The Walt Disney Company honors and celebrates veterans and their families year-round, but the month of November is a special one, as it is National Veterans and Military Families Month.
Disney has a long track record of respect and appreciation for those who serve, which goes back to its founders, Walt and Roy Disney, who both served their country during the First World War. Many veterans now call Disney home after serving in uniform, bringing a level of experience, leadership, work ethic, and dedication that we value across our businesses.
Here are some ways that we are celebrating veterans both inside and outside the company this month:
November 4: Disney VoluntEARS event with USO at Disneyland
- During a Disney VoluntEARS event at Disneyland Resort, cast members packed an impressive 2,000 United Service Organizations (USO) care kits to send to deployed service members around the globe. To date, Disney has assembled more than 21,000 USO care kits this year.
November 7-11: ESPN’s Veterans Week Initiatives
- In honor of Veterans Day, ESPN will recognize veterans and active members of the U.S. Armed Forces during its annual Veterans Week tribute, which includes a week of programming and initiatives from November 7 to 11. Among the highlights is the SportsCenter Veterans Day Special Presented by USAA, which aired on Friday, November 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and airing again on Sunday, November 17, at 2 p.m. on ABC. Hosted by NFL national reporter Sal Paolantonio, the 30-minute program originates from Kannapolis, North Carolina, with a focus on military-themed features from ESPN’s Veterans Week coverage.
November 11: Veterans Day Events
- NYC Veterans Day Parade: WABC New York hosted a live broadcast of the 105th annual NYC Veterans Day parade on Monday. WABC-TV anchor David Novarro and ABC News’ Stephanie Ramos hosted with WABC-TV reporter Lucy Yang along the parade route on Fifth Avenue.
- Walt Disney World Veterans Day Flag Retreat in Magic Kingdom Park: In honor of Veterans Day, four Florida-based Disney cast members who are also veterans were recognized during a special annual Flag Retreat ceremony in Magic Kingdom in celebration of their service.
- Disneyland Resort Veterans Day Flag Retreat in Disneyland Park: In honor of Veterans Day, Disneyland Resort hosted a special flag retreat ceremony that included 150 cast members marching down Main Street, U.S.A., and then viewing the longstanding flag retreat ceremony.
November 12: Walt Disney World Resort/Fisher House Orlando Holiday Veterans Event
- Walt Disney World Resort hosted its annual holiday outreach event at Orlando Fisher House, which is built by the Fisher House Foundation to provide a “home away from home” for military and veteran families to stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving medical treatment at a nearby VA hospital or military medical center. Disney VoluntEARS and members of the SALUTE Florida employee resource group once again helped decorate the facility for the holidays.
November 12: Disney Consumer Products/Blue Star Families VoluntEARS Event
- Disney VoluntEARS and SALUTE members in Glendale assembled 500 care packages filled with Disney home goods and other essentials for Blue Star Families to help welcome military families that transition into new communities. Many of the care packages will be sent to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, to help families impacted by the recent hurricanes.
Late November: Disneyland Resort to host a special flag retreat honoring 101-year-old World War II veteran
- Disneyland Resort will host a special flag retreat honoring World War II veteran U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Jake Larson. During World War II, he went through six battles, including storming Omaha Beach on D-Day and fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.
- Disney is honored to be recognized as one of the top 25 companies that hire veterans on the 2024 Military Times “Best for Vets” employers rankings. We continue to salute U.S. military service members, veterans, and their families in many ways across our company, and we thank them all for their selfless service.
