On February 20th, the Bert’s Big Adventure crew were wheels-up for the 18th annual journey to Walt Disney World. As part of the yearly tradition, the send-off party was full of excitement as The Bert Show unveiled multiple surprises to the families during their live broadcast at the Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel.

Some of the surprises included – a 3-night trip to the Atlantis graciously gifted by our sweet buds at the Atlantis and OneDigital (Chubbie’s added matching family swimsuits to seal the deal)! Our amazing friends at GasSouth donated travel expenses for one of our families to finally meet the woman who saved #BBA2020 kiddo, Maylee’s life – her Stem Cell donor, Ms. Ann! As if the Georgia Garrison 501st didn’t already do so much for our kiddos, they went over the top to make #BBA2020 kiddo, Jimmy, an authentic and soon-to-be inducted Storm Trooper!

As a very special surprise, #BBA2020 kiddos Eli and Kade had their dreams of being  an official family of six realized! Georgia’s Own Credit Union generously covered all adoption expenses to surprise their step-father Andrew with the news that he would soon be their legal father! Because a celebration would be required to commemorate such a happy day, RBM of Alpharetta treated this awesome family to an all-inclusive VIP experience at The Mercedes-Benz Gullwing Club, the most exclusive club in the stadium! To make the day even more memorable, Angie Blank will be escorting the family on the field before kick-off for the coin toss and making them official Atlanta Falcons!

Following the send-off party, Fur Bus shuttled the families to a private airplane hangar where they boarded a chartered flight courtesy of Endeavor Air to Walt Disney World. The kiddos were spoiled in flight as Endeavor Air created custom VIP boarding passing, decorated the cabin of the airplane in Disney decor and served lunch and desserts with big smiles!

Upon arrival at the happiest place on earth, the families checked in to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for a couple of hours of much-needed rest before our first night in the parks. We met back up to head out for a delicious dinner at Epcot’s Spaceship Earth Lounge with our buds, Mickey and Minnie! After dinner, we had a dessert party behind VIP ropes in Mexico while enjoying an epic fireworks display. We concluded a truly amazing day with an after-hours ride of Soarin!

A HUGE thank you to so many of our amazing vendors and sponsors for making this day so special for everyone! Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel,Holland Musico at Balloonacy, Carter’s Charitable Foundation, Q997, Jyl Craven Hair Design, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Dunkin’ Donuts, Yvonne Monet Events, Jumptastic, Zaxby’s, Cindy Powers and many more! In addition, we owe our sincerest gratitude to our sweet friends at Dentistry for Children and Family Orthodontics, who surprised each of our Atlanta and Charleston families with a gift certificate for free braces!

And a special thank you to Endeavor Air for sponsoring our chartered flight to Walt Disney World! Endeavor Air went up, up and away to make this day so memorable for our families!

Last but never least, thanks to our photographers, including Sarah Esther Photography, Cassandra Young Photography, Monarch Studio and Dash Photography. Thank you to Troika Studio for capturing these magical moments on video!

Make sure to follow all of the magical moments as they happen with the hashtag #BBA2020 and #MagicalMoments, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

Remember, we couldn’t do all of this without you! We’re asking our supporters to give just $5 or more! Every dollar you donate to Bert’s Big Adventure between now and the end of February will be matched by our buds at Zaxby’s. $5 from you + $5 from Zaxby’s = $10 that can truly make a difference in the lives of these very deserving children. Please donate today.

In case you didn’t hear, Bert revealed that Little Nas X would be surprising the kiddos with a private performance and meet and greet at some point throughout the trip, BUT when and where will he show up?! Stay tuned! Tomorrow – more magic awaits…