both peripheral and autonomic (GI and urinary). SO, I am definitely going to have to get a GAC that allows us to use her stroller as a wheelchair, bare minimum, even though she's almost 6.

Definitely let me know if you have specific questions when we return, and I'll see if I can help out. I know Ali and Elke have very different issues, but I can perhaps still be helpful (I hope!).

We're also planning on spending an afternoon and dinner at GKTW when we go -- that was by unanimous vote of all of us, even the older girls!

 

[starienite]

We are back! We had a great time. The kids had a blast. Devon got to do what he really really wanted to do and Cassidy met everyone she wanted to me. Part of the pictures are already up on my FB page here

 

[Moodyzblu]

We are back! We had a great time. The kids had a blast. Devon got to do what he really really wanted to do and Cassidy met everyone she wanted to me. Part of the pictures are already up on my FB page here

Welcome back ! Checked out your pics and it looks like SO much fun. Seems like the kids had a great time. Thanks so much for sharing them with us. Your pics make us even more excited for ours.

 

[jon03015]

If we checked out of GTKW on Friday can we still go to the Pirate Princess Party that night? We will be at GTKW from Sat-Fr. We are extending to visit family for the weekend then going home. Thanks!!!

 

[nesser1981]

Yes, you can spend the day there even after you've checked out from what I understand.

If we checked out of GTKW on Friday can we still go to the Pirate Princess Party that night? We will be at GTKW from Sat-Fr. We are extending to visit family for the weekend then going home. Thanks!!!

 

[nesser1981]

Looks like you had a fantastic trip!

We are back! We had a great time. The kids had a blast. Devon got to do what he really really wanted to do and Cassidy met everyone she wanted to me. Part of the pictures are already up on my FB page here

 

[sarsop524]

Mitchell's wish is through the Michigan chapter also and they told us it could take a year to happen when he made the wish. That was in December and we have our reservations made for May. I know they are backlogged a little, so don't expect fast results, but I think a 5-6 month timeframe is more realistic for Disney trips.

It is hard to play the waiting game, but it makes it even more exciting once you get your dates!! I started pre-planning his trip with our requested dates and thankfully we were able to get those dates. I'm happy we had that extra time because it gave me time to following along with other trip reports so I could plan Mitchell's trip based on other peoples experiences and suggestions. So join in and start making your lists!

Thanks for that info. I know the paperwork told me it would take a couple months to hear from our wishgranter, and we heard from them within three weeks! They did tell us they don't like to schedule over holidays, which is basically all we gave them, so we will see how that works! I am a teacher, but can't go in the summer because Sarah doesn't do well in the heat. So we put down spring break, Thanksgiving break, and Christmas break!! We will see how those dates work out. I go so far over my allowed number of sick days every year...so I would feel bad planning a trip during school

Enjoy the rest of your planning, and I can't wait to hear about your trip

 

[nesser1981]

We are also a Michigan family and we leave tomorrow. It was 6 months ago I contacted MAW after DD was referred. Hope you guys get the time frame you want!

Thanks for that info. I know the paperwork told me it would take a couple months to hear from our wishgranter, and we heard from them within three weeks! They did tell us they don't like to schedule over holidays, which is basically all we gave them, so we will see how that works! I am a teacher, but can't go in the summer because Sarah doesn't do well in the heat. So we put down spring break, Thanksgiving break, and Christmas break!! We will see how those dates work out. I go so far over my allowed number of sick days every year...so I would feel bad planning a trip during school

Enjoy the rest of your planning, and I can't wait to hear about your trip

 

[newdrama12]

We are also a Michigan family and we leave tomorrow. It was 6 months ago I contacted MAW after DD was referred. Hope you guys get the time frame you want!

Have a safe trip! Maybe we will run into each other at GKTW one night this week.