For more than 40 years, Disney and Make-A-Wish have worked together to grant more than 150,000 wishes, and as part of World Princess Week, Walt Disney World hosted one of their biggest wish-granting events ever.
What’s Happening:
- World Princess Week has been a celebration of royal proportions at Disney destinations around the world as they celebrated the timeless magic and beloved storytelling of Disney princesses. It was an extra special week at Walt Disney World as they welcomed more than 50 incredible wish kids and their families from organizations like Make-A-Wish for our largest wish-granting event ever, the “Once Upon A Wish Party.“
- Wishes are powerful, transformative experiences for children facing critical illnesses, and granting wishes is an enormous honor taken very seriously by Disney as the largest wish granter in the world for Make-A-Wish. In fact, one out of every two wishes granted in the U.S. through Make-A-Wish has been a Disney wish.
- Many of those wishes are to meet a Disney Princess and Walt Disney World wanted to find a unique way to make these greetings even more special. So, with the help of the Fairy Godmother, cast members across the company worked together to dream up a full-day affair filled with fun fairytale adventures.
- Wish kids were proclaimed royalty for the day, had a tea party in Wonderland, met more than 30 iconic Disney characters and danced the night away at a Royal Ball. Alongside an array of books from Disney Publishing, shopDisney delivered an extra dose of magic and surprised families with Disney Princess dresses, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse ear headbands, wands, tiaras … and so much more
- Every second of this event was pure magic, including Mikayla’s wish come true, the 150,000th Disney wish granted through Make-A-Wish. Mikayla is a 17-year-old from Palm Beach Gardens who began her battle fighting cancer three years ago. She wished to perform at Disney, and that wish came true in a royal way when she took the stage during the ball for a special singing performance alongside Belle and The Beast from Beauty and the Beast.
What They’re Saying:
- Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products: “Granting wishes is some of the most important work that we do at Disney. We’re humbled that so many wish kids choose Disney – it’s an honor, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. It tells us what our brand and the Disney experience mean to people.”
- Leslie Motter, Make-A-Wish America President & CEO: “As the number one wish granter for our organization, Disney is helping deliver joy when it’s needed most. Through their stories and characters, Disney is creating unforgettable wish experiences that renew hope and uplift the spirits of children facing critical illnesses and their families.”
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