Florida Senators have proposed that a specialty Florida license plate benefiting Give Kids The World be rethemed to Universal Orlando Resort for a better chance at meeting a minimum preorder threshold.

In a proposed amendment, Florida’s Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy has recommended that the Give Kids The World specialty license plate would instead feature artwork for Universal Orlando Resort. The proceeds from the sales of the license plates would still benefit the Give Kids The World Village, but the change would hopefully drum up more interest for the specialty plates.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles requires a minimum of 3,000 presale vouchers to be purchased before minting the specialty plates. As of March 13, 2023, the proposed Give Kids The World specialty plate has only sold 107 presale vouchers to Florida drivers. According to the DHSMV, the plate has until October 15, 2024, to meet the presale requirement. The presale vouchers are available to Florida residents for $35 each.

In 2020, the DHSMV was authorized to create a “Give Kids the World” specialty license plate. Above, the conceptual Give Kids The World license plate features the Give Kids The World Village logo on the left third. In hopes of raising interest, the plate will be rethemed to feature Universal Orlando Resort instead.

The annual use fees from the sale of the plate are distributed to Give Kids the World, which may use up to ten percent of proceeds to promote and market the plate. The remainder of the proceeds must be used to support the organization’s mission of providing week-long, cost-free vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families.

Here’s a full look at the mark-up of the proposed amendment that will retheme the GKTW specialty license plate to Universal Orlando Resort:

(107) UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT GIVE KIDS THE WORLD LICENSE PLATES.—

(a) The department shall develop a Universal Orlando Resort Give Kids The World license plate as provided in this section and s. 320.08053. The plate must bear the colors and design approved by the department. The word “Florida” must appear at the top of the plate, and the words “Universal Orlando Resort” “Give Kids The World” must appear at the bottom of the plate.

(b)The annual use fees from the sale of the plate must shall be distributed to Give Kids The World, Inc., a nonprofit organization under s. 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Up to 10 percent of the proceeds may be used for the promotion and marketing of the plate. The remainder of the proceeds must shall be used by Give Kids The World, Inc., to support the organization’s mission their mission of providing week-long, cost-free vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families.

Representatives from Give Kids The World welcome the change to the specialty license plates and hope that the Universal Orlando Resort retheme will help to gather enough support for the specialty license plates to meet the required threshold. The organization, of course, cannot benefit until at least 3,000 presale vouchers have been sold.

Give Kids The World Village was established in 1986 as a place for terminally ill children and their families to stay and play when visiting Walt Disney World Resort and other Orlando destinations. They provide week-long stays to families of critically ill children at no cost and are run entirely non-profit. Everything from meals, to transportation, to theme park tickets are included during their stay at one of their villas.

Florida car owners can purchase a voucher for the specialty plates through their local County Tax Collector’s Offices (in person or online) or license plate agencies (DMVs) across the State of Florida. 

Walt Disney World Make-A-Wish License Plates

In addition to the Give Kids The World Specialty License Plates, Walt Disney World Specialty License Plates are also in production for Florida drivers, with 100 percent of their proceeds benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Through the sale of limited-edition commemorative 50th Anniversary license plates, the Walt Disney World Resort has been able to raise more than $1.5 million for Make-A-Wish of Central and Northern Florida.

The specialty EARidescent license plates were first announced as Walt Disney World’s first-ever specialty license plate in March 2021. The commemorative design features the “EARidescent” 50th-anniversary castle logo on a majestic royal blue background. Inspired by the color scheme of Cinderella Castle, this magical plate features the Walt Disney World logo displayed at the bottom of the plate and “Florida” printed at the top in gold.

More than 3,500 of the 50th Anniversary License Plates were sold in less than a week of presales. Since sales of the commemorative plate went live, more than 30,000 Florida drivers have begun sporting the 50th Anniversary license plate. Disney has donated 100% of the $1.5 million in proceeds to date to Make-A-Wish of Central and Northern Florida.

Florida car owners still have a chance to get the specialty 50th Anniversary plates through their local County Tax Collector’s Offices (in person or online) or license plate agencies (DMVs) across the State of Florida.   A fresh, new design featuring Cinderella Castle is expected to replace the 50th Anniversary edition this summer, but Walt Disney World will continue to donate all proceeds to Make-A-Wish.

Will you be sporting a new “Universal Orlando Resort” license plate to support Give Kids The World? Let us know what you think about these in the comments below!

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