Previewing Night of a Million Lights at Give Kids The World

I know we’re still deep in Halloween celebrations, but the holidays are just around the corner! While I’m sure there will be plenty of socially-distanced, yuletide fun this year, you don’t want to miss Give Kids’ The World’s (GKTW) Night of a Million Lights! For the first time ever, families, friends, and the community are invited to enjoy GKTW’s attractions, refreshments, character greetings, and whimsical fun!

Give Kids The World’s Night Of A Million Lights Opens November 13

Last night, Orlando Decoded was invited to attend a special sneak peek of the Night of a Million Lights, and it is going to be a blast! Join us as we explore this upcoming, festive event!

What is Give Kids The World? 

From the website:
Give Kids The World is an 89-acre nonprofit resort offering weeklong, cost-free vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families.

GKTW works with wish-granting organizations, like Make-A-Wish, to fulfill the dreams of these special children. The Village (another name for GKTW) provides attraction tickets, meals, entertainment, and even transportation to Orlando’s various theme parks. Due to COVID-19, no Wish Families are able to enjoy the resort at this time. While we hope they are able to open their gates soon, GKTW is making the best of this unprecedented situation with an all new event called Night of a Million Lights!

What is the Night of a Million Lights? 

Night of a Million Lights offers friends and families the opportunity to celebrate the holiday season while giving back to those in need. Due to the nature of the organization’s mission, individuals aren’t normally welcomed onto the property unless they are a staff member, volunteer, or Wish Family staying at the resort. However, this event offers the unique opportunity to enjoy the Village’s many attractions, delicious ice cream, and adorable characters. This kind of opportunity is ONLY available because of the COVID-19 closure, so if you’ve ever been interested in seeing the Village for yourself – now is the time!

Let’s take a look at all of the excitement included with your admission ticket! 

Lights!

Give Kids The World wasn’t exaggerating when they named this event. Disney has donated THREE MILLION LIGHTS for the festivities! Only about a third are currently in place, and the Village already looks amazing! I can’t wait to see the finished product.

The main area of GKTW, containing the attractions and food venues, is referred to as “The Avenue.” Many of the buildings in this area are already beautifully decorated with THOUSANDS of lights, including a technically advanced “Pixel Pine” tree in front of Henri’s Starlight Scoops (the ice cream parlor).

Other buildings along The Avenue feature their own unique lighting design, often crafted to highlight the structures’ inherently whimsical features.

While The Avenue is the central focus of the Village, the property is also filled with duplex-style guest villas. “Will these buildings be decorated,” you ask? Oh yes, they will! Individual sponsors will  decorate 45 villas in their own special styles, resulting in some incredibly unique and magical scenes!

These displays are already gorgeous, but there’s much more to come! Remember that only 1/3 of the lights are currently in place. GKTW has said that the event will also include wireframe scenes, a gingerbread arch, and many more beautiful, glittering lights!

While I’m sure you’re already pumped to plan your night at Give Kids The World, that’s not all this event has to offer!

Entertainment! 

Throughout the event, you can find socially-distanced meet and greets with cuddly Village characters. Of course, no visit to Give Kids The World is complete without a picture with Mayor Clayton himself! ​

Guests will also have the opportunity to take distanced selfies with Santa Claus! There will be a letter writing station where kids can compose and drop off their letters to Santa since they won’t be able to directly sit on his lap.

Rides!  

Guests will also be able to enjoy unlimited access to three of the Village’s wheelchair accessible  rides.  Selections include the Enchanted Carousel, Lori’s Magical Flight, and Kelly’s Sunny Swings. Additionally, Guests can experience the Village’s model train set and the Castle of Miracles.

Treats! 

Tickets to Night of a Million Lights include complimentary ice cream and hot cocoa. Additional refreshments will be available for purchase. ​

Merchandise! 

Speaking of “available for purchase,” there will be some gift-shop type items for sale at the event, such as holiday ornaments and special holographic glasses! These glasses are adorned with different holiday symbols, such as snow men, Santa Claus, and candy canes. When you put them on, each of the lightbulbs within your view magically change to the shape represented on your frames! I chose snow men, and they were so cute!

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how well this effect would really work; but it looked great! Even my camera was able to capture some of the magic!

Tickets! 

To buy tickets for this one-of-a-kind event, visit Night of a Million Lights’ website. The event is available every night from November 13 – January 3. Pricing will vary depending on your preferred date:

• Standard Night: $25/Adult, $15/Child (3-17)
• Peak Night:  $35/Adult; $18/Child (3-17)
• Holiday Night: $40/Adult, $20/Child (3-17)

While the event runs from 5pm-10pm, tickets are sold in two-hour increments to encourage social distancing. You can buy a ticket for 5-7pm, 6-8pm, 7-9pm, or 8-10pm. If you want to add holographic glasses to your ticket, you can do so for $3.

As a nonprofit organization, Give Kids The World needs volunteers to make its special programs and events a reality. If you’d like volunteer for Night of a Million Light, contact volunteer@gktw.org.

The holidays are a special season for family, friends, and giving back to our communities. Night of a Million Lights provides a unique opportunity to enjoy this incredible resort, bond with your loved ones, and give back all at the same time. You truly don’t want to miss this event. Buy your ticket today to reserve your date!