'Where Dreams Come True' will be Disney's first-ever initiative that fully integrates and encompasses its entire global portfolio of parks and resorts. It is rooted heavily in consumer insight – gained through two years of research around the world – that reveals a singular view of Disney Parks.

"We have a great history of listening to our guests and through our research they have told us consistently, whether surveyed in London, New York City, Hong Kong, Los Angeles or Paris, that Disney Parks are synonymous with the idea of 'Where Dreams Come True.' The very notion is core to our DNA – our parks are indeed the places 'Where Dreams Come True'," said Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Jay Rasulo.

The ideology of 'Where Dreams Come True' will permeate virtually every consumer touch-point, beginning with the vacation planning process and continuing during the Disney Park vacation experience through to the return home. Consistent global messaging and visual iconography will be centered on the universally understood principle of dreams to ensure emotional resonance with audiences around the world.

"This initiative is global in reach from a marketing perspective because of the intrinsic power of the idea. After all, everybody has a dream – the notion crosses all cultures, languages and geographies. This initiative will speak in one voice to guests around the world and will permeate multiple consumer touch-points, taking our guests' vacation experience to an altogether new level," said Disney Destinations, LLC executive vice president, global marketing Michael Mendenhall.

The creative elements of the campaign leverage the findings of the consumer research insight that identified Disney Parks as transformational experiences. The series of video assets being created in to support the event and campaign are designed to evoke an emotional response and convey in magical ways the emotional transformations that happen every day at Disney Parks worldwide.

Disney Parks has tapped a team of creative visionaries to bring this global campaign to life. A team of advertising talent, including photographer Gus Butera and famed directors Tarsem and Leslie Dektor, will work in collaboration with agencies Leo Burnett, McGarry-Bowen and Yellow Shoes (Disney Parks' in-house creative team) to implement Disney Parks' first-ever worldwide advertising campaign.

In addition, Disney Parks has also added world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz to the creative team. Leibovitz will be creating a celebrity-based campaign that will convey how these experiences transport people from the ordinary to the extraordinary. In addition to photography, Leibovitz will, for the first time ever, use film production.

"This array of talent represents a true 'Dream Team' and speaks to our excitement and commitment to our 'Where Dreams Come True' initiative," added Rasulo.

Ushering in an exciting era of interactivity, Disney Parks will employ new technologies that allow guests to customise aspects of their Disney vacations like never before. These technologies will allow the Disney Parks experience to begin for guests as soon as they begin planning their vacation, then deliver an unparalleled level of convenience and guest service during their "custom" visit to a Disney Park.

The unifying theme of 'Where Dreams Come True' will be the platform for communications at each Disney Park across the world. And each park will add to the mix messages about events and milestones with special appeal for guests there – whether it is the 15th anniversary of Disneyland Paris Resort, the 25th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland Resort or the continued introduction of the Disney Park experience to a new region of the world at Hong Kong Disneyland.

In the United States, Disney will launch the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration on 1 October 2006, at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Building on the core equity of guest service that sets Disney apart from other brands, cast members at these Disney parks, for this year only, will award a million dreams, both large and small, to guests selected through a random process as part of the "Disney Dreams Giveaway."

Dreams, granted on both coasts, will include an overnight stay in Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort or the Mickey Mouse Penthouse at Disneyland Resort, unique Disney vacation experiences, admission to special parties and theme park experiences, private meetings with favourite Disney characters, or a Golden FastPass ticket with access entitlements to some of Disney's most popular attractions.