World Princess Week (August 20–26, 2023) was an event of royal proportions at our destinations around the world as we celebrated the timeless magic and beloved storytelling of Disney princesses.
At Walt Disney World, it was an extra special week as we welcomed more than 50 incredible wish kids and their families from organizations like Make-A-Wish for our largest wish-granting event ever, our very first Once Upon A Wish Party!
Disney and Make-A-Wish: A Magical Partnership
“Granting wishes is some of the most important work that we do at Disney,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “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.”
We know wishes are powerful, transformative experiences for children facing critical illnesses. Granting wishes is an enormous privilege for us here at Disney. After all, Disney is the largest wish granter in the world for Make-A-Wish! In fact, one out of every two wishes granted to a wish kid in the U.S. through Make-A-Wish has been a Disney wish.
Once Upon A Wish Party Grants Disney Princess Wishes
Many Disney wishes are to meet a Disney Princess. For our wish kids at Disney World Princess Week, we wanted to find a unique way to make meeting a Disney Princess even more special.
With the help of the Fairy Godmother, cast members across the company worked together to dream up an enchanting Once Upon a Wish Party, a full-day princess-themed affair filled with fun fairytale adventures.
Wish Kids Were Royalty at the Magical Once Upon a Wish Party
For our Once Upon a Wish Party, 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, our friends at shopDisney delivered an extra sprinkling of magic. They surprised families with Disney Princess dresses, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse ear headbands, wands, tiaras and so much more. Take a look at the best day ever!
Disney World Princess Week Hosts 150,000th Disney Wish
Every second of our Once Upon a Wish Party was pure magic, and I haven’t stopped smiling since.
One of my favorite parts was seeing Mikayla’s wish come true, our 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.
Mikayla’s wish was to perform at Disney. That wish came true in a royal way! She took the stage during the Royal Ball for a special singing performance alongside Belle and The Beast from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”
Disney and Make-A-Wish: 40 Years of Unforgettable Experiences
We’ve been granting wishes alongside our friends at Make-A-Wish for more than 40 years now, and it’s one of the traditions I’m most proud of.
“As the number one wish granter for our organization, Disney is helping deliver joy when it’s needed most,” said Leslie Motter, Make-A-Wish America President & CEO. “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.”
Learn more ways Disney creates magic with Make-A-Wish, such as recent events at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, at Wish.org/Disney.
Comments
Nice recap, but wasn’t it a bit confusing for some guests on meeting two different Ariels?
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