Hannah Montanaâ??s Miley Cyrus Celebrates Her Sweet 16 at Disneyland

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ANAHEIM, Calif. â?? Fireworks sparkled in the night sky at Disneyland and more than 5,000 party guests sang â??Happy Birthdayâ? to Disney star Miley Cyrus Sunday at â??Mileyâ??s Sweet 16 - Share the Celebration,â? a music-filled bash kicking off Disneyâ??s â??What Will You Celebrate?â? invitation to guests of all ages.

Miley, star of the wildly popular Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, celebrated her milestone birthday with family, friends, fans and special guests from Youth Service America, an organization that shares her passion for promoting youth volunteerism.

In one of the eveningâ??s big highlights, Disney CEO Bob Iger presented a special gift of $1 million to Youth Service America on behalf of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney has worked with YSA since 2004, providing â??Disney Minnie Grantsâ? to support youth-led community service projects that engage young people between the ages of five to 14 from around the world.

â??On behalf of everyone at Disney, Iâ??m happy to wish Miley a very happy birthday and celebrate this special occasion with a donation to Youth Service America,â? Iger said. â??Weâ??re delighted to have Miley join in Disneyâ??s great legacy of giving back through volunteerism while encouraging kids everywhere to do the same.â?
Miley arrived at the Disneyland bash on a purple carpet (her favorite color), joined by her family, pals and fellow Disney Channel stars.

â??I always love coming to Disneyland and this is the most amazing Sweet 16 celebration a girl could ask for,â? Miley said. â??This is a night I'll never forget.â?

Guests of the â??Sweet 16â? party celebrated like rock stars alongside Miley and other celebrities, including actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, actor Steve Carell, super model Cindy Crawford and â??Dancing with the Starsâ? performers such as Cristián De La Fuente. The party came to life for fans in a big way as the worldâ??s most popular teenager rocked the Rivers of America, singing four of her popular songs, including â??See You Againâ? and â??Girls Night Out.â? The Hollywood Records musical artist dazzled the crowd by boarding a floating stage to cross over to the banks of the river, getting up close with her fans as she sang.

Miley also invited 10 â??Service Starsâ? from Youth Service America to the party to honor their extraordinary volunteer service. They joined Miley and her fans for the fun in Disneyland park, riding favorite attractions such as Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion, watching a â??Stars in Carsâ? celebrity cavalcade, and playing at the party zones, including Rock Out Stage and Hannah Montana Makeover Zone.

The gala ended with a spectacular farewell in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, featuring Miley, her father Billy Ray Cyrus and a beautiful birthday cake. Everyone posed for a commemorative photo and sang â??Happy Birthdayâ? and Miley thanked them for celebrating with her. Just as she blew out the candles, the sky lit up with a glitzy fireworks display set to the Hannah Montana smash hit, â??Best of Both Worlds.â?

Beginning in 2009, guests at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida are invited to bring their own celebrations to life at Disney theme parks. And for the first time ever, anyone who comes to Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort can get free admission to one of the theme parks on their birthday in 2009. A valid ID and proof of birth date are required. See details at www.disneyparks.com.

Celebrations of all kinds will continue at Disney Parks as Disney makes it easier than ever for guests to plan and take â??celebration vacations,â? a newly identified trend in which families celebrate special milestones by taking a trip together. For more information or to book a Disney â??celebration vacation,â? guests can visit www.disneyparks.com, call 407/W-DISNEY or contact their local travel agent.