Most people feel that Disney World is “the Happiest Place on Earth.” It can be magical for small children (and even their parents) to spend a day with life-sized princesses and characters that they grew up watching on TV and reading about in books. There are rides and parades and yummy (albeit expensive) food items. It is supposed to be a place where every child can feel special.
While some children have a harder time connecting with other people or experiences due to a disability, one small child found magic of his very own on a recent trip to Disney World.
A little deaf boy who visited the park recently found that Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse “spoke his language.” When he met the characters, they spoke to him in American Sign Languages (ALS). After signing “It’s nice to meet” and “I love you,” the boy, who is typically not a hugger, gave them both big hugs.
The young child was at the park with Olive Crest, a child abuse prevention agency. According to Yahoo,
Olive Crest, an agency that serves over 3,500 at-risk kids and families every day throughout California, Nevada and Washington, cannot disclose the name or age of the child, but said they “hope to send the message that with a little love and ‘magic,’ that you can truly make a child’s dream come true and provide them a bright memory that can last a lifetime.”
The little boy’s family did arrange to have an ASL translator present during his trip to the park, but Olive Crest said the characters seen in the viral video “were not briefed” on his visit before he arrived.
The best part about the meeting with Mickey and Minnie was that it was impromptu. While the ASL translator was standing behind the child showing the characters what to sign, it was not planned.
If you want to shed a tear or two, watch the video of the boy and his magical moment at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Mickey and Minnie surprise deaf child at Disneyland by speaking to him in sign language. "The child was ecstatic." https://t.co/fRBzWaMUbI pic.twitter.com/OXc5b4w0TM
— ABC News (@ABC) June 20, 2017
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