Disney Celebrates Decades of Partnership with Make A Wish and Childrens Hospitals

Disney Marks Decades of Supporting Families and Granting Wishes

For over 100 years, The Walt Disney Company has sparked joy and inspiration through the power of stories, characters, and immersive experiences. This commitment reaches far beyond the screen, driven by a core belief—championed by Disney CEO Bob Iger—that storytelling and creativity, combined with direct action, can create a profound and lasting impact on communities worldwide.

Since 2005, Disney has directed over $4 billion in cash and in-kind donations toward global social responsibility, focusing its impact on three vital pillars: children’s hospitals, wish-granting, and support for veterans and their families. By partnering with world-class organizations like Make-A-Wish®, Starlight Children’s Foundation, and Blue Star Families, Disney continues to foster youth development and community resilience on a global scale.

This commitment to growth also shines internally through programs like the Disney College Program and Disney Aspire, which empower employees to reach their full personal and professional potential. Together, these initiatives honor Disney’s enduring mission to create a meaningful, positive legacy in communities around the world.

In 2018, Disney launched a landmark $100 million global initiative to reimagine the patient experience at children’s hospitals. This mission began at Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest in the U.S., continuing a legacy of care that dates back to 1954 when Walt Disney himself personally supported the hospital’s original fundraising efforts.

Disney’s unique creative spark is also at the heart of these transformations. At Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, Walt Disney Imagineers collaborated with patients to create The Disney Reef, an immersive underwater play space. The magic at GOSH expanded in 2024 with the funding of a fully accessible MediCinema, allowing families to escape into the world of film during their hospital stay.

This commitment to healing extends across the globe:

• China: Following the 2016 opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, Disney donated over $3 million (RMB 20 million) to enhance pediatric care.
• Impact: Through partnerships with the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the Shanghai Charity Foundation, Disney has successfully opened 50 Disney Fun Houses across 41 cities, providing joyful, therapeutic spaces for children in recovery.

As the world’s leading wish-granter for Make-A-Wish, The Walt Disney Company creates magic every single hour of every day. With over 170,000 wishes granted globally for children facing critical illnesses, Disney’s impact is staggering. In the last decade alone, the company has contributed more than $200 million in cash and in-kind support to Make-A-Wish America and International.

But for Disney, it’s about more than just the numbers—it’s about the art of the possible. Disney constantly pushes the boundaries of imagination to redefine what a wish can be, ensuring every experience is as unique and extraordinary as the child dreaming it.

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