Disney pulled back the curtain on Imagineering’s robotics lab during its Week of Wishes for a young fan — and showed how its next-gen characters come to life

The Walt Disney Company recently marked its “Week of Wishes” — not a promotion for a new film, the unveiling of an attraction, or a product launch, but rather a celebration of its long-standing partnership with Make-A-Wish, the nonprofit focused on granting wishes for children with critical illnesses.

The initiative stretched across Disney Parks, Broadway productions, and special events, but one of the most distinctive experiences happened at Walt Disney Imagineering.

For Eli, a 12-year-old Make-A-Wish kid, his wish was to look behind the curtain at how Disney parks and attractions are built and operated — with a particular fascination for how engineers and designers bring characters to life through animatronics and immersive storytelling.