Guests turn wishing coins into support for foster care teens at Walt Disney World

Each day, guests toss hundreds of coins into fountains and wishing wells across Walt Disney World Resort. Have you ever wondered what happens to all of those pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters?

walt disney world
Your wishing coins at Walt Disney World help make real-life dreams come true.

You might be surprised to know that these coins are collected by Walt Disney World and donated to nonprofit organizations. This year, those wishing coins added up to a $20,000 donation.

For the past 20 years, guests have made wishes on more than $325,000 worth of coins. Whether they’re thrown into the wishing well at Cinderella Castle the moat of “it’s a small world,” or less traditional spots like the temple queue of Expedition Everest, the coins are regularly collected, cleaned, and deposited as part of routine care and maintenance in the parks.

One time each year, these coins are donated. For 2018, the chosen recipient was Community Based Care of Central Florida (CBC), which received the $20,000 donation. This organization is the largest supporter of child welfare programs in Central Florida, and supports more than 3,000 children each day with services like foster care, adoption, mentoring, and help with youth transitions.

“We are so humbled by the important work that the Community Based Care of Central Florida provides to families of all shapes and sizes here in Central Florida,” said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, director of external affairs at Walt Disney World Resort. “These coins represent wishes made by our guests in a magical place, but the funding the coins provide will make a very real impact on our community.”

As part of the collection process, cast members were asked to choose which CBC they wanted to support with the donation. Thousands cast their votes, and selected a youth transitional program to receive the $20,000. Through this program, the CBC is able to offer resources for foster care teens as they transition into adulthood.

To learn more about the Community Based Care of Central Florida and what they do for the community, visit CBCCFL.org. For more information about Walt Disney World Resort, visit DisneyWorld.com.


Disneyland Paris also takes part in the charitable collection of coins at their parks! Every two weeks or so, cast members Sylvie Leterrier and Michel Gonzales roam the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril attraction and The Robinson’s Cabin to pick up all the coins tossed by guests.

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They use powerful magnets to pick up every last coin; surprisingly, the coins are not counted in monetary amount, but in kilos! More than 30 kilos of coins were collected in 2018, and that’s only at the two attractions mentioned above!

The coins collected at Disneyland Paris are donated to the Yellow Coins operation, which takes place from Jan. 9 – Feb. 16, 2019. The money collected during Yellow Coins will be donated to the Paris Hospitals Foundation.

To learn more about Disneyland Paris, visit DisneylandParis.com/en-us.

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