One of the things I find so special about Disney Cast Members is their passion for giving back to families and neighbors in their local communities. One of their favorite places to do that is Give Kids The World Village – an 84-acre non-profit resort that provides wish-granting, no-cost stays to children and their families who are battling critical illness and want to experience the magic of a Central Florida vacation.

Walt Disney World Resort has supported Give Kids The World for nearly 35 years and has long been making magic as the top-requested wish-granting destination among those this wonderful organization helps. The Village is also the most popular place where our Cast Members volunteer, and we recently had the incredible opportunity to show our love and support once again for this special place.

Due to the pandemic, 4000 wishes have been postponed, so Walt Disney World is helping Give Kids The World create the resort’s first Night of a Million Lights to raise funds and help ensure granting wishes for critically ill children can resume as soon as the Village reopens. We donated over 3 million glittering lights that deck the Village’s halls as part of a fully immersive, walk-through holiday light spectacular sure to bring the spirit of the season to all who visit.

Starting tonight, these holiday lights create a whimsical wonderland at the Village for local families to enjoy throughout the 54-night event. In addition to the lights, teams at Walt Disney World also found a way to bring magical Disney touches to one of the Village’s villas, such as festive garlands and big, bright bows reminiscent of decorations found on Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park during the holidays, as well as enchanting décor from classic Disney stories.

Give Kids The World brings so much light and joy to the Central Florida community – and the lives of so many deserving children and families – each and every day, and we hope by helping decorate the Village we convey the important message of hope that merry and bright days are ahead.

The event runs tonight through Jan. 3, 2021, and is the perfect way for families to celebrate the splendor of the season together, all while benefitting children facing critical illness and their families.