Make-A-Wish Day 3: Jedi Training at Hollywood Studios

Wednesday held more excitement for us and we began the day by going horseback riding at Give Kids the World. This is what Isaac was really looking forward to, so after breakfast we headed over to the horses. 

It may not show on his face, but Isaac had a great time. He just loves horses and his farm toys are his favorite. While Jacob’s interests bounce around, Isaac has consistently loved horses and farm animals. We’ve gone horseback riding again since coming home for Isaac’s special “Make-A-Wish,” (more on that later…)

After that we were off to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the much anticipated Jedi Training where Jacob would fight Darth Vader! (In case you’re wondering, Isaac was invited to fight Darth Vader too but didn’t want to and I can’t say that I blame him!). The Jedi Training was awesome and Jacob had a great time. He was just shining on stage, which I have to say, surprised me a bit but he had waited a long time for this moment. I posted videos of the showdown with the dark side here if you haven’t seen them yet. 

I just love that part where he force-pushed the storm troopers, isn’t it great?!? He didn’t need to be prompted, he knew just what to do (we watched a few YouTube videos in preparation, so, you know, that may have helped him a bit).

After Jedi Training we rode the Star Tours ride as many times as Mom’s stomach could take it (simulator rides are not my favorite, but I have to say it is a cool ride).

3D glasses on the Star Tours ride

Next we went to see the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show and my cute mom got to be an extra in it. It was so fun (especially just to watch her!)

We also had our first character-meeting experience at Hollywood Studios and we started out with the big mouse himself, Mickey. The kids were a little hesitant (notice that Ellie would not let go of my shirt, she was hanging on tight in case that mouse made any sudden moves…) but overall, it was a good experience and we got a pretty good picture out of it.

Next we met Winnie the Pooh and Ellie was all warmed up by this time—she loved it. Isn’t that grin just the cutest?

We also took Ellie to see the Beauty and the Beast stage show. She waited patiently throughout the entire trip while we all rode the rides she was too small for, so the least we could do was a show or two. And she really liked it.

She was such a sport this whole vacation—no regular naps, all kinds of excitement, and lots and lots of stroller time…

Zonked out in the stroller with an Indiana Jones hat

At dinnertime we went back to Give Kids the World and spent the evening riding the train, playing in the arcade and, of course, riding the carousel.

Elizabeth was well used to meeting characters by now, so when we saw “Mayor Clayton” and his wife “Miss Merry” (the Give Kids the World mascot characters) she was ecstatic. She saw them from a distance and chased them down saying, “come here rabbits, come here!” It was pretty cute.

After a fun filled day we went home to get the kids in bed and who should knock on the door but Mayor Clayton! He’d come to tuck the kids in for the night (or start a pillow fight, bounce around on the beds and get everyone nice and hyper again!)

What fun memories of another wonderful day.

Make-A-Wish Day 2: Universal Islands of Adventure

Every time I asked our boys where they wanted to go first they would answer without delay or the slightest variance: “to buy wands!” So there really was no question where we would begin our amusement park adventures; Tuesday morning we were up bright and early to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Island's of Adventure.

Jacob holding wand boxes; inside Hogwarts castle

Our first stop was indeed Ollivander’s where we purchased three souvenir wands (one for each boy including Daddy!) and then we took the boys on their first-ever roller-coaster ride: The Flight of the Hippogriff. As suspected Isaac absolutely loved it and Jacob enjoyed it…after it was all over. This was also our first experience with the magic get-to-the-front-of-the-line pass (awesome!)

The adults took turns riding The Forbidden Journey ride inside the castle (what an amazing ride! It’s like part roller-coaster, part simulator, part haunted-house—I can’t even imagine what it cost to build!) and then we took the kids inside of the castle (since they couldn’t go on the ride) to see the talking paintings, Dumbledore’s office and the defense against the dark arts classroom.

After that we looked around at all the little shops in the “Hogsmeade” village (the detail is awesome here—it doesn’t feel like any other amusement park) and then we enjoyed lunch at the Three Broomsticks restaurant, which I really liked (Scott said the ambiance was better than the food but I thought it was great—authentically British with a bit more flavor. And I’m now on the hunt for a good Cornish pasty recipe!) 

Lunch at the Three Broomsticks: Grandpa and Jacob; Ellie likes the Butter-beer!

Harry Potter World was a lot of fun, I don’t know if it’s just because it’s the first place we went to or not, but it really was kind of magical. It was also crowded and hot, but a very well-done park.

This castle was so cool (note the crowds, folks, this place was packed!)

Our next stop was Jurassic Park to see the dinosaurs. Isaac (and Grandpa’s!) favorite ride was the Pteranodon Flyers—we rode that one over and over. 

Pteranodon Flyers ride

All sorts of creatures in Jurassic Park!

Next we came to Rip-Saw Falls, Universal’s Splash-Mountain-like ride. Now, I didn’t know how the boys would do on this ride (remember they had just experienced their first kid roller-coaster in Harry Potter World) and I was a little nervous that they wouldn’t like it. Boy, was I wrong! It is still Jacob’s favorite. He still talks about it and he still loves it. He rode it six times that day!

I guess we weren’t wet enough after Rip-Saw Falls so we rode Popeye’s boat ride and got completely soaked. We rode that one a couple of times too, just to make sure we were good and soggy. It was about this time that the sky clouded over and the afternoon monsoon threatened us. We really didn’t care though, we were already as wet as we could get and having so much fun.

Near the end of the day my sister talked me into the Hulk roller coaster. I was so nervous—so nervous. And it didn’t help that the gal at the gate told us that people throw-up everyday on this ride. ‘That’s just awesome,’ I thought. But I loved it, I was smiling-screaming the whole time. And that was my one and only big scary roller-coaster. I’d done one for the trip and that was enough!

After a long day of amusement park-ing (that’s a verb now) we went home to our villa to have a pizza party in our PJ’s. It was the perfect day.

Make-A-Wish Trip Day 1

Our magical, once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation began on July 30th when we flew to Orlando, Florida. My parents and my sister came with us and we were so glad to have them!

Hooray! We’re in Orlando and finally off the airplane

Airplane entertainment

The flight went really well, I’m happy to say. We sat by a man named Lymar who was touched by Jacob’s story and the reason for our vacation. He even posted on his Facebook page about us! When we landed the captain invited us up to see the cockpit. Jacob got to sit in the co-pilot’s chair and turn on the radio (Isaac was invited too but was a little too nervous). We were just beginning to learn how fun it is to be a Make-A-Wish family.

Jacob and Lymar flexing, Jacob in the cockpit

In Orlando it was dumping rain and we desert-dwellers watched with some amazement at the mini-monsoon outside the airport windows. Then we made our way to the baggage claim and met our greeters, volunteers from the Give Kids the World Village. Tom and Cheryl were so nice and so friendly and so welcoming. And we were so excited to meet them and learn a little more about “The Village” where we would be staying. After collecting our luggage (delayed an hour because of rain and lightning) Tom and Cheryl took us to rent a car. They let Jacob pick any car he wanted—that would fit our family of course—which meant he could choose anything in the whole row of mini-vans! Jacob and Isaac both wanted the red Dodge Caravan. Oh yeah! 

Tom & Cheryl from ‘Give Kids the World’ and the boys in front of the red mini-van of awesomeness (Jacob was sad about something but I can’t remember what)

Then we came to Give Kids the World—a resort just for families on wish trips. This is an incredible place, with an incredible story. This non-profit storybook village has a really special feeling. I can’t describe it, but I really loved it here. I’d heard all about it from others who had been but it was neat to experience it ourselves. There is just something about a place run by volunteers, it has a certain uniqueness to it.

Jacob & the giant cookies, my mom in front of the gingerbread house

Our villa (note the rockin’ red van)

Seriously, isn’t this place so cute? There is an-all-you-can-eat ice cream parlor open all day long, swimming, a play-ground, a castle, an arcade, a train, and—our kids absolute all-time favorite part—a carousel. They loved it and rode it multiple times every day.

I don’t think that I could over-emphasize how much they loved riding the carousel over and over and over! I think that the boys rode it half a dozen times that first night we were there. After dinner and several rides on the enchanted carousel we went to our villa where the boys took a bubble bath in their jetted tub (everything at Give Kids the World is focused on the kids so the “master bathroom” is the kids bathroom and it was huge!) The boys had the bubble fight of all bubble fights and it was fun to just let them play and have fun. The perfect ending to an exciting day.

Bubble bath fight