Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.

[jusandnew]

Has anyone heard how this is going to work?
I looked on the website and the youngest that some of the agengies signed up can work is 10 years old. We have a 8 year old.
Can we volunteer other places and get the volunteer hours for the ticket?

[Strmchsr]

To get the ticket you can only volunteer through the agencies listed on the website.

[gerald72]

So if your family is staying in a room with a magic your way package, everyone must be on the same package. It doesn't seem to do any good if three out of four people in your party have a free extra day. I guess you have to tell poor junior he'll be sitting alone in the room for a day.

[r4kids]

We have a 6 year old and we found several places willing to allow her to help. We go on Feb. 7 to help at the newborn orphan horse center with new babies. Super excited!!!! All six of us will be up early and head out. It isn't just about the free ticket either, it is something our entire family can do and enjoy together. Good call on this one Disney :)

[kakn7294]

We have a 6 year old and we found several places willing to allow her to help. We go on Feb. 7 to help at the newborn orphan horse center with new babies. Super excited!!!! All six of us will be up early and head out. It isn't just about the free ticket either, it is something our entire family can do and enjoy together. Good call on this one Disney :)My daughters would love that! Where in WV is it?

[Mousefever]

I'm having very little luck so far in Denver. We are leaving for DW on January 23. I've only found two places within 30 miles that my 11 year old son would be able to volunteer. One is the Museum of Nature and Science. Their volunteer application process takes 6 to 8 weeks and they require a year's commitment. The other place hasn't contacted me back. I'm thinking that I need to check the website again to see if more opportunities have become available. I think that Disney should have opened up opportunities earlier for people going in January.

Amy

[Melanie]

I'm really disappointed and having no luck with this so far. Nothing in our area at all to go physically volunteer for me and my kids. We can do a mail order blanket, which I'm sure is a great cause, but not at all what I had in mind for this. :confused: There was also an article in our local paper the other day that my husband forwarded to me detailing a blood drive which was eligible, but all those spots must be full as I followed all the links given and....nothing. :(

[DizneyRox]

Sounds like another one of Disney's ideas that sounds great in concept but falls short in it's execution.

The free on your birthday made more sense as really how much were they giving away. I know of nobody (direct family/freinds) who went to WDW last year that could take advantage of it. Dates just don't match up with vacations. With all the legwork required on this volunteering stuff, to me it's worth just paying OOP for the tickets. Especially if you're talking about the value of a day on multi day tickets, you're saving only a couple bucks in many cases.

[r4kids]

My daughters would love that! Where in WV is it?

It is actually 1.5 hours away near Fredericksburg, VA. It was so perfect for our family. We can all be involved and it is something so cool. I am not sure how far you would want to drive. Maybe if you made it an overnight trip?

[r4kids]

I'm having very little luck so far in Denver. We are leaving for DW on January 23. I've only found two places within 30 miles that my 11 year old son would be able to volunteer. One is the Museum of Nature and Science. Their volunteer application process takes 6 to 8 weeks and they require a year's commitment. The other place hasn't contacted me back. I'm thinking that I need to check the website again to see if more opportunities have become available. I think that Disney should have opened up opportunities earlier for people going in January.

Amy

I kept checking and sure enough the newborn horse care popped up. I think they update periodically throughout the day.

[BigThunderFan]

I'm having very little luck so far in Denver. We are leaving for DW on January 23. I've only found two places within 30 miles that my 11 year old son would be able to volunteer. One is the Museum of Nature and Science. Their volunteer application process takes 6 to 8 weeks and they require a year's commitment. The other place hasn't contacted me back. I'm thinking that I need to check the website again to see if more opportunities have become available. I think that Disney should have opened up opportunities earlier for people going in January.

Amy


I totally agree. We can't find anything closer than an hour away from us, and nothing allowing anyone younger than 12. It was very poor planning on Disney to have this start exactly on 1/1, as those of us traveling in Jan and maybe even Feb can't do it. Keep in mind they have to send you the paperwork after you complete it, but it can take up to two weeks to receive. I requested a couple places to volunteer this Saturday which would be our only chance and nothing so far.:(

[TheVBs]

We found lots of opportunities nearby, some accepting volunteers as young as 6. Of course, our youngest is 5. Has anyone found one allowing volunteers that young? I figure I'll just keep checking back. Her birthday is at the end of June, so we could always do something together after she turns 6. We're hoping to go in Oct. But, if it looks like that won't happen, we'll just opt for one of the other gifts. It would be so wonderful if we had the option of the horse orphanage! Our girls are horse crazy!

[TheRustyScupper]

I think that Disney should have opened up opportunities earlier for people going in January.

1) Let us remember, this is a marketing campaign.
2) This is not altruism or philanthropy.

[Tick-Tock]

We found lots of opportunities nearby, some accepting volunteers as young as 6. Of course, our youngest is 5. Has anyone found one allowing volunteers that young?

From my reading, you have to be at least 6 to be eligible to participate in the program.

[kakn7294]

It is actually 1.5 hours away near Fredericksburg, VA. It was so perfect for our family. We can all be involved and it is something so cool. I am not sure how far you would want to drive. Maybe if you made it an overnight trip?Too bad it's so far away - I don't really want to drive that far. We might volunteer to clean up a camp for disadvantaged children near the Pittsburgh airport. I wanted to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity but they won't take anyone under 16. My girls are 10 and 14. I think I am going to keep watching for a while - we aren't going until August so we have some time. Maybe something else will pop up.

[Mousefever]

1) Let us remember, this is a marketing campaign.
2) This is not altruism or philanthropy.

You're right. I forgot to put on my jaded view glasses yesterday.

One thing that I have discovered is that you can also directly contact any program that is partnered with Helping Hands to ask about volunteer opportunities. For us this includes our local Habitat for Humanity chapter. If we can't volunteer in time for our trip, we can certainly work for Habitat in the future.

Amy

[TheVBs]

From my reading, you have to be at least 6 to be eligible to participate in the program.

Thanks! We'll just wait until she's 6 then. It won't be too long. I'd really like to do something as a family.

[r4kids]

I have tried for the last 3 days to register with the Hands on network after filling out all the info on the Disney site but nothing happens it just stays on the same page. UUUUGGGGHHHH it is driving me crazy! Anyone else experience this? We are volunteering on February 7.

[#1donaldfan]

...we're not at that point yet....we have a redcross person calling us back to set up "something" in Roanoke, then we can try the registration thing online....hopefully, it'll be working by then....good luck to you !!

[Kenny1113]

I am also not that far yet. I am however having a hard time finding availablity in my area that takes 6 y/o. :( good luck to you. Hopefully I don't have to encounter that once I find something.

[kakn7294]

You know, a lot of people have been poo-pooing this campaign but yesterday I caught my 14 yo DD on the Disney website, looking for volunteering opportunities.

[ThanxForNoticin]

You know, a lot of people have been poo-pooing this campaign but yesterday I caught my 14 yo DD on the Disney website, looking for volunteering opportunities.

I'm not sure how anything that brings to light volunteering opportunities can be a negative in any way. It's awesome that your daughter is looking into where she can help. We were taught that most people have the ability to donate in either of 2 ways - money or time. This is a great way to bring to light that our time can help so many people. I hope it's successful in a big way.

[Mousefever]

You know, a lot of people have been poo-pooing this campaign but yesterday I caught my 14 yo DD on the Disney website, looking for volunteering opportunities.

It's wonderful that your daughter is looking for volunteer opportunities! I'm not negative toward Disney's campaign. It's just logistically difficult to arrange this specific opportunity before our trip later this month. We actually volunteer on a regular basis through some local charities and our church.

Amy

[kakn7294]

It's wonderful that your daughter is looking for volunteer opportunities! I'm not negative toward Disney's campaign. It's just logistically difficult to arrange this specific opportunity before our trip later this month. We actually volunteer on a regular basis through some local charities and our church.

AmyI didn't mean you were being negative. I totally understand what you were saying and I agree with you. It would have made things easier for a lot of people if they had opened it up to volunteer opportunities before the start of the year. They could have put limits on it such as you couldn't volunteer before 2 - 3 mo before your trip and you couldn't redeem the voucher until after Jan 1. I also volunteer for things already at school and church - all this means is that I volunteer somewhere I don't already and I get rewarded with a free day at WDW.

[r4kids]

I was finally redirected to the Hands on Network for sign up completion!!!!! We are ready to go. It was overloaded I am assuming and that is why it took so many times to enter in information.

[ANG]

Nothing is within an hr and 1/2 for us :(