Disney and Make-A-Wish Team Up For Wishes of a Lifetime

For almost 100 years, Disney has proclaimed a message that there is power that comes with wishes. On Sunday during the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products panel at the D23 Expo this was shown in another way. This was done as the panel came to a conclusion and the CEO of Make-A-Wish was invited to the stage to kick off a very touching segment.

The first Make-A-Wish was granted at the Disneyland Resort in 1980. Since then, Disney and Make-A-Wish have granted 130,000 wishes together. Some of the kids who were granted wishes were on hand during this segment.

“Our cast members take such tremendous pride in making every Disney wish experience as unforgettable as possible for kids and their families,” said Bob Chapek. “Wish-granting is such an important part of who we are at Disney, and why we take the responsibility so seriously.”

“The powerful relationship between Make-A-Wish and Disney goes back to the very beginning of our organization, and has only continued to grow,” said Richard Davis, CEO of Make-A-Wish. “Disney is the largest wish-granter on Earth, and we’re thankful for everyone who brings magic to life by supporting our organization and making wishes come true.”

The wish-granting that Disney does is a part of the Disney Team of Heroes initiative. The initiative aims to bring comfort & inspiration to families of children dealing with serious injuries. With nearly four decades of partnership between Disney and Make-A-Wish, the partnership continues to thrive and will continue to help more people in the future.

Following the segment, Mr. DAPs interviewed one of the Make-A-Wish kids on stage, Violet, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer at six months old. Violet wished to meet Mickey Mouse and her wish was able to come true thanks to Make-A-Wish. The magical Make-A-Wish moments she had at Disneyland with Mickey Mouse and the gang created so much joy in her life to counter the trials.

What do you think of this Make-A-Wish segment and clip? Share your thoughts in the comments below!