Star Tours Brings Lucky Family To The Castle Suite

by Chris January 31, 2007

The Fouch family of DeWitt, a small town near Michigan’s state capital, Lansing, gained the key to the brand-new Cinderella Castle Suite Thursday during “The Year of a Million Dreams,” a Disney spectacular celebrating the dreams of Guests at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California.

Jim and Lisa Fouch and their children, Brad and Hannah, were to spend Thursday night in the regal dwelling place â€“ a resort so exclusive that there’s only one room available and no reservations accepted â€“ through the Disney Dreams Giveaway, which awards extra-special dreams through a random process. Now, nearly every night for the remainder of 2007, another eligible lucky Guest will win a similar stay.

Like the Fouch family, they’ll be honored in a special ceremony, dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table restaurant and bed down for the night amid the splendor of Cinderella Castle Suite some four stories above the surrounding Magic Kingdom â€“ a salon, bedchamber and bathroom off of a private marble-floored foyer, all replete with rich details. The Suite was created from unused space within the Magic Kingdom landmark once envisioned as in-park living quarters for members of the Disney family.

The Fouches became the recipients of the opportunity to become honorary Disney royalty for a day and night because 16-year-old Brad Fouch was sitting in seat eight in the second row of Simulator 4 of the Disney-MGM Studios’ Star Tours attraction at 9:50 a.m. Thursday. That was the randomly selected location and time determined by the Disney Dreams Giveaway computer to award the Cinderella Castle stay.

“I was thinking I had the bad seat because I was sitting on the end,” Brad said. “It’s like a dream,” Lisa exclaimed. Hannah added, “This is a dream come true!”

And indeed, for Hannah, who was celebrating her eighth birthday Thursday, it was. Before the vacation to Walt Disney World Resort, she had seen a Disney commercial in which Cinderella dances with a little “princess” and told her mom, “That’s what I want to do!”

Winning the night in Cinderella Castle Suite marked the second bit of good fortune Thursday for the Fouch family. As they entered Star Tours, they won Dream FastPass badges that would allow them to bypass standby queues at a variety of Disney-MGM Studios attractions and shows during the day.

“I never win anything!” Lisa Fouch said afterward. “Mom, you can never say that again,” Brad responded.

For the first time, Disney is awarding more than a million Disney dreams large and small â€“ including many money-can’t-buy experiences such as a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite â€“ to eligible Guests and mail-in participants selected through a random process as part of the unique Disney Dreams Giveaway. During the celebration that continues throughout 2007, guests will be recipients of Disney dreams such as unique Disney vacation experiences, admission to special events in the Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks, a Dream FastPass badge to enjoy some of Disney’s most popular attractions, exclusive pin and lanyard sets, and traveling to each Disney resort around the world to serve as grand marshal in a Disney parade.