Fireworks light up the sky. They fill the air with colors and explosions as the cruise ship leaves the dock. Shannon barely notices – she can’t take her eyes from the joy on the face of her daughter, Olivia.
Their journey to this seaside fireworks display started when Olivia told Make-A-Wish® volunteers “I wish to go on a Mickey boat!”
During the trip, Olivia and her family share laughs together at a party inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean. They watch Cars 2 in the ship’s movie theater. They attend The Golden Mickeys, where Olivia joins a star-studded cast of Disney friends onstage. She meets her favorite princess, Belle. She has a one-on-one conversation with Captain Jack Sparrow and even lands a hole-in-one while golfing with Goofy!
The wish even bolsters Olivia’s courage. She wades into the Atlantic Ocean and begins to swim. She uses all the tips from her swim lessons, which she took in anticipation of this moment. Soon, Olivia swims among more than 40 stingrays! And if that’s possible, what else can she accomplish?
Since the first-ever official Make-A-Wish experience more than 30 years ago, Make-A-Wish has counted The Walt Disney Company as a steadfast friend. The relationship has blossomed from allowing wish kids unprecedented access to Disney theme parks to helping us grant cruise, entertainment and sports wishes – more than 75,000 wishes and counting. Today, more than 40 percent of the wishes we grant involve the Walt Disney Company.