Give Kids the World

DIS Con 2022 Fan Expo Will Take Place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

17 August 2022 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

With Give Kids the World now operating at full capacity and the Night of a Million Lights no longer taking place, we wanted to share another way to support this great community and cause. DIS Con 2022 (formerly DIS Family Reunion) will take place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort September 30th-October 1st, and will be THE place to be for Disney fans!

In addition to all of the convention offerings, DIS Con is hosting a separately ticketed After Hours Party in EPCOT on the park’s 40^th anniversary! Guests will have access to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, and Mission: SPACE, and they’ll have the chance to enjoy special desserts, entertainment, and character meet and greets. And the best thing about the whole weekend is that it’s all to benefit Give Kids The World. What’s not to love about that?!

DIS Con will feature celebrity panels, meet and greets, unique vendors (with twice as many artisans as last year!), amazing photo ops, and a HUGE memorabilia silent auction. There will be another auction closer in to the event date, so you can join in on the DIS Con fun by heading to gktw.org/disauction and bidding from home.

Thanks to the way Zannaland and our followers have been wonderful partners to the Village in the past, Give Kids the World is saying thank you by sharing discount code DISCON15 for 15% off convention tickets and EPCOT After Hours Party tickets!

You can find all of the DIS Con 2022 details, as well as ticket options, at gktw.org/discon. The event schedule can be found at gktw.org/discon/schedule.php.

We had so much fun at last year’s convention, we can’t wait to see what’s in store this year! Last year we gave away tickets to the event, so you can read more about it here:

DIS Family Reunion to Benefit Give Kids the World Ticket Giveaway!

DIS Family Reunion to Benefit Give Kids the World Ticket Giveaway!

26 August 2021 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Before we get to the DIS Family Reunion ticket Giveaway, lets talk about Give Kids the World. GKTW is such a special and amazing place, which we love to support here at Zannaland. If you’ve been following along from the start, you know we’ve donated, toured, run with, and explored Give Kids the World many times over the years. Most recently we attended the grand re-opening of Henri’s Starlight Scoops ice cream shop, where guests of GKTW can have ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also announced the return of last year’s incredible event, Night of a Million Lights, where proceeds benefit the Village directly.

Now, another event to benefit GKTW is happening and you can win tickets to attend! The “DIS Family Reunion” (unaffiliated with Disney) is a huge Expo-style event happening over two days, bringing together some of your favorites in the world of Disney parks, with some very special exclusive experiences too.

The event is taking place September 9 & 10, at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We’re holding a ticket GIVEAWAY to the DIS Family Reunion event! Take a look at the incredible schedule of sessions below:

Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Complimentary parking will be provided

Thursday, September 9 (For more details, visit www.gktw.org/disfam.)

Main Stage in Fantasia Ballroom

10:00 am Event Kick-Off: WDW Resort President Jeff Vahle and Give Kids The World President

& CEO Pamela Landwirth

12:00 pm Celebrity chef Art Smith

2:30 pm Attractions Actor Panel with Ron Schneider, David Danipour, Kat Cressida and more

4:30 pm Actress Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid

The Lost Bros Stage

11:00 am Stories from Disneyland’s Opening with Tom Nabbe, Bill Hoelscher and Bill Sullivan

1:00 pm Actress Linda Larkin, the original voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin, and John Morris, the original voice of Andy from Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story

3:30 pm Common Sense Leadership with Lee Cockerell and Dan Cockerell

5:30 pm Performance by Palm Beach Society Orchestra (formerly the Grand Floridian Society)

Main Stage in Fantasia Ballroom

6:45 pm Serveur Amusant

7:00 pm Off Kilter

7:45 pm Sergio

8:00 pm Yehaa Bob

8:45 pm Sergio

9:00 pm American Martian (formerly known as Mulch, Sweat and Shears)

Friday, September 10 (For more details, visit www.gktw.org/disfam.)

Main Stage in Fantasia Ballroom

10:00 am Wheel of Fortunate Wisdom with iconic host Pat Sajak

12:00 pm Bear in the Big Blue House Reunion Panel

2:00 pm Mickey Mouse Club Reunion Panel

4:30 pm Tony Baxter discusses 50 years of theme park design with Walt Disney Imagineering

The Lost Bros Stage

11:00 am Themed entertainment expert Jason Surrell, Universal Creative

1:00 pm New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson (The Kingdom Keepers)

Main Stage in Fantasia Ballroom

8:00 pm Mickey Mouse Club Reunion (until 10:00 pm)

Action-packed, right? Should be an exciting couple of days of Disney fun. I’ll be there and you can be too! I’m giving away 2 sets of two tickets for both days of events during the day and night on September 9th and 10th.

DIS Family Reunion Ticket Giveaway Details:

To enter the giveaway, head to my Zannaland instagram and Zannaland Facebook page to enter the DIS Family Reunion Giveaway. (See instructions at each location.) Two random winners will be drawn, one from Facebook entries, one from Instagram on Sunday, August 29. Winner will be announced at those places and updated here on this post.

For an extra DIS Family Reunion Giveaway entry, subscribe to our YouTube channel and comment here letting me know you did.

Good luck!

Give Kids the World Night of a Million Lights Returns for 2021!

30 July 2021 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Give Kids the World is one of my favorite places and they do such amazing things for critically ill children and their families. With the pandemic last year, they were closed for so long, they created the Night of a Million Lights event to raise money for the Village for all the Wish children that were missing out. Now that the village is reopened to families, we all wondered if Night of a Million Lights would be back. Well GKTW Village just announced the return of Night of a Million Lights for 2021 because it was such a successful event! AND! Tickets are on sale now!

If you’d like to see what the event is like, check out our video from last year’s Night of a Million Lights:

Here is all the official news from GKTW Village about Night of a Million Lights for 2021:

A dancing lights show, tram tours and unique behind-the-scenes experiences highlight an array of exciting additions guaranteed to make this year’s second annual Night of a Million Lights holiday lights spectacular another dazzling success. Scheduled to illuminate the Central Florida skyline from Friday, November 12, 2021 through Sunday, January 2, 2022, Night of a Million Lights will once again provide the public with a rare glimpse inside Give Kids The World Village, an 89-acre, whimsical nonprofit resort that provides critically ill children and their families with magical weeklong wish vacations at no cost.

Tickets are on sale now at www.gktw.org/lights, enabling guests to immerse themselves in an exquisitely decorated fairytale neighborhood which wish families call home during their stays. Guests can explore a sparkling tree trail; view larger-than-life holiday displays; take photos at one-of-a-kind step-in frames and backdrops; and enjoy a guided storytelling tour of 100 magnificently lit villas from the comfort of a tram, included in the price of the ticket. The event will run from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, with staggered entry times to prevent crowding.

What began as an inventive pandemic pivot for Give Kids The World has evolved into Central Florida’s most beloved new holiday tradition. More than 92,000 guests attended Night of a Million Lights in 2020, named #1 on USA Today’s list of the “Best Things To Do in December in Orlando.” With the return of wish families to the Village, this year’s event promises to be brighter and more festive than ever, while preserving the privacy and comfort of wish families during their visits.

“Children with critical illnesses face countless appointments, treatments and hospital stays, and they are often told “no” due to the limitations of their illness. We feel privileged to give wish children and their families a week of “yes” where they can forget their worries, experience joy, and spend precious time together,” said Give Kids The World President and CEO Pamela Landwirth. “We look forward to once again sharing some holiday joy with the community while raising the funds that will enable us to continue creating the happiness that inspires hope for these precious families.”

This year’s Night of a Million Lights enhancements will include a 360-degree dancing lights show encompassing 21 fully programmed buildings set to music, with six three-minute holiday vignettes playing each hour. In addition, a holiday marketplace will offer upgraded food and beverage experiences, festive holiday merchandise, and an opportunity for children to meet Santa in his elaborately designed Florida home. Also new this year, guests can make their visits extra special by purchasing one of a variety of VIP packages, ranging from behind-the-scenes guided tours and premium dessert parties to special events and exclusive balcony experiences – providing a stunning setting for marriage proposals, vow renewals, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and other special moments. Discounts are available for groups of 25 guests or more. To inquire about group discounts and special events, please contact [email protected].

Proceeds from Night of a Million Lights will support Give Kids The World, rated Four Stars by Charity Navigator 15 years in a row. When wish-granting organizations receive a request from a critically ill child who wants to visit Central Florida, Give Kids The World fulfills the wish – providing each child and his/her family with an all-inclusive stay that includes transportation; accommodations in one of the Village’s 166 storybook residential villas; all meals and snacks; donated theme park tickets; nightly entertainment; daily gifts; and priceless interactive experiences at the Village, featuring accessible rides and attractions. Since 1986, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 176,000 families from all 50 states and more than 76 countries.

We had such a wonderful time at last year’s Night of a Million Lights!

Give Kids The World Village is located at 210 South Bass Road in Kissimmee. To learn more, visit www.gktw.org. You can see our past posts about the amazing work Give Kids the World does too!

Celebrate 35 Years with Give Kids the World – News and Ice Cream!

8 March 2021 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I love Give Kids the World Village and all that they stand for and do for critically ill children wanting to visit area theme parks. I’m definitely not alone in my love, as so many local and national companies have partnered with GKTW Village over the years to sponsor events, parts of the village, and more. As they begin celebrating 35 years of magic, Give Kids the World is undergoing an amazing refurbishment to bring even more to wish children and their families. GKTW recently invited us out to celebrate the opening of Henri’s Starlite Scoops, their refurbished ice cream shop for wish families, and to see some of the plans for the new and refurbished areas that will be coming soon at Give Kids the World.

The former Ice Cream Palace closed down to make way for this new shop, designed in cooperation with Walt Disney Imagineering and input from Universal Creative. This fully accessible ice cream shop features 28″ ice cream chests, so all children, even those in wheelchairs can see and choose their flavors. The topping bar is also accessible, while an open floor plan in the seating area allows for ease of wheelchair navigation.

Named after founder Henri Landwirth, the name also pays tribute to the Starlite Motel on Coco Beach, FL, which Henri managed when it served as the temporary home to the original Mercury 7 astronauts. There are nods to the original space program and the Starlite Motel sprinkled throughout.

Flavors include: Choco-Rocket (chocolate); Moon Cream (vanilla); Shooting Starberry
(strawberry); Moon Rock Crunch (cookies & cream); and Meteor Mint Chip. Sweet treats come in a dish,
cone, Popsicle, Fudgesicle or ice cream bar. Also featured are Milky Way Shakes, Galactic Splits and Celestial
Sundaes. Gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free options are also available. Scooping ice cream is one of the
most popular volunteer shifts at Give Kids The World. During a typical week, volunteers fill more than 70
shifts to ensure guests can enjoy ice cream all day long.

To see Henri’s Starlite Scoops and more of the upcoming refurbishments and updates, watch our vlog below:

We are very excited to see in person how valuable Give Kids the World donations are, and just what happens with the money or volunteer time people donate. If you would like to do more, we have created a Fundraising Team for Zannaland. We’d love you to join, and or donate or fundraise and ask those you know to help as well. We have done this a few times over the years with Gingerbread 5k’s, the Challenge for Hope, and Night of a Million Lights, so we’d love to support GKTW together with your help!

If you would like to join our Fundraising Team to either help raise money or donate directly to Give Kids the World – click here: https://give.gktw.org/zanna for the Zannaland Team Fundraising Page to donate or join the team. Thank you!

Night of a Million Lights at Give Kids the World

8 September 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Give Kids the World is more than just an organization, it is a life-changing experience for so many children and their families. I first learned of Give Kids the World when I moved to Florida back in 1995 and saw the brightly colored buildings from the road one day.

If you are unaware or haven’t heard of Give Kids the World, they are basically an entire village; an 84-acre, nonprofit “storybook” resort in Central Florida. Children with critical illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free vacations in fully furnished and accessible homes. Beyond just the comfortable homes to stay in, the amenities in the village are beyond compare.

Give Kids The World provides meals, transportation, nightly entertainment, and complimentary passes to Orlando’s world-famous theme parks and other attractions. There is never any charge to visiting families, and no child is ever turned away. Since 1986, Give Kids The World Village has served more than 160,000 children and families from all 50 states and more than 75 countries. GKTW is four-star rated by Charity Navigator, with more than 92 cents of every dollar it spends going to program services.

GKTW - moms panel — Walt Disney World Moms Panel donation in 2010

I became more closely involved when I joined the (then) Walt Disney World Moms Panel in 2010 (now the planDisney Panel). We, as the new class of 2010, raised $7500 and delivered it to Give Kids the World back in October of 2010. We were given an in-depth tour at the time and it was an incredibly inspiring visit. That day let me know I wanted to help out Give Kids the World whenever I could from that day forward.

My friends and kids and I have done various fundraisers over the years, usually their annual Gingerbread Run, which is now the Challenge for Hope and you don’t have to run to take part. My youngest son Gio and husband Scott got involved this time and all raised money and ran the almost-but-not-quite 5K Challenge for Hope last November. This year it is a virtual event due to the conditions in the country. Sadly, Give Kids the World village has been closed since March of this year for that reason as well.

Because of the closure, Give Kids the World Village has decided to create some magic for locals, which will in turn help the Village when they are ready to safely reopen.

Night of a Million Lights! Here’s more about it:

For 34 years, the non-profit Give Kids The World Village has been brightening the lives of critically ill children and their families from around the world; and now, local businesses will have the chance to illuminate the Village – literally.

For 53 nights from Friday, November 13, through Sunday, January 3, 2021, the Village will come alive with Night of a Million Lights, a walk-through holiday light spectacular that is sure to warm the hearts of Central Florida residents.

More than one million lights will adorn the 84-acre whimsical Village, including a 150-foot lighted tunnel leading to 33 decorated villas; more than 50 larger-than-life holiday-themed wireframes, some spanning more than 40 feet; an enormous incandescent gingerbread arch; and out-of-this-world space-themed decorations showcasing the Village’s newest centerpiece, Henri’s Starlite Scoops.

Adding to the fully immersive lights and sounds experience, Santa Claus will greet guests from the balcony of Towne Hall, with Give Kids The World’s beloved ambassadors, Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry, on hand to lend some holiday cheer.

Corporate and community partners can get into the holiday spirit by adopting a villa, with the creative freedom to decorate it however they’d like for display throughout the 53 nights of the event.

Beginning on October 1, guests can purchase tickets on the Give Kids The World website at www.gktw.org to walk among the brilliant lights, vote on their favorite villas, and take part in a variety of family activities in a socially distant manner.

Most of the Village’s wheelchair-accessible attractions will be available at no cost, including The Enchanted Carousel, Marc’s Dino Putt, Kelly’s Sunny Swing, and Lori’s Magical Flight – all elaborately decorated for the holidays. Complimentary hot cocoa and ice cream will also be served throughout each evening.

In addition, guests can visit the Village’s most iconic venue, the Castle of Miracles – featuring a mysterious forest, a wishing well that burps, a magic tree that makes pillows, and more. The Castle is highlighted by thousands of stars that fill the ceiling and the adjoining Star Tower, each placed in honor of a wish child who has visited the Village.

“Children with critical illnesses face countless appointments, treatments and hospital stays, and they are often told ‘no’ due to the limitations of their illness. We feel privileged to give wish children and their families a week of ‘yes’ where they can forget their worries, experience joy, and spend priceless time together,” said Give Kids The World President and CEO Pamela Landwirth. “We look forward to sharing some holiday joy with the community while making it possible for future wish children to have their wishes fulfilled.”

Give Kids The World Village closed to wish families in mid-March due to the global pandemic, delaying more than 4,000 wishes. The Night of a Million Lights is designed to raise funds to ensure that wish trips can return bigger and better than ever before once the time is right to reopen.

I am SO excited to take part in this event. I urge locals or those visiting to fit Night of a Million Lights into your plans as well. It’s such a good cause, and I know we’ve all been missing light displays that we used to be able to walk through at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! We were just mentioning it on our Up the Waterfall podcast, how much we miss the experience. I can’t think of a better way to recapture some of that magic, while giving back and ensuring children and their families will experience all that Give Kids the World has to offer once more. The fact that they are offering tours and additional benefits is amazing, because once you tour Give Kids the World, you will definitely want to do and help more.

Tickets are On Sale NOW!

Give Kids the World Night of a Million Lights tickets are on sale now, enabling guests to walk among the brilliant lights and participate in a variety of fun and festive activities in a safe, socially distant manner. Ticket prices start at $15 for children ages 3-17 and $25 for adults, and include: on-site parking complimentary ice cream and hot cocoa and unlimited access to the Village’s wheelchair-accessible attractions – including The Enchanted Carousel; Marc’s Dino Putt; Kelly’s Sunny Swing; Lori’s Magical Flight; an interactive model railroad; and the Village’s iconic Castle of Miracles, where thousands of stars fill the ceiling in honor of wish children who have visited the Village. The event will run from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, with staggered entry times at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. (confirmed at the time of purchase) to ensure social distancing. Mask wearing is required for all guests.

Proceeds from the event will support Give Kids The World’s mission to provide wish vacations for critically ill children and their families.

Give Kids The World Village is located at 210 S. Bass Road in Kissimmee. To learn more, visit gktw.org/lights. For information on group tickets, contact [email protected].

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What Is “Give Kids The World” And How Can You Help?

19 October 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Give Kids the World is an organization near and dear to my heart. I’ve been honored to be a part of fundraising through the Walt Disney World Moms Panelists from 2010 on, who have together with supporters raised close to $35,000 for the Village, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. I was also able to tour the grounds in Kissimmee with my family and it is a day which I will never forget.

You can read more about some stories that affected friends of mine on my previous post about Give Kids the World. Now, my 12 year-old daughter, Sophia, and I are raising funds for Give Kids the World and running the Gingerbread 5K, held at the Village on November 3. My good friend Nicole started volunteering at the Village this year and wanted to create a team to take on the Gingerbread 5K together and raise awareness and valuable donations for such an amazing cause. Sophia and I would love to have your donation for this Gingerbread 5k as I join my friends on #TeamSparkle.

Click for Zanna’s donation page

Click for Sophia’s donation page

Team Sparkle has raised close to $3000 and we would love help in reaching our goals! Thank you SO much for helping the wishes of ill children get fulfilled!

To sign up to participate in the Gingerbread Run, visit www.gingerbreadrun.org.

Watch As Founder Henri Landwirth Tells Give Kids The World Story

Thank you!

Help Give Kids the World with the Power of 10

8 January 2011 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

Readers will know that Give Kids the World is an organization near and dear to my heart. My fellow Moms Panelists helped raise $7500 last year to deliver in person at our October reunion, and I shared some stories with you then.

Now the Power of 10 has been brought to my attention, organized by Disney fans in an effort to raise $1 million for Give Kids the World. Here is some more info below and instructions for how you can donate today and help children and family’s dreams have a little more pixie dust.

Help Give Kids the World-Where Happiness Inspires Hope

3 August 2010 by Suzannah Otis 6 Comments

When I first lived in Orlando, I remember driving around looking at neighborhoods and going down this street where I could see giant red-topped mushroom over a wall. Of course, I instantly thought of Walt Disney World and its whimsical architecture, but saw a sign saying “Give Kids the World“. I did some research and found out it was an organization that accommodated the wishes of chronically ill children and their families. I knew then it was a place I wanted to somehow help with.

Then, life happened…I moved away and back and away and had my own children. I have been given the gift of 3 healthy children and I understand even more, as a mom, just how valuable Give Kids the World is for children that need it.

For those unfamiliar with Give Kids the World, here is a bit more about them from their site:

A child with a life-threatening illness between the ages of 3 and 18, whose one wish is to visit any of Central Florida’s best loved attractions, may have their dream vacation come true by first being identified by a doctor as a child with a life-threatening illness. The child is then teamed up with one of over 250 partnering wish-granting organizations from
around the world, who then refer the eligible Wish Child and their family to GKTW Village. Once a Wish has been approved and recommended by the Wish Child’s local wish-granting organization, the Give Kids The World Wish includes:

Accommodations on-site in one of 140 villas

Donated tickets to all three major theme-park resorts (SeaWorld Orlando, Universal

Orlando and Walt Disney World)

Transportation

Meals in our Gingerbread House Restaurant and Katie’s Kitchen; and ice cream all day in

the Ice Cream Palace

Many other fun surprises

Everything is entirely cost-free to the family!