Celebrating Disney Week of Wishes Across Disney Experiences

During Disney Week of Wishes, we’re celebrating the extraordinary power of a wish — and the incredible Make-A-Wish kids who inspire us every single day.

All week long, Disney Experiences around the world are coming together with Make-A-Wish to help make wishes come true for children facing critical illnesses. This page will be updated throughout the week with stories of courage, happiness, and imagination as Make-A-Wish kids and their families experience unforgettable moments across Disney Parks, resorts, and beyond.

Since the first official wish was granted at Disneyland 45 years ago, Disney has worked with Make-A-Wish to grant more than 175,000 life-changing wishes around the world.  Whether they’re stepping into immersive adventures, meeting beloved characters, or seeing their biggest dreams come to life, each wish is a powerful reminder that true heroism is found in bravery, hope, and heart.

Check back all week long as we continue to share new stories from around the globe, each one celebrating the magic that happens when a wish comes true.

Meet 5-year-old Lilo, a Make-A-Wish kid who wished to meet Princess Cinderella at Disneyland Resort.

But, Lilo and her family’s connection to Disney began way before her wish was granted. Back in December, Disney threw a holiday party featuring a character visit from Stitch, a Zootopia 2 movie party and screening at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. There, we met Lilo and her family of Disney super fans. (That’s right, Lilo was named after Disney’s Lilo and Stitch.)

As soon as we learned about Lilo’s wish to visit Disneyland and meet Princess Cinderella, we knew we had to make it special for them.

Flash forward a few months, and it was time to make Lilo’s wish come true! Wish granting is at the core of what we do at Disney – bringing joy to kids when it’s needed most. These efforts wouldn’t be possible without the thousands of Disney cast members and employees who go above and beyond to create extraordinary experiences for the kids. In fact, many cast members are wish-granting volunteers, parents of wish kids, or even wish alumni themselves. 

Their passion for Make-A-Wish was on display when Lilo and her family arrived at Disneyland park, before it opened, and were welcomed by 158 Disneyland Resort cast members lining Main Street, U.S.A. to give them the royal reception they deserve. The magic didn’t end there. Once inside the park, Fairy Godmother made a surprise appearance, arriving inside Cinderella’s royal coach. After giving Lilo the biggest hug, she helped her into the coach for an early morning story time.

Lilo later experienced the full princess treatment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where she got her hair and makeup done by a Fairy Godmother’s Apprentice while donning her favorite Disney Princess’s dress – Cinderella. After her magical princess makeover, Lilo’s wish came true when she got her very own experience with Cinderella.

From witnessing the joy Disney brought Lilo in the hospital to seeing her face light up with pure giddiness when her wish to meet Cinderella finally came true, it was so special for Disney to be part of this full circle moment with Lilo and her family.

Disney Week of Wishes also provides a meaningful opportunity to engage cast members and employees around the world in supporting wish families. During this year’s celebratory week, Disney VoluntEARS will assemble more than 10,000 wish kits, which will be distributed to Make-A-Wish chapters across the U.S.

Each kit marks a special moment for families, creating joy and excitement as they learn their wishes are about to come true. They include wish trip travel essentials, like a luggage tag, memory book, and more!

This effort is part of a nationwide initiative, with Disney cast members and employees from California and Hawaii to New York uniting this week to assemble the kits.

The series of VoluntEARS projects kicked off at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, and today, around 100 Florida-based Disney cast members gathered to continue the momentum, packing 2,500 wish-granting kits to help bring a little magic to the Make-A-Wish families.

In honor of Disney Week of Wishes, Walt Disney World recently rededicated the newly reimagined Wish Lounge at Magic Kingdom, a special space reserved exclusively for Make‑A‑Wish families to rest, recharge, and spend time together during their visit.

At the center of the rededication celebration was Paxton – 6 years old, with a wish to visit Walt Disney World. He stood alongside his family, Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum, Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle, and cast member and former Make-A-Wish kid Abigail to celebrate the magic the lounge will create for all of the wish families to come.

The moment became even more special when Paxton’s favorite characters, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, surprised the group, turning the celebration into an unforgettable memory.

Cast member Abigail, whose own wish trip brought her to Walt Disney World over a decade ago, first visited the Wish Lounge during her wish. After experiencing the lasting impact of her own trip, she knows how life-changing a Disney wish can be for kids with critical illnesses.

Today, Abigail creates that magic herself and helps bring wish‑granting moments to life for other families as part of the more than 7,000 wishes granted at the resort each year.

“As part of the entertainment team, I help kids and their families meet their favorite characters,” said Abigail. “It’s so special to be able to do that because that’s what the cast members did for me on my Make-A-Wish trip. So it really is a full-circle moment.”

Recently refreshed with new artwork and thoughtful design details inspired by wish‑granting moments from beloved Disney stories, the Wish Lounge reflects the heart of a Disney wish, offering families a quiet, welcoming retreat during a day full of magic.

Now open to wish families from around the world, the newly reimagined Wish Lounge stands as a place of comfort, hope, and joy, and a meaningful reminder of the impact wishes have every single day at Walt Disney World.

Stay tuned throughout Disney Week of Wishes as we share more inspiring stories of wishes come true!