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

Last month, Orlando Decoded was able to give you a special sneak peek of the upcoming Night Of A Million Lights at Give Kids The World Village. At the time, the light displays were only partially completed, but it was already shaping up to be an amazing event!

With an official opening date of Friday, November 13, Give Kids The World (GKTW) recently invited several media outlets to return to the Village to experience the fully realized offerings of this special opportunity! 

Spoiler Alert: You won’t want to miss the magic and beauty of this unique event! 

In case you didn’t read my preview article, here’s a bit of information about the Give Kids The World and Night Of A Million Lights: 

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 this all-new event: Night Of A Million Lights!

What is Night Of A Million Lights? 

Night Of A Million Lights is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enjoy the magic of the Village with your friends and family. Due to the nature of their mission and clients, Give Kids The World does not normally welcome the general public beyond its gates. This event marks the first time that any paying guest can explore the many venues and attractions of this incredible resort.  

The main features of this event, of course, are the literally millions of lights strewn across all of the whimsical attractions and colorful buildings throughout the Village. However, your ticket includes much more than just the beautiful light displays. During your magical evening, you will also have access to: 

• Socially-distanced character meet and greets, including pictures with Santa Claus! 
• Complimentary hot cocoa and ice cream
• Unlimited rides on three Village attractions 
• Holiday movie exhibit by Planet Hollywood
• A classic game of Whac-A-Mole

While we discussed many of these offerings in our previous article about Night Of A Million Lights, there were definitely a few surprises at last night’s preview. Let’s take a look! 

More Than A Million Lights 

As the name of the event implies, The Village is absolutely covered in beautiful lights and captivating displays. The buildings along the Avenue of Angels (the main attraction area of the Village) are intricately decorated to reflect their inherently playful and fun designs. 

But while the Avenue buildings are gorgeous, they aren’t the only decorated venues at the Village. When operational, Wish Families stay in duplex-style “houses” throughout the property, meaning that there are dozens of stand alone structures just begging to be decorated. To accomplish this, 45 generous sponsors have “adopted” these villas and created their own unique lighting designs. Each is specially crafted to reflect the character and individual brand of the sponsor. The result is over a mile of incredibly detailed displays to enjoy and explore. 

The above pictures are just the beginning of the amazing arrangements these sponsors have created.  You won’t want to miss such an expansive collection of detailed designs!

​Besides the Avenue buildings and guest villas, there are three other light-based attractions to enjoy at Night Of A Million Lights:

150 Foot Light Tunnel  

Adorned with multi-colored lights, this light tunnel is a great picture opportunity! 

Tree Trail 

​Stroll along this festive tree trail and enjoy each unique creation. Intricately decorated, there are so many details to discover!  

Universal Orlando Resort’s Dino Holiday

During normal operation, Marc’s DinoPutt offers seven holes of miniature golf for Wish Families staying at the Village. Given the current pandemic, however, Give Kids The World is unable to offer this attraction in its intended format. Instead, Universal Orlando has transformed the course into a walk through dinosaur adventure – especially for this event! 

Planet Hollywood Exhibit

As a tribute to classic Christmas movies, Planet Hollywood has donated several props and costumes for display. Featured films include Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Miracle on 34th Street, and my personal favorite – Jingle All The Way. 

Unlimited Rides

During Night Of A Million Lights, three of the Village’s magical attractions will be open for unlimited rides. 

The Enchanted Carousel

​Underneath a colorful mushroom, guests can board a traditional carousel with some intriguing creatures – like reindeer and unicorns.  

Lori’s Magical Flight

In this adorable ride, guests board airplane-like cars for “spin” in the air! If you want to fly high, you’ll have to (literally) pedal for it as guests are in complete control of their vehicle’s vertical reach! ​

Kelly’s Sunny Swing

A traditional swing ride that’s fun for everyone! ​

Whac-A-Mole

After enjoying a ride on some of the Village’s beloved attractions, try your hand at a classic carnival game: Whac-A-Mole! 

Garden With Village Visitors

Inside this extraordinary garden, you’ll find more beautiful lights and special Village friends! You might even get to take a picture with Village’s famous bunny mascot, Mayor Clayton. 

How To Get Your Tickets

To buy tickets for this one-of-a-kind event, visit Night Of A Million Lights’ website. The event is available every evening 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. 

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. 

Important Things To Know

• To fully experience this event, you’ll need to walk – A LOT. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes. 
• Face masks are required. 
• Ice cream and hot cocoa is complimentary, but there will be additional refreshments for purchase. 
• You can remove your mask while enjoying refreshments in the designated area (next to the pool).
• Most of the event “staff” are actually volunteers. Because of this, they won’t always know the answers to your questions. If you need to know something, look for an employee wearing a polo shirt and white name tag (not a lanyard). 

​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!