The Disney Parks have always been places where dreams come true -- you have only to look at the smiles on Guests' faces to know it. Any theme park offers food, thrills, and fun, but Guests at Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort get to experience what's been called "the Disney difference": the unfailing friendliness and attention to detail that makes people not mere "visitors," but very welcome Guests. But during one very special time, starting on October 1, 2006, and continuing until December 31, 2007, almost anything can happen -- and it will. During The Year of a Million Dreams, Guests at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort will find whole new ways to smile.

Suddenly you are not watching a parade, you are IN the parade. Not only do you see a princess, you BECOME a princess. Or a pirate. It's imagination in full-force. Make believe, made real.

It's all part of a day's work for the Disney Cast who will roam the Resorts literally making wishes come true. During the Disney Dreams Giveaway* promotion over a million extra-special dreams, some thought impossible, will be randomly awarded. A Cast Member might tap you on the shoulder and announce that you've been invited as a special guest to enjoy...

But can the Disney Resorts possibly deliver a million dreams? Yes indeed -- a million and a quarter, in fact! Carrie Schoen and Steven Ruffner told us what to expect and what it's been like bringing this unique event to life.

To begin with, preparing the Cast Members at the Resorts for the event has been a long -- but exciting -- process.

"We're breaking new ground and to be part of it is amazing," says Steven. "We're in training right now, and the electricity in the room is just out of control. It's so fun to be a part of this!

"Every Cast Member will go through some level of training, depending on how much they interact with Guests. We are going through the most intensive training -- but every single person in our entire Resort has gone through some sort of training."

Carrie adds, "The energy created at the resort is so exciting. The interesting thing for me was going around the room on our first day of training and hearing all our Cast's magical moments, and I'd have to say that 80% of them involved their own childhood, visiting Walt Disney World with their families or watching Walt on TV. And to know that we're contributing to that legacy. Our families and families around the world -- we're keeping that heritage alive."

Of all the dreams to be randomly awarded, one of the most beguiling is the chance to stay at the new Cinderella Castle Suite at the Magic Kingdom Park, and the Mickey Mouse Penthouse at Disneyland Resort. Steve and Carrie have seen pictures, and they promise us that both destinations are spectacular -- custom-built to fulfill any Disney-lover's wildest wishes.

Both Cast Members say that "The Year of a Million Dreams" has personal meaning for them, because Disney has been a part of their own childhood dreams come true. For Steve, it was visiting Disneyland Resort on a picnic with his fellow altar boys -- "I still remember sitting there with my buddies mapping out what we were going to go to first, what attractions we were going to ride. I will always remember how much we wanted to maximize every second we were in the Park!" And for Carrie, it was a special family event. "We came to Walt Disney World the year I finished high school. I was 17. And seeing my mother's face when she got on "it's a small world," because she remembered it from the world's fair. She kept talking about it the whole trip down and was so excited to see it -- she virtually turned into a little kid in front of me. And that's when I realized it was so much more than an amusement park. That's my magical moment!"

That moment is one of untold thousands that occur at the Resorts every year -- and this year will bring that magic to life in ways that we have only dreamed of in the past.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the Disney Dreams Giveaway. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Open only to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C., Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico & UK. Void elsewhere and where prohibited. Giveaway runs October 1, 2006 - December 31, 2007 (mail-in entries postmarked starting September 18, 2006 & received by January 14, 2008, on 3.5x5 postcard with complete name, address, daytime phone #, birth date and proper postage sent to PO Box 8629, Elmhurst, IL 60126 USA). UK residents only mail to 483 Green Lanes, London N13 4BS. Castle Suite stay will be awarded most days starting January 25, 2007. It will likely be awarded early in the day for a stay that night and is only available to eligible participants at the Parks and Downtown Disney® area in Florida. DREAM FASTPASS badge is only awarded at certain Theme Parks for use that day. Mail-in winners of Castle Suite stay and DREAM FASTPASS badge will receive a prize of comparable value. Approximate retail value of prizes advertised: Castle Suite stay US $587, DREAM FASTPASS badge US $5, Grand Marshal World Tour US $45,370. Prizes range in value from US $3.83 to US $83,701. All prize awards are subject to verification. Odds of winning on a given day depend on the number of eligible participants at a selected location or within the mail-in entry pool for the time or date (as applicable) selected. Subject to Official Rules (see disneyparks.com/rules). Sponsor: Magic Kingdom Productions, Inc., PO Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830.

For residents of Canada, a mathematical skill-testing question must be correctly answered to win any prize.