Disneyland Honors Memorial Day With Free Tickets, Ceremony, & Tributes

Disneyland hosted Marines and Sailors in port for Los Angeles Fleet Week, which honors members of the U.S. Sea Services and is held over Memorial Day weekend.

Disney surprised 100 service members with a day at Disneyland including a special Flag Retreat Ceremony that honors service members, veterans, and their families.

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Disneyland Honors Service Members

Disneyland surprised 100 service members with a day at the Disneyland Resort including this special meet and greet with Mickey Mouse in his Disneyland 70th Celebration attire.

Service members also got to enjoy attractions at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey’s Toontown plus the Paint the Night parade and Wondrous Journeys fireworks.

Disney Hosts Special Flag Retreat Ceremony

Flag retreat ceremonies have been a Disneyland tradition since it opened nearly 70 years ago and at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World since its opening in 1971. This tradition has continued over the years with cast members raising and lowering the American flag each day to honor service members, veterans, and their families. This is one of the most special traditions at Disneyland!

According to Ariel Elias, category manager at Disneyland Resort, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, “Disney really embraces our veterans, and it’s been part of the DNA of the Disneyland Resort. You see it everywhere you go — from the flag retreat to Veteran’s Day to Fleet Week 2025 — it’s always at the forefront of what we do here every day.”

Cast members and guests had the chance to honor service members with a special flag retreat ceremony with the Disneyland Band, The Dapper Dans, and special honoree, Rear Admiral Richard W. Meyer, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Third Fleet, U.S. Navy.

Rear Admiral Meyer shared how meaningful this special day at Disneyland was, “How many times in your life do you have the opportunity to actually get to participate in the events that are happening at Disneyland, The Happiest Place on Earth? To be able to come here, share that with the public, participate in the events, get to see some of the cool new things at Disneyland, and get to show off the Sailors and Marines to the community — I think that’s what made this a really special day.”

Missing Hero Table to Honor Fallen

One of the ways Disney honors fallen heroes is by displaying Missing Hero Tables which are meant to “symbolize and honor those brave service members who never made it home.” Tiana’s Palace at Disneyland Park has a dedicated Missing Hereo Table to “honor the brave and selfless American military members who gave their lives in service to our country or went missing in action and have not found their way back home.”

The Missing Hereo Table is carefully constructed with items to symbolize this sacrifice which includes:

• A slice of lemon on the bread plate reminds us of the bitter fate of those who will never return.
• A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those who have sacrificed all.
• An inverted glass is symbolic of those who cannot toast with us at this time.
• The chair is empty, the seat that remains unclaimed at the table.

According to Disneyland Resort main entrance operations manager and U.S. Navy veteran, Nick Filippone, “The Missing Hero Tables we display at this time are meant to be a strong visual symbol of those who are no longer with us, that those who see them may stop for a moment to reflect and hopefully show appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy due to the great sacrifice that these many heroes have given for us.” This is such a meaningful way to honor our fallen heroes.

Disney VoluntEARS Collaborate with Sailors and Marines During LA Fleet Week

Disney VoluntEARS also worked alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps for a special clean-up project at the Boys and Girls Club of Garden Grove.

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Disney has contributed funding and media support to nonprofits that “create happiness” for veterans and military families since 2012. Some of these nonprofits include the USO, Blue Star Families, Fisher House and Student Veterans of America along with special hiring initiatives like Heroes Work Here.  

First image via Disneyland.

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