120 kids from Manitoba embark on whirlwind one-day trip to Disneyland

120 Manitoba kids participated in the Dreams Take Flight trip to Disneyland on October 9, 2024 (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg)

Dreams came true for 120 Manitoba children Wednesday morning as they embarked on a one-day trip to Disneyland.

The kids, along with parents, guardians and volunteers, hopped on an early flight to California as part of Dreams Take Flight Winnipeg.

Dreams Take Flight is a charity that sends children on all-expense paid trips to the fabled theme park every year. The Winnipeg chapter embarked on its first flight back in 1994 and volunteers estimate between 3,500 and 4,000 kids have been a part of the adventure since.

According to the Dreams Take Flight website, the kids face “medical, mental, physical, social, or emotional barriers” in their daily lives and are selected from a variety of organizations and agencies.

“They’re all selected on the basis of challenges and the expectation that we have is we can show them that there is a bigger world out there, and no matter how much they’re challenged, there’s places to go, there’s things to do, and a world to experience,” Raymond Hall, Dreams Take Flight Winnipeg’s president, told CTV News Wednesday.

Once the flight touches down in California, the kids spend the day checking out Disneyland rides, meeting their favourite Disney characters, and taking in the Main Street U.S.A. parade.

It all wraps up with a late-night flight back to Winnipeg – marking the end of the whirlwind adventure.

“For the children, it’s a life-changing event,” Hall said. “It’s absolutely incredible to see their faces after they come back after this day. They say, 'This is the best day of my life.’ “

More than 75 volunteers are directly involved in Dreams Take Flight planning and execution. While Air Canada provides the plane, it’s local fundraising and sponsorships that cover the cost of fuel, landing fees, park admissions and more.

“This is the culmination of a year’s work to make life better for these children.”

Volunteers like Carol Eliasson and Rob Giguere – who were part of the original flight’s crew – said the trip can be transformative for the kids.

“It’s magic,” Giguere said. “On the way down, they’re all learning a little bit. And by the time they’re back, they’ve made a million new friends in the [theme] park and on the airplane and they’re just delighted when they get back… They’ve got so many stories to tell. It’s life-changing really, it’s terrific.”