We just visited GKTW for My son's wish trip. We stayed October 18-24 2015 and it was amazing. Even though we didn't utilize everything GKTW had to offer I can tell you this.... THEY OFFER SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH TO OFFER!! My son recently went into remission from Rhabomyosarcoma (cancer) but he also has Autism. He was so excited that he could have pizza delivered EVERY NIGHT if he wanted! The villas are spacious and gorgeous. The people who work/volunteer there are so nice and helpful... Did I mention they also have a Cookie Cart that comes to your villa with awesome cookies??? I could spend hours telling you about this wonderful, magical world. Thank you GKTW and everyone who has a part in making these kids smile!
I'm a proud volunteer and I look forward to the time I get to spend at GKTW. The Village is run like a well oiled machine with lots of happy, smiling faces and friendly people. An amazing blessing in the heart of Central Florida!
In 2009 my child had his wish and we stayed here. The kids loved it so much that they skipped several days at the Disney Parks to stay at Give Kids The World Village! We went back to FL in 2013 & are returning again this month. We stay close to GKTW and go back to visit. This place is almost 100% volunteer! I have never seen such a wonderful group of people, companies, corporations and employees band together for a single purpose and make it beyond great! When my Special Needs children are old enough we will be taking family volunteer vacations to go back and pay it forward! No words can accurately describe what an amazing place this is!
My family and I volunteer by our adoption of 2 villas (we clean & landscape multiple times a year plus put up/take down holiday decorations) and I additionally volunteer my social media expertise promoting GKTW Village. We see firsthand how much joy the place brings to families. They share their heartfelt joy every time we meet them and are so impressed with the entire operation. I've not yet met a single soul who has been there who isn't blown away by the generosity of spirit reflected by the volunteers and staff. Every family I've met, likewise, is overwhelmed with acceptance and love.
There's another place in the Orlando area that's considered the "Most Magical Place on Earth." With all due respect to the mouse, I'd have to disagree and proclaim that it's REALLY Give Kids The World Village. While families do enjoy tickets to WDW, SeaWorld, Universal and more, the magic is in the day-to-day stay at The Village where every child is special, and for one week mom and dad can relax for just a bit. They'll deal with their child's life-threatening illness all-too-soon when they're home again. But for just one week they have Give Kids The World Village.
My daughter had a make a wish trip from August 4-10. Her wish was to go to disney, and we were fortunate enough to stay at give kids the world village. When I first heard other families talking about the village, I was skeptical. How could a place you sleep at be better than a theme park? Well let me tell you. Of all the things we did, the activities at gktw are the ones the kids talk about. Not sea world, or seeing the mouse. Rather, swimming like mermaids and a shark. Being able to swim early in the morning, or late at night. Eating ice cream from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm. Riding on jj's express and seeing the original dinosaur from Jurassic park. Then playing mini golf right with the dinosaurs. Having something going on every single evening, Halloween, Christmas, mayor claytons birthday, tea party, and so much more!! The gifts they received every day was something they talk about. Where else does all of your kids get included in stuff like that? The horses they did both days. That was a first for my kids riding horse back. Being able to eat 3 great meals a day for free was unbelievable. For a family of 6, that was extremely helpful. From Italian night to Christmas dinner, each meal was delicious. The volunteers were amazing. We had one guy take time out of his day just to talk to my kids and involve them in his "job". But the great thing about gktw is that this isn't a job. These volunteers want to be there. They all smile and wave at everybody like the families are royalty. The castle, with all the stars in. So very emotional. It makes you stop and thank god for a place like this, somewhere that a sick child can come and live for one week like they are a normal child. The carousel and loris flight , being able to accommodate wheelchairs is amazing. It leaves no child out. Having not one, but two swimming pools. Matthews playground. Who doesn't like to just go at your own place. Fishing right there at the village, and maybe snagging yourself a turtle (everything catch and release of course). A personal tuck in from either the mayor or his wife, pillow fight included. These...these are the memories that my kids talk about.
Our family was fortunate enough to move to kissimmee at the end of July. As it was, they did not want to leave the village. They want to live there forever. As a result of our move, my husband and I have been able to become volunteers at the village. This is something we do not take lightly. We cherish the times that we are able to come and spend time with the other families. We are able to share our experience with them, and answer any questions because after all, we have been in their shoes.
We cannot wait until the day our kids can volunteer right there beside us. Until then, we go once a week as a welcome back family, and trust me, they treat you just like you were there for the first time
Although we had heard of GKTHW we didn't know much about it. Then, our very dear friends were guests and invited us to visit. We were overwhelmed. Such a wonderful, special place for children and their families. Everything there is geared towards helping these special families have fun. To help them forget, even for a few minutes, the illness and/or disease that affects their child. This is truly a worthwhile charity/nonprofit.
As part of my sons make a wish trip with First Things First and Kurt and Brenda Warner, the next best thing to our trip was GKTW. The service was beyond anything we ever could have imagined, this place is a Wonderland of fun for our kiddos who just want to forget about meds, doctors and hospitals and just be for awhile. The people who work and volunteer are the most wonderful people I could ever meet. My son enjoyed every moment he was there and they had a color fan in his room which sent him over the moon and to this day he still talks about his trip. We are truly blessed to have stayed here and we thank everyone for all they do for all the families. I cannot say enough about GKTW. It really is a magical place.
My son and his family stayed there last April. They loved that more than Disney World. My grandson, Blake, has leukemia and he was treated like a king. They opportunities were wonderful. Just staying there would have been enough of a treat. Blake was so happy and temporary forgot about all the chemotherapy and the pain. I can't thank you enough.
My grandson wanted to go on a vacation like other children. His doctor said vacations were a privilege not a right. He can only go to certain countries due to emergency medical attention he may need. Like many other children with life threatening illnesses, travel is not an option. The insurance alone is more than any trip would cost. Give Kids the World allowed my grandson the opportunity to be privileged, and forget about monthly transfusions, week long hospital and missed holidays with family. The attention that they give each and every. Child and family member that walks through the door is truly amazing. Without this facility, none of these families would experience the privilege of leaving their home and experiencing the excitement of travel, and the fulfilling of a dream. Yes, these children are sick, some won't live long,, but Give Kids the world gives these children and their families an opportunity to forget for a week, and meet other children that are also sick. We met so may other families from different countries that we still keep in contact with. GKTW looks after most needs of the sick child and their famies and gives them a truly amazing experience, one that they will never forget. Without GKTW, my grandson would never have experienced all he did, he still talks about that trip and what a life altering experience it was for him. That trip was three years ago and unfortunately one of his friends he met there has since passed away, but each time he talks about him, he says "remember when we were at Give kids the world and...."THANK YOU Give Kids The World for allowing my grandson to be a child.
This is a picture of my kids hanging out by the theater at give kids the world in Florida. We took this trip for my son Justin (wearing the cars shirt) He has had a hard life, lived in and out of hospitals. At the time of this picture he had four open heart surgeries and a pacemaker. Two days before the trip we were in a hospital room wondering if he would make the trip and another very invasive heart surgery looming. We didn't know what our outcome would be or what the future would hold, so we packed up and went to Florida. Although GKTW was not out original destination (he wanted to go to Disney) it became a destination in itself. We ate at a cafeteria shaped like a gingerbread house, ate at a table covered in star mints, looked at hundreds of dolls donated to them. Surrounded by the nicest people who seemed to want nothing more than making them happy. After we went to the castle, to see thousands of stars from other wish kids. Really an overwhelming thought when you look at it. A fairy room, a tree that makes you your own pillow and a merry go round that he rode dozens of times. Ice cream was eaten at a shoppe with giant bananas, and ice cream scoops. They got to eat as much as they wanted and one day they did the famous "ice cream for breakfast" and ate it outside in a giant bowl. Putt putt golf course with cool dinosaurs was a big hit, and it connected to the train station where you guessed it they had train rides...but not only that they had a huge train set. The kids loved it. And they also had boats they got to race around. Each night was different..mayor clatons birthday.. Christmas, complete with santa and gifts. And in the evening before bed they had a wonderful pool and splash zone. One day there was horses to ride...and we will never forget ole Elmer the sleeping tree...so many memories were made there. It was an awesome week where for just a little while the world revolved around our family being together and not around a hospital room
My granddaughter was granted a wish. To Sea World and Disney we went. The whole family stayed at "Give Kids the World", and we visited every day. Not only were the facilities top notch, but the care and services provided were amazing. The volunteers were working hard and glad to be doing it. That was the real story. Everyone working there wanted to be. We are planning a trip to Florida soon,, and plan to spend several days volunteering. They made a wish come true and took care of the whole families needs. Even the two other children and parent. You can see the extra effort put into everything the do.
In 2006 my son was a wish kid and we stayed at GKTW. We went to a different theme park everyday (Disney-Sea World- Animal X Kingdom etc) My second grader couldn't wait to get back to the Village every night - that's how magical it is.
Give Kids The World is an amazing organization and I hope to go back someday to volunteer. They made my daughters Make a Wish trip truly memorable and they certainly deserve all of the recognition they can get!
Our son Christopher has severe autism and epilepsy. Because of it, he is a 20 year old trapped in a 3 or 4 year olds' mind. He loves everything Disney. When he was granted a Dream from our local wish granting organization, there was no question. Disney World is his favorite place. His first unprompted words were spoken there at 13. "Small World". Well, we were excited to visit the parks and had no idea that the best part of our trip would actually be Give Kids The World. Our whole family was treated like royalty. We had no stress about anything. If you have a special needs child, you know that stress is constant. Everything has been taken into consideration to make families have a truly enjoyable week. It has been almost exactly two years since our visit and we talk so often about our trip. Christopher added so much to his speech since our trip. He tries to talk about it to the best of his ability. That is just another gift gained from our amazing trip! I miss the beautiful, peaceful and joyful village every day!
THIS IS THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD FOR CHILDERN. THEY SHOW LOVE PEACE CARING FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS. EVEN THE PARENTS CAN FEEL FREE FOR THEY KNOW THE CHILDREN ARE SO CARE FOR NO MATTER WHAT THE NEEDSARE . I TRULY LOVE THIS PLACE THEY MADE MY GRANDSON ,HIS MOTHER ,SISTER AND BROTHER AND MY SELF(GRANDMOTHER) SO ,SO HAPPY HE WANTS TO COME BACK THERE....THEY WANTED TO STAY THER MORE THAN GOING TO THE DIFFERENT PARKS. I THANK YOU FOR SHOWING SO MUCH HAPPYNESS TO ALL CHILDREN THAT COME THERE.. YOU TREAT THEM ALL THE SAME ..NO ONE SO ILLNESS JUST SMILESE
Our family was at GKTW the first week of September for our son's Make-A-Wish trip. We are so thankful for everyone's kindness and generosity!!!The staff and many voulenteers were wonderful and very helpful. My two boys felt like they were in a dream. They loved the Dino Golf, train, Pool, splash park.... They loved everything there! Our experience was re energizing and our strength is renewed! Thank you GKTW!
There is only one word, that said it all for me and that is HUMBLE!! You cannot go or leave The Village without a heart full of love. God Bless Henry.
We were blessed to stay at Give Kids the World in October 2014. It was a truly wonderful experience ! The sheer happiness of the place rivals that of Disney World itself! There is something there for all children, from toddlers to teens, and of course my husband and I loved it, too! So many smiles from children, families, staff, and the awesome volunteers! My son suffers from two chronic illnesses, but for that week, we were happy and stress-free. We plan to go back to visit sometime, and hopefully to volunteer as well!
I could not say enough great things about this place. Every single employee and volunteer were so friendly, kind, and willing to smile. They would ask us about our day and remember the next time we would see them and they'd follow up with us. My children love this place. In fact, they would have rather spent all our time here than at any of the parks. We hope to be back in a few years as volunteers. Give Kids the World, they truly live up to their name!
Wow, GKTW is amazing! What an outstanding place to have stayed! All I can say is thank you! My 5 year old son had a blast! We are very blessed to have stayed there. We were able to take a break from treatment and it made him feel like he was in a fairytale!
My son chose Give Kids the World village for his Make-A-Wish trip in 2008. Every minute of his trip was magical. It was the happiest week of his life, from the ice cream for breakfast to the pool to the little treats in our villa every day. The village is mostly staffed by volunteers, and it is incredibly well run.
I am returning to Florida in a few months for a business trip, and I have planned it so I can volunteer at Give Kids the World while I'm there.
My brother has been gone 10 years now but my entire family still has the memories from his wish trip to WDW. Our stay at GKTW made our trip so much more enjoyable. We really didn't have much to worry about. Handicap accessible, ice cream anytime, great breakfast, even at 15 I looked forward to all the surprises left for us. My personal favorite is still the carousel. Some of my favorite pictures of my brother from that trip are on that carousel. My hope is to one day be able to return to GKTW as a volunteer.
My daughter had make a wish and we were blessed to have stayed here. The staff and volunteers are angles from God! We never wanted or needed for anything! It has changed our family in more ways than we could ever have imagined. Our spirits have been lifted and we got to live a normal life that week, we talk about it all the time and smile and laugh. The kids want to come and volunteer as soon as possible so that they can help other kids have the same blessing they had! God bless everyone at GKTW for your are truly Gods Angels!!! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
My son Joshua Long got his make a wish last year in August 2014. He has kidney disease, needs a new kidney one day. He went to Walt Disney World, universal/Island Adventure, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, had the most amazing time thank you making my child happy, enjoying life without being in the hospital. God bless this wonderful place. Called Give the kids the World.
Give Kids The World made it so easy to have fun as a special needs family. They spoke to our children first and paid them all the attention. Everyone was nice and always had an answer for our crazy questions. The best place ever. Wish I lived close so I could volunteer there, one day I hope to. I'm sad that our sons illness made it possible to stay there but their accommodations were so great it made the trip so memorable. They are tops in my book- everything about Give Kids The World is amazing!
My son was 10 when he got diagnosed with AML. Leukemia We spent 7 month's in hospital and he was rewarded with a trip for the whole family of 6 to spend 7 days at give kids the world..and what I learned that week was the name is exactly what they do! My son is 21 now and STILL talks about his visit..this place makes dreams come true more so then any theme park ever! Thank you for the experience of a lifetime.
The Lovett family
I went to Give Kids the World for my wish trip back in May of 2005. Honestly that was the best home away from home. The food was fantastic, the staff were amazing, and the themed days were awesome. We went to Disney World for my wish trip and every night when we got back there was always a giant basket of goodies waiting for us. Sadly it was my last vacation with my family ever, but the memories from that trip make my heart whole. If I ever go to Florida again I intend visiting Give Kids the World. Its such a magical place and a positive experience with a positive atmosphere where all the volunteers always have smiles on there faces, the village makes you feel more like a kid and less like a kid thats sick.
I have traveled with a small group from Massachusetts to Give Kids the World for three years in a row to volunteer in memory of our friend who was a guest there. There truly is no place in the world like it. I have met the most incredible people with the most inspiring stories, from other fellow volunteers to these amazing families and of course, the children. It is the greatest privilege to donate my time to this organization.
Give Kids the World strives to put a smile on every child's face, to make everyone feel included and relaxed and cared for, and to ensure that they have a magical and memorable trip. As a volunteer, it is so humbling to be able to serve this mission for such deserving children and families. Even for me, I have made some of my closest friends and fondest memories on my volunteer trips there--and the experience isn't even about me. The way Give Kids the World makes families feel welcomed and loved is unlike any other place, it takes away the pain, stress, and worries they typically feel and replaces those feelings with so much joy, many laughs, and lots of smiles. I have had parents tell me how grateful they are to have volunteers like us, and to have a place like Give Kids the World to put a spark back in their child's eye. But in all reality, we are even more grateful for the opportunity to be there and to be a part of their memories.
I cannot wait to return in the summer of 2016 for our fourth volunteer trip. It's so terribly difficult to leave every time because Give Kids the World creates an environment that is a joy and honor to work in and a magical and memorable place to visit. I only wish that I was closer and could volunteer more often and that more people could know all that Give Kids the World has to offer.
Best place on earth for sick children to have fun! We stayed here for our daughter's Make a Wish trip when she was 3-1/2 and undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia. We were amazed by the amenities and the love shown to everyone there by the amazing volunteers. We will be returning as volunteers ourselves once our daughter is old enough to volunteer. We want to pay it forward and hope that we can make someone else's stay there as magical and memorable as our visit. They really do give kids the world while they are there and all for nothing except a smile and maybe a hug in return. Truly magical!
My family stayed at GKTW back in May and I cannot say enough good things about how truly magical our stay was. My daughter had such an amazing time. She still talks about going back to visit all the time. This charity is such a blessing.
My family and I visited GKTWV December of 2014, for my daughters dream come true trip. GKTWV was so great to us, we loved everything about our stay. The staff made us feel so special we talk about how wonderful everything was quite frequently
It's been 4 years since our visit and not a day goes by that I don't think about GKTW and the utter joy they brought to my daughters face. What an absolutely remarkable place this is! I get emotional every time I think of all the selfless volunteers and their mission to make this world a better place. I'm eternally grateful to GKTW, thank you for letting my family forget about cancer if only for a week it was the best! Emma is now 9 and we can't wait to come down and give back to GKTW!!!!
We visited GKTW in July 2015 for my granddaughter, Emma's, Make a Wish trip to the Orlando area. For us this was a celebration trip to mark the end of her treatment for ALL. We already felt blessed because Emma has remained in remission throughout her two year battle with her leukemia. Our visit to GKTW made us feel so special & cared for & I'm ashamed to say that I had never heard of this amazing place before our trip. GKTW gave us lasting memories & a desire to give back to others. We look forward to returning to a place that now feels like home & helping others feel the same magic that we did. I love this place & all the people who make it available to families like ours. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.....
My family was so blessed by the week we spent at Give Kids The World village. There are not enough words to thank the oodles of volunteers that assisted us with "everything" during our stay. And the love shared with new friends and families visiting at the same time is a lifelong gift. Thank you for all you do for families like ours. We never could have given our "wish" child and her brothers the gift you gave us. Blessings to all. And Thank You for your life and vision Henri Landwirth. You earned a special place in Heaven for sure.
I found out about Give Kids The World through one of my friends from high school and it changed my life. I went by myself so it really gave me the chance to connect with other volunteers and also the kids and the parents. There are so many activities for the kids to do and the parents are just happy to see their kids happy and laughing and smiling. The best memory I have with my first visit was when a little girl made a drawing and gave it to me because she liked how I sat down with her and talked to her while she drew. This place gives kids fighting for their life a sense of normalcy but it also encourages them to fight. This place shows them what they have to fight for and let's them know it's not just their family and friends that has their back. It's everyone.
We love Give kids the World! We recently went in February. The staff is very friendly and always have a smile on their face. This place go above and beyond for ALL the kids there. From Mayor Claytons Birthday party, ice cream served all day long, a special star for each wish kid/special needs child, horse back riding for all kids, heated swimming pool that is handicap accessible, the arcade room, to trick or treating. They have special "fairies" that come clean and leave special gifts for the kids. They go out of there way to make every kid happy and forget about the crazy medical issues they have even if it's just for a little while. I'm so glad we got the opportunity to stay here. If I could I would move down there just so I could be a volunteer and see all the amazing kids that come in and to put smiles on kids faces. Give kids the world is a great place and think more people need to know about them!
My daughter Meghan has spina bifida and other things that came along with it. She was granted a wish from make a wish Michigan. Our whole family was lucky enough tonto with her to Give Kids the World. It was absolutly amazing!!! The à ngels ara truely à ngels. The villas and other famÃlies are wonderful. Everything from the dino putt to the playgrpund ara handicap accessible. That means so much. To bé able to go and just enjoy fishing or the marry go round for número us times was unbelievalby great. All of the kids looked forward to going and they still talk about it being the best vacation years later. It amazes me when the kids ara talking about It and the little things that' thwy remember that are really big things to them.It was a great week of rest and rejuvination not only for Meghan but for the whole family to have a break from the everyday appointnents was so nice. I will bé forever greatfull for the generousety that mare It possible for us to go
Give kids the world is a great place. There are no words to describe the welcoming feeling we felt there. Everyone always had a smile on their face and a helping hand in what eber it was we where doing. My kids loved the gift fairy. It made our trip great.
Our daughter has a rare genetic disorder and was granted a Disney wish through Make-A-Wish Foundation. While we were so excited for the entire family to have a Disney experience like no other, we were completely taken off guard with the magic of Give Kids The World. From the daily special events, ice cream for breakfast, daily gifts left on our kitchen table, AMAZING pool and spray pad... we ended up staying at the village for a full day instead of exploring one of the theme parks. Our family had the best vacation. When it was time to check out, we were all in tears. No one wanted to leave. To this day, the kids reminisce more on the time spent at the village than any of the theme parks we visited. They still remember Mayor Clayton and Miss Merry tucking them into bed at night. And we won't forget the time when a volunteer opened the carousel for out daughter to take a few last spins before we headed home. Do you know they have volunteers that use their own vacation time off of work to spend time at the village to work? Every morning we went to the ice cream palace and a volunteer would dish the most amazing ice cream concoctions for all the kids. Oh, and the horse volunteers who bring their horses every Wednesday for horseback riding. That was the first time our daughter was not afraid to get on a horse and the look on her face was priceless! Our family has been fortunate to benefit from several non-profits and Give Kids The World is on the top of our list. They are simply the best!
After volunteering 10 years for this truly one of a kind place, there is nothing like the magic here. The most common wish in the world is to visit Orlando. Give Kids the World is a village that makes these wishes come true. I've seen pure joy here.
GKTW is AMAZING!! We went in May 2013 & absolutely LOVED it. We went to Disney World during the day & went to GKTW early enough to enjoy all the activities they had every night of the week!!! It is amazing for children with life threatening diseases because it gives them their dreams come true!!! We didn't want to leave!!! Our children still talk about it to this day. It is an experience they won't ever forget!!
GKTW....the most beautiful place in the world to children with life threatening ilnesses and their families. Oyr entire family went in Oct. 2012, and Lige will never, ever forget that wonderful, magical place oe the Angels that work there. What beautiful hearts these people have, we are so thankful that we were able to experience the love that they have for these children.
Smiles. It's about the joyful smiles. I don't know the story that each Wish Kid could tell, if asked. What I do know is that when I give a little encouragement, a smile, a friendly voice, what I get back is...priceless ! For some Wish Kids, it's harder to open up, but once they do - it's all worth it. For a short time, kids get to be kids; parents and siblings get to relax; they're allowed to forget some of their normal worries, and have some fun. It seems we don't get over to the Give Kids The World Village to volunteer often enough, but when we do, I feel lucky to have helped spread smiles. Whether it's Ice Cream for Breakfast or a few rides on the carousel, the GKTW Village is a place, and a team, that wants to make a difference for every Wish Kid and their family. I wish I had learned of the Give Kids The World Village sooner.
where to begin...our family visited GKTW in 2002. from the moment we stepped off of the plane, til the moment we pulled away from the GKTW village, crying, it was perfectly amazing!! absolutely everyone we encountered was delightful, helpful, encouraging, and just plain fun. yes, we were treated like royalty, just like all of the families and made to feel so special. from ice cream in the morning, snowing at christmas and seeing santa, the merry-go-round, the special star and pillow, the restaurant, the theater...it was just stunning! so much fun and relaxation! our daughter, now 23, still speaks of mayor clayton coming to wish her a good night and tuck her into bed with a tickle fest!! we get to see one of her rare smiles and hear her laughter at that memory. i would volunteer at GKTW in a heartbeat, if only we lived closer. it is a magical place that helps families focus on the now and the positive for a little while and gives them glorious memories to hold on to when they return home. henri landwirth, the creator of GKTW, is an angel sent from above for our children. thank you does not begin to measure how we feel, but it is heartfelt!!
There are no words and not enough space to describe how GREAT Give Kids The World is. Here are a few, PERFECT, EXCEPTIONAL, LIFE CHANGING, EXCELLENT, MAGICAL just to name a few. Give Kids The World truly gives kids the world. An opportunity of a life time for a special needs child to be a different kind of special. Although there are many other families there at the same time you are, you feel like you are the only ones, like royalty! EVERYONE goes out of their way to make families comfortable, feel welcome and for a time, not to worry about a thing. It's so much more then a trip for a child. It really is a miracle in my opinion.
I volunteered with GKTW back in 94-95 when I was an undergrad working on the WDW co-op program. It's still to this day the most gratifying and memorable volunteer work I've had the privilege to be a part of. The Village and staff were wonderful, and seeing first hand what GKTW did for the guests who came - not just the kids who were ill but their siblings and parents - hard to measure that kind of magic. Keep on truckin' and God Bless GKTW
We were blessed with a trip to GKTW when my daughter received her wish trip to go to Disneyworld. GKTW is a magical place filled with amazing memories
Our family of 5 plus grammie and grandad were blessed to stay here for my son's Wish trip to Disney. How can I say it...this place is amazing. I almost have no words to describe how overwhelmed (in a good way)we felt during our time here. We were made to feel like we were royalty as soon as we arrived until we left 7 days later.
"Icecream for Breakfast" was one of the things my kids LOVED, as well as the food carts that drove around outside by the cottages where they could choose a cookie or muffin or bagel... all the food was wonderful.
Around every corner there was something new and exciting to find or explore.
Every night there were gifts left on the beds to discover and play with.
The staff and volunteers went out of their way to make our trip a beautiful experience none of us would ever forget. And we never will.
Thank you GKTW!
My daughter Alexandria was a "wish kid", we stayed at the magical give kids the world, while she was on her wish to have a wonderful family vacation. Boy was it wonderful. someone met us at the airport with a sign that said her name, they helped us with navigating the airport, to car rental agency and then had us follow them to GKTW village. The village was clean, full of different daily activites for the kids and famlies, they had free video cam usage, and even took the tapes and transfered them to dvd for us. Alex is now in college, president of wish makers on campus, and has gone through the back ground check a few years ago so she could volunteer when she goes on spring break. just a way to give back she said. the wonderful thing about gktw village is even tho your going through something so horrible, while you are there you will forget about doctors and hospitals, pokes, and blood draws. your family will experiance wonderful love, understanding, help to have wonderful memeories. hugs to all the village volenteers.
Hi my daughter tanesha was a wish child in may and spent 7 days at gktw its the most magical place on earth she loved riding the lion on the carrousel everyday and ice cream for breakfast she met lots of characters including her favourite woody n buzz I can never thankyou enough for giving her this opportunity and we hope to see you in the future when we come bck to see her star and would love to volunteer there x
My daughter was a "Wish Kid" in 1999, when she was 6 years old. Our family of nine (9 !) had a magical experience which was quite literally "life changing". Through the years, we support GKTW events when we can, and were HONORED to volunteer last summer.
To see our sick little girl, now a 21 year old college student, sharing the magic and joy she felt herself as a child, with other families was beyond "awe inspiring".
We hope to be able to travel back to FL (we live in PA) soon and volunteer again.
EVERY family we spoke to while volunteering was happy, hopeful, and joyful. When they learned my daughter was "an alum", they often broke down crying. It is SO HARD to live with the reality that your child may not become an adult. Seeing our Christine working as a volunteer and sharing her love for GKTW still... after so many years and so much "medicine", gave many of them hope for the future of their own families.
We are so, SO, grateful to GKTW for the opportunity to share our time, treasure, talent, and wisdom. xoxo
This is a magical, spiritual, place.
Keep On Dancing*
Our family of 5 was blessed with the opportunity to spend a week at GKTW in December of 2013. Our youngest son who is now 10 is currently an 18 month cancer survivor! He started fighting the battle against Burketts Lymphoma in December of 2012, just two short months after loosing his grandmother to small cell lung cancer. So for over two years our family has been fighting one form of cancer after another. This trip that was granted to us by Make A Wish Oklahoma came at just the right time. The week we stayed at Give kids the world was the most anazing memory filled time of our lives!! It was an awesome adventure that we would have never been able to have in our life without GKTW!!!
This place was amazing! All the staff where fantastic, and it helped our family have a week that was carefree. It let us bond after all the traumatic events that we had been through. Such a magical place couldn't have been happier!
Our Family got a chance to got to GKTW in June 2014 after we found out our youngest age 7 was Diagnosed with Ganglionueroblastoma in Oct,2013. It was so much fun Meeting Mayor Clayton and Mickey Mouse and everyone.There was always so many activity's everyday at GKTW. We could stay there all day if we wanted to but our children wanted to go to Disney world,Sea World and Gator land.We never had to worry about anything just having fun and not thinking about our son's cancer and scan's & testing we was gonna have to face when we got home. We also went to the beach which was so much fun.We would totally go back to visit and volunteer. WE LOVE GIVE KIDS THE WORLD VILLAGE. if we had one wish to do as a family it would go back to GKTW.
THE EHRGOTT FAMILY
We just came home from our stay at Give Kids the World Village, which was to fulfill our daughter's wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They are a phenomenal organization that is excellent at caring for the families they serve. They have anticipated the needs of almost everyone and anyone who could be there and have the systems and processes in place to keep everything running without a hitch. We were always treated with such care and kindness, and everyone is focused on creating the most positive environment possible.
We went to this wonderful place in August 2012 when my son was fighting Ganglionueroblastoma. From the warm welcome at the airport to all the hugs goodbye on our final day it was so much more than we expected! My boys would have much rather spent all of their time there than going to all the theme parks. Every last thing was thought of from the little gifts every night to the tuck in by the Mayor. The even video recorded the meeting my mom had with her long lost brother that she hadnt seen in over 30 yrs. We would definately go back to visit or volunteer.
Went here for my daughter's wish trip to Disney. Give Kids the World is AMAZING from the time you check in until you drive out the gate you are pampered. They provided our meals from the bay volunteers with smiles and would carry our trays to the table even. Every night a gift was waiting in our home (because it really felt like home for that week ) for my girls this had them so excited every night. So many fun activities for us to do and see at the resort you really didn't have to leave. Everyone there really made this a Wish come true for our daughter. This place is better than any 5 star resort. And the volunteer are the best!
Our family had the honor of visiting GKTW in 2003 when our youngest was in treatment for leukemia at age 5. It is difficult to find words adequate to describe the experience. It was truly magical, a pure slice of heaven to stay at the village and visit area attractions such as Disneyworld after the months of dealing with doctors, hospitals, drugs, lab tests, etc. Our entire family was treated like royalty because GKTW knows that when one child in the family has a life threatening illness, all family members are profoundly affected. The volunteers and staff at GKTW were never less than fantastic without exception. Some of my daughter's favorite memories include ice cream for breakfast in the Ice Cream Palace, talking trash cans, model trains, the Gingerbread House, putting her star in the Castle of Miracles, and the beautiful swimming pool. I could go on and on and on. This is without a doubt the most incredible place for children anywhere on the planet. My only regret is that we have not been able to travel back to GKTW yet to volunteer and give a little back, but someday we are determined to make it.
We were blessed with the opportunity to stay at Give Kids the World in 2011 when my daughter's wish was granted. We were humbled by the wonderful experience. Every day was magical and there was always a smile on everyone's face, from ours to the volunteers who we met each day. Every event planned is designed so that all children can take part to the fullest extent possible despite their disability or illness. For one week, we were able to be treated and behave as though we were just a normal family, away from hospitals, tests, treatments, and therapies. The accommodations were comfortable and welcoming. Every detail is planned by a caring and dedicated team of staff and volunteers whose mission is inspire hope through happiness.
We had the privilege of staying at Give Kids the World when our daughter's wish was granted in May of this year! What an amazing week for our family! Every worry, every weight lifted. They think of everything. The volunteers are genuinely caring and happy to be there! Everyone was so friendly and helpful! The villas are beautiful and really make you feel at home. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the ice cream palace. Our children had ice cream for breakfast everyday! They really loved that!! We are so thankful the time we had to spend at Give Kids the World!
I was fortunate to accompany my grandson and family to GKTW in August. To say that the experience was made magical through the efforts of this organization, with every detail addressed and all conceivable attention focused on the comfort and enjoyment of the guests is deserved acclaim, and gratefully appreciated, but, beyond that, I was awed by the feeling that the staff and volunteers were thrilled with the opportunity to serve, and that they all shared the warm feeling one gets when they see joy in the eyes of a child....or grandchild. Thank you for granting Liam's wish!
