Chances are you’ll see something similar near where you live A few days ago the Disney Ultimate Toy Drive kicked off. I’ll add the information about that from Disney Parks Blog below. But it got me thinking about this time of year, and how it’s not only the season of getting, it’s the season of giving. I thought that instead of talking about how to save at Walt Disney World or add another contest, today I’d turn my Sunday Savings Series around and talk about one place that you shouldn’t scrimp or try to save.
I’m talking about being generous during the holiday season (and all year long for that matter). There are people in your community who want to give their family a nice holiday dinner, but paying the rent is more important. There are children who, without help, will not receive a present on Christmas morning. Programs like the Disney Ultimate Toy Drive are great for the kids who will receive the gifts; but it’s even better for the giver. Imagine how it will warm your heart to know that you made a child’s day!
Giving is about more than just money or toys. Many people will give of their time volunteering for a cause that they believe in. It could also be shoveling the driveway for an elderly neighbor, baking cookies for neighborhood kids whose parents work two jobs, opening the door for a woman with a stroller; the list is infinite.
One more thing that you can give is kindness. Sometimes a smile and “have a great day” can turn someone’s bad mood upside down! Everyone is going through something. It costs nothing to be nice to people.
Back to the Disney Ultimate Toy Drive. Chances are your local community has something similar, if you don’t want to participate in this one. Here are the details. Happy Season of Giving!
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The Disney Ultimate Toy Drive Kicks Off Today!
by Shelby Grasser, Manager – Corporate Citizenship, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products
It’s time to ring in the holiday spirit with the Disney Ultimate Toy Drive!
Today, we’re launching our annual Disney Ultimate Toy Drive supporting the Marine Toys for Tots Program. There are two ways to donate toys:
- Donate a toy online through shopDisney.com/toydrive now through Dec. 24, 2023.
- Donate a new, unwrapped toy in person at a U.S. Disney store location, Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort, or in select locations at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, now through Dec. 15, 2023.
Our relationship with Toys for Tots began over 75 years ago, in 1947, when Walt Disney and his team of animators designed the Toys for Tots logo that is still used today. Since then, Toys for Tots Marines and volunteers have distributed 652 million toys to over 291 million children. Last year, Toys for Tots distributed more than 24 million toys to nearly 10 million children, a record-breaking year for the organization.
The Disney Ultimate Toy Drive is a cause our cast members passionately support and look forward to each year with toy collection boxes filling cast areas across our theme parks and resorts. They also take part in special Disney VoluntEARS opportunities as part of the drive, helping to sort and distribute toys donated to children in need.
Our VoluntEARS help make this toy drive a success and they do so with heart – and there are other volunteers around the country who also are making a difference by bringing toys to kids across the country. One such volunteer is Taylor Price. Taylor, who resides in the heart of the Lone Star State, is an extraordinary individual who embodies the spirit of giving. The 29-year-old mother and foster parent, is a passionate volunteer coordinator for her local Toys for Tots chapter.
Taylor’s journey hasn’t been easy. At age 11, her family temporarily experienced homelessness, and life became a whirlwind of moving from one family member’s home to another. Taylor and her brother were thrust into work to help support their family, and celebrating Christmas seemed like an unattainable dream… until she received a toy from Toys for Tots. It was then that Taylor was able to experience the magic of receiving toys on Christmas day.
Many years later, Taylor learned that the local Marine Toys for Tots coordinator of 19 years was retiring, and her hometown program was facing an imminent threat of closing. Thinking of the countless children who would be left without the magic of what the organization was able to provide for her, she rose to the occasion. 2023 marks Taylor Price’s first season as the coordinator of the Denison, TX Toys for Tots chapter. To celebrate her volunteerism and dedication to delivering joy to kids in need, we sent a donation of 1,000 shopDisney toys to give her a head start in this year’s holiday distributions.
However, we also learned that Taylor had to cancel her 30th birthday trip to New York City in December as she would be too busy with her duties for Toys for Tots to leave at that time. We couldn’t let that selflessness be ignored and surprised her on “Good Morning America” in New York City with tickets for her and her family to enjoy “Aladdin” on Broadway and some extra time in the Big Apple as an early birthday treat!
With your support, and the help of volunteers like Taylor, we’re helping children in need get the chance to experience holiday joy, reinforcing our belief that everything we do to make magic can also make a difference.
For more information on how you can participate in this year’s Disney Ultimate Toy Drive, visit Disney.com/toydrive.