Disney officially launched Disney Week of Wishes 2026 today, April 27, with nearly 40 Make-A-Wish kids becoming Avengers recruits at Disneyland Resort, a new brand film debuting on Good Morning America, Bob Iger receiving the inaugural WishMaker Lifetime Achievement Award, and a sweepstakes that includes walking the red carpet at the Avengers: Doomsday global premiere.
The signature event of the week is Wishes Assemble, a first-of-its-kind experience at Disney California Adventure, where nearly 40 Make-A-Wish kids and their families step into the role of Avengers recruits for a private party. The event features personal appearances by Anthony Mackie and Paul Bettany. Theme park visits are the most requested Make-A-Wish wish in America, but what Disney actually delivers is not a ticket. It is access and presence that money cannot buy on a normal basis. Wishes Assemble is that principle at its most visible.
Disney Week of Wishes also kicked off with the premiere of Drawn to You, a new brand film directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Goh Iromoto, inspired by the Make-A-Wish Wish Discovery Phase — the process that uses conversation, play, and art to help children identify their wish. The film debuted on ABC’s Good Morning America this morning and spotlights a real wish that helped inspire it. EJ is a 16-year-old liver transplant recipient who has been drawing since age seven. His wish was to spend a day in the life of a Disney animator, granted this month at Walt Disney Animation Studios alongside incoming Disney Legend Eric Goldberg. No one manufactures a story like that.
During the week, Make-A-Wish America will also present Bob Iger with the inaugural WishMaker Lifetime Achievement Award. More than 110,000 Disney wishes were granted during his tenure as CEO, and Disney donated $30 million to Make-A-Wish last year alone.
Beyond Wishes Assemble, Disney is spotlighting nearly 200 signature wish experiences this week. In the U.S., two Make-A-Wish kids will announce first-round NFL Draft picks for the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions live on ESPN. Others will perform in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, receive a surprise invitation to the Mandalorian and Grogu premiere in May, meet Miley Cyrus as part of a Hannah Montana alumni moment, and head out on a National Geographic Expeditions African safari. Internationally, 80 children from 10 European countries gathered at Disneyland Paris for a three-day Frozen-themed weekend that also marked the 25,000th wish granted at that park, with Make-A-Wish child Lou performing during the World of Frozen grand opening ceremony. Experiences are also taking place in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Sydney.
Make-A-Wish and Charitybuzz also launched a fundraising sweepstakes today at winamagicalweekend.com. The grand prize is a VIP weekend including the Avengers: Doomsday global premiere red carpet and a Disneyland Resort vacation. The first 350 donors who give $350 or more receive a one-year Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium subscription. If you were already planning to donate to Make-A-Wish, this is the version of that decision that comes with something attached.
Disney Week of Wishes runs through May 1. Follow every story at wish.org/Disney. For our full breakdown of Disney’s 45-year Make-A-Wish history, read our Disney Week of Wishes origin piece. For more Disney coverage, visit Fantasy Land News. Join the Realm at fantasylandnews.com/the-realm.
Disney Week of Wishes 2026 Is Here and the Details Will Give You Chills
