Meet Asha From Wish at EPCOT | Walt Disney World Resort
With the release of Disney's latest animated movie Wish on the horizon, Disney has brought the main character Asha to Disney Parks. Stop by and say hi to Asha as she visits Epcot in Walt Disney World Resort.
Meet Asha From Wish | Asha Meet and Greet
Asha from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Wish” is now greeting guests in EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Who is Asha?
While we've been listening to the Wish soundtrack non-stop and analyzing every video that has been released, I know that not everyone knows who the beautiful girl dressed in purple greeting guests at EPCOT could be since the movie Wish hasn't been released yet (later this month!). Did you watch Once Upon a Studio? You probably saw her in the short!
So who is this Asha girl? Let's start with her name.
The name “Asha” has two meanings:
One is in Hindi, from the Sanskrit “आशा” (āśā) meaning “desire”, “wish”, or “hope”, which seems to be closely linked to the feature film.
The other is in Swahili meaning “life”.
Chris Buck describes Asha as “…energetic—an enthusiastic member of her community who proudly shows off this incredible place where she’s grown up. She’s a believer. She’s driven to do what is right for Rosas, which really kicks in when she learns the king’s real plans for most of the wishes in his possession.”
In the Wish trailer, Dahlia, Asha's best friend, says that Asha is the king's apprentice. Asha seems to be able to see a darkness in her kingdom that no one else can see, which leads her to make a wish on a star.
As Jennifer Lee explains, “We meet Asha when she is completely accepting of the world she believes she lives in. But what happens to you when you discover a truth that rocks your whole world? Do you ignore it? Do you try to live with it? Or do you recognize the responsibility you have to try to help your community? We get to watch her make that choice. We get to see her grow into the leader she probably never knew she was.”
Is Asha A Disney Princess?
While it has been speculated that Asha is the newest Disney Princess, Chris Buck made it very clear in an interview in September of this year that Asha is NOT a Disney Princess.
Where Does Asha Meet In Walt Disney World?
At Walt Disney World Resort, guests can dream big with Asha in a special location near the entrance to World Showcase in EPCOT.
When Does Asha Meet in EPCOT?
You can meet Asha at the Gazebo near the entrance to World Showcase at 9:30 AM, 10:45 AM, 11:55 AM, 1:50 PM, 3:00 PM daily. Times are subject to change so make sure to ask a Cast Member.
When we got in line to meet Asha, for the 1:50 time period, we were told that Valentino got stuck in a tree and Asha had to get him down. We opted to stay in the line and saw her during the 3:00 slot.
Asha Greeting Guests In Disneyland
Beginning November 22 at Disneyland Resort, Asha will appear outside The Royal Hall in Fantasyland, bringing with her a touch of the magical kingdom of Rosas as Star’s playful glow lights up the area.
Asha Meeting Guests in Disneyland Paris
Asha will head to Disneyland Paris later in the month.
What is Disney's Movie Wish About?
“Wish” and its focus on the wishing star, a feature of so many Disney films (remember Pinocchio?), is meant to honor 100 years of Disney, which the company is celebrating this year.
The story follows 17-year-old Asha, who lives with her 3-week-old pet goat Valentino, in Rosas, the kingdom of wishes located off the Iberian Peninsula.
Asha makes a wish so powerful that she gets an answer from an actual wishing star, called simply Star, a whizzing-about ball of energy. This wish seems to be the catalyst of change in the Kingdom of Wishes.
“We wanted to make a movie that celebrates the joy of Disney and make a movie for the fans,” Chris Buck (Frozen) says, noting the studio's milestone birthday. “It's a hundred years. The Disney audience has kept us going and kept this studio going, and so there's so much of that.”
Fawn Veerasunthorn (head of story on Raya and the Last Dragon) calls it “…a love letter to what was inspiring to us growing up.”
I haven't been this excited about an animated Disney movie in a while. I hope it lives up to the hype!
Cast of Wish
Evan Peters – Simon
Chris Pine – King Manifico
Alan Tudyk – Valentino
Ariana DeBose – Asha
Harvey Guillén – Gabo
Victor Garber – Sabino
Angelique Cabral – Queen Amaya
Ramy Youssef – Safi
Della Saba – Bazeema
Natasha Rothwell – Sakina
Jon Rudnitsky – Dario
Holland Watkins – Mouse
Jennifer Kumiyama – Dahlia
Alex Alcheh – Interviewee
Niko Vargas – Hal
Writers
- Jennifer Lee
- Allison Moore
- Chris Buck
Directors
- Chris Buck
- Fawn Veerasunthorn
Wish Trailer
Welcome to Rosas
Are you excited to meet Asha and watch the movie Wish in theaters later this month?
