Credit: DisneyA big part of any vacation to the Disney Parks is the Character Meet and Greets. Along with getting their own venues for photos and interactions, the character performers that populate places like Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort are what truly bring these magical places to life.
Although it’s quite common to see characters in their typical meeting places, such as Pooh’s honey tree or Cinderella’s Royal Table, but it’s truly something special when characters and Cast Members go out of their way to make the magic happen for visiting Guests. A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld had Guests share their “most magical interactions” at the Parks, and the replies were nothing short of heartwarming.
Rejected By Mickey
u/littlenemo1182 begins the thread with their account of a character encounter from one of their trips to Disney World. While the events took place in the days of Mickey’s Birthdayland, but the magic of Disney’s characters certainly hasn’t changed a bit. The user writes,
“I was so excited, but when I caught up with him, he JUST KEPT WALKING… I stood there with my arms by my sides, welling up with the tears of the Saddest Kid at Disney World™️…rejected by Mickey! Then I felt someone take my hand, I looked up to my left at my dad, who looked down at me, smiled and nodded. On my right, holding my hand, preventing the tears of rejection from falling, was Donald Duck. Was that CM probably trained to expect this would happen happen? Sure, but right then, Donald Duck was my whole world…”
Of course, this was just the performers and cast members doing their jobs, but this user isn’t the only one to have a similar experience.
Another Win for Donald Duck
The original poster’s story surprisingly isn’t the only account of Donald Duck picking up some of Mickey’s slack. u/brodiebearbear shares their encounter with Donald… and a few of his pals.
“We visited this February and took my daughter, who’s 4, to meet Donald at AK. He knelt down to give her a hug and she just like melted in to him… When we finally convinced her to stand up, he asked us to come back in a few minutes, when he’d be leaving to go on break. We came back, he started walking with my daughter, Daisy joined us, then Chip and Dale. It was amazing seeing how proud and excited she was, and how magical a relatively simple interaction was for her!”
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Of course, that’s not to say Mickey has been completely off his game. Just recently, Mickey was more than a comfort to a party of Disney Parks Guests who were mourning the loss of their child. Needless to say, there’s a reason he’s the leader of the club.
Cast Members Make the Magic Happen
There are several more stories and accounts listed in the thread, but one thing that truly needs to be absorbed is how much of this is due to the Cast Members themselves going the extra mile. The post has over 120 replies, all sharing similar stories and interactions, and they wouldn’t even be possible if it wasn’t for Disney’s staff.
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u/PaperbacksandCoffee says it best when they write,
“Those wonderful CMs taking just a couple of minutes to make a lasting impact on a child is why Disney is just the best…”
And they are absolutely, 100 percent correct. The character performers do a lot, and the Cast Members even more so. It’s interactions and stories like those listed that are what keep Disney Park Guests coming back year after year.
What’s your most magical interaction from Disney? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!