N570AS, “Adventure to Disneyland” taxis to the gate after flying in from painting – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AIrlineReporter.com

Alaska Airlines, in conjunction with Disney and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, has debuted its latest Disney special scheme. The newest version, which AirlineReporter exclusively spied a day ahead of the official launch, features popular characters from Disney-Pixar’s Cars franchise.

The aircraft was officially rolled out this morning in a ceremony at gate C-9 of Seattle Tacoma International Airport. The plane departed for Santa Ana’s John Wayne Airport due to its proximity to Disneyland. What made this flight special, other than the fact that it was the first commercial service of a new special livery, was that it was a surprise for four children on a very special holiday. Coming from as far away as Barrow, Alaska, these kids were being treated to an amazing vacation adventure from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

If there was any doubt Alaska and Disney were going to make a big deal out of this, I was blown away when I arrived at the gate.