Published: June 23, 2024
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (June 22, 2024) – The 2024 Department of Defense Warrior Games officially began at Walt Disney World Resort this weekend with a private Welcome Event for athletes and families at Magic Kingdom Park on Friday night followed by a special Kick Off Event at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Saturday night.
Welcome Event at Magic Kingdom Park
At the Friday night event, Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle welcomed the athletes and their families back to The Most Magical Place On Earth, his words reflecting Disney’s enduring tradition of supporting military heroes and their families. The Walt Disney Company is a leader in hiring, training and supporting military veterans with the Heroes Work Here initiative, the Heroes Supply Here program and Disney’s Veterans Institute.
The athletes and their families also got to meet some of their favorite Disney characters and experience many of Magic Kingdom Park’s most popular attractions, such as TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The highlight of the night was an emotional, extended rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner performed by Jackie Isham in front of Cinderella Castle lit up with red, white and blue projections of the stars and stripes.
Kick Off Event at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
The festivities continued Saturday night with the official Kick Off Event and lighting of the 2024 Warrior Games cauldron at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. More than 200 athletes from the United States Armed Forces and the Australian Defence Force gathered at AdventHealth Arena to mark the start of the games.
The event included a parade of athletes, a heartfelt welcome from Walt Disney World Senior Vice President of Operations Maribeth Bisienere and other speakers and entertainment produced by Disney and the Department of Defense. ABC News correspondent and U.S. Army Reserve Major Stephanie Ramos hosted the event setting the stage for nine days of competition showcasing the indominable spirit of the athletes and the mission of the games to help wounded, ill and injured active duty and veteran military service members in their recovery.