With the wave of a wand, dreams come true every day at Disneyland Resort, making wish children and their families feel like royalty during their special visit. Around the world, The Walt Disney Company celebrated the first ever “Disney Week of Wishes” in honor of World Wish Day, the anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish. As part of the festivities, over 170 Disney wishes were celebrated across the company the week of April 29 – including Princess wishes coming true at Disney destinations all around the world.
At Disneyland Resort, nine wish children and their families experienced a day fit for a Disney Princess with magical transformations, grand celebrations and fairy-tale fantasies!
Disney Princess dreams come true for wish children
For children that could use some magic, the presence of a Disney princess is a reminder of strength and positivity. To provide wish children and their families with the royal treatment on World Wish Day, they were greeted with special surprises at Disneyland Resort, including encounters with some of their favorite Disney royalty!
Make-A-Wish participants enjoy a Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure to start off the celebration as part of the World Wish Day.
The families’ enchanting stay began with a royal greeting — special princess themed merchandise accompanying a welcome letter from Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum. Ready for an exciting day ahead, the families took off to a Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure, where each child experienced plenty of storybook surprises, greeting their favorite princesses like Belle and Mulan before enjoying a magnificent three-course breakfast. This fanciful start to the day provided the fuel each child needed to embark on their royal day ahead.
As part of the celebration, a Make-A-Wish participant is treated to a royal transformation at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on World Wish Day.
A celebration fit for royalty
Next, their journey led them inside Disneyland park, where they solved clues and completed unique activities across Fantasyland, putting their Disney princess prowess to the test. With the help of their own Fairy Godmother’s Apprentice, the royalty-in-training then received extraordinary transformations at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, becoming their very own princesses, princes and knights!
As the conclusion of the day’s event, each Make-A-Wish participant was introduced as royalty during a magical procession in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle with their favorite characters.
Pampered to perfection with special hairstyles and costumes, the children then journeyed over to Sleeping Beauty Castle for a magical procession to debut their new looks. Cheered on by their family members, guests and cast members alike, each child was formally introduced as royalty by Jada Young, a Disney Ambassador of Disneyland Resort while being escorted through the castle with a favorite Disney Princesses or character — the picture-perfect end to a magical morning!
A Make-A-Wish child poses for a royal photoshoot in Disneyland park following her princess transformation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on World Wish Day.
Nearly 45 years of bringing wishes to life with Make-A-Wish
For nearly 45 years, Disney and Make-A-Wish have brought hope to children facing critical illnesses, inspiring happiness with the power of Disney stories in moments when it’s needed most. Since the very first official wish was granted at Disneyland Resort, Disney has helped fulfill over 165,000 wishes globally, making the company the world’s largest wish granter for Make-A-Wish. Celebrating 70 years of happiness, Disneyland Resort is honored to continue providing joy to wish children across the world, bringing families together in ways that only Disney can.
To learn more about Disney’s work with Make-A-Wish and other princess wishes being granted this week – like at Walt Disney World’s Royal Ball, visit wish.org/Disney and the Disney Parks Blog.