Saying "Goodbye" to GKTW

The next morning, we had to check out of GKTW, figure out what to do about our rental car (we wanted to extend our trip, but we didn't want to have to drive all the way back to the airport), and then check in at Animal Kingdom Lodge for our final night in Florida. Checking out was awful. I cried like a baby. It was so hard knowing that this place existed and that while we were able to spend such an icredible week there, we would never be able to go back as actual guests, only as visitors.

Now on to the rental car fiasco. Stupidly I thought we'd be able to simply call up Avis and say, "Well hello there! We'd like to keep our car for an extra night," and have it not be a problem. But as they say, nothing in life is that simple. The problem was that we needed a new contract because the car was covered by Make-A-Wish and in order to get a new contract, we would need to show up at an Avis desk in person. We wanted to avoid returning to the airport, and quickly discovered that there was an Avis at one of the hotels near Downtown Disney. Fantastic. For what was so stressful in the beginning, the process was really quite easy, and we were on our way to lunch and shopping.

Once we got to DTD, I headed straight for the Rainforest Cafe to see if we could get a last minute reservation, while the rest of the family went to the Lego Store.









Next, we met at World of Disney for some shopping. I had to take a picture of this since it's Ali's favorite character.



And then it was over to Rainforest Cafe for lunch. I love, love, love their chicken salad sandwiches.



Maya was all excited to pitch pennies at the crocodile, but as you can see, Ali wasn't too sure.





Of course Ali spent the entire meal with her hands over her ears, but the "thunderstorms" here were much tamer than the ones at the RFC we have here at home.

After lunch, it was time to head over to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Because of the cost of flights, our chapter was reluctant to send us over April vacation, but because of our work schedule (and Ali's heat intolerance), it was our last chance to go unless we wanted to wait until the next year. We were able to negotiate with MAW a Monday - Monday (cheaper flights) with us responsible for one night of lodging. Since Ali's original wish was to go to the zoo (and see the "real tree"), it only made sense to spend that night at AKL.

The girls thought it was nice, but they wanted to know when they could go back to GKTW. They were enamored with the full length mirror in the room. Go figure.



The view from our balcony.







It was nice, but the girls were right - it wasn't GKTW.

We hadn't had any rain since we arrived, and it looked like thunder clouds moving in, so we wanted to get to the pool before it started. The life guard made a game of throwing little figurines into the water while the kids searched for them.





We had a dinner reservation that night for Boma, so after an hour, or so, in the pool, we headed back to the room to get ready. Then, we did some exploring before heading to the restaurant.







Despite the fact that we paid $14.00 for a single glass of wine, dinner was incredible. After teaching the book Things Fall Apart for the previous five years, I was thrilled to be able to eat yam foo foo. It was good! After dinner, we took the girls to the playground for a bit.







Then the skies finally opened up and the rains poured down. Garth and I got the girls ready for bed, and G-Ma and G-Pa graciously offered to "babysit" them so that we could go have a drink. Right down the hall from our room was an indoor firepit. We cozied up there with a glass of wine for me and a beer for Garth and decompressed. We did have a good laugh over the fact that they were running the AC so that people could tolerate the heat from the fire. Then, we settled in for our last night in the World.

GKTW

After leaving MK, we returned to our villa at GKTW, where we changed into bathing suits and headed over to the pool area for some last minute water fun before having to pack up. We initially had hoped to tackle Epcot after MK, but this was much better. Ali just loves being in the water.



The girls love tormenting G-Pa. They cry and whine when he "fights" back, but they love it.











Maya couldn't get enough of the fountains...



or the surfboard.



We briefly contemplated leaving GKTW to have dinner at the Longhorn, which was just down the street, but instead opted for Katie's Kitchen poolside to extend our time there. After eating, we went back to the villa to get cleaned up for Mayor Clayton's birthday party, the activity for the evening.

Ali liked playing the games.





Both girls liked making birthday cards for Mayor Clayton.







They later had the opportunity to hand deliver their cards.



We also discovered Mayor Clayton's house.



After stopping for one final ice cream, we stopped for a final whirl on the carousel. G-Pa convinced Maya to ride the pig.





And then it was time for bed.





Garth and I had one last drink on the patio and then put ourselves to bed as well. It was a great day, but an exhausting one. We were tired.

MAW - Day Six

Okay, so when we returned from Ali's Make-A-Wish trip, I started a trip report over on the Dis boards so that I would remember everything once I got around to making the kids' scrapbooks (and to put that into perspective, I still haven't done their baby books). Needless to say, life (and emotions) got in the way, and I never got to finish it. By the time I was re-energized to go back and finish the last couple of days, the TR was "locked" and I could not submit new posts. I have messaged the moderators of the forum to have it unlocked, by they must be busy. So, before I lose my momentum, I thought I would post it here and then transfer it to there once I can.

Just to give you a little background without re-hashing everything. We arrived at Give Kids the World on a Monday and foolishly planned a full day at the Magic Kingdom for Tuesday. It was a disaster. The girls were tired and overwhelmed, it was incredibly hot according to us Northerners, we were way overpacked and left to lug everything around, and on and on and on and on. We honestly were like fish out of water. Very miserable fish.

However, we persevered and after having a very successful day at Animal Kingdom, we decided to give it another go with some very important lessons learned.

1.) Pack light. As in bring nothing except for the absolute bare essentials (sunscreen, tube feeding supplies, autograph books with pens, wallet/pocketbook, and pins for trading). The first time, we packed as though we were preparing for the end of days with no food or drink in sight.

2.) Don't be afraid of that GAC! The GAC is the special card given to all wish families that enables them to skip to the head of the line. Our first day in, we were still uncomfortable with the idea and hesitant to use it (aside from the fact that we didn't really know how to use it. As a result, Ali got very overheated (she can't regulate her temperature) and very miserable.

3.) And finally, have a plan. We thought we had a plan (Magic Kingdom on Tuesday, Epcot on Wednesday, Animal Kingdom on Thursday), but we didn't have a plan for inside the parks. The first time, we let ourselves get swept up in the crowds and ended up in a part of the park we didn't really want to be (Tomorrowland). We ended up wasting a lot of time there and never really getting to what the kids would have enjoyed the most.

So with this all in mind, we decided to attack Magic Kingdom one more time on day six. We were up early and out of the villa with the goal of getting to MK for rope drop. We had breakfast at the ice cream parlor, and while the kids were finishing up, Garth went and got the car so we could hop right in and head over to the park. Unfortunately, we didn't make it there for rope drop, but we did get there pretty darn early.

We also hit a little glitch. The girls' grandparents had misplaced their park tickets. This created a moment of panic in us all considering how much they paid out of pocket for a three day park hopper for two. But, Disney being Disney, it wasn't a problem at all, and before we knew it, we were inside the park. We went right to the stroller rental and picked up a stroller. We did have Ali's stroller with us, but another lesson learned was that it was too hot and too much walking for Maya. She really needed a place to sit in between rides and since wish families get strollers for free, we decided to take advantage of it. Just one more thing that made a huge difference.

After that, we bolted directly towards Fantasyland. This is where the bulk of the rides the girls were interested in are locatedt. First, we walked right on to It's a Small World.





Already, our day was 100x better than it was the first time we attempted MK. The CM asked us if we wanted to ride a second time, to which all of the adults quickly responded, "No, thank you!" As fun as the sights were, we had all had enough of the music.

After It's a Small World, we headed across the way to Peter Pan. I can't tell you how important it was for us to get there early - Fantasyland was like a ghost town. It was great! For whatever reason, we don't have any pics of the girls on this ride, but they loved it (and so did we). After we went through once, we were asked if we wanted to stay on, which we did.

After riding Peter Pan twice, Ali wanted to go see the castle, and since it was still so quiet, we decided to move in that direction. We couldn't figure out how to get in there from the back (or if it was even possible), but we did meet the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella right outside. Of course, the girls wanted her autograph.





This is the first time that we encountered rudeness from another guest for using our GAC. We walked up to the CM, showed him the GAC, and explained our situation. He asked us to step aside and after a short wait, the girls would be able to meet the Fairy Godmother. While we were waiting, a man stepped out of line, approached Garth, and said, "Hey, the line is over there," to which my husband graciously responded, "Thank you, I know." The man returned to his spot in line, and no other words were exchanged.

After meeting with the FG, we stepped across the way for another picture in front of this statue (and I'm going to embarrass myself for not knowing who it is).



Despite it being early and not terribly hot yet, Ali was sweating buckets (you can see her hair is wet in the picture), so we took a time out on a bench in the shade to give Ali some extra Pedialyte through her tube. I did have a couple of snacks in the medical bag, so the girls also had a granola bar. While we were sitting there, Peter Pan appeared out of nowhere, crept up behind the FG, and frightened her. It was pretty funny.

After the girls were recharged, we decided to head back to Fantasyland because the girls still wanted to ride Winnie the Pooh and Snow White. Everyone loved Winnie the Pooh (who doesn't?), but the girls were frightened on Snow White. I wasn't frightened, by any means, but wasn't particularly moved, either. Here is one of my favorite pics from the trip.



Since we wanted to see as much as possible in as short a time as possible, we then headed back towards Mickey's Toontown Fair. Ali really wanted to ride Goofy's Barnstormer, and both girls wanted to meet Tinkerbell and the princesses. We had done the carousel, the teacups, and Dumbo on our first time there, so we figured we would hit those again later if we still had the time and the energy. Here is a rare family photo at the entrance to Toontown.



We headed straight for the Barnstormer for Ali. We tried so hard to get Maya on it, but after her experience with Space Mountain, it just wasn't happening. So Garth took Ali, and they were lucky enough to get in the first car.





After that, we went over to get in line to meet Tinkerbell and the princesses. Since technically the GAC isn't for bypassing the character lines, we were given numbers and escorted to a separate waiting area with seating and videos for the kids. There were a couple of families in front of us, so we waited about twenty minutes before being taken back to meet the Fairies. It was so worth the wait, because when we got back there, we had the entire room to ourselves and were not rushed in any way.

The first Fairy we met was Rosetta. She was absolutely hilarious (and all attitude). She tried her darndest to get the girls to talk. Maya talked a bit, but Ali was just too overwhelmed. You can tell by the look on her face that she was enjoying herself, though.





This isn't a great picture, but Rosetta and Tink were fighting back and forth over who was the more popular Fairy. They were also teasing the girls for being so quiet and trying to figure out what their special powers were.



This is Tink "rubbing it in" that she was able to get Maya to talk without any problems.



Tink was truly great with the girls.











After Tink, we were passed over to Silvermist, who sang a fabulously hilarious song about how Tink smelled bad. We were all giggling.







Silvermist asked the girls if they wanted some "pixie dust," and of course they answered yes. I love Maya's face in this picture.


Then, we were on our way.

After visiting with the Fairies, we went back to the little seating area with our new number, and waited for our turn with the princesses. I was thrilled to learn that Aurora was in the house (Maya's favorite princess). We waited for another fifteen minutes, or so, and then we were taken back for a private meet and greet with the princesses. I'm not sure if having the room to yourself is a wish thing, or if this is how it always is?

First up was Aurora. She was so incredibly kind, and just gushed over both girls. Maya was in absolute heaven.



At this point, Maya was getting to be an old pro at meeting characters, and was seriously chatting it up. You can see in this picture that she is showing Aurora her bracelet made by one of the Big Give ladies.





After we were done with Aurora, the girls were able to spend some time with Cinderella. I was a little nervous that they would notice it was not the same Cinderella from 1900 PF - a minor thing, really, but they were at the point where they truly believed.



This next picture cracks me up, because this is Maya's chatty face. This is the face that she makes when she is telling a really long story with lots of details. And at the end of the day, she can talk the ear off of just about anyone.





After they met with Aurora and Cinderella individually, they had the opportunity to meet with them together. We seriously were in there forever.





And then there were hugs all around.




For me, one of the best parts was having the chance to speak with Jack, one of the CMs. He was an older gentleman, and so incredibly kind and funny. He kept cueing the PP photographer to take more pictures. After explaining to him that our first day was a little less than what we had hoped for, he asked for our map of the park. He then proceeded to go through the map and mark where all of the characters would be for meet and greets, and the times that they would be there. We were touched. And to make it even more special? My father's name is Jack. He died 17 years prior, long before he ever had the chance to meet either of the girls, and I couldn't help but feel like this was his way of being there. Cheesy, I know, but what can I say?

After that, we went to grab some lunch at the Pinocchio Village Haus. Apparently everyone else had the same idea, because it was packed. I was able to grab a table with the girls while Garth and his parents went to get lunch for everyone. If I'm remembering correctly, we all had burgers, and the food was just okay.

After lunch, we headed over to Frontierland. We thought that the girls might want to ride Splash Mountain and/or Thunder Mountain Railroad. First, we saw Jesse and Woody. I will say that this is the only time that we truly felt guilty for using the GAC. The line was long, and it was very hot out. We approached the CM and were told to step aside, that we would be next. Of course after the girls had the chance to meet with them, they went to take a break meaning that the folks already waiting in line had to wait even longer. Ah well.



Here, Woody is acknowledging that it's his picture on the page. We got so many compliments on the girls' autograph books.







After meeting Jesse and Woody, we walked past Splash Mountain, which the girls did not want to ride - Ali because she didn't want to get wet, and Maya because of the big drop at the end. Between Kali River Rapids and Space Mountain, we really ruined them. So, we took Ali over to Thunder Mountain Railroad.

After standing in the FP line FOREVER, we finally got up to the front. I could see that Ali's anxiety was mounting the closer that we got. By the end, she was covering her ears and crying, so we skipped across a car to the exit side and left while Garth and G-Pa continued to ride.

It was really getting hot outside, so we knew we had to start wrapping things up. I really wanted to try a Dole Whip, and the girls really wanted to meet Jasmine and Aladdin, so we headed towards Adventureland. I think one of our best experiences with a character meet and greet was with them for one very minor, simple reason. When the CM approached Aladdin to let him know that he had a MAW kid waiting, his face truly lit up, and he responded with something along the lines of, "Great! Where?" I know we all want to think that our kids are special, but he truly seemed to enjoy the whole MAW aspect of meeting the kids.

Aladdin and Jasmine seemed to have the most natural relationship/banter back and forth. Here he is making fun of Jasmine for not being able to find her page in the autograph book despite the fact that they were all in alphabetical order.









After meeting Jasmine and Aladdin, we headed over to the Magic Carpets, which really were just like Dumbo. But, the girls enjoyed themselves. Another rare family photo.



The girls were starting to ask to go back to GKTW, so we knew we had to wrap things up before they fell apart. I stopped to get a Dole Whip for me and G-Ma, while everyone else headed towards the Haunted Mansion. I really wanted to go on this ride since it was one of the few that I remembered from my trip there back when I was in second grade.

We tried every which way to Sunday to get the girls on this ride, but they were not having it. A fantastic CM walked past us as we were unsuccessfully debating the merits of friendly spirits, and she suggested taking us in through the back so that we could avoid the elevator thing at the beginning. She thought that the girls might be more accepting that way. So, she took us all the way through the bowels of the haunted mansion so that we could skip the "scary part," only to have the girls pitch a fit at the last minute. I ended up riding in a car by myself, while G-Ma and G-Pa went behind me. Garth took the girls to the bathroom before getting in the car for the ride home.

After the Haunted Mansion, we made a quick stop to see if Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen were at Liberty Square yet, and we were still about 20 minutes out. My only regret of the trip was not waiting for them, since Maya really wanted to meet Princess Tiana. Ali was melting down, and we were trying to avoid an ugly exit. In hindsight, we should have taken Ali to the Wish Lounge (we hadn't seen it yet) and let Maya stay to wait for the characters. But, we weren't thinking. So we left with a disappointed Maya.

I will say, though, that the disappointment dissipated quickly at the idea of returning to GKTW for ice cream cones and a swim in the pool.

Next Up: Final Moments at GKTW, Downtown Disney, and Animal Kingdom Lodge!