The Cinderella Castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida shined blue on World Health Day on Tuesday in honor of medical staff working on the front lines worldwide to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Disney Parks, a subsidiary The Walt Disney Company, said that the castle was lit up “as a beacon of hope and gratitude” for medical workers while cast members at the Magic Kingdom also held up signs reading “thank you” in honor of health care professionals.
The display, the company said, was just one of many Disney Parks paid to medical workers at sites across the world to send a “message of thanks and appreciation to celebrate the brave healthcare providers who are helping so many.”
At the Shanghai Disney Resort, the Enchanted Storybook Castle was lit up to say “thank you” in multiple languages. In Paris, Disney Parks spelled “merci” in flowers across the lawn in front of a castle at Disneyland Paris.
The company also made similar tributes at Disneyland in California, where flower petals were arranged to spell “thank you” and “gracias” at several places around the park, and on the billboards above its store in Times Square, which also thanked health care workers and first responders across the globe.
A message of “mahalo” was also spelled out in petals at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Kapolei, Hawaii.
Disney’s parks division announced earlier this month that it donated thousands of rain ponchos and N95 masks to hospitals and medical professionals across the country as some states have reported shortages of supplies in recent weeks.
Last month, Disneyland and Disney World also drew headlines after announcing they would be donating excess food to food banks in their respective communities as parks remain closed during the outbreak.