The Power of the Magic

In many ways, Grace Elizabeth was a typical little girl. She loved ponies and princesses. She loved her mommy and daddy. And, she loved her two big brothers. There was, however, one very important way in which Grace was not typical. She was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was 3 years old.

Grace’s fondest wish was to go to Walt Disney World and meet the princesses, especially Cinderella. The Make-A-Wish Foundation was helping to make that happen, but Grace’s dream to meet Cinderella was encountering problems…the best way to meet Cinderella was at a character meal, but character meals with Cinderella are very popular and reservations can be hard to come by.

And, there was some urgency to this trip. After battling her cancer courageously for the past two years, Grace was starting to lose her battle. No one was sure how long Grace would stay healthy enough to travel.

Grace’s family contacted their AAA Travel Consultant, Celeste, to see if she could help. After discovering everything involving Cinderella was completely full, AAA contacted its Disney Parks and Resorts sales representative.

AAA’s Disney rep was able to get Grace and her family booked into Cinderella’s Gala Feast at the Grand Floridian Resort. Grace’s meeting with Cinderella was assured! When Celeste’s co-workers heard about Grace, a “Have a Great Trip to Disney World” package was put together. It contained Disney t-shirts, hats and other goodies for the whole family plus a special Disney Princess outfit for Grace to wear when she met Cinderella.

Grace and her family had such a very special time on their trip and created many cherished memories. When Grace finally met Cinderella, Cinderella greeted Grace by name, complimented her princess outfit and really took the time to visit with her. Grace was enthralled.

Grace passed away on Valentine’s Day. The day before she was still sharing stories of her trip to Walt Disney World with her family and friends.

That’s the Power of the Magic.