Ben's wish/dream/fantasy-come-true started early in the morning when we first saw the super-stretch limo pulling up in front of our house. My wife Shari, my son Ben, 12, my daughters Jen, 13, and Carly, 9, and I were driven to the Philadelphia International Airport. I tried to tip the limo driver, but he refused. Then some US Airways Make-A-Wish volunteers grabbed our suitcases and put the tags on for us, checking our bags and saving us the hassle.

Next, the volunteers escorted us around the airport. We had free breakfast at Olde City Deli. Ben was given a stuffed animal US Airways pilot bear. We were taken up to the US Airways exclusive club. Some of the women working for the airline asked for Ben's autograph. Our seating was bumped up from coach to first class. We were met by the plane's pilot and were allowed onto the plane before anybody else. Ben and his two sisters tried out the pilot's seats in the cockpit. (I told them to please not push any buttons!)

Our flight was really cool. For a family that never traveled further west than Punxsutawney, PA, we were suddenly flying across the country. We saw the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. At the end of the flight, Ben was given the flight data as a souvenir.

At the Los Angeles airport ("LAX"), we were greeted by a smiling Make-A-Wish volunteer - Marguerite Lally. She escorted us on the bus to Avis. There was a white Windstar waiting for us, filled with balloons and a radio controlled car for Ben.

Next, we followed Marguerite to our hotel - the Sheraton Universal. We had a 10th floor room with a gorgeous view, and a basket of fruit, water, milk and cookies waiting for us in the room. We said goodbye to Marguerite

Ben was last to be fitted, since he was taller than they had expected, and someone had to be sent out to Nordstrom's to bring back his clothes. They returned with two suits - a Calvin Kline and a Perry Ellis. Genevieve Tyrrell, the costume designer for Freaky Friday, set Ben up with the Perry Ellis suit, a handmade silk Italian tie, a Nordstrom's shirt, leather shoes and leather belt. Later we found out that Ben would keep this outfit!

Early Friday morning, we met up with the other wish families in the hotel lobby. Outside there were four black stretch limos waiting for us! The wish children piled into one of the limos. The ride to the filming warehouse added to our royal treatment - being in part of a caravan of limos was really awesome! At one point, the wish kids popped their heads out of the sunroof of their limo.

We arrived at the warehouse. There was a long line of star trailers parked on one side of the huge building. Ben and our family were given the exclusive use of half of one of those trailers, for the entire day. We had our own set of steps to a door with "Benjamin Feder" on the door, which led to an air conditioned room, complete with a bathroom, TV/VCR, radio, refrigerator, sofa, and vanity.

Our day at this warehouse began with a catered breakfast, served both in the cafeteria, and from a truck outside the cafeteria. This is where we first met Jamie Lee Curtis! She was very friendly, gave Ben a big hug and pat on the back, autographed his tee-shirt upon request, and even jokingly stole some Apple Jacks right out of the bowl of cereal that he was eating. She has a great sense of humor and was very kind to all of us, stopping by frequently to talk with us. She played the part of the mother in "Freaky Friday."

Another kind actor was Mark Harmon, playing Jamie Lee's fiancé in the movie. He stopped by often to talk with us as well. We also met actress Lindsay Lohan, who plays the daughter in the movie, Chad M. Murray, who plays the boyfriend, Ryan Malgarini, who plays the little brother, Christina Vidal and Haley Hudson, who play the friends, as well as other actors and actresses who played lesser parts. Ben and Ryan had fun hanging out together between takes. We also met Director Mark Waters, Producer Andrew Gunn, and First Assistant director Benjamin Rosenberg.

Ben had to attend a class in one of the trailers, for three hours, as per California law. He was in the same class as the other three Make-A-Wish kids, as well as Lindsay Lohan and Ryan Malgarini. He actually got a report card from that teacher.

Ben's part in the movie was this: there was a wedding rehearsal scene shot in a fake restaurant, which was also inside that same warehouse. During that scene, Ben and the three other Make-A-Wish kids, as well as Ryan Malgarini, pretended they were sneaking out of the rehearsal, by running out of the "restaurant" through a door. As they ran out, two of the actresses, Christina Vidal and Haley Hudson, entered the scene by walking in through the same door, at the same time. We were told that was a filming trick to decrease the chance that their scene would be cut from the film.

That small part of the film, which also included Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Harmon and Lindsay Lohan, took only a few seconds, but was repeated over, and over, and over again. The entire day consisted of that one scene being shot repeatedly so that the director could later choose which "take" to use in the film. Now we can appreciate the amount of effort that goes into each second of a film. We'll never look at a movie the same again!

The day of the shooting was Jamie Lee Curtis's birthday. At one point, all of the cast sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and had Ben and the other Make-A-Wish kids blow out the candles on her cake. She told them to "Make a wish." We all helped eat the cake. Also, at one point earlier that day, Ben and the other kids were in Jamie's trailer, helping her eat a previous birthday cake. For part of the day before the filming started, Jamie walked around with balloons tied around her head. She let me take a funny picture of her wearing the balloons and carrying a couple plates of food.

Later that day, Jamie surprised everybody on the set by buying them a ping pong table to use during breaks. Ben and Jamie were the first people to try out the new table.

During the filming, each wish child was given an authentic director's chair with their full name printed on the back strap. Disney Federal Expressed Ben his director's chair, complete with autographs on that strap, by the director and actors and actresses. He also got in the mail, a video that was made, which included Ben and the other Make-A-Wish kids at both the wardrobe and filming warehouses.

That silent role in the movie, which lasted only a few seconds, meant the world to Ben and the rest of us. It was an opportunity to travel much further than we had ever traveled before. We met famous people. We visited Universal Studios. We got to see how a movie is made. And Ben got to join the immortals in celluloid.

We'd like to thank the Make-A-Wish foundation, Disney Studios and Disney Worldwide Outreach, US Airways, and all of the wonderful people involved who helped make Ben's dream come true. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us.