Give a Day, Get a Disney Day

3-9-10 Update!  Disney will stop this program once they hit 1 million tickets given out!  We were told that they are VERY close to that so if you want your FREE ticket, better get on the website and schedule your day TODAY!

I wanted to share our volunteer day that we are doing as a family to get a day tickets to DisneyWorld.  Disney's new promotion this year is super idea and whoever came up with it at the Disney big wigs are genius!  They are getting closer to ONE MILLION volunteers already! It is 3 simple steps and all the details can be found here:    Give-A-Day-Get-A-Disney-Day    ***You must pre-register and sign up through this site to volunteer and complete your service at an eligible volunteer opportunity in the fifty United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or Canada to receive a ticket after verification of such service. Ticket quantities for this program are limited. You must be at least 18 to sign up. You may only sign up a maximum of 8 members of your household. Children must be at least 6 to participate in the program. One ticket per person, regardless of the number of times you volunteer. Program begins January 1, 2010 and continues until tickets are distributed or until December 15, 2010, whichever occurs first. Your voucher for a free ticket must be redeemed by December 15, 2010, and used on the same day of redemption.***

THE PROCESS
Step One :  Search and Sign up
You enter your zip code and then a list of local organizations thru Hand Ons Network come up with selected volunteer options.  You can pick from cleaning up, clothes sorting, serving lunch, donate bed sheets, blood drives to collecting pop can tabs!  If you are wanting a ticket for a child, watch the age limit on the selections.  Then you select the option and follow the details.  We emailed the organization and they got back to us within 24 hours.  I picked a date and time to drop off the kits and emailed her back. Then I finished the sign in process on the website and added our volunteer date and time.  You will have to create an account name and password on the website.
We selected to do donation of items to create Kitchen Kits for families that need basic kitchen needs.  To get four tickets, we had to make 5 kits.  Now these kits cost us $120 total for new items but we could have also collected used items.  Working for a restaurant wholesale co, I got the advantage on this.  Tickets for our family of four to go to Disney for one day = $324.84  so we are saving $200!  WOW!

Step Two : Volunteer
We are going on a Saturday to the warehouse in Atlanta to drop off our 5 Kits and tour the warehouse and see what they do there to help the community.  We will bring the girls so they understand why they need these things and how they help our community.  After our drop off date, the organization notifies Disney that we have completed our volunteer day.  Please allow up to 2 weeks for email verification for your activity from Disney.

Step Three :  Redeem and Celebrate!
Once the organization confirms that you did indeed volunteer your time then Disney emails you a voucher for a DisneyWorld or DisneyLand One Day One Park ticket for each member of your family.  To redeem your ticket at a Walt Disney World® or Disneyland® theme park, you must bring a valid photo ID along with your voucher. Valid ID is one of the following: valid Government Issued Passport, valid Driver's License including a photo, or valid Government Issued Photo ID. For children under 18 who do not have any of the previous listed IDs, a copy of a Birth Certificate is acceptable. School IDs or children security IDs are not deemed Government Issued Photo IDs and will not be accepted. Please note: the Guest whose name is on the voucher must be present at the time of ticket redemption (for example, parents cannot redeem tickets for their children in their absence.)  Remember the ticket can only be used for that day! 

So sign up today and volunteer!  Even if you do not have plans to go to Disney this year, you can donate your ticket to the Boys and Girls Club of America so that some child can go to the most magical place on Earth!  Volunteering is also so rewarding and so good for your heart!  It can lift your spirits!

We will be using our tickets on our September trip to Disney/Vero Beach this year!  Can not wait!  Just have to decide which park to visit for that trip.  My BIL and SIL did the Disney for a Day program too!  They did the bed sheets donation and they will be using their tickets for my nephews' FIRST DisneyWorld visit soon!  I hope they have a great time!  :)

Have a magical day!
Cindy