As part of its annual celebration of a partnership with Make-A-Wish, Disney has unveiled the reimagined Wish Lounge for families and a brand new, heartwarming ad spot.
Disney Week of Wishes, celebrated April 25-May 1, highlights the important relationship between Disney and Make-A-Wish. They have been partners since 1980 and have granted wishes for over 175,000 children. Disney is the largest wish-granter for the organization, “granting a wish every hour of the day,” according to Make-A-Wish.
The Wish Lounge
15 years ago, Walt Disney World Cast Member Abigail Hoyle was a Make-A-Wish kid. Now, she works for the entertainment team and gets to see the wishes from the other side. “I help kids and their families meet their favorite characters,” Hoyle said on Good Morning America. “It’s so special to be able to do that because that’s what the cast members did for me on my Make-A-Wish trip…So it really is a full-circle moment.”
Hoyle was part of the recent rededication of the Wish Lounge at Walt Disney World, the place where Make-A-Wish families can relax while visiting the park.
During the rededication, Paxton was visiting during his Make-A-Wish trip and got to do a special visit with Mickey and Minnie.
Watch the GMA story below:
Walt Disney Imagineering also shared an inside look at the reimagined Wish Lounge. They formatted it like the Paolo scene in The Princess Diaries when he does Mia’s before and after. Imagineers explain that the reimaging of the lounge was to provide the ideal backdrop for any wish being granted.
Watch the video below:
Drawn to You
In the latest ad created to celebrate Make-A-Wish and Disney’s relationship, we meet Maddie. She is an avid artist living with, we presume, cancer. As Maddie goes through her treatments, she never stops drawing or dreaming. Drawing her favorite characters like Mickey, Elsa and Anna, and R2-D2 (to name a few), she keeps wishing. Finally, her wish comes true when she gets to visit all of the friends she’s drawn all along.
Watch the new ad below:
Win a Magical VIP Weekend Sweepstakes
You can help support Make-A-Wish and enter for a chance to win your own magical VIP weekend in the process! The sweepstakes opened today, April 27, and runs through November 15, 2026. A winner, drawn November 16, will win:
- Round-trip airfare for up to four guests
- Up to four 2-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Tickets
- A 2-night stay in The Pirates of the Caribbean Suite at the Disneyland Hotel for up to four guests
- An official VIP tour of the Disneyland Resort with a private tour guide, including a special visit to Walt’s Apartment for up to four guests
- Dinner for four at Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Four tickets to the global premiere of Marvel Studios: Avengers: Doomsday with red carpet access
- Private glam squad services for up to four guests before the premiere
- Private ground transportation
Has Make-A-Wish impacted your life? Let us know on social media!
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