Bringing magic to children in hospitals through Disney Movie Moments

For more than 100 years, The Walt Disney Company has positively impacted children and communities worldwide through its social purpose programmes. That legacy is at the heart of Disney Movie Moments – a programme that brings joy and escapism to the hospital stays through the magic of movies.

Through the Disney Movie Moments programme, we collaborate with charities to bring the magic of movies to children in hospitals – helping them escape the day-to-day reality and immerse themselves in great stories. From big-screen movie cinema experiences to providing mobile movie theatres and Disney+ subscriptions for more intimate viewings, the programme helps children and their families experience moments of joy, comfort, and togetherness when they need it the most.

Nominate a hospital

To help us reach even more children, we’re inviting fans to nominate a hospital for the chance to receive some Disney magic through our Toy Story: Take a Look artwork, designed to bring comfort to seriously ill and socially isolated children.​

Nominated hospitals will be considered as part of Disney’s wider hospital programme, with selected locations receiving Disney’s hospital artwork, Toy Story: Take a look Disney Hospital prints.

Examples of impact across EMEA

Since 2020, the Disney Moments That Matter Programme has created over 550,000 moments of joy, comfort, and togetherness for children across EMEA. This is a major contributor to Disney’s ambition to create one million moments that matter by 2030.

Here are just a few examples of how the programme comes to life.

Celebrating “Toy Story 5” across EMEA

To celebrate the release of “Toy Story 5”, we’re bringing the magic of movies to children in hospitals across the region through a series of tailored experiences. Screening events will take place in hospitals across multiple countries, while beloved characters Woody, Buzz and Jessie will visit children in eight markets, creating meaningful moments of comfort and joy. Alongside this, we’re expanding access to Toy Story: Take a Look, an innovative programme developed in partnership with Disney Ireland and Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, offering nearly 400 hospitals the opportunity to install character-led X-ray imagery that helps demystify procedures and reduce anxiety for young patients.

Italy & UK

For 25 years, MediCinema and Disney have proudly worked together to bring movie magic to patients, their families, and the medical staff who care for them. MediCinema builds and runs cinemas inside hospitals equipped with space for beds, wheelchairs, and medical equipment.

Birmingham Children’s Hospital opened the new, fully accessible, 84-seat MediCinema – the largest MediCinema in the UK – following support from Disney, the Julia Rausing Trust, and a £1m charity appeal by Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and MediCinema charity. The opening marks the next chapter in MediCinema’s more than 25-year collaboration with Disney. To celebrate, the red carpet was rolled out for patients at the MediCinema’s ‘premiere’ opening screening of Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film “Hoppers” screened ahead of its national cinema release. Upon arrival, the children were greeted by Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, which added to their excitement. The magic continued inside as patients enjoyed additional fun before “Hoppers” began.

France, Poland, Bulgaria & Romania

Disney VoluntEARS have brightened hospital stays with character visits for years. In 2020, “happy kits” were introduced to provide children facing unexpected hospital stays with toiletry essentials and a surprise Mickey plush. To date, over 14,000 kits have been donated across 17 hospitals including to children in emergency units at Robert Debré Hospital in Paris.

Spain

Since 2020, Disney has been collaborating with the Juegaterapia Foundation on the design of special editions of the Baby Pelones, charity dolls created to support children undergoing cancer treatment. With the funds raised, Disney and the Juegaterapia Foundation built Disney-themed cinemas in hospitals, transforming them into more cheerful and welcoming spaces for children and their families. One example is the Baby Pelones doll, created in 2023 and inspired by “The Lion King” characters. Thanks to the funds raised through this initiative, a The Lion King-themed cinema was built at Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecillas.