For nearly 70 years, Disneyland Resort has been a source of happiness and inspiration to the world. That same mission inspires the resort’s efforts in the community to bring joy to the lives of families across Orange County and beyond. Take a look at some of the ways we made an impact in 2024.
Making wishes come true is in our DNA
Did you know? Since the very first official wish was granted at Disneyland Resort, The Walt Disney Company has helped fulfill more than 160,000 wishes globally with Make-A-Wish. This year, Disneyland Resort continued to make dreams come true, fulfilling over 570 wishes for children with critical illnesses. 2024 marked the first-ever, multi-day Star Wars-themed wish event, Blaze Your Path: A Star Wars Adventure, for 19 wish children and their families — a unique and immersive experience full of special Star Wars surprises and Disney magic.
Cast members make magic beyond our theme parks
Our cast members create happiness every day, both at Disneyland Resort and throughout the community. In 2024, cast members contributed over 33,000 hours to the local community through Disney VoluntEARS, the volunteer program that originally started at Disneyland by cast members who had a passion for making a positive impact. These magic makers dedicated this time to serving the City of Anaheim and beyond with events like food distributions, military care kit donations, back-to-school supply drives and more!
Creating happiness with CHOC
As Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024, Disneyland Resort was proud to continue its longstanding support of the hospital in a variety of ways, including the beloved annual fundraiser, CHOC Walk in the Park. This year, the event raised over $2.3 million for CHOC Children’s thanks to support from cast and community members, providing unwavering support for children’s health and well-being.
Saluting our service members overseas
During National Veterans and Military Families Month, Disney VoluntEARS came together to bring a token of appreciation to deployed service members overseas. Cast members, including members of the SALUTE Business Employee Resource Group (BERG), packed over 2,000 USO care kits to send to U.S. service members around the world.
Uplifting the workforce of tomorrow
Disneyland Resort is committed to making a difference by empowering jobseekers in Orange County through its Community Workforce Development Initiative, collaborating annually with school districts and nonprofits that serve a diverse set of community needs. In 2024, the resort hosted over 80 workforce development sessions for Anaheim nonprofits and school districts, helping to develop and prepare the workforce of tomorrow. Disneyland Resort further provided over $1 million in workforce development grants to 11 organizations, including two newly supported Anaheim-based organizations, Caterina’s Club and Love Anaheim.
Anaheim elementary students set up for a successful school year
To ensure Anaheim students started the school year off right, Disneyland Resort cast members worked hand in hand to donate over 8,000 new school supplies to local elementary schools, everything from colored pencils to spiral notebooks. Thanks to Disney VoluntEARS, over 700 Anaheim elementary students were prepared to head back to class and ace the school year.
Spreading holiday cheer
2024 marked another year of spreading holiday cheer with the Disney Ultimate Toy Drive in support of the Marine Toys for Tots program! In line with the spirit of the season, Disneyland Resort cast members and guests came together to collect over 17,000 toys to be donated to children in need. Thanks to the work of our guests and magic makers, this holiday season was much merrier and brighter for children in the community.
At Disneyland Resort, we are committed to honoring the magic and legacy of The Walt Disney Company by bringing happiness, inspiration and opportunities to youth and families in our community. We look forward to the joy we will create in 2025!