Each want is particular, and this one marked an enormous milestone…the 170,000th Disney want, on Disneyland’s seventieth anniversary.
Whereas present process remedy for leukemia, 13-year-old Madison (Maddie) learn The Imagineering Story and watched Behind the Attraction on Disney+. This impressed her want: to fulfill the Imagineers who convey the parks to life, and at some point turn out to be an Imagineer herself.
What Maddie didn’t know was that her want can be the 170,000th Disney want granted with Make-A-Want… simply in time for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.
To share this momentous event, Make-A-Want America President and CEO Leslie Motter and Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro met with Maddie at Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters and stunned her with the information and a plaque commemorating her milestone want.
After the momentous kick-off, Maddie and her household obtained a full tour and VIP remedy, together with assembly with Imagineers who work on journey expertise, Audio-Animatronics figures, Disney Stay Leisure, and lots of different disciplines.
She additionally obtained an unique viewing of historic sketches, paintings and archives on the Imagineering Useful resource Heart earlier than wrapping up the day assembly none apart from Child Groot!
One among Maddie’s favourite moments of the day was a Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance panel hosted by 5 Imagineers that labored on the attraction: Asa Kalama, John Larena, Greg Johnson, Ugo Okwumabua, and Chris Mais.
Madison realized concerning the creation of the attraction, the expertise that brings the whole expertise collectively and different behind-the-scenes tidbits. As an aspiring future mechanical or electrical engineer (to not point out an enormous Star Wars fan), this expertise, alongside her go to with Imagineers inside our Experience Studio, have been true highlights of Day 1.
Day 2 started with a bang… or, somewhat, a rev of the engine! Maddie and her household have been up vivid and early to fulfill Imagineer Emily (Emo) O’Brien, who was the principal inside designer for Vehicles Land at Disney California Journey Park for a walkthrough of Radiator Springs Racers, the attraction Maddie was most excited to expertise at Disneyland Resort!
From there, Maddie headed to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the place Josh and Thomas Mazloum, Disneyland Resort President, introduced alongside a number of sudden buddies… Oskar and Pink, two of the BDX Droids!
Madison later had the prospect to journey Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance with two of the Imagineers she met on the panel the day gone by, and Imagineer Nick Ross, former challenge supervisor for Milennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
Day 2 wrapped with Madison collaborating in The Have fun Completely happy Cavalcade, the place she was honored as Disney’s 170,000th want child! The ultimate second culminated in a tour of Walt’s condominium – leaving the household to take pleasure in a night of 70th Anniversary parades and spectaculars.
Earlier than starting her want journey, Maddie shared with us that she hoped to fulfill as many Imagineers as potential and ask them to signal her copy of The Imagineering Story by Leslie Iwerks, a e-book concerning the historical past of Imagineers that she learn all through remedy. Imagineers have been positively up for the problem and got here collectively to execute tenfold.
All through her two-day go to, Maddie not solely had her e-book signed by every Imagineer she obtained to fulfill all through her time at Imagineering and Disneyland, however Imagineers from each the Glendale and Anaheim campuses every compiled a further autograph e-book filled with properly needs, notes of inspiration, sketches, signatures and extra.
To high all of it off, Leslie Iwerks herself met with Maddie in Vehicles Land on the second day of her want to say whats up and signal the quilt of Maddie’s copy of The Imagineering Story.
Disney is proud to be the world’s largest want granter for Make-A-Want, granting a want each hour of day-after-day. Because the very first official want was granted at Disneyland Resort almost 45 years in the past, Disney has now helped fulfill 170,000 needs globally with Make-A-Want, delivering happiness when it’s wanted most to want children and their households around the globe. We’re thrilled to proceed making needs like Madison’s come true.
