10 Things Not to Miss at “Night of a Million Lights”, the Give Kids the World Village Holiday Walk-Through Spectacular

Hi everyone!

Night of a Million Lights is the spectacular THREE MILLION light walk-through at Give Kids the World in Kissimmee that runs from November 13th, 2020 until January 3rd, 2021. Walt Disney World donated the bulk of the lights and many other companies have added their own creativity to support it. I wanted to give some tips on what to see while attending – this ticketed event has a lot to offer! It is a fundraiser for Give Kids the World Village, which provides cost-free, week-long vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families.

We will have an additional article with a lot more photos this weekend, I have 1200 or so choose from!

Here are 10 things not to miss at Night of a Million Lights! First up, our 23 minute video of the event.

1 – 47 Decorated Villas – Similar to Residential Street at the Osborne Lights in Disney’s Hollywood Studios so many years ago, guests at Night of a Million Lights can enjoy beautifully decorated villa exteriors. There are some very fun and whimsical designs, for example Ripley’s Believe it or Not has a terrific display, and Mears Motor Shuttle includes welcomes to Orlando Wish families and alumni. Walt Disney World has two villas, one themed to Cinderella and the other to Beauty and the Beast (subtly decorated). We have already shown LEGOLAND Florida and Crayola in a previous article.

Ripley’s Believe it or Not villa

Mears villa

In the window of one Mears vehicle, it welcomes Orlando Wish Families

The Fun Spot villa includes Santa in his workshop!

2 – Avenue of Angels – So many lights decorate the Avenue of Angels, and you can visit locations like Castle of Miracles, Towne Hall and Amberville. This is a great time to take a peek at the heart of Give Kids the World, where activities take place when the village is open to Wish families. Each Wish child puts their name on a star and it goes on the ceiling of Castle of Miracles, which has been expanded since I first volunteered in 2004.  There are over 100,000 stars!

“Angels” at Give Kids the World are volunteers.

3 – Marc’s Dino Putt Decorations – Universal Orlando decorated Marc’s Dino-Putt, we missed it on our first evening and it was one of the highlights of last night for us. The 7-hole minigolf course is decorated all the way through, a lovely trail that includes music.

Also to note – Universal Orlando created and funded Marc’s Dino-Putt, which opened in 2002. It is named after Marc McConnell, a Wish child who visited the Village in 1999. Many of the attractions and avenues are named after Wish children who have visited.

Marc’s Dino-Putt

Decorations from Universal Orlando

4 – Accessible Attractions – Several of the accessible attractions are available to guests. This is a unique opportunity to ride The Enchanted Carousel. Kelly’s Magical Swing was especially fun! The rides are pretty low capacity because Give Kids the World Village isn’t a theme park, so definitely try to get to them if you see a short line or no wait.

We rode The Enchanted Carousel

5- Santa and Mrs. Claus – Santa and Mrs. Claus are available for distanced meets!

Santa and Mrs. Claus

6 – Planet Hollywood Exhibit – Inside Towne Hall, there is a fun Planet Hollywood display that includes the Santa costume that Edmund Gwenn wore in “Miracle on 34th Street”.

Santa Suit from Miracle on 34th Street

This is one of a number of items in the display

Planet Hollywood provided the items

7 – Christmas Tree Trail – We missed this as well our first night (you might want to visit twice!) – a Christmas tree trail. It isn’t as elaborate as you’ll find at Disney Springs, but it is a nice walk through some brightly lit trees (some with Disney decorations).

Christmas Tree Trail

There are quite a few Disney decorations

Near the Enchanted Carousel, a few Disney Springs trees are also available to look at

8 – Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate – Breyers Ice Cream as well as hot chocolate are available to enjoy at the Park of Dreams pool.

The Breyers ice cream is in personal sized containers.

8 –Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry – Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry are the Give Kids the World central characters. You can meet either of them (or both when we stopped by the second time).

10 – Merchandise – There is a small amount of merchandise, I purchased the t-shirt ($20). It is really comfortable and helps support the village!

You can also find some other fun details, like this Hasbro display with Mr. Potato Head and Peppa Pig. Hasbro has been a longtime partner with Give Kids the World, as has many of the companies that have decorated villas. The villas are where families stay when the village is open.

And the 12 Days of Christmas can be found around the lake. Here, 6 is for the 6 geese.

Walt Disney World has a backdrop near the Planet Hollywood display.

I will share much more this weekend!

Night of a Million Lights is enforcing safety protocols, including temperatures, masks and social distancing. More information can be found here. The rules are similar to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

We don’t know if this will happen again next year, but certainly it would not on the scale of 2020 if Wish families are able to return (and we are hoping they will!). Treat this like a once-ever event just in case. I highly recommend visiting. There are as many lights as the former Osborne Lights attraction (because they are the lights), but it is a very relaxed setting as opposed to the energy of New York Street.

Give Kids the World Village is located at 210 S Bass Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746.