We are so excited about your family’s upcoming trip, and we’re here to help in any way possible! Please know that each Disney World trip is 6 nights and 7 days. Each family arrives at Give Kids the World on Sunday and departs for home on Saturday. Your family will start the week by visiting Universal Studios on Monday. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, you will be provided with park hopper passes to the four Disney parks. On Friday, you will visit Sea World. There are tickets to other area attractions such as Gatorland and Legoland available upon request. Please contact your magic moment coordinator at 205-638-9608 with any additional questions.
How do we get to Disney World?
If you prefer to fly: Most of our families fly using either Southwest or Delta, depending on the region of the state that they live in. We do our best to book direct flights, getting you there early in the day on Sunday and having you home by dinner time the following Saturday. Families in south Alabama tend to fly out of the Pensacola airport. When you arrive in Orlando, a Give Kids The World volunteer will meet you to take you to your rental car. Your plane ticket and expense check will be mailed to you approximately 7-10 days before you leave.
If you prefer to drive: Magic Moments will rent a car for you to drive from your home to Orlando. If the drive is too long to make in one day (500 miles or more), Magic Moments can pay for one night’s hotel stay on the way to Orlando and one night’s stay on the way home. Magic Moments will also give you expense money for meals and gasoline which will be sent to you approximately 7-10 days before you leave.
Where will we stay?
Our magic moment families stay at Give Kids The World Village and will spend six nights at that unique facility, which covers over 84 acres in Kissimmee, Florida (about 10 miles from Walt Disney World). Give Kids the World Village has ground floor villas, each of which has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a full kitchen, washer and dryer. Each villa also includes a pop-up cot, a handicap accessible shower, and a pull-out sofa. Visit the Give Kids the World website at www.gktw.org. (There is a Wal-Mart Super Center and Aldi convenient to the Village in case you forget something.)
At Give Kids The World Village you will find:
- The Gingerbread House Restaurant
- The Castle of Miracles
- A heated, wheelchair accessible swimming pool
- The Wacky Water Works (water play park)
- The Ice Cream Palace
- A lake where you can fish
- Bob’s Sparkleberry Nature Trail
- Julie’s Safari Theatre
- The Amberville Train Station
- A chapel
Where do we eat?
Breakfast and dinner are served daily and are free at the Gingerbread House Restaurant at Give Kids The World Village. Lunches are usually eaten at one of the Disney parks, and Magic Moments will provide you with expense money to cover lunches.
*Please note that many Disney experiences such as character experiences and indoor dining are limited at this time due to COVID-19. However, characters regularly visit Give Kids the World and will provide your child with a safe opportunity to do a meet and greet.
*Disney World reservations can be made up to 180 days out on their website. It is imperative that you send your trip dates well in advance if you would like us to book a character experience for your family (up to two activities). If we are booking activities on your behalf, we will set up a MyDisneyExperience app in your name and link all of your tickets and information to said account. If you’ve already got a MyDisneyExperience account, please share that information with your wish coordinator.
If the activities you select for Magic Moments to book do not include lunch, please plan to reserve your lunches at the parks if there is a particular place your family would like to visit. Again, you can start making reservations 180 days out from the date you would like the activity. Disney World reservations fill up fast any time of the year, but particularly around the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays and Spring Break. We suggest setting a calendar reminder if there are activities you would like to schedule on your own.
Where will we get our park tickets?
You will receive your Disney tickets via email prior to your trip. Give Kids the World will require you to set up a MyDisneyExperience account using your email and link the tickets to your family members. If you have any questions about setting up a MyDisneyExperience account, please contact your coordinator at 205-638-9608.
Your family will receive your other tickets once a Give Kids the World member checks you into your villa upon arrival.Give Kids the World will call if you are driving to arrange a check-in time. If you are flying, we provide your flight information so they have an estimate of when you will arrive and they will be ready to check you in upon arrival. Again, you will receive all tickets once you check-in at Give Kids the World.
The Give Kids The World package includes one day at Universal Studios, three days at Disney parks, one day at SeaWorld, and one day at a local attraction of your choice. These tickets are free for family members who are considered complimentary magic moment participants. Family members who go on the trip but are not considered complimentary must go at their own expense and buy their own tickets to all parks. With current COVID regulations in place, extra trip members will be approved on a case by case basis.
What transportation do we use in Orlando?
If you drive to Disney World from your home, you will already have your car or the rental car we arrange. If you fly, a rental car will be waiting for you at the Orlando Airport (unless you indicate you would rather take the Mears Shuttles during your stay and not have a rental car). A Give Kids the World volunteer will show you where to pick it up and will give you directions to the Village.
Please make us aware if you will need a van with a wheelchair lift because that is arranged separately.
There is a Mears Shuttle service from the Village to the parks, but it is only available at certain times and only at certain locations. We recommend that you let us rent a car for you.
How much luggage may we take?
Give Kids The World recommends one bag per person since you will have a washer and dryer in your villa. Southwest Airlines will allow one bag per family member to be checked for free. Magic Moments will not provide funds for additional luggage that needs to be checked unless you are flying with an airline that doesn’t provide free baggage checking. We will send you a packing list 7-10 days before your departure.
What if we need special medical equipment in Orlando?
In most cases, Magic Moments can rent equipment in Orlando. The sooner you make us aware, the better the chances of getting what you need.
How much money should we take?
Magic Moments will pay the expenses of the family members who are approved to go on the trip as complimentary wish participants. Approximately 7-10 days before you leave, Magic Moments will send a package to your home, which will include a preloaded Visa card. This card will be loaded with funds which will cover the following expenses:
- Airport parking
- Lunches (breakfasts and dinners are free at Give Kids The World Village)
- Gasoline
- Meals and a hotel room if you drive from your home
- Spending money for our magic moment child
Please remember that food in the Disney parks can be quite expensive, so please spend your money wisely. The expense money is based upon current market prices so it should be enough to carry you through the duration of your trip. We hope that the only money of your own that you will need is for spending money and souvenirs for your family.
How far in advance should we plan our trip?
Like most resorts, Give Kids The World is busiest in the summer. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break are also very busy times. We often need to make reservations at least six weeks ahead to get dates you request. The farther ahead you can plan, the better. We ask that you to choose three possible dates because we sometimes have to use your second choice.
Disney World reservations can be made up to 180 days out on their website. It is imperative that you send your trip dates well in advance if you would like us to book a character experience for your family (only up to two activities). If the activities you select for Magic Moments to book do not include lunch, please plan to reserve your lunches at the parks if there is a particular place your family would like to visit. Again, you can start making reservations 180 days out from the date you would like the activity. Disney World reservations fill up fast any time of the year. We suggest setting a calendar reminder if there are activities you would like to schedule on your own.
How soon must we take our trip after my child's wish is approved?
The trip must be scheduled within one year of approval and scheduled before the child’s 19th birthday.
What time of year is best to go?
Disney World is open year-round, and the weather is warm throughout the year. Fireworks displays occur nightly throughout the year. Families who have made the trip during holidays (such as Thanksgiving or Christmas) have said those were very special times at Disney World. If your child or any of your family members are sensitive to the heat, January or February are usually very mild months at Disney World. January and February are also the least crowded times of year to travel in addition to the month of September.
Which family members are approved for the trip?
The magic moment child, his/her siblings 18 and under living in the home, and two adults are allowed on the trip. If the magic moment child does not have brothers or sisters, a friend can go. If there are family members in addition to those named above (such as grandparents) who want to go, we can ask permission from Give Kids The World Village for them to go at their own expense. Most villas sleep eight people.
