Disney and Make-A-Wish Assembled For an Avengers-Themed Event at Disneyland That Granted the Wishes of 40 Amazing Kids

Many of america emotion Disney due to the fact that its stories and experiences let america to acquisition magic and wonderment portion creating memories that past a lifetime. However, did you cognize that real magic is being created by Disney every hr of each day? Thanks to its concern with Make-A-Wish, unthinkable children facing captious illnesses get to hide their troubles, person their wildest dreams travel true, and instrumentality thing beauteous with them to assistance combat the battles they don't deserve.

I witnessed this firsthand erstwhile I was invited to Disneyland's Wishes Assemble event, which saw astir 40 kids... no, 40 superheroes and their families stitchery astatine the Happiest Place connected Earth to person their wishes travel true, including being celebrated by the Avengers, gathering creators similar Mr. Beast, Dude Perfect, Clix, and PrestonPlayz, having the champion time ever successful the park, and truthful overmuch more.

To accidental it was an affectional and meaningful acquisition would beryllium an understatement, and I'm excited to stock with you why.

The Make-A-Wish Kids astatine their precise ain Avengers Campus Party. Image Credit: Disney

The True Power of a Wish Coming True

Disney has been granting wishes with Make-A-Wish since 1981, erstwhile the recently founded Make-A-Wish Foundation helped nonstop a 7-year-old named Frank "Bopsy" Salazar to Disneyland. Since then, implicit 175,000 Disney wishes person been granted, and Disney has go the largest wish-granter for Make-A-Wish, arsenic we antecedently mentioned, by making a privation travel existent astir the satellite each hr of each day.

This past week, The Walt Disney Company and Make-A-Wish teamed up for the 2nd yearly Disney Week of Wishes and, alongside the Wishes Assemble lawsuit we'll get to successful a moment, made astir 200 signature privation experiences happen. These ranged from a kid getting to acquisition a "day successful the life" of a Disney animator similar incoming Disney Legend Eric Goldberg, kids performing successful Disney's Aladdin connected Broadway, 2 kids announcing NFL first-round picks connected ESPN, a privation kid getting invited to the premiere of The Mandalorian and Grogu, and adjacent a young miss getting to conscionable Princess Cinderella astatine Disneyland earlier the parkland opened for a genuinely moving acquisition you person to spot for yourself below.

And present we get astatine Wishes Assemble, which was a one-of-a-kind Avengers-themed time astatine Disneyland that featured immoderate of the biggest Marvel stars and creators successful the satellite coming unneurotic to marque a quality for astir 40 Make-A-Wish kids.

While this each sounds similar it would beryllium a dream-come-true acquisition for anyone (it was!), 1 of the astir important lessons I took from these fewer days was however they mean truthful overmuch much than conscionable a accidental to vie successful a smaller mentation of the Beast Games with Mr. Beast, bash subject experiments with Mark Rober and Science Bob, deed a instrumentality changeable successful the Dude Perfect Fan Zone, oregon get a Victory Royale with Clix successful Fortnite.

I had the grant of speaking to a Make-A-Wish kid named Cayden and his Mom, Tiffany, and I was precise moved by their strength, their words, and the smiles connected their faces. Cayden, who is 14 years aged and has already had 3 unfastened bosom surgeries, a bosom transplant, and has beaten cancer, had a privation to play with a streamer named Cody Conrod a.k.a. Clix.

Disney and Make-A-Wish acceptable up a country to look similar Clix's streaming set-up, and helium got to play and hang-out with Clix alongside his brother, Jackson. Furthermore, his Dad and different members of his household couldn't marque the lawsuit and the teams ensured they could live-stream close to them truthful they wouldn't miss a moment.

Make-A-Wish kid Cayden, Clix, and Cayden's Family. Image Credit: Disney

"I've been bedside beside Cayden done everything, truthful the information that this is what helium wanted and helium was capable to get it contiguous conscionable means everything," Tiffany said. "Just seeing the grin connected his face... For maine arsenic a Mom, this infinitesimal is thing that's unmatched. You deliberation backmost to each the infirmary stays and everything your kid has been through, and him being steadfast capable to beryllium present contiguous is conscionable huge."

The privation itself was a blessing, but Tiffany told maine that adjacent the clip starring up to the large time was made amended due to the fact that of it. Instead of conscionable having tests and check-ups connected the calendar, this time was thing to countdown to and celebrate. Furthermore, Tiffany shared however fantastic it was that Disney and Make-A-Wish besides see the full family, and not conscionable the privation kid.

"I deliberation immoderate radical don't recognize however overmuch Disney and Make-A-Wish cater to the families and, possibly astir importantly, the siblings," Tiffany said. "They spell done this with them. As overmuch arsenic everyone is truly focused connected the Make-A-Wish kid, the siblings are determination excessively waiting for their member oregon sister to get backmost from the hospital. They are Facetiming them, dealing with the horrible information that they are sick again and backmost successful the hospital, and ever asking erstwhile they are going to travel home. So, for them to stock this infinitesimal of joyousness with them is precise special."

When I spoke to Cayden, helium was truthful grateful and excited, and helium told maine that, "he truly wanted to bash this with each of his family" arsenic helium "loves them truthful overmuch and wanted to convey them for everything." He besides mentioned that playing with Clix was "very cool" and joked that helium was amended than him astatine Fortnite.

At that moment, Clix jumped successful and reminded him that Cayden really bushed him 1v1 successful Fortnite and won himself a gaming machine conscionable a abbreviated portion before! Cayden laughed and smiled successful a peculiar mode that has imprinted itself onto my bosom forever. These moments mean everything for these kids who person been done truthful much, and they merit 1 cardinal more.

Cayden and Clix. Image Credit: Disney

I past got to talk to Clix astir this experience, and we talked astir however it felt arsenic though helium was conscionable hanging retired with his friends playing games. Clix has been supporting Make-A-Wish for immoderate time, and helium understands that these kids ticker him done the champion of times and worst of times, and that picking him for their 1 privation is simply a immense grant helium doesn't instrumentality lightly.

He was besides so large and welcoming with Cayden and Jackson and they conscionable had the champion time. In different astonishing moment, Clix and Cayden acceptable it up truthful Jackson could instrumentality down the last opposing subordinate and unafraid a Victory Royale. Even though it was Cayden's day, helium shared a spot of the magic with his member successful a genuinely heartwarming way.

"Cayden is the strongest idiosyncratic I person ever met successful my life," Clix told me. "He's truthful quiescent and humble astir everything he's been through, and helium didn't bring up his aesculapian issues oregon the unthinkable information that helium survived 3 unfastened bosom surgeries, a bosom transfer, and beat cancer. If that were me, I curse I'd beryllium telling everyone and would flex that."

"This full acquisition conscionable enactment specified a large grin connected my face, particularly due to the fact that Cayden came successful a small nervous. I'm like, I would beryllium 10 times tense doing thing he's been through... he's genuinely incredible."

These sentiments were shared by Preston Arsement a.k.a. PrestonPlayz, who was capable to play Roblox and much with different awesome kid named Evan.

"It's honestly similar getting to play video games with your friends increasing up," Arsement told me. "Evan conscionable benignant of grooved close successful and it felt similar I was playing with a champion person that I've known for years. These experiences alteration you for the amended and promote you to bash more.

"Most of the time, it feels similar you're conscionable utilizing things that person already been created by humans. With this, you really get to springiness backmost and make thing that hasn't been determination before, which is an unforgettable infinitesimal for a child."

Evan and PrestonPlayz. Image Credit: Disney

Arsement besides mentioned what helium loves astir this lawsuit successful peculiar is that these Make-A-Wish kids get to payment from the different creators being here. Even though Evan's privation was for PrestonPlayz specifically, helium inactive gets the added bonus of being astir Mr. Beast, Dude Perfect, and more. Oh, and that's of people connected apical of being astatine Disneyland and having a Marvel-filled day.

The Avengers Assembled for an Unforgettable Marvel-Themed Event

Alongside the idiosyncratic wishes, the Make-A-Wish kids astatine Wishes Assemble besides had a ton of shared experiences that added to the day, and it each kicked disconnected the time earlier astatine check-in. The kids were fixed a well-deserved heroes invited that each began with them (and their siblings!) getting an Avengers badge that lit up and could besides correspond Courage, Friendship, Heart, Humor, Intelligence, and Persistence.

They past got to "suit up" acknowledgment to Disney Consumer Products, Disney Store and its licensees, including Berkshire Fashions, Corkcicle, Funko, Hasbro, the LEGO Group, Mad Engine, and Monogram International. The kids were fixed Marvel-themed covering and gifts that they'd beryllium capable to wear/use and instrumentality home, and that was successful summation to immoderate amusive edifice country surprises that were besides waiting for them. There was besides a truly amusive photograph op that featured specified props arsenic Captain America's shield, Iron Man's Nano Gauntlet, and Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet.

In 1 of the astir invited surprises of the full event, this is wherever we got to talk to Dana Podgurski, Hasbro's Global Marketing Manager - Disney (Marvel & Star Wars), a Make-A-Wish alumni who is present giving backmost to a caller procreation of kids.

Dana shared her almighty communicative with america and discussed however she got to spell to Hawaii aft being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma astatine a young age.

"At a clip wherever I didn't truly person a batch of control, Make-A-Wish gave maine a consciousness of bureau with specified a affirmative prime to beryllium made of what I wanted my privation to be. It was specified a transformative infinitesimal for me," Podgurski said. "And past the privation itself came to beryllium aft I finished treatment, truthful it was thing I was truly capable to look guardant to.

"About six months aft my wish, however, I was astatine a regular check-up and discovered that I had relapsed and had to spell done much chemo and radiation arsenic it was much superior than adjacent the archetypal time. My privation became my flight for erstwhile my world was unbearable. It gave maine a representation to thin backmost on, to bespeak on, to absorption on, and to punctual maine that determination are affirmative things up aft I'm healthy."

With events similar this, Podgurski said the quality is that these kids get to conscionable beryllium kids. Even for a little moment, they are not patients and don't person to deliberation astir the adversities they've been through. They get to "focus and bask the infinitesimal they're in, and that's beautiful."

"This is simply a afloat ellipse infinitesimal for me," Podgurski shared. "Getting to spot the families enactment connected the gear, get successful beforehand of the camera, and embody the superheroes erstwhile they themselves are the existent superheroes is truthful surreal. It's indescribable, and I'm truthful excited for families to person this experience."

The pursuing time was erstwhile the existent festivities kicked off, and it began with a comic publication creation acquisition connected drafting Spider-Man by Brian Crosby, Executive - Marvel Experiences Development. During the class, Captain America histrion Anthony Mackie amazed the kids with a clump of toys to instrumentality things to a caller level. He was besides determination due to the fact that a nine-year-old named Coen wished to conscionable Mackie due to the fact that helium was his favorite." Following the class, Coen got to spell into Disneyland with him and thrust specified attractions arsenic Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout.

All the kids past went to the creators they wished for and had peculiar experiences catered to them, and they reunited for a backstage meal and enactment astatine Avengers Campus, which was acceptable up conscionable for them. New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro stopped by the meal and spent meaningful clip with the kids, and helium adjacent was portion of the tone passageway with countless different Disney formed members that welcomed them into Avengers Campus.

It was truly peculiar to spot D'Amaro walk truthful overmuch clip with the Make-A-Wish kids and not conscionable halt by for a speedy photograph and tally off, particularly considering erstwhile Disney CEO Bob Iger was conscionable honored with the inaugural WishMaker Lifetime Achievement Award. During his tenure, Disney helped assistance 110,000 wishes and, successful 2025 alone, the institution donated $30 cardinal to Make-A-Wish. With D'Amaro, the tone of giving doesn't look to beryllium slowing down.

As for the party, each Avenger you could ideate showed up, and they adjacent had a amusive signifier amusement filled with enactment and memorable moments similar Spider-Man zip-lining down from the roof. I was speaking to a fewer radical and they mentioned they haven't seen each these Avengers unneurotic since Avengers Campus archetypal opened up. Oh, and Vision histrion Paul Bettany adjacent made a astonishment quality to walk retired adjacent much toys to the kids.

To Infinity (Wishes) and Beyond

I've been precise fortunate to person covered Disney successful galore fantastic ways these past fewer years, but this Wishes Assemble lawsuit and the Disney Week of Wishes inaugural was much than I could person adjacent imagined. Every impermanent that goes to Disney Parks deserves to person the astir magical acquisition ever, but it conscionable means truthful overmuch to spot Disney going supra and beyond for these kids who person been successful a warfare they ne'er asked for nor deserve.

Seeing the smiles connected their faces, the joyful tears from the parents who are capable to spot their kids being lifted up arsenic the superheroes they are, and seeing creators and artists travel unneurotic to stock their talents and fame for bully was simply beyond words.

Although the lawsuit has travel to a close, these memories volition hopefully service arsenic different shield oregon suit of powerfulness armor against immoderate foe I anticipation much than anticipation ne'er returns. What I cognize it has done, however, is amusement the powerfulness of a privation and however it tin virtually alteration everything.

So galore of Disney's stories are astir wishing upon a prima and making dreams travel true, and this week proved that the top of these hap successful our precise ain satellite and that we tin assistance marque adjacent much possible.

If you'd similar to get involved, caput implicit to wish.org/Disney to larn much astir fundraising oregon volunteering, nominating a deserving kid, donating, oregon adjacent entering the 'Win a Magical VIP Weekend' sweepstakes that tin nonstop you to the planetary premiere of Avengers: Doomsday, get you a VIP circuit of Disneyland, a travel to Walt Disney's flat there, and adjacent a two-night enactment successful The Pirates of the Caribbean Suite astatine the Disneyland Hotel.

Adam Bankhurst is simply a writer for IGN. You tin travel him connected X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and perceive to his show, Talking Disney Magic.