timberskara

Amberville Train Station is home to games and activities for all ages. Outside, JJ's Express takes guests for a ride around the perimeter of the train station. This specially-designed minature train is fully accessible and has the volunteer conductor seated in the second car, allowing for kids to be honorary engineers and sit up front. Inside, the highlight is a large model train set equipped with interactive buttons that control the trains and other special effects. Remote control boats, billiards and the latest video and arcade games are all available on free-play. Families can also check-out fishing poles and head down to the fishing dock, or clubs for a round of mini-golf out back...more on that later! The flags flying to the right of Amberville are representative of the home countries of our international guests and are changed out each week. Currently we have 19 international families on property, hailing from Canada, Ireland, Israel, France and the UK.

It is no surprise that at GKTW Village, the kids get the master bathroom-- complete with a large, roll-in shower and luxurious jetted tub. It even comes stocked with their own collection of personal care products in fun and fragrant scents like Sweet Vanilla Ice Cream and Juicy Strawberry Ice Cream. We never know which detail will be the most memorable for our guests...so as you're probably realizing, we try to think of it all. Believe it or not, a simple bathroom means a lot to the families. I've heard numerous stories of moms "asking permission" from the wish child to use their jetted tub for a bubble bath, a role reversal that you can imagine brings smiles and laughs. Perhaps the most touching story, though, is that of a sixteen year old girl. Upon check-out, we like to ask each family member what their favorite part of the trip was. With so much to choose from, it's often a difficult choice. For a sixteen year old, you might guess that her answer would be experiencing the Harry Potter area at Universal, or feeding the dolphins at SeaWorld. This girl, however, stated rather emotionally that "being able to take a shower by myself for the first time in my life" was her favorite part. Amazing what we all take for granted, right?

Another family favorite are the character visits! Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Nickelodeon Suites and Gaylord Palms partner with GKTW to bring their friends to the Village each week for exclusive character visits with the families. These one-on-one meet and greets allow guests of GKTW to spend time visiting with their favorite characters without waiting in line at the theme parks. It's a great opportunity for autographs, photos and memories. Regular guests include Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Belle, Goofy, SpongeBob, Dora, Curious George, Shrek, Barney, Avatar and more. I wish you could see how much the kids' faces light up when they see that a character has come to the Village especially for them!

"Welcome Home!" is what the families hear upon check-in and when they return from the parks each day. GKTW guests stay in whimsical two-bedroom, two-bathroom villas during their weeklong vacation. These "castles," as the kids call them, have varying architecture and color schemes throughout the 70 acre resort, and each is personalized with the family's name on the bunny sign out front. The buildings are duplex-style so that larger families can share an adjoining villa. GKTW currently has 140 villas and is in the process of fundraising to construct an additional 30. Sadly, the Village surpasses occupancy many months out of the year and off-site accommodations at partnering resorts are utilized when all the villas are full. The off-site families are encouraged to enjoy the meals and entertainment offered at the Village and are moved on property later in their vacation if at all possible. It is GKTW's goal to never have to ask a family to stay off property in the future.

GKTW Village isn't just a special place to sleep and eat, it's an experience in and of itself. Every morning and each evening there is special on-site entertainment catered towards kids. On Saturday and Wednesday mornings our guests are invited to saddle up at Keaton's Korral for horse and pony rides. The Korral features a ramp for boarding at the same height as the horse, so it's easy for kids of all abilites to transfer on. Three or four specially-trained volunteers assist each child while they ride. Afterwards, each child receives a certificate and a cowboy hat to keep the memory alive!

Thanks so much, I'm glad people are enjoying it! If you're ever in the area, we'd love to have you volunteer! And to think I'm not even TRYING to make you cry...yet. FABULOUS idea! Thanks for sharing these with a bigger audience. The more people who can learn about our mission, the more smiles we'll be able to create. Thank you for the positive feedback and kind words; I feel very fortunate to work at GKTW! Besides being a coaster nerd, my background is in the amusement industry. Finding my way to GKTW and getting to combine my experience and love for parks AND support the mission of GKTW is a dream come true. A huge thanks to everyone for allowing me to share more about GKTW with you and please know how grateful I am for all of your efforts thus far!

Thanks for reading and fundraising ! It's wonderful that you work in that area and understand the need. It is truly amazing to see how things like this change the entire atitutde of the child, isn't it? I've also heard from countless siblings how cool it was to finally be able to experience things right alongside their brother/sister. The golf cart is only the beginning...stay tuned.

After arriving at the airport, the families make their way to the Village to check-in. It's GKTW tradition to drive the children to their villa on a golf cart while one of the parents follows in the rental vehicle. This VIP treatment sets the tone that at Give Kids The World, it truly is all about the kids! Something you'll probably hear me say a lot on this virtual tour of sorts is "fully accessible." I tend to point it out over and over again when showcasing our venues because it is truly one of the most important features of our Village. It gives a sense of freedom not only to our wheelchair-bound visitors, but also to their parents who at home are constantly thinking "ok, how are we going to navigate this?" So let me ask you...when is the last time you've seen a fully accessible golf cart? The Star Express has allowed many of our special guests to experience riding in a golf cart for the very first time.

When a family arrives in Orlando, they are welcomed at the airport by one of our volunteer greeters. Traveling for any family can be overwhelming, so you can imagine how tough it is with a child who may be fragile or who requires medical equipment. Orlando is a pretty hectic airport, so our greeters meet the family and escort them to baggage claim and then to their mode of ground transportation. Most GKTW families get the use of a rental vehicle for the week and the kids LOVE being told by our partners at National Car Rental that they can pick ANY car in the lot they want—mustang, minivan, convertible, you name it—in any color. If the parents are not old enough to rent a car or just prefer not to drive, MEARS transportation shuttles them around for the week. GKTW has arrivals and departures each day; today we have 14 families flying in to start the best week of their lives.

What an amazing thread! If I could have one wish, it would be to round all of you up and fly you down to Orlando so that you could see the Village with your own eyes. Instead, I'm going to do the next best thing and attempt to post a photo in here each day to familiarize you with GKTW. Enjoy and keep up the great work . The Village has special entertainment each evening for the families to enjoy. Tonight (and each Wednesday) is my personal favorite, Village Idol. Contestants get up on stage and sing, dance or perform a special talent. We've had parents tell us that their kids would never get up on stage at home, but here they are not the only child in a wheelchair or who is bald or who has scars. It's truly remarkable to see our special little guests come out of their shells!

It is a bit confusing. You can go ahead and put quantity 2 and register you both that way. FirstGiving will then send the person you registered a link to start fundraising, while you would create your own link during the registration process. Each person would need to have their own fundraising page (and each meet the $75 minimum) to participate. A huge thanks to everyone for their interest in this event!

Wow. I am sitting here in awe of the tremendous support Robb, Elissa and all of TPR has shown for Give Kids The World. As a coaster enthusiast and TPR member, I'm proud to see so many of you using our shared passion for roller coasters to rally around this cause. As a GKTW Staff Member, I'm thinking of all of the children's lives you are affecting by raising funds and spreading awareness for our mission. Like Elissa said, let's keep this going through June! A few pointers that seem to help greatly when you're talking to people about making a donation: Top Ranking From Charity Navigator-- Give Kids The World has been awarded a 4-star rating for sound fiscal management for six consecutive years by Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities. Highest Rated Charity in America-- GKTW has been recognized as the highest rated charity in America by personal finance website MainStreet and also reported by MSN Money. Also, many people often wonder the relationship between GKTW and wish-granting organizations (WGOs) like Make-A-Wish. GKTW partners with more than 250 WGOs around the world to help fulfill wishes. The WGOs will verify eligibility and interview the child. If the child's one true wish is to come to Central Florida, then GKTW is contacted. The WGO will cover the family's transportation to Florida and spending money and GKTW is the resort where the families stay. GKTW provides accommodations, meals, entertainment, donated attraction tickets and more. Not surprisingly, when given the opportunity to have a wish granted, more than 50% of children have a Central Florida wish. GKTW serves more than 7,000 families each year. If any of you are in the area and are interested in seeing the Village, I would be thrilled to show you around. Just contact me in advance so that we can schedule a tour, as our facility is not open to the public. Again, my sincere thanks for all of the support. I'm here to answer all of your questions about Coasting For Kids, GKTW and my top ten steel and wooden coasters. Ok, that last one is a whole other discussion !

I wasn't able to make it to the charity day this year, so it's good to get to see all the Shrek awesomeness! Thanks for the GKTW shout-out...the ICE! partnership has raised $65,000 for GKTW to date .

Yay, thanks for posting! Great photos and report-- looks like you guys had a lot of fun. As someone who gets to see the mission of Give Kids The World come to life each day, I can't thank you enough for your support. If you are ever in the Orlando area, I'd love to give your family a tour. Way to go!

Wow, love this thread! Great photos and commentary. Keep it comin'.

Wow, deep topic that certainly caught my eye. Everyone is entitled to their opinion...afterall, it is your body. A few years ago, one of my best friends had a sister who passed away unexpectedly at age 26. The indescribable pain that they experienced as a result of such a sudden loss was lessened when they learned that she had elected to be an organ donor and that, as a result of her choice, three people across three states were living on because of her selfless gift. I now work with kids with life-threatening illnesses, many of whom are waiting on an organ or piece of an organ to live to reach double-digits. I've also met children who have had transplants and, if it weren't for the scars on their chest, you'd never know they were sick. They go on to live long and healthy lives. I'm not religious and I'm not super-sappy. I just feel that if you don't need something anymore...and if it can help someone or multiple people in need, giving it up is the right thing to do. It's not my intent to guilt trip people into changing their mind. These are just a couple of reasons why I am registered to be an organ donor, and I'm interested to hear other people's reasoning for choosing/not choosing to be.

Words can't express the sadness and shock felt by the community in the wake of Jan's death. While I didn't know her personally, I did have a few professional encounters with her and I can tell you that I've never known a more genuine person in the amusement industry. She lead by example and taught her team to go out of their way to accommodate the families and staff that I work with, to ensure they had the time of their lives. It was never a case of just getting their brand out there, tied to a charity...it is and has always been a true effort to make a difference. Her knowledge, experience and character helped shape the mission I uphold everyday. She will be missed.

This is true! I will give just about anyone a 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid... ...as long as they donate at least $50k to GKTW! Sure it may be a slight mark-up, but anything for the kids, right ? Hooray for TPR's support of IAAPA's official charity. Donate now!

I hear booth #4032 is going to be pretty awesome! No, seriously, I think it's cool that you're asking everyone for ideas...but you guys always seem to bring a unique perspective to the show so I simply say, "do what you always do!"

^ Very cool...that's one of the best full-faced prosthetics I've seen! Awesome airbrush job and it fits your face really well. Was the chin a separate piece that you could move? Any TPR members working a CF Halloween Event this year? Here's a couple of my favorite Zombie Kara pics:

The other day I saw that he will be doing a "Lunch & Learn" session at IAAPA. I really enjoyed the episode and would love to hear his feedback from the whole experience, but I don't know if it's worth $39.

While it looks as though they didn't get many people there for the first run, they did generate some media coverage: CBS 3 Meadville Tribune And a biggie--with circulation over 200,000-- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Usually for events like this, the public and the media have a lot more lead time...so the fact that they got what they did is still impressive. Maybe this exposure will help draw in some more people for the weekend!

Steve (gatorchomp83) has pretty much forced me to be a FL football fan. I do, however, secretly love FL football for three reasons: Albert & Alberta Tailgating DILF I'm sure we'll be at a gazillion games this year.

TODAY recently did a piece about where I work-- Give Kids The World, a non-profit resort for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. If you're interested, check it out. The next time you're hitting up the Central FL amusement parks, consider taking some time to pay us a visit. We're not open to the public, so appointments are needed but I'd be happy to show any fellow TPRers around! And, of course, gladly accept any monetary donations or donations off of our Wish List .

Wow, I guess I really hadn't heard any rumblings about a new coaster there so this is definitely a nice surprise! I love MM but don't care so much for Spongebob. I'm looking forward to giving this one a whirl!