Hundreds of military families in California were treated to a celebratory day filled with Pixar characters, giveaways, and a surprise gift directly from Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro.

Disney’s Partnership with Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families and The Walt Disney Company teamed up for a special event honoring military families at Camp Pendleton, including an exclusive screening of Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5.

The event welcomed close to 500 military children and family members for an afternoon centered on community, appreciation, and Disney magic. Guests were treated to a private screening of Toy Story 5, appearances by Woody and Buzz Lightyear, giveaways themed to the new film, and a surprise gift from Josh D’Amaro, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company.

Speaking to the group following the screening of Toy Story 5, D’Amaro surprised every family in attendance with tickets to Disneyland Resort in recognition of their service and sacrifice.

The event also falls under Disney’s “Disney Celebrates America” initiative, commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.

As part of that initiative, Disney committed $2.5 million to Blue Star Families to support military family well-being and help create programs that allow military families to connect, thrive, and feel recognized.

During remarks from the event, D’Amaro connected the Camp Pendleton gathering to Disney’s historical support of military families:

“As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, we’re so proud to have made an investment of $2.5 million to Blue Star Families. And that donation allows us to do things like we’re doing today, which is screening Toy Story 5 for families here on Camp Pendleton Base, something we’re very proud of.”

“The Walt Disney Company has been supporting military families for quite a long time. This goes all the way back to Walt and Roy’s time when they serveed their country in World War One. And ever since then, we’ve been supporting military families, and we’re really proud of that legacy, particularly on the 250th anniversary of the United States.”

The Camp Pendleton event is part of Disney’s ongoing work with Blue Star Families, a partnership that has spanned 15 years. Through programs including Blue Star Books, special experiences, and family-focused events, Disney and Blue Star Families have worked together to create opportunities for military families to connect and feel supported.

Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO and co-founder of Blue Star Families, spoke on their partnership with Disney:

“Military families serve our nation every day, often behind the scenes and without recognition. We are grateful to Disney for its continued commitment to creating meaningful experiences that bring military families together. Events like this provide more than just entertainment – they foster connection, strengthen community, and remind military families that their service and sacrifices are seen and valued.”

Marine Corps Brigadier General Nick Brown also spoke about the importance of community support for service members and their families.

“Our partners really show us how much they appreciate the military service and the service of our families. We are only as good as a community that supports us in all of our missions. So we really value those partnerships, such as Disney. Disney did a phenomenal job investing in in this event.”

The Camp Pendleton film screening follows several other Disney and Blue Star Families event held throughout 2026. Those have included the 25th and largest Blue Star Books event at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; a reading with Second Lady Usha Vance at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida; an appearance on American Idol; a private screening of The Mandalorian & Grogu at Lucasfilm in San Francisco; Disney VoluntEARS service projects at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort; and additional military family events around the country.

Blue Star Families was founded in 2009 and is described as the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. The organization works through research, chapters, outposts, and community-building programs, impacting more than 1.5 million military-connected individuals annually.

According to Blue Star Families, supporting military families is also tied to military readiness, retention, and recruitment. The organization’s Military Family Lifestyle Survey has found that military families continue to face challenges connected to frequent moves, family separation, spouse employment, and maintaining a sense of belonging.

Toy Story 5 is now playing in theaters and has already broken several records during its release so far. The new Pixar sequel brings back Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the toys as they encounter Lilypad, a new tablet device voiced by Greta Lee.

The film is directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Kenna Harris, produced by Lindsey Collins, and features music by Randy Newman, along with the original song “I Knew It, I Knew You,” performed by Taylor Swift and written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff.

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