A Wish Every Hour of Every Day: Disney & Make-A-Wish By the Numbers

For nearly 45 years, The Walt Disney Company and Make-A-Wish® have worked together to create new and innovative ways to deliver joy when it’s needed most to kids facing critical illnesses. This collaboration has resulted in Disney becoming the world’s largest wish granter by using imagination to provide hope and inspiration to children, even in the most difficult times. 

“We’re enormously proud of Disney’s relationship with Make-A-Wish, which dates back nearly 45 years to the first official wish at Disneyland,” Bob Iger, Disney CEO, said. “It’s a privilege to use the power of Disney’s stories and characters to lift children’s spirits when they need it most, and we’re honored to work with Make-A-Wish to grant a Disney wish every hour of every day.”

Disney WishMakers across the entire company work with Make-A-Wish to help grant life-changing wishes, including theme park and resort vacations, cruises, shopping sprees, film and TV set visits, talent meet and greets, sports-themed experiences, and more. 

This year, the company is expanding beyond its World Wish Day celebrations by launching the first-ever Disney Week of Wishes – seven days of granting wishes to kids across many of its business segments all over the world, while helping to generate support for Make-Wish. In total, Disney is expecting to share more than 170 special wishes during this amazing week. 

As the company embarks on this endeavor, here’s a brief look at the powerful impact The Walt Disney Company and Make-A-Wish have together: 

• The Walt Disney Company is the world’s largest wish granter. 
• Disney grants a wish every single hour of every single day, on average. 
• Since the first official wish in 1981, Disney has granted 165,000 wishes. 
• In the U.S., of the over 16,000 wishes granted by Make-A-Wish each year, historically, one out of every two wishes is a Disney wish. 
• At Walt Disney World’s Once Upon a Wish Party this year, about 50 princess wishes will be granted. 
• One shared goal: to bring happiness and joy to kids facing critical illnesses. 

Walt Disney once said: “My business is making people, especially children, happy.” In that spirit, Disney is honored to work with Make-A-Wish to provide transformative experiences that deliver happiness and comfort to children facing serious illness. Learn more at Joy.Disney.com.