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Saint Johns United Methodist Church Kids to Disney Trip

August 11, 2012

Pictures Assembled and Narrated by Allen and Kate Morris

With Help from Sumer Rohrs

The 31 children selected to go on this trip had never been to Disney World. The trip was funded

completely by donations, mostly from caring individuals and families outside of the membership

of Saint Johns United Methodist Church, who wanted to help these children experience the

magic of Disney for the first time.

If not for this trip, these children would probably never have gotten to go to Disney or any theme

park until they were adults and could afford to pay for it themselves. But experiencing Disney as

an adult isn’t the same as experiencing it as a child. Disney to a child is a world of magic; a

world of exciting rides, a jungle cruise where the alligators and hippos look like they will get you

if the boat captain isn’t a good shot; a scary trip into a haunted house actually filled with ghosts;

a world where good always triumphs over evil, and much more. It’s a child’s dreams come to

life. It’s a visit into a surreal paradise.

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We believe that it’s important for these children to learn that there’s a better life than they see in

the neighborhoods they live in here and in Mexico. Maybe the Kids to Disney Project won’t

make much of a difference in these children’s lives in the long-run. But maybe it will.

We put this narrated picture book together to give these children something to keep and share

with their families that captures this special day. We also put it together because we want those

who contributed to this project to see the excitement in these children’s faces as they experience

a world they have only been able to imagine up to now.

Kate and I sincerely thank all of you who contributed to this project. You helped create a special

experience for 31 children who had never been to Disney World. One that has created good

memories that will last for their lifetime – and mine and Kate’s. A special thanks to Sumer

Rohrs, Director of Children’s Ministry for Saint John’s United Methodist Church, who made this

project the success that it was.

Allen and Kate Morris

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Kids arriving at Saint Johns United Methodist Church on the bus that brings them to

church on Sundays. A breakfast of McDonald’s sausage-and-egg biscuits and milk awaits.

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That’s Sumer Rohrs, Director of Children’s Ministry standing on the blue rug. Sumer had

kept the trip to Disney a secret, and at her suggestion I had just announced it. Disney isn’t

featured on TV like it was when I was a kid, so I’m not sure that many of them understood

exactly where they were going. But they understood once they got there.

A blessing for breakfast, and for how fortunate it was that these children were going to be

able to experience the magic of Disney for their first time. And a special thanks to all

those whose contributions made today possible.

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Eat your breakfast, because having fun takes lots of energy!

Finally, it’s time to leave! All aboard the charter bus! Its Disney World or BUST!!

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Come on, come on. Are we ever going to get going?

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Ok, boys, we’re OFF!!

Listen Up! Kids, your chaperone will tell you what to do. You need to listen to what she

tells you and do what she says.

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Everyone, hold up your tickets, please.

First a school bus, then a charter bus, and now a monorail? How many different types of

transportation does it take to get to this place?

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Hey, look over there, it’s a lion! Just kidding.

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Kate and Valerie’s groups combined in front of Cinderella’s Medieval Castle, the gateway

to Fantasyland. Enchanting adventures await!

Yeah, yeah we know, its Main Street USA. Can we get going, please?

We’re tired of posing for pictures. We want to enter that magical land full of fun

and fantasy we keep hearing about!

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Marissa Lopez is excited to be in Peter Pan’s ship, swooping to far-off Never Land in an

aerial pirate galleon.

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Chaperone Valerie, Mickey and Bobby are just coming over the twinkling London skyline

and Mermaid Lagoon to Captain Hook’s ship. They can’t wait to see Peter Pan face off

against Captain Hook aboard the captain’s grand pirate ship.

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Luciana, Sammy and Liberto are ready to launch past the flashing lights of their space

station into the soaring darkness of space on Space Mountain. Their rocket-shaped vehicle

will soon begin its climb up the 180 foot mountain, passing the mission control booth to be

propelled through the remote blackness of the universe – illuminated by shooting stars,

celestial satellites and shimmering constellations

Junior and Alyssa head to the Swiss Family Robinson Tree house. They’ll be transported

into the lives of the Robinsons, who were tossed onto a deserted South Seas island after a

shipwreck.

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Luciana and Liberto explore the Robinson family’s living quarters and survey the

surrounding jungle in a giant tree 60 feet high.

Gliding past various continents of the world on a gentle boat ride as numerous brightly

costumed dolls and animals sing “It’s a small world,” and dance on the shores of the Seven

Seas water canals.

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Dressed in costumes that represent over 100 nations, the dolls sing the lyrics to “It’s a small

world” in 5 languages.

Boundaries dissolve and continents are connected by this beautiful song that seems to bring

the world’s cultures closer together.

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Teanna, Marsha and Kate seeing “It’s a Wonderful World.”

Bronson, Giovanni and Marissa gliding along as dolls dance on the shores of the Seven

Seaways water canal

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Bronson and Bobby ride the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel on two of the many

prancing horses as magical Disney music fills the air played on an old-fashioned organ.

Mickey and Jessica gallop along with Cinderella and her Prince Charming to favorite

Disney tunes

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“I’m having so much fun I just can’t stand it,” Junior says.

Playing the jumping bean game that sits near the Winnie the Pooh attraction.

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Giovanni is trying to control the flying pig inside the pen.

Its lunch time at the Tortuga Tavern for Liberto, Junior and Sammy.

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Sammy and Junior enjoy the foot-stomping, hand-clapping Country Bear jamboree

performed by a band of backwoods bears and their furry friends in Grizzly Hall Theater.

It’s a big “YEEHAW” while everyone sings along with the cast of musically-talented bears

as they perform shows featuring country music-style classics.

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Liberto and Junior, arrested on their way to the haunted mansion in Frontier Land and

put in “lock-up.”

Luciana, Sammy, Junior and Liberto checking out the tomb stones on their way to

Disney’s Haunted Mansion.

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Sammy takes aim at a whole posse of targets in Frontier Land’s Shootin’ Arcade. There’s

buzzards, ducks, rabbits, a scary tree, and other numerous targets that pop up or are

moving stationary targets and they animate when a hit is scored.

Sumer, Alex and Alyssa start on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which just dropped 14

feet over a waterfall into the middle of a pirate battle. They’re making funny faces to

lighten up things a bit on the scary ride.

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The wicked wench galleon blasts cannons under the direction of Captain Barbossa, who

demands the capture of Captain Jack Sparrow. Cap’n Jack is searching for the treasure

map that’s the key to the town’s riches.

“Yo Ho, Yo Ho, it’s a pirate’s life for me.”

Ah, matey, “dead men tell no tales.”

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Liberto and Junior are listening to the Big Thunder Mountain railroad wheels chug-chug

just before the drop where they’ll ratchet and race across seemingly rickety tracks. They’ll

swoop around sharp turns and tear up rolling hills that dip or drop into canyons and

caverns as they slip under a booming waterfall.

Bobby, Kevin, Marissa, Giovanni, and Teanna playing musical fruit as bongo instruments

while waiting to go to the Winnie the Pooh attraction.

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Chaperone Valerie and her group embark on a journey in one of Winnie the Pooh’s

honey pots.

There’s Tigger on this very blustery day in the Hundred-acre Wood.

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Its Winnie the Pooh himself, heading to have a willy nilly silly good time in the mysterious

dream world of Heffalumps and woozles!

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Kevin and Marsha enjoying their Winnie the Pooh ride.

Kate in the safari hat and pink shirt with her group taking a whirl in a giant tea cup at the

Mad Tea Party.

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Kate and Teanna getting ready to soar high in the sky on Dumbo The Flying Elephant.

Marissa, Jessica and Yasmin are feeling a lighthearted thrill as Dumbo lifts off the ground

to begin their high-flying adventure.

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Chaperone Laura and Mickey on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin blasting away at

evil emperor Zurg’s robot minions with their laser cannon.

Kevin takes aim to shoot the evil emperor Zurg and stop him from stealing the Universe’s

cystollic fusion cell supply.

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Everybody takes aim to keep Zurg from stealing batteries from helpless toys

to power a weapon of ultimate destruction.

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Bronson and Yasmin flying over Agrabah on Aladin’s Magic Carpet ride.

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Giovanni and Marissa keep an eye out for the spitting camels as they circle the Genie’s

giant golden lamp.

Chaperones Valerie and Laura and their groups embark aboard a 1930s-style safari boat

on the Jungle cruise to tour Africa’s most exotic untamed rivers.

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They experience the wilds of nature as they pass Bengal tigers, king cobras, elephants,

impala, lions, hyenas and giraffes in their native habitat.

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As their skipper leads them ever deeper into the jungles past ancient ruins, they wonder

whether there are really headhunters and hippopotamus lying in wait.

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The exciting and fun day is finally drawing to a close. Chaperones Laura, Valerie and

their groups along with an interested Disney employee (in the vest) listen to the kids tell

about their first trip to Disney as they wait for the others to gather for the bus ride back to

the church for a pizza dinner.