Make A Wish Trip to Disney World & Give Kids The World Village

Oliver looking out the window waiting for take off

Wow, were we ever ambitious...blog our way through our trip to Disney? We barely had a second to catch our breath. Blogging in a hospital is far easier, because you are stuck the whole time with so little to do...not so on this trip!

On the night we arrived in Orlando Oliver fell asleep. This cute Mickey was the first of many gifts he received from Give Kids The World Village.

Some of the characters come to Give Kids The World Village for special meet and greets.

Oliver tried to pull off Mickey's nose and gloves. Mickey was not upset, I think he has done this a time or two...

Andrew & Haley at Harry Potter World

Give Kids The World Village is just as special as we had heard. Every single person there is so nice it makes you feel a bit like you are living in a Disney movie.  There is a strong sense of community, with an overarching sense of whimsy. You feel deeply cared for...it is a place of celebration, despite all our kids have been through.

Our first morning we heard sleigh bells outside of our villa. We weren’t fast enough to peek out the window, but later found out a little girl named Candice had the wish of riding in a carriage pulled by a unicorn. She got her wish, and we got to meet her. What a cutie!

The Christmas Tree in our villa

One thing that made this place so special is they have thought of EVERYTHING! Everything is beautiful and handicapped accessible. Our villa came decorated for Christmas, including a full sized tree (which we don’t have at home). When we walked in on Sunday they had the fridge filled with starter snacks and the table covered with gifts for Oliver. Every day a gift fairy came and left a new gift for Oliver.

On top of an incredibly nice place to stay, the village had every food need covered. The round-the-clock Ice Cream Parlor, cafeteria style restaurant, take out pizza and another take out place provided by “Boston Market”. They deliver virtually everything to your door if you desire. When you eat at the Gingerbread House (cafeteria) you never have to carry your own tray, as there is an army of super friendly volunteers ready to assist. It is a sweet place, where you can even get some Krispy Kremes each morning. Brave kids and their families walk around and you wonder about their stories. There is power in being in a place where everyone is especially aware that tomorrow is not promised, and each day is a gift to be savored.

Ice Cream Palace at Give Kids The World

You won’t be surprised to know that Oliver loved the Magic Kingdom from start to finish! As soon as we walked in, we happened upon a street performance of singers and dancers. He pumped his fist and kicked his legs so hard we thought he was going to break his stroller. He also really loved the parades and the "Winnie-the-Pooh" ride.

We took advantage of the Wish Family Lounge twice after he had seizures. It is such a blessing to have a place to take a quiet rest in the middle of the bustling park. Incredible that Disney built this just for Make-a-Wish kids, and we are only slightly sad that we can never go back. 

The castle

One of our serious challenges in the first two days was keeping shoes on Oliver’s feet. I know we put them on over 40 times in 48 hours. It was driving us bonkers. So in true Stephanie fashion I ran into a Walmart and tried to find something better. I got one pair, but they didn’t work. Later that day I went to Super Target and bought 3 more pairs. No dice. I googled “Kid’s high-top Chuck Taylors”, which took us to a JC Penny across town. They did not have high tops. Epic Fail. FINALLY, we found the Chuck Taylors at Shoe Carnival. It took 8 pair of shoes and hours of time, but we finally got it right. Oh, the things we do for our children...

Oliver resting in the Wish Lounge 

Once we got the shoe debacle figured out, we were set for more days of fun and exploring. Other highlights for Oliver were:

Safari at the Animal Kingdom

Dancing Lights at Hollywood Studios

Horseback Riding at GKTW

Christmas Party (dancing w/ the Gingerbread Man) at GKTW

Dr.Seuss-Land at Islands of Adventure

Everest Roller Coaster at Animal Kingdom

Seven Dwarves & Barnstormer Roller Coaster at Magic Kingdom

Dumbo Ride

Horseback riding at Give Kids The World

It was an incredible trip that gave us a chance to experience joy and laughter as a family for an entire week. We saw so many light-bulbs go off with Oliver, which is a rare joy. It is something we’ll treasure for the rest of our lives.

We are so THANKFUL to Make-a-Wish of Eastern NC and Give Kids the World Village for their incredible generosity. We’ll continue to support both charities. It is impossible to adequately express our thanks to them for the very special work they do.