These kids wished for a Star Wars experience. They got so much more at Disneyland.

Like many kids, 14-year-old Dylan Rossi is a big fan of Star Wars.

“I like the characters in it, specifically Obi-Wan and Anakin in ‘The Clone Wars.’ Those are like my favorite,” he said.

However, unlike many kids, Rossi has fought a real battle against critical illness.

For a few days last week, though, he and 18 other young Star Wars fans with critical illnesses got to forget about their personal battles and join the larger fight between the Light and Dark sides at Disneyland’s first large-scale wish-granting event, Blaze Your Path: A Star Wars Adventure.

“This is special just for you, and we want you to have an absolutely amazing time,” Disney Experiences Chairman and Make-A-Wish America national board member Josh D’Amaro told the Wish families during a private dinner inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Wednesday.

Making a wish

Any child with a critical illness may be nominated for a Make-A-Wish wish. There are also many other wish-granting organizations around the country and world.

All 19 Wish kids at this multiday event had requested a Star Wars experience.

Mike Rossi said his son had waited four years to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, one of the most popular attractions at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Ten-year-old Shepherd Riddle meanwhile, wanted to meet his favorite Star Wars characters, but they all got much more than they asked for.

In addition to the rides and characters, Wish families were sent on a scavenger hunt collecting clues and pieces of what would become their own lightsabers. Wish kids and their siblings also built their own droids, and every member of the family was given a cloak. The families were also treated to a private dinner in Galaxy’s Edge with an interactive show, park tickets with Lightning Lane attraction access, and other surprises.

"It feels great getting free stuff,” Riddle said with the unabashed candor of a child.

His mildly mortified mom, Hannah Riddle, added, “Having the opportunity to say yes to our kids, say yes to experiences, to things, all of it ... I'm almost worried that this week has been the pinnacle of our lives.”

Critical illness can lead to all sorts of limitations.

“They don't get to choose what time they go to bed, if they go to school, what they get to eat. Often that's so dictated by their medical professionals and the treatment protocol,” Make-A-Wish America Chief Chapter Advancement Officer Melissa Arias told USA TODAY.

In contrast, at the event, she said, “to watch the joy in their faces, to know that they're getting to be children again and that they're leaving those medical appointments and the hospital stays behind has just been truly inspiring.”

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Making wishes reality

“We are the number one wish granter, and we take that responsibility very, very seriously," D’Amaro told USA TODAY.

One in every 2 Make-A-Wish wishes in the U.S. is for a Disney experience. Over the past 44 years, Disney has helped fulfill more than 155,000 wishes around the world, including the very first official Make-A-Wish wish at Disneyland. Last year, the company granted its largest batch of wishes to date with a massive princess-themed event at Disney World during Disney’s World Princess Week.

“We've been thinking about how can we continue to make these experiences even more immersive, even richer, even more memorable for these Make-A-Wish kids,” D’Amaro said. “We knew there was an opportunity to pull some of these Wish families and Wish kids together.”

Arias noted that can help them see they’re not alone. They certainly weren’t at Disneyland, where the entire resort cast was notified about them.

“Our cast members love to put their arms around fans and guests and families that come to our parks, and that's especially true of Make-A-Wish kids and Make-A-Wish families,” said D'Amaro, whose niece was a Wish kid and is doing well. Speaking with Wish kids and families Wednesday, he said tears were shed on both sides.

Making memories

“It’s been an incredible experience,” Rossi’s dad said. “We just had so much fun as a family, interacting with all of the characters ... and meeting all the different cast members.”

Even though his son's wish was to ride Rise of the Resistance, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run wound up being his favorite.

“It felt like a very good video game,” the teen said, adding that he loves video games.

Riddle’s favorite moment ended up not being related to Star Wars at all.

“My favorite part about today was seeing my face on the Guardians of the Galaxy ride,” he said referring to the photo taken as the ride drops.

The kids described the whole experience as awesome and amazing.

“I could not have fathomed the level of excellence with which things have been done between Disney and Make-A-Wish,” Riddle’s mom said. “Every single step, from the moment we walked in the door at DFW airport until this moment right now, seems like it's been carefully crafted and unique to us. I know there are other families involved, but it has felt personal and unparalleled.”

D’Amaro and Arias know the Wish kids and families will carry the experience with them for a long time and lean on memories when they hit rough patches, but perhaps Rey said it best when she told Kylo Ren during the interactive show at the event: “These are Resistance recruits. They do have courage. They are strong.”

The reporter on this story received access to this event from Disney. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Disneyland makes Star Wars dreams come true for Make-A-Wish kids