Family Reunited at Cinderella's Castle in 'GMA' Contest

brisem

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
From Good Morning America this Morning

Family Reunited at Cinderella's Castle in 'GMA' Contest

Jan. 25, 2007 — Angie and Brian Davis were high school sweethearts, but fate tore them apart.

"He married someone else. I did. He had two other children. I got divorced. He ended up getting divorced," Angie said. "And we found each other again. And we've been together ever since."

Angie said that the two were soul mates with a vow to always stay together. But recently, Brian, a first sergeant in the National Guard, was called to duty.

Angie then wrote an essay to enter a "Good Morning America" contest to find a deserving family to be the first to spend the night in Cinderella's castle at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The Davis family was chosen.

"My family so deserves this trip. This year has been really hard on us and next year will be even harder," she wrote to "GMA." "Got out of high school and moved in together and had Dallas."

"My husband left June 6, 2006, for training to go to Iraq at Fort Sill, Okla.," Angie wrote. "He left for Iraq on Sept. 18, 2006, and won't be home until around September 2007."

"I was just incredibly sad, and I didn't want him to leave," she said. "And I was mainly scared because we're so close and we do everything together. And I know how much I needed him."

Davis described her three children: an 11-, 10- and 8-year-old in the essay.

"Me and my sister and Dallas, we think about him every day," said Kolton Davis, 8. "We hope he comes back alive."

In the essay, Angie also wrote how precious her husband was to her.

"You have a hole there and any function that you do together as a family, you always have that hole there. And it's Dad, and he's missing," she said.

The couple talks a couple of times a week, but it just isn't the same.

"We were talking about him coming home and he says, 'I can't wait to actually see you talk to me,'" she said, laughing. "I said, 'That will be too weird. We're gonna have to talk on our cell phones on the couch to each other.'"


"He is our biggest hero and we are so proud of him," she wrote in the letter. "Living without him during this time has taught us this but has also taught us how much we need him."

Four months ago, they said goodbye and on Wednesday, they said hello again.



"We have never been able to go on a real family vacation before and hopefully you can help make this dream of ours come true," she wrote. "Thank you, Angie Davis."
 

MickeyTigg

New Member
Who didn't see something like this coming? My family just doesn't have enough drama in to have had any chance at winning this contest.
 

durangojim

Well-Known Member
That family definately deserved that prize, but so does mine and yours and every other family that loves Disney. We all make sacrifices and try to do the best for our kids and loved ones, but it irks me a bit when someone potrays a sense of entitlement just because some bad things happen to them. Does that mean people without problems are less worthy? I guess these types of contests always bring out sob stories and someone saying that they deserve to win bugs the heck out of me.
 

cptwife80

New Member
Yeah it is nice that they won but come on what about us little people with ok lives. I wanted to at least get one thing when I was there and everytime I turned around a family had all the goodies. I wonder if they pick families that have large amounts of kids. I saw one family that had three different nationalities of kids and they had tons of fast passes and the nice mickey ears. I bet when I go again they will look past me and my DH. I just hope that when my daughter goes with my mother-in-law in March she will at least get one small item. She keeps asking me to write to them to tell them she wants to be one of the million. (she's only 6)
 

Enderikari

Well-Known Member
Let me see if I can clarify... The first night the family picked was part of a contest which involved writing an essay to see who deserved the first nights stay in Cinderella Castle.... All following nights are going to be given to a random person in one of the four Disney Parks, and that person gets to choose 5 others to stay the night if they so choose... Everyone has an equal chance, but the Good Morning America bit wasn't considered the first night of the Suite Give-Away, it was its own little thing
 

2excitedkids

New Member
you know what you are in for when you sign up for the military, come on i have good friends in the air force that gets deployed all of the time. that is your job you chose it. i do respect the military and all of the sacrifices that they make, but how about everyone else? i am sacrificing putting a new roof on my house out of tax money in order to take the kids to disney next week. i hate sob stories like on oprah and dr. phil when they give away all of this free stuff for valentines day and mother's day. the mother's day thing makes me sick, i am a mom too you know!!! the little people with no dramatic story never gets anything good for free.

sorry, that is all i will vent today - i needed that!:(
 
you know what you are in for when you sign up for the military, come on i have good friends in the air force that gets deployed all of the time. that is your job you chose it. i do respect the military and all of the sacrifices that they make, but how about everyone else? i am sacrificing putting a new roof on my house out of tax money in order to take the kids to disney next week. i hate sob stories like on oprah and dr. phil when they give away all of this free stuff for valentines day and mother's day. the mother's day thing makes me sick, i am a mom too you know!!! the little people with no dramatic story never gets anything good for free.

sorry, that is all i will vent today - i needed that!:(

To clarify things a bit, all contests are not won by military and/or their families. We are not all running around from talk show to talk show spilling out "sob stories" to win prizes. Yes, the military is a choice and you know what possibilities are there when you choose this job, but that doesn't make all the difficulties any easier. But thank you for your reasoning of that's your job,you chose it.
 

2excitedkids

New Member
i never said that only military and their families win did i? you know i have posted a few things today and everytime i say something someone is always there to say something rude like we are not free to express our opinions. i never said they were going from talk show to talk show trying to win things. i was talking about sob stories in general. they make ratings go up and that is why they are picked. not just an ordinary family with ordinary blue collared jobs that just exist to pay bills! geez people! chill out!
 
That story really made me happy until i started to read some of those posts. I lead an average life also but it brings tears to my eyes with joy when poeple deserving or not get to live out a dream like this.. If you were in the same situation as that family and won something like that would you pass it down to one of us 'normal people with no drama'? Maybe you should stop for a minute, count the blessings you do have and be happy for the family that gets to see thier dad for a while in such a magical place. just my opinion but its nice to see good things happen to people and never once would think they were undeserving just becuase i didnt get it. I feel sorry for people who go to disney only with the hopes of winning something and are so bitter when they dont (but thats a whole other thread). getting a chance to go to disney is the best gift of all even if i do have to pay for it... many people never get to experience disney at all. Im very excited for this family as i will be for every other family who wins this once in a lifetime prize...congradulations! :)
 

Laura

22
Premium Member
you know what you are in for when you sign up for the military, come on i have good friends in the air force that gets deployed all of the time. that is your job you chose it. i do respect the military and all of the sacrifices that they make, but how about everyone else?

I'm a military wife and I agree with you. My husband has been in Iraq for nearly 5 months and won't return for another 4. This is his 4th deployment in 8 years. I don't feel any more entitled to winning any sort of prizes than any other American should. We chose this career path for our family and we have a good life and shouldn't be catered to. It gets on my nerves when military families give sob stories about being separated from their loved one temporarily. What about the ones whose husbands are killed and never come home? Spare me the drama!
 

Captain Hank

Well-Known Member
For those interested in trying for one of the smaller prizes, there is an alternate method of entry:
Disney Dreams Giveaway said:
Starting on September 18, 2006, eligible participants can enter without being present in a Disney Property by writing their full name, complete mailing address (including postal code), daytime telephone number (including area code), and date of birth on a 3.5"x5" postcard and sending it with proper postage affixed to: (i) if a legal resident of the United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada or Mexico: P.O. Box 8629, Elmhurst, IL 60126; or (ii) if a legal resident of the United Kingdom: Disney Dream Giveaway, 483 Green Lanes, London N13 4BS. Participants may enter once per day during the Giveaway Period. All mail-in entries must be mailed separately, postmarked by December 31, 2007 and received by January 14, 2008 or they will be void.
 

Disneyfalcon

Well-Known Member
For those interested in trying for one of the smaller prizes, there is an alternate method of entry:

Not just smaller prizes! Mail in's can win the big ones too! I'll let you know when they call me about the vacation club!:D

This is not directed at anyone, I'm just thinking:

I'm a military wife too. I don't in any way feel entitled to things because of it. We chose this life. We have a wonderful life. BUT choosing it certainly doesn't make the sacrifices and risk easy. It's hard. Having a spouse deployed is scary. Some people need others to recognize the sacrifices they've made, some don't. But trust me it's not easy for either one.
 

fizzle75

New Member
That story really made me happy until i started to read some of those posts. I lead an average life also but it brings tears to my eyes with joy when poeple deserving or not get to live out a dream like this.. If you were in the same situation as that family and won something like that would you pass it down to one of us 'normal people with no drama'? Maybe you should stop for a minute, count the blessings you do have and be happy for the family that gets to see thier dad for a while in such a magical place. just my opinion but its nice to see good things happen to people and never once would think they were undeserving just becuase i didnt get it. I feel sorry for people who go to disney only with the hopes of winning something and are so bitter when they dont (but thats a whole other thread). getting a chance to go to disney is the best gift of all even if i do have to pay for it... many people never get to experience disney at all. Im very excited for this family as i will be for every other family who wins this once in a lifetime prize...congradulations! :)

A-M-E-N!!!:sohappy:
 
I think it's wonderful that people are getting this chance, no matter if you are rich, poor, or average, it's something that a lot of people who love Disney have dreamed of and otherwise would never get the chance to do.
 

ClemsonTigger

Naturally Grumpy
Who didn't see something like this coming? My family just doesn't have enough drama in to have had any chance at winning this contest.

While you're right, my life is not nearly so dramatic to ever qualify for this type of coverage...

....but you know....I think I'm pretty darn happy it's not. Comparing myself to what these folks have to deal with, I'm very happy to lead a boring, non-headline worthy life!!! :D
 
ooo boy. honeslty? we cant be happy for a family for just a little bit because we're all too jealous that it wasnt us? my goodness.

congratulations to the family and i hope their vacation is pure disney magic.
 

Laura

22
Premium Member
ooo boy. honeslty? we cant be happy for a family for just a little bit because we're all too jealous that it wasnt us? my goodness.

congratulations to the family and i hope their vacation is pure disney magic.

I'm not jealous. I just think that because a husband is doing his JOB doesn't mean that a family is extra special and deserving of extra amounts of pity. I think something like that should go to a family who works hard at a blue collar job and has never stayed anywhere fancier than a motel 6.

I'm a military wife and we aren't suffering in the least other than emotionally.
 

sknydave

Active Member
I don't understand how that family winning the dream vacation turns into they are extra special and deserving of extra amounts of pity? They were chosen and you guys weren't. Deal with it.

If you were chosen then that means you were shown extra amounts of pity?
 

Laura

22
Premium Member
I don't understand how that family winning the dream vacation turns into they are extra special and deserving of extra amounts of pity? They were chosen and you guys weren't. Deal with it.

If you were chosen then that means you were shown extra amounts of pity?

All of her quotes above were "woe is me" type quotes. :lol:

I'm not gonna argue it into the ground. I'm happy for any family that wins. Personally though, I'd have picked a family who would never otherwise get the chance to stay somewhere nice like that. But it wasn't my contest. :p
 

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