Disney World Honors Make-A-Wish Family at Rededication of Updated Wish Lounge. As part of a powerful and emotional kickoff to its annual Disney Week of Wishes, Walt Disney World Resort is once again shining a light on the life-changing impact of granting wishes. This year’s celebration brings a special moment of reflection and renewal, as Disney continues its decades long partnership with Make-A-Wish a collaboration that has created unforgettable experiences for children and families around the world. At the heart of this year’s celebration is the rededication of a very meaningful space inside the Magic Kingdom, one that has quietly played a role in countless magical moments over the years. Below is the press release from Walt Disney World.
As Disney kicks off its annual Disney Week of Wishes – which celebrates the company’s longstanding relationship with Make-A-Wish – Walt Disney World Resort rededicated its newly reimagined Wish Lounge.
The Wish Lounge is a space reserved exclusively for wish families to rest and relax during their day at Magic Kingdom Park. It opened in the late 2000s and was recently rethemed, with special touches and artwork that focus on wish-granting moments in favorite Disney stories. A Disney wish is granted every hour of every day, and the Wish Lounge offers a quiet, dedicated place for the families to spend time together and experience the magic of their wish.
At the heart of the rededication moment was Abigail Hoyle, a Disney cast member whose own Make-A-Wish trip brought her to Walt Disney World in 2011. During that visit, Abigail and her family spent time in the Wish Lounge, and today, she has returned to Walt Disney World to be a WishMaker for others. Disney wishes renew hope, uplift spirits and unite families during some of their most challenging moments, something Abigail knows firsthand.
“As part of the entertainment team, I help kids and their families meet their favorite characters,” said Abigail. “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.”
Abigail was joined by 6-year-old Paxton, a wish kid from Pennsylvania who is living with a gastrointestinal disorder, and his family to help rededicate the space. Paxton wished to come to Walt Disney World, and Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum, Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle and Abigail teamed up to surprise him and his family with a special moment with his favorite characters: Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Together, they marked a meaningful new chapter for the Wish Lounge, representing both the start of new wish journeys and the impact of past wishes.
During the reconstruction of the room, Abigail and her fellow cast members who are Make-A-Wish alumni were invited to sign a wall of the Wish Lounge, becoming part of its ongoing legacy and leaving a message of hope and support for wish families who will visit the space in the future. Today, those cast members are helping to grant the more than 7,000 wishes that happen at Walt Disney World each year.
Disney Week of Wishes is a weeklong campaign celebrating 45 years of wish-granting with Disney and Make-A-Wish. As the organization’s largest WishMaker, Disney grants a wish every hour of every day and has helped grant more than 175,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses worldwide.
Visit Wish.org/Disney to learn more about other ways Disney is supporting Make-A-Wish.
Walt Disney World Resort: Walt Disney World Resort is a world-class entertainment and recreation destination featuring four of the most popular theme parks from around the globe, two thrilling water parks, nearly 29,000 hotel rooms, a sports complex, several golf courses and Disney Springs — a metropolis of shopping, dining and entertainment. Since 1971, Walt Disney World has focused on delivering legendary guest service and one-of-a-kind experiences that make it the number one vacation destination in the world where families create magical memories.
Make-A-Wish America: Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Founded in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the #1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally in all 50 states throughout the U.S. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and nearly 20,000 volunteers across the country, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 650,000 wishes in nearly 50 countries worldwide; more than 400,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.
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