A 10-year-old aspiring fashion designer who is battling cancer got the incredible opportunity to design her own dress with the help of Make-A-Wish and some Disney pros. Inspired by the iconic ball gowns in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Cinderella, Rita wished to step into the world of costume design at Disney.
As part of her Make-A-Wish experience, Rita spent a day behind the scenes at Walt Disney World with Disney’s costuming team, working with them on her very own royal gown. Designers gave her an inside look at the creative process, including a tour of the costuming building and fabric library.
“I was so excited because I got to go to a top-secret fashion place at Disney,” Rita said. “I got to see all the ways costumes are designed, which was really cool.”
As a surprise keepsake, the costuming team created a doll-sized replica of her design — calling it “Rita’s Rose Diamond Dress.”
Rita also got to spend some royal time in Magic Kingdom Park, meeting Cinderella, Prince Charming, and Cinderella’s stepsisters.
For Rita’s family, the experience offered them a joyful break during a challenging time. “We have a long road ahead of us, but having this time together as a family, having fun and smiling … there’s no words,” said Rita’s mother, April. “It means so much to us. This will be a forever memory for us.”
The Longer-Term Impact of a Wish
Beyond the immediate emotional boost, a 2022 impact survey reaffirmed the profound, lasting benefits of wish experiences for children facing critical illnesses, their families, and even medical professionals. Expanding on research first conducted in 2010, the study surveyed more than 3,300 wish alumni and parents. The results revealed that wishes do more than provide momentary joy — they significantly contribute to emotional resilience, mental well-being, and even medical treatment outcomes, with 75% of surveyed medical providers linking wishes with improved medical outcomes and 65% stating that a wish experience enhances survival chances.
The findings underscore wishes as a critical coping mechanism, strengthening family bonds, increasing treatment compliance, and offering lasting memories.
A Legacy of Wish Granting
Disney and Make-A-Wish have collaborated for more than 40-years, granting more than 165,000 Disney-related wishes to children facing critical illnesses. For Disney cast members, the opportunity to play a role in fulfilling a wish is as meaningful as it is magical.
“As a child, I was in and out of the hospital myself,” said Allison Atmore, Costume Specialist at Disney Live Entertainment. “It means so much to be able to fulfill a wish for someone going through that because I know what it’s like. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at Disney, and I’m so grateful I got to be part of it.”
The impact of a wish extends far beyond a single day. “Creating happiness for Make-A-Wish families is what we’re all about here at Disney,” said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Walt Disney World Director of External Affairs. “Our stories, parks, and cast members help them make new memories that bring strength and hope.”
Make-A-Wish collaborates with numerous corporate partners to fulfill life-changing wishes. These partnerships involve consumer-facing campaigns, cause marketing programs, financial contributions, and in-kind support. Disney and Wheels for Wishes top the list of corporate parters, each contributing $5 million or more annually. Other significant contributors, donating $1 million or more annually, include ABC Supply Co. Inc., Allegiant, Amazon, American Airlines, Avis, Big Lots, Chase, Chi Omega, Dave & Buster’s, Fanatics, Lamar, Red Robin, Southwest, Subaru, The Learning Experience, Topgolf, United, and WWE.
These corporate collaborations, along with individual contributions, play a crucial role in making wishes possible — not just through financial support, but also by covering essential travel expenses — and your unused frequent-flyer miles can help. Through the Wishes in Flight® program, Make-A-Wish relies on donated airline miles to help transport wish families to destinations around the world. With over 2.8 billion miles needed annually, travelers can contribute unused miles from airlines like United, American, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest, ensuring wish kids and their families can experience the joy of a wish come true.
More Wishes to Be Fulfilled
Rita’s is one of many Disney Princess wishes Disney will fulfill in 2025. This April, Disney will grant 50 Disney Princess wishes during the Once Upon A Wish Party, a special Disney Princess celebration at Walt Disney World for Make-A-Wish families.
Rita’s Cinderella-inspired wish was fulfilled just in time for the film’s 75th anniversary on Feb. 15, 2025. Cinderella fans who don’t have the help of Disney fashion designers can still channel their inner princess with clothing, accessories, and toys from Disney Store’s Cinderella 75th Anniversary Collection.
How to Help:
Donate today to help Make-A-Wish continue to grant life-altering wishes. Your contribution helps sustain the organization’s vital work, bringing hope and joy to children when they need it most.
Brooke McDonald is the editor in chief of Better Magazine. She regularly reports on theme parks, entertainment and travel and her work has appeared in Insider, The Points Guy, Parents, TravelPulse, Yahoo, and more. Her favorite nonprofits to support include SeaLegacy and the Vitalogy Foundation Follow her on Instagram @brookegmcdonald, Threads @brookegmcdonald, and X @BrookeGMcDonald.
More from Better:
- Sustainable Travel: Disney Cruise Line’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
- In Honor of World Wish Day, Disney Fulfills More than 100 Wishes Globally for Make-A-Wish Children
- ‘Together, We Are Making Big Waves’: Pioneering Marine Biologist and National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle Says It’s Not Too Late to Save Our Oceans
