Creating a Magic Kingdom

By Michelle Amerie

Ninety-five kids, 75 volunteers, this reporter, and a jet airliner -- and a flight path plotted to Orlando, Florida!

For these children, all of whom have either a significant disability or a life-altering illness, this was to be a day of independence. A day off from therapy. A day away from the loving watchfulness of parents and other regular caregivers. This was a day for wishes to come true at every kid’s dream destination: Walt Disney World.

Several times a year since 1987, Sunshine Dreams for Kids has escorted groups of children on one-day, fantasy-filled adventures such as this one. The non-profit organization based in London, Ontario, makes other dreams come true for children, like giving them new bikes or racing wheelchairs or bringing them to a special hockey game. But these one-day events by plane, tagged "Dreamlifts," are always exciting for all involved.

Today’s Dreamlift, however, was to be dramatically different. This was the morning of September 11, 2001. Everything, after this morning, was to be dramatically different.

The trip began in a normally enough. We set out from Hamilton, Ontario’s John C. Munro International Airport. It was the 39th whirlwind Dreamlift -- and we were all going to Walt Disney World! I knew that this trip was for the kids. But, maybe because I’m a wheelchair user too, or maybe because it seems not so long ago that Disney World meant magic to me, somehow I felt myself slipping into the ranks of all of these kids -- and I, too, became excited by the prospect of shaking Mickey’s hand!

The other thing that made me blend in so well was the bright yellow "Sunshine Dreams" T-shirts that we all wore. So, it was with a sea of sunshine-clad children, bubble-gum pops left, right and centre, and giggles and cheers that Sky Service’s A320 plane left the ground for Florida’s magic kingdom.

While the plane was airborne, unbeknownst to any of us, the devastating terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and Washington were also taking place.

Fortunately, our destination was close and we landed safely. But it wasn’t until the plane was sitting on the tarmac that we were to find out that Walt Disney World, for only the second time in its history, was closed for the day.

What to do? There were 95 young people aboard this plane, each one harbouring the joyous expectation of a lifetime. Staff and volunteers thought as one. The children cannot, must not, be disappointed. The Sunshine Dreams people quickly went to work -- drawing energy from the dilemma itself, conjuring up a Plan B. The success of this Dreamlift was to be realized from the imaginations and hearts of all on board.

It wasn’t long before a score of uniformed officers of the Orange County sheriff’s department drove their motorcycles onto the tarmac. The thunder of the roaring bikes revved up the excitement in the children. Imagine the glee as additional officers arrived on horseback!

The real job of all these officers was to escort us safely from the airport, through the town of Orlando, to a hotel (bearing the unfortunate name of the Radisson Twin Towers). We left the airport as a convoy, six accessible vans and six coach buses filled with children, staff and volunteers. Even though virtually everybody knew at this point that we weren’t going to Disney World, some of the kids could still barely contain their excitement. It was gratifying to overhear some of them whisper to each other in utter disbelief, "This is soooo cool!" For 95 kids and 75 volunteers, a different kind of adventure was about to begin.

It took us about half an hour to arrive at the hotel. There were no rides, water shows or special effects. We all knew, even the youngest of the kids somehow knew, that we were going to have to build our own wonderland. For as long as we were to stay, this was to be our "magic kingdom."

But there was competition. The large-screen television that had been set up in the lobby of the hotel was a constant reminder of what was going on in the outside world. The grief and shock of the nation were almost unbearable. Each child, like each adult, had to find his or her own way of reconciling the terrible images on the television with the incredible goodwill that was beginning to be directed our way. Keeping this Dreamlift alive was becoming important to many people -- for many reasons.

This was not only seven-year-old James Schutten’s very first trip away from his parents, it was also his very first flight. Being invited on this adventure had made James the envy of his five older siblings. When James’s mother, Wendy, turned on the television to see if there was any local coverage of the Dreamlift takeoff, she was immediately confronted with the morning’s news.

Fear, shock and disbelief were the words she used to describe her reaction. "It was the worst moment for me," she recalls. "Sunshine was so great, though. They called us by 11:00 a.m. to let us know that everyone was safe. Once I finally got to talk to James, I knew he was in good hands."

Sunshine was a comfort to all the parents during this time. Staff stayed in regular contact and kept parents informed of the situation. The parents were also given a telephone number that they could call for updates, any time -- day or night.

Back in Florida, the hotel had generously offered Sunshine Dreams an entire ballroom to use as a meeting place. This room became the centre of our community. Attached to the ballroom was a much smaller space, which we dubbed the "situation room." Sandy Payne and Holly Irving, two Sunshine Dreams veterans, were never far from this area -- and together they addressed and solved each and every logistical problem with which we were confronted.

Allan Pearl, chairman of the local blood drive service, threw in his energy. He put the word out that 171 people, many of them kids with disabilities, were now stranded away from home. A few well-placed phone calls, and the kindness began to pour in. Food, clothing and toys were arriving as if by magic. Organizations and corporations such as the Red Cross, Win-Dixie, Publics, Entenmanns, Kay Bee Toys, Wal-Mart and T.J. Maxx pitched in, doing their best to respond quickly to what otherwise could easily have become an awful situation.

The Boy Scouts of America, Troop 787, responded immediately to a call from the sheriff’s office. They were instantly prepared to take action. They unpacked boxes, pushed the wheelchairs of those kids who needed a hand, and set up equipment and games for the many who simply did not have the range of motion to do it for themselves. More important than anything else they contributed, the young men of Troop 787 brought with them the gift of friendship, pure and simple.

Imagine the delight when Scooby Doo showed up. Then, hot on Scooby Doo’s tail, Yogi Bear. And Tony the Mouse! These famous characters came, compliments of Universal Studios, to sign autographs, pose for photos and share great volumes of hugs all around.

Shamoo the Killer Whale showed up as well. A godsend, Shamoo brought with him 35 much-needed wheelchairs, compliments of Sea World. And then there was McGruff the police dog, and a mime who seemed to appear from nowhere. No one seemed to know anything about him -- and the mime wasn’t saying.

The local Praise and Worship team of Orlando’s First Methodist Church sprang into action. They arrived consisting mostly of a choir and, of all things, a good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll band! Young Mathew Basso, 16, realized his secret fantasy that afternoon. He got to sing with a band and a backup choir -- in front of a live audience. It took about all I had, the next day, to convince young Mathew to give me his autograph.

On the second day of what was supposed to be a one-day magical mystery tour, Disney World was open once again. Some of us quietly hoped that we would find a way to reactivate our visit and get the kids to the magic kingdom after all. But the reality was that we simply did not have enough volunteers to make it happen. The original plan had called for support from the state police, but understandably they were now otherwise occupied.

Without our knowledge, the Walt Disney World Ambassador Team was already making plans to save the day. Apparently, when Mickey Mouse heard about our situation, he dropped everything to make a special appearance. Since we could not go to him, he was coming to us. And he didn’t come alone -- he brought along Minnie, Goofy and Pluto as well!

Mickey and his entourage made a grand entrance. It was our own special parade. This Disney moment -- when the magical spell of Mickey Mouse captured everyone in the room -- seemed to last for hours. There was not one person present who didn’t beam with joy and an open heart as hugs and kisses rained down on us from Disney’s loving ambassadors. The ballroom at the Radisson Hotel may not have been Cinderella’s Castle but, in truth, it might as well have been. Mickey and his friends had brought Disney World to us!

After the Disney characters left, it was time for lunch. And what do kids like for lunch? That day’s menu offered a choice. Each child could have either a McDonald’s Happy Meal, delivered fresh to the hotel, or a piece of Papa John’s pizza. What a choice! McDonald’s or pizza, and Mickey, all in the same day!

After lunch, conversation drifted to the rides. There would have been rides at Disney World. Many of the kids had anticipated a wild excursion on Space Mountain or other speed-demon adventures. How would these thrills be achieved now? By signing on with the Human Angels or the Tiger Bears wheelchair racing teams, that’s how! The kids, now self-organized to a considerable extent, created these gangs and dubbed each group themselves.

In almost no time an obstacle course was precisely laid out, running from end to end throughout the hotel ballroom -- and the first of a series of relay races was underway. Volunteers propelled the wheelchairs at hair-raising speeds -- but the energy that fuelled this event was pure fun. The ballroom resonated with the unabashed giggling that characterizes the domain of children at play.

It was not all thrills and adventure. For the more sedate at heart there was golf, played across the hotel carpet, recently (very recently!) transformed into a world-famous green. And there were hundreds of terrific toys to play with. There was even opportunity simply to explore the hotel and meet the other guests.

For many of the kids, this was their first time in new surroundings, away from home, staying in a fancy hotel and making new friends on their own. Young Adam Rossi’s favourite part of the whole trip was just lounging by the pool and talking to a family from England. For an afternoon there were no borders, and barriers were simply not an issue.

The entertainment just kept on coming. The Drug Enforcement Agency brought along Jack the police dog. We were shown a video of Jack in action and then treated to a demonstration of what the canine cop does best -- catching bad guys. As much as some of us wanted to pet the dog, this was a special appearance and Jack was working. We all kept our arms in, our voices down and our eyes wide.

The local fire department came and talked to the kids about fire safety. There was no shortage of questions for the fire fighters. Do you pray? Are there fire-women on the force? How loud is the horn on the fire truck? This last question prompted an invitation from the fire fighters for the kids to give it their best shot -- to shout as loud as the horn. What joy for the children, and what a welcome diversion for the fire fighters. We can imagine the focus of their hearts and minds for the remainder of that day.

As time passed, the kids, and volunteers too, visited the few small boutiques throughout the hotel, picking up toiletries, candy and postcards. But, far and away, the most important place to visit was the Disney Store. Sunshine Dreams had given each of the kids some spending money to use while at the theme park. This very special store had many of the same items as Disney World. It was the perfect place to go and pick up a souvenir of this memorable adventure.

As for James Schutten, "He didn’t even miss me," his mother says. Wendy is raising James to value his independence and, based on his reaction to the very strange circumstances of the three days, she is doing a great job. "It didn’t seem to faze him one bit. He was too busy having a good time."

The phone call finally came. Tragedy in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C., had transformed a one-day fantasy adventure into a three-day excursion to a different kind of community altogether. And now we were told it was time to go home, time to fly back to a changed world, where worried parents were standing by, anxious to have their loved ones returned to them. It was time to dismantle our community.

"This was an incredible experience for everybody," said Wendy Schutten, "just in a different way. I really am thankful that James had this experience."

Walt Disney World and Sunshine Dreams have a lot in common. They both offer laughter and whimsy, and they both offer the gift of happy memories. Even though we never made it to Disney World, I don’t believe that there is a single one of us who doubts that we indeed made it to the magic kingdom.

(This trip was made possible by the Optimist Club of New Hamburg. Sunshine Dreams for Kids is a non-profit organization relying on volunteers and donations. For more information, call 1-800-461-7935, or visit www.sunshine.ca.)

(Michelle Amerie is a freelance writer living in Toronto, Ontario.)