Give Kids The World Village Tour

A Recap of Our Give Kids The World Village Tour

By: Jennifer Romano & Ryan Mondics

Here at Disney Pins Blog, we have the opportunity to visit many spectacular lands at Walt Disney World, but recently, we ventured to another magical place, the Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. We arrived for a tour of the facilities as a way to understand where our donations are going and who they are helping. We were blown away by the entire operation, and we know that our donations are helping to make a difference in children's lives.

When we arrived at the village, we met our guide at the House of Hearts, which is essentially a hotel lobby that is staffed 24 hours a day just in case the families need anything during their stay at the village. After leaving this area, we ventured into a fanciful world that delights both children and adults. Even though many of the children at the village are suffering from some serious illnesses, they have an opportunity to have fun and just be like any other child while they are visiting. Every area and attraction in the village is accessible for any level of mobility.

One of the first areas that we toured was an enormous room filled with trains as well as an entire city through which the trains travel. Each area has a story, and every attraction is somehow linked with a guest who visited the village at some point in its history. In addition to the trains, we saw a lagoon with remote controlled boats, a mini golf course with surprise dinosaurs as well as a theater. All of these areas are open for the guests to use at their leisure when they are not exploring the theme parks in Orlando. There is even an ice cream parlor where children can eat ice cream at any time of day. They are able to accommodate any type of dietary need that may arise.

We learned that Disney, Universal, Seaworld, and Legoland all provide Give Kids The World with tickets for their guests. This is an amazing partnership, and all of the families are able to enjoy as many parks as they want during their stay at the village. One area in particular that really overwhelmed us was the castle, where Stellar hangs all of the stars that represent the children that have stayed at the Give Kids The World Village. Just the sheer number of stars is amazing, and we were proud to know that we had some small part in helping those children too!

During our tour, we were able to see the new Town Hall that will be opening soon, and this will provide some much needed space for dining as well as other activities that sometimes get rained out with our Florida showers. Just around the corner from the Town Hall is a beautiful pool area where children of any mobility level can enjoy themselves. There is also an area where the children can enjoy horse back riding with certified therapy horses!

Overall, our visit to the village was magical, and I know that we are doing a small part to help these children enjoy themselves on a much needed vacation. If you ever get the chance, take some time and volunteer at the village. I guarantee that it will brighten your outlook on life. Please keep an eye on our pin raffles where one hundred percent of the money raised goes directly to the Give Kids The World Village. Help us bring the magic to these very deserving children!

-Disney Pins Blog