For the past 45 years, The Walt Disney Company and Make-A-Wish® have made wishes come true for more than 165,000 children facing critical illnesses and their families around the world. As part of the first-ever Disney Week of Wishes, three kids’ wishes were granted when they were invited to meet their heroes, Thunderbolts* star Sebastian Stan and American Idol judge Luke Bryan, on the sets of their respective film and television series.
“Our wishes are really tied to our superpower of storytelling,” Lizzy Paulson, Senior Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Disney Entertainment, said. “All wishes are unique and different, and in order to grant those that come to Disney Entertainment, we work across various internal stakeholders – including legal, HR, production, and talent relations, to name a few — because there are so many moving parts.”
Sarah Whitney, Senior Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Disney Entertainment, added, “At Disney Entertainment, we are able to create a more robust experience for each wish child as opposed to a simple meet and greet with their favorite celebrities. We offer some truly incredible day-long experiences — wishes that only Disney is able to provide.”
Marvelous Experience
One such wish recipient is Maryland native Aurora.
Aurora dreamed of meeting Stan, who plays James “Buchanan” Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Her wish was a long time in the making, and it was officially granted in May 2024 when she was invited to visit the set of Thunderbolts* alongside three other superfans and their families.
“I was so grateful that I got to hug this person who had done so much for me,” Aurora, who has lived with chronic gastrointestinal disorder and debilitating arthritis for much of her life, said on ABC News’ Good Morning America. “I wanted to make sure that I got the chance to tell [Stan] how much [he] did for me, and I got to do that. And I am so grateful.”
The wish was just as impactful for Stan as it was for Aurora.
Along with co-stars Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and David Harbour, Stan signed autographs, posed for pictures, and spent time making memories with each wish child. The production team also surprised Aurora with cupcakes to celebrate her 18th birthday on set — which, coincidentally, happened one year before Thunderbolts* releases in theaters May 2.
But that wasn’t the only surprise.
At one point, Stan suggested that he and Aurora should trade dog tags, as she had a replica of his character’s iconic tags made, and he continued to wear hers throughout the duration of filming. “I just thought, ‘Maybe you should have mine and I’ll have yours,'” the actor recalled. “It was a good moment. It was very touching.”
Ultimately, Stan said, “Any time we have an opportunity to interact face to face and see the amount of joy and gratitude these kids have — just from a simple hello — it fills you up.”
Backstage Pass
Season after season, dreams come true on the American Idol stage. This year was a little different, though, as Bryan made two wishes come true backstage before Monday’s taping.
Country music superstar Bryan gave 9-year-old Adira and 10-year-old Brantley a personal tour of the American Idol set, giving them an exclusive look at what goes on behind the scenes of the hit ABC reality competition series. Not only that, but Adira and Brantley got to meet this year’s contestants, walk the blue carpet, and receive signed posters from all three judges and Ryan Seacrest to keep as a memento. To cap things off, the wish kids and their families sat in the audience during a “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame/Iconic Idol Moments”-themed episode.
“When Brantley was 3 years old, he got to attend a Luke Bryan concert, and he’s just been the biggest fan ever since,” Paulson said. “And Adira gets very excited speaking about Luke. We’re so happy that we were able to bring them on set and have a private meet-and-greet opportunity on the blue carpet with Luke.”
It was a moment neither Adira nor Brantley will likely ever forget.
“I’ve always liked him, my whole life. When I was littler, I would sing a lot of Luke Bryan songs,” Brantley told Good Morning America, with Adira adding, “He’s my favorite singer.”
Just the Beginning
Since the first wish was granted at Disneyland Resort in 1981, Disney remains the world’s largest wish granter for Make-A-Wish, granting a wish every hour of every day. These wishes have the power to renew hope, uplift spirits, and unite families in life-changing experiences.
Disney WishMakers across the entire company work with Make-A-Wish to help grant life-changing wishes, such as theme park and resort vacations, cruises, shopping sprees, film and TV set visits, talent meet and greets, sports-themed experiences, and so much more.
According to Paulson, making those wishes come true wouldn’t be possible without “so many people” from Disney and Make-A-Wish working hand in hand, every step of the way.
“Everybody works together to create these seamless experiences so that kids and families can be present and enjoy these once-in-a-lifetime moments that will stay with them throughout their whole lives,” Paulsen said. “I recently spoke with an alum whose wish was granted in 2012, and she still considers it the best day of her life. To have that impact on somebody — and to see the ripple effect it has on the wish grantors — is really magical.”
Join Disney and become a WishMaker for Make-A-Wish at wish.org/Disney.
To learn more about Disney’s commitment to delivering happiness and joy when it’s needed most, visit joy.disney.com.