Thousands of children fighting critical illnesses have wished to visit the Disney Parks, but occasionally, a child’s one true wish is to dig a little deeper and learn how the magic is made by the brilliant minds at Walt Disney Imagineering. Just last month, Make-A-Wish kid Bella’s one true wish came true – to meet a Disney Imagineer.
What’s Happening:
- Over the pandemic, Bella, who was born in Walt’s home state of Missouri and has a heart condition, watched The Imagineering Story on Disney+. She was inspired by the eclectic group of creative people whose imagination and technical know-how are combined to make dreams come true. And in classic Imagineering style – her wish trip was so much more than she could have imagined.
- Tours of Walt Disney Imagineering are rare. A creative force, a historical treasure, a dream factory and a hub of science and technology, Walt Disney Imagineering is a place of legend. It’s the only think tank created by Walt Disney himself. Bella was invited to step in and meet the people who make the magic and take a peek at how they make dreams come true.
- Bella’s wish journey may be complete… but her Disney dream continues on. The week after her wish was granted, she received her first nametag and is now “earning her ears” here as a Disney intern. Imagineers represent more than 140 disciplines, from artists to architects, engineers, show producers, planners and project managers – so maybe someday, Bella will join them!
- With this magical moment, wish-granting has officially returned at Walt Disney Imagineering.
- While not all wishes can be granted immediately, we are continuing to gradually ramp up our wish-granting efforts over the course of the coming months.
What They’re Saying:
- “I’ve always been very interested and passionate about Disney’s creative process,” Bella shared. “They’re at the forefront of a lot of technology that’s being created right now, but a lot of people don’t realize that.”
- “My favorite part of the experience has been watching Bella smile. All the wonderful Imagineers have been so generous and kind with their information and stories,” shared wish mom Shelley.