Teen’s Dream of Becoming an Imagineer Marks 170,000th Disney Wish. Since granting its very first official wish nearly 45 years ago, Disney has become the world’s largest wish-granter for Make-A-Wish, fulfilling a wish every hour. Recently, and by recently I mean April 28th, we wrote about Disney granting the 165,000 Make-A-Wish wishes while celebrating Wish Day. Now here we are, just over 3 months later, and Disney has granted another 5,000 Wishes!
From Wishes involving Disney Princesses to making Star Wars dreams come true, The Walt Disney Company continues to be the world leader in granting Wishes for kids across the globe!
A 13-year-old girl’s wish to meet the creative minds behind Disney’s theme parks has become a historic milestone, marking the 170,000th wish granted by Disney in partnership with Make-A-Wish. The momentous occasion also coincided with Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.
Madison, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, developed a passion for Disney Imagineering after reading The Imagineering Story and watching related shows on Disney+. This inspired her wish: to meet the Imagineers and one day join their ranks.
Unbeknownst to Madison, her two-day wish trip would be a celebration of a significant partnership. To kick off the event, Make-A-Wish America President and CEO Leslie Motter and Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro surprised Madison at Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters with the news and a commemorative plaque.
The surprise was followed by an exclusive VIP tour for Madison and her family. She met with Imagineers specializing in a range of fields, including ride technology and Audio-Animatronics, and got a behind-the-scenes look at historical sketches and artwork. A highlight for the aspiring engineer was a panel with Imagineers who worked on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, where she learned about the technology and creation of the popular attraction.
Day two began with a tour of Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure Park, led by Imagineer Emily O’Brien, the principal interior designer for Cars Land. Madison also explored Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with Josh D’Amaro and Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum, and rode Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance with some of the attraction’s Imagineers. The day culminated with Madison being honored as the 170,000th wish kid in the “Celebrate Happy Cavalcade” and a tour of Walt Disney’s private apartment.
Throughout her wish, Madison carried her copy of The Imagineering Story, hoping to get it signed. The Imagineers went above and beyond, not only signing her book but also creating an additional autograph book filled with well-wishes, sketches, and notes of inspiration. To cap it all off, Leslie Iwerks, the author of the book, met Madison in person to sign the cover.
Teen’s Dream of Becoming an Imagineer Marks 170,000th Disney Wish
