Wandering the World 3/27/07

More Year of a Million Dreams Winners

On our first day at WDW, we were waiting for the turnstiles to open when a Cast Member passed me a note. It read, "Would your family like to help Mickey open the park?" We were then taken to Toontown where we were greeted by Mickey Mouse and a dozen of his "friends." After getting pictures and autographs, we boarded a train with Mickey, which took us to the front gate. Once at the front gate the countdown began, when we hit 1 we threw pixie dust in the air and opened the park. Mickey then stayed for some more pictures with us and gave us a certificate to commemorate our Magical Moment. It was an unforgettable way to start our family vacation. — Kevin, Paula, Megan (7), and Nolan (5)
When checking in at the Studios' Mama Melrose restaurant my 9-year-old daughter was given a Magical Moment. She was made Chef of the Day. After we finished our entrees the Chef came out to talk with her and gave her a Chef's hat, a certificate making her Chef of the Day and a "special" dessert (ice cream and various fixings so that she could make her own sundae). — Michele T.
My husband and I and our twin 8-year-old boys just returned from my sons' first trip EVER to WDW. At the Studios we arrived 15 minutes early to the Indiana Jones Show, only to find no seats left. While we frantically looked around, a cast member came up and said, "I think I have room for four down front," he took us to the front "reserved" row of the show and my boys got to meet the German stunt actor afterwards, they were thrilled. — Renee Harrison
My plane touched down around 7:20 a.m. and I was off to catch the Magical Express transfer. As I was being checked in, the gal asked me to wait a few minutes while they got all my paperwork together. Next thing I knew not only was my luggage in tow, but there were five cast members and a manager behind me, too. Once outside, the cast member stops and tosses gold pixie dust in the air and smiles from ear to ear. He tells me, "It's a Year of a Million Dreams and we have one for you! You will be traveling in style!" He then points to a white stretch limo parked just to my left. No way, not me! This kinda thing doesn’t ever happen to me… REALLY? Stunned disbelief set in as they all walked me towards this very big car for just little ol' me. I hugged them and thanked them and thanked them some more. — Beci Mahnken
We were walking to the boat launch from the Beach Club Villas and two cast members stopped my girls and asked if they could help them chase down a pirate out on the lake. They gave my two girls pirate hats and swords and put our family of four on a private pontoon boat in search of the pirate. We went all over Crescent Lake before we spotted the pirate. (A cast member dressed up in full pirate gear riding a mouseboat complete with a large pirate flag attached to the back!) We chased the pirate back into the marina where they took off running. We then discovered the pirate had left two treasure boxes full of jewelry and coins, which the girls got to keep along with their hats and swords! After some pictures with the large abandoned pirate flag the Cast Members then gave my family a ride in the pontoon boat to the Studios and gave both my girls a turn at the wheel! Their certificates named them as Pirate Chasers. — Shannon Thompson