Disney fans understand the power of dreams and wishes – and when Disney and Make-A-Wish® join forces, dreams really do come true! As part of this extraordinary relationship, last week Shanghai Disney Resort hosted the very first wish child from Make-A-Wish Shanghai: seven-year-old Yuanbao from China’s Anhui Province.
Yuanbao’s wish was to meet the lovable snowman Olaf from Disney’s animated film Frozen, so the citizens of Arendelle worked together to make his dream a reality. Olaf and his best friend Elsa surprised Yuanbao with warm hugs at the Royal Banquet Hall in Enchanted Storybook Castle as part of a magical day at Shanghai Disneyland, followed by a ride on Dumbo the Flying Elephant with Mickey Mouse and the chance to join Mickey’s Storybook Express as the parade Grand Marshal.
This was the first official wish granted by Make-A-Wish Shanghai through the Disney Wish Program, which was launched at Shanghai Disney Resort earlier this year to support children with life-threatening medical conditions in mainland China. The program helps make life-changing wishes come true to bring hope, strength and joy to children when they need it most.
Disney and Make-A-Wish have a long history of wish granting, with more than 113,000 Disney wishes fulfilled globally, and we’re excited to see wishes granted in Shanghai. Nearly 10,000 Disney-related wishes are granted every year working with wish-granting organizations around the world – including experiences at Disney theme parks, voyages on Disney Cruise Line and meetings with Disney characters – and we’re just getting started.
We’re so happy that Yuanbao and his family could visit us for a few unforgettable memories, and we can’t wait to help make more transformational wishes come true.
