I made an account just to say that this forum has been so helpful. My name is Katie, and I have a 7 year old son named Adonis who has been granted a wish last month. My son was born with a chromosome disorder, which resulted in heart defects, developmental delays, and a bunch of other stuff. He is autistic and non verbal, but he loves bright lights and any kind of movement so I picked his wish for him to go to WDW!
I've met with his wish granters once, and already have our dates. We are going November 8th-14th!! They also told me we get tickets for 3 days of Disney, 1 day Universal, and 1 day Sea world. I am absolutely excited for the trip! My son doesn't talk so he won't understand everything until we get there, but I'm sure he is going to love it.
I have a few of questions if anybody is still around.
1. Has any other single moms gone on the trip by themselves with their kid/s? -For our trip it will be just me and my son. I'm pretty used to doing outings with him, like the zoo or children's museum. I am a little nervous being in an unfamiliar state just me and him though.
2. Do they have disabled bathrooms at the parks? -My son is still in diapers and also his a fascination with doors, so changing him in the stalls can get tricky. He likes to open and close the doors, and you can see how that could become embarrassing. I much prefer the single room bathrooms.
3. From GKTW did anybody use the shuttles and buses for transportation, and what was that like? -I don't drive, and planned on their hopefully being a bus/shuttle/uber or something.
4. Did anybody ship medical equipment to GKTW before flying? Did you have to pay for it or does MAW? How many days beforehand did you ship it? -My son is g-tube feed, so I was thinking of shipping his formula, feeding bags, and diapers down there beforehand to save room in luggage.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Katie!
1. Since your son doesn't have any siblings, he's allowed to bring a friend, cousin, favorite aunt, grandma, etc.! If you decide you'd like someone else to join you, let your chapter know as soon as possible because you'll need to get some paperwork filled out beforehand and they'll need to make arrangements with GKTW.
2. All the restrooms we used had a drop down/diaper changing area that I used for my girls. Magic Kingdom and Epcot also have special lounges for Make a Wish families to have a little break from the heat and crowds. The packet you receive at orientation will tell you where to find them.
3. We drove, but they do have a shuttle that runs from GKTW to the parks. They also make a trip to
Walmart if you need to stock up on any items for your villa. The shuttles have set schedules so if you find you'd like to arrive earlier, return early or stay later you'll need to make other arrangements. Many families have used Uber with no problems and it's a great option.
4. Our chapter made arrangements for our girls medical supplies to be delivered to the villa. We had their enteral formula (compleat pediatric), iv poles, food bags, diapers, syringes, a shower seat, and a tomato chair (for alternate seating) waiting in the villa when we arrived! They used a medical supply company in Orlando. We did bring a medical bag on the plane. No charge for medical supplies as long as there's only medical stuff inside. Our medical bag had their meds, a few syringes, 4 boxes of compleat pediatric, a few diapers, chux bed pads, wipes, and a canister of duocal. No problems whatsoever.
Be sure to call TSA cares about 3 days ahead of time. They'll meet you at the airport and make everything a breeze! Let them know you have a child going on a Wish trip to Disney. They'll ask a bunch of questions about your son's needs and will assist you however you need.
A few of us from here are also in a group on FB called Make a Wish Disney Trips. Check us out if you get a chance.
Happy Planning!!
One more thing-looking at your dates, are you planning to attend
MVMCP? Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party falls on a few nights during your son's trip. I don't know if your chapter will provide any enhancements, but if so, you may be able to ask them for tickets (or just order them yourself). Also be sure to check the party dates anyway because they close Magic Kingdom to non-(party)ticket holders at 7pm.