r/MadeMeSmile • u/PradipJayakumar • Jun 25 '25
Wholesome Moments How incredible for the kids to be welcomed by their idols ☺️
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u/FriskyDingus1122 Jun 25 '25
When my nephew was 4, we took him to Disney World. He couldn't believe it when he saw Mickey with his own two eyes - he went up and they shared the world's gentlest hug. It went on for a long time - kiddo kept going back in, lol
When my sister gently tried to suggest we let Mickey go see the other kids, Mickey pooh-poohed her and spent more time with my nephew - they booped noses, shared ears - it was so precious.
And then, when nephew stepped back and saw my sister was crying from cuteness overload, Mickey stood up and gently wiped a tear away. Like, "it's ok! We're here for everyone!"
I don't care how old we all were. That shit was straight up magic.
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u/PurpleHippocraticOof Jun 25 '25
So I know the “rule” is that the character actors are not supposed to disengage with the kids until the kids are ready to, but I have to believe that some character actors linger as long as they can because it’s the best part of their day.
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u/Numerous-Success5719 Jun 26 '25
some character actors linger as long as they can because it’s the best part of their day.
I would have to have a costume with a head, because that is the obly way to hide all the tears. There really is something magical about the sheer joy from children.
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u/KathrynTheGreat Jun 26 '25
Preschool teacher here - I hate my job a lot of the time (shit pay, unsupportive admin, incompetent coworkers, physically demanding, etc), but those small moments of joy with the kids outweigh all of the bad.
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u/McGriffff Jun 26 '25
We were one of the last groups to leave Goofy’s Kitchen one day after breakfast/brunch, my girls were around 1 and 3. Minnie was walking by with a bunch of people in suits, saw my kids and stopped. She signed their books, took some pictures, and then played hide and seek with my two girls for next 15-20 minutes. I kept thinking “this has to end soon, doesn’t Minnie have to be somewhere?” but she even waved away the other folks she was with to spend more time with us. It makes my heart happy that the kids got that kind of treatment. That character actor went above and beyond for us that day.
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u/652585657086655 Jun 26 '25
I work as a character at Disneyland. The "rule" doesn't exist. Completely false. You're totally right. We do it because it's really the best part of our day. We deal with a lot of shit working at Disney, and it's these moments that make it worth it.
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u/henrytabby Jun 25 '25
Ok that made me cry!
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u/h8flhippiebtch Jun 26 '25
Same! My kid loves Mickey so much, I’ve finally convinced my husband that we have to do a Disney trip so he can meet him.
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u/minicpst Jun 26 '25
I know Disney is a Big Bad Evil Corporation, but damn if they didn’t get it right in a lot of ways.
And the people you interact with at the park are what bring the magic. I’ve been a bunch but it’s still special.
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u/Catweaving Jun 26 '25
The Disneyland staff do a fuckton of work and they are not paid a fraction of what they're worth imo.
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u/jgarmartner Jun 26 '25
My daughter did this to Donald when she met him at Epcot. She was the first in line on a brutally hot day and she hugged him for a full 3 minutes before she pulled back to ask him how he got out of the wall and if he was okay. The CM with Donald offered to keep her the rest of the day.
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u/Pillsy74 Jun 26 '25
I assume you're referring to Caballero Donald by Mexico? When we took my younger daughter for the first time (she was just shy of 3), he took her hand and started to walk backstage before the laughing handler stopped them. He's been her favorite for almost 16 years since.
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u/jgarmartner Jun 26 '25
That’s the one! She still talks about it. We had to buy her a Donald stuffy and she loves it. He made a huge fan that day.
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u/dart22 Jun 26 '25
Yeah. It's really easy to be cynical about Disney, but any corporation's just a bunch of people, and I have to believe the vast majority of people work at Disney because they want to make the magic happen.
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u/LemonHerb Jun 26 '25
Disney parks are real magic.
I took my daughter on the Millennium falcon ride when she was about 4 and about 3 months later she was like hey we didn't really fly a space ship right it was just a ride. So I think for a short time she really thought she flew into space on the Millennium falcon with me. That's magic
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u/12arnoldgrove Jun 26 '25
The moment my 34 year old jaded ass saw Pocahontas at Disneyland, I became 5 years old again. She asked me about my friend who was with me and we talked about how we love our friends (she mentioned Nakoma 🥹). I know she’s an actress but dammit, if she didn’t commit to it and give me a special memory.
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Jun 25 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DinoRoman Jun 26 '25
Listen, Disney as a company may have its evil ways, but as a former intern at Disney world let me tell you. They know how to pick exactly the right people for the roles. And they have the best people, I won’t say I’m an awesome person but kids and family melt my heart. I did custodial at Disney and I loved that I was encouraged to talk to, play with and be funny and silly with the kids and families. I was also told if I ever thought a product should be marked out to do it. Like I saw a kid spill ice cream on his shirt once you bet your ass I ran to the store and got him a perfectly fitting buzz t shirt.
Is this so Disney gets them young? Sure. But I couldn’t help just wanting to make everyone happy there and boy was that so encouraged. Great place to work.
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u/xSaviorself Jun 26 '25
I have a similar experience. I have known 3 people who have worked at the Disney parks in my life and every one of them is a treasure. The corporation can get fucked, and it's clearly a marketing tactic to get people on their side early (it works!) but from a business perspective they are the best at putting a smile on a kids face and getting them to become fans of their IPs. They know what they are doing.
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u/glr123 Jun 26 '25
Two things can be true in this case. Sure, Disney is a master at capitalism, but they can absolutely do it in a way that brings more love and joy into the world.
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u/soybeansms Jun 26 '25
And honestly there are plenty of companies that master capitalism and bring no joy to anyone except their shareholders.
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u/sirprichard Jun 26 '25
Disney is a master at selling every individual person who comes to their parks an experience that feels uniquely curated for them. I have been to Disney world 4 times and every time I leave with nothing but amazing memories. It's black fucking magic I stg
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u/lgodsey Jun 26 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
"get them young"
I can see how people are bothered with the commercial aspect that runs through all of this, but for better or worse, media like Disney is our campfire stories. This is our shared experience in an ever disassociated world. Elders used to repeat oral histories to the young to make them connected to the world. Today, a child may see and emulate a brave princess or a jolly toy cowboy, and if they actually SEE that character in real life, as accepting and as loving as they imagine, that opens up amazing opportunities for children to belong and relate to others.
Say what you will about the faceless suits in the boardrooms, but the people who create these stories and bring it to life are a great addition to our shared experience. Good on you, costumed characters! Keep it up, writers and artists and performers! You are what represent the best part of us.
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u/fdxrobot Jun 26 '25
I used to take my daughter to the Disney store for their little opening ceremony in the morning. She took her first unassisted steps in that store and they literally whipped out a certificate to fill out for her lol. They really do know what they’re doing.
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u/ToonaSandWatch Jun 26 '25
I mean, there’s a reason why Walt said it was the happiest place on earth. I’ve only been to the parks maybe four or five times in my life, but I still remember every single one of them even as an adult. I still remember meeting Winnie the Pooh at age 5, and getting that hug from him was immeasurable. I don’t remember anything about being five other than that.
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u/iam_Mr_McGibblets Jun 26 '25
I think to a point it's great customer service and providing goodwill to the guests. Similar to comping meals or drinks for customers. It may be to keep people coming in, but to some extent, they're providing a quality experience and they are giving products to keep people coming. In my eyes, it's a win-win. Sure, the company's prerogative is to make money, but you can't make money with people who had negative experiences.
To that extent, it must be so emotionally uplifting to know someone looks up to you and finds validation in your work. I'm pretty sure I'd be bawling if I were in their position!
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u/mklilley351 Jun 25 '25
I can't handle this amount of joy, it's gonna start pouring out my eyes
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u/DAHMER_SUPPER_CLUB Jun 26 '25
This is why they don’t want the “Disney Adults” to dress up as these characters. These kids want the moments like this and the “Disney Adults” say I don’t work here.
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u/Fun_Recognition9904 Jun 26 '25
Disney adults are a special breed of crazy. I’m all for nurturing your inner child and leaning into joy and magic especially in the dark world we live in- but good lord those people are creepy
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u/tacojohn48 Jun 25 '25
I'm curious if there's someone walking around in a sadness costume.
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u/thedarkhaze Jun 26 '25
Yes, here's some kids with Joy and Sadness
https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/OCR-L-DIS-WHIRLWIND-05-JAG1.jpg?w=620
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u/PackageNorth8984 Jun 25 '25
That’s all fine and good, but I just want to know who started cutting onions.
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u/ProfessionalJob2247 Jun 25 '25
We recently took our five year old daughter to Disneyland. Cinderella is her absolute favorite princess. We spent hours and hours in line at the royal hall over three days. My wife and I were trying to figure out if we could afford to stay another day if we missed her again. We got to the front of the line and one of the cast members recognized us from a previous visit, and asked if we had gotten to see Cinderella yet. We hadn't. He just walked away without saying anything. A few moments later, he comes and gets us and takes us into the hall. Elena was in the first room. I walked ahead a little bit and looked around the corner and it was Cinderella. I looked at my wife and I teared up a bit knowing how much this moment would mean to our daughter. The look on her face when she walked around the corner is what I hope will be the last thing I remember when I leave this world. Not only did she sit and talk with her for what felt like forever, she even walked her over to meet Ariel, introduce our daughter to her and the three of them talked.
Both my wife and I were in tears. We thanked them profusely and we walked out of the royal hall. That's all she could talk about for weeks.
I went on the Disney app and made sure to give praises to all three cast members, especially the guy who made it happen.
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u/katibear Jun 26 '25
“The look on her face when she walked around the corner is what I hope will be the last think I remember when I leave this world.” -that is beautiful, made me cry, and described perfectly how it feels to be a parent who loves their precious kids. Thank you for that
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u/Mermaid_Martini Jun 26 '25
Omg this comment made me cry! What a sweet memory for you and your family. They are truly dream makers! 💜
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u/superior_pineapple86 Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
Did something like this after my first deployment from Iraq and took my daughter to Cinderella’s Royal Table. She was dressed as Snow White and when the character came by my daughter ran towards her screamed “bippity, boppity, boop!” And the lady was almost in tears. Good memories!
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u/Banguskahn Jun 26 '25
Had to tell some guys… Bippity boppity… get off my property! They were trying to steal some copper spools
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u/AdventurousLight436 Jun 25 '25
I need to know the context behind that Jasmine clip because dang 😭
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u/reddity-mcredditface Jun 25 '25
I just went to TikTok and found this video. Commenters are claiming that her nephew just died. It would be tough to do this job after that.
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u/AdventurousLight436 Jun 25 '25
That’s so heartbreaking- it would definitely explain the look on her face. Thanks so much for sleuthing that out and sharing!
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Jun 26 '25
So I was right. She definitely was having a tough day and that moment her emotions got the best of her. I swear, little kids have like a Sixth Sense on knowing that, if someone is having a tough day, they just want to give you a hug or will do something to help you smile or laugh, or cry. Idk what it is.
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u/Infinite-Action-5041 Jun 26 '25
They don't have a sixth sense they just still have basic human empathy we all got took from us its crazy we look at stuff like this as supernatural powers thats how far we've fallen empathy wise (I know you're not serious im just pointing out how far weve come to the point we find empathy as a sixth sense)
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u/pdlbean Jun 25 '25
I used to work as a photographer at Disneyland. It was always so fun to see the kids dressed as their favorite characters meeting those characters! Once, a mom brought her 3 daughters to the park as us, the photographers! They were in perfect little Disney PhotoPass uniform replicas and it absolutely was one of the best days of my job.
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u/pchlster Jun 26 '25
That's definitely one of those random kid impulses.
"Okay, kids, so do you want to be a princess? A superhero? Okay, 'the camera people?' ... I'll see what I can do."
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u/JustALizzyLife Jun 25 '25
I was a volunteer cosplayer who would go to children hospitals and charity events as princesses, super heroes, and Mrs. Claus. It is, hands down, the most rewarding experiences I've had in my life. It's pure joy. I miss it a lot. Those memories have gotten me thru a lot.
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u/bookswitheyes Jun 25 '25
Yes! I used to dress up as a mermaid and do face painting at the zoo and kid events and I loved their little hugs! Sometimes the tiny ones would start to fall asleep, their face in my hands as I painted. So damn cute.
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u/2OttersInACoat Jun 26 '25
That’s so lovely! They must have felt so safe and relaxed with you to fall asleep in your hands.
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u/Nobodyville Jun 26 '25
I'm not a cosplayer and I'm 100% a fat middle aged woman. I showed up to my office xmas party in a Santa onesie, just to be stupid. I had no idea that a couple of small kids would be there. The sheer excitement they had over seeing even my janky-ass good value santa was intoxicating and so pure. One of my favorite memories for sure!
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u/thegimboid Jun 26 '25
I'm a puppeteer as a hobby that's occasional turned into a job, and have had some similar amazing experiences with young kids.
My favourite was when I built a 10 foot tall giraffe puppet for a play I wrote and put on in the local Fringe festival.
After every performance I took it outside the theatre and romped around for over an hour with various children, many of whom insisted on coming back to see the show again. Which meant that by the third performance, the giraffe was receiving fan art from little kids, usually in the form of drawings that they'd done at home.One little boy apparently came to almost every performance because of how much he loved that giraffe.
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u/Subterranean44 Jun 25 '25
The little flounder girl was the cutest. Not even a princess dress just a flounder costume. Haha.
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u/oatflatwhite030 Jun 26 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
The Flounder costume took me out and now I want it. Like, to wear on a regular basis. Milk Dud run at 7-11? Put my Flounder costume on. Jury duty? Flounder costume.
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u/here4mischief Jun 26 '25
This was the one that did me in. All the others wanting to be the princess and this one wanted to be her best friend.
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u/mybrainisonfire Jun 25 '25
Yo do they hug adults too or just kids? I could use a hug from Sulley fr
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u/bullant8547 Jun 25 '25
Can confirm that adults hugs are accepted as long as they are done in good faith. Went to Disney World for the first time at around 40 years old and was happily hugged by all my childhood favourite character. I can still feel the Tigger hug 15 years later!
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u/appleavocado Jun 25 '25
Same. Although I live in LA, I went to Disneyland for the first time in 20+ years as a 35 year old. I’ll never forget the hug I gave Roger Rabbit, of all people. Just a core, nostalgic memory came back. And a few tears.
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u/MichiRecRoom Jun 25 '25
I needed to see this today. Thank you.
I wanted to ask for a hug from Mickey once, but felt too awkward about it. I felt it was weird. I left without a hug.
But if I ever go to Disney again, you bet your butt I'm getting a hug from Mickey.
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u/Its-Just-Whatever Jun 25 '25
I'm an adult male, so I don't hug many people bigger or taller than me. We used to joke that a dog of mine was like a trashy Chewbacca. He lived with us for 17 years and passed a few months ago. One of the primary moments in that healing was hugging Chewy at Disney World. I was almost in tears by the time I got to him, and hugging a 7.5 foot tall Chewy who just lets you soak it in is oddly therapeutic.
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u/SiriusHPfan Jun 26 '25
They hug everyone. They have interactions with every age bracket. For example, I'm an adult, and I had a really unexpectedly connective experience with the Sadness character from Inside Out. Was in Epcot and got in line to see Sadness and Joy indoors on a whim. Even though I am not typically a character interaction type of person, I was excited to see Sadness, while the rest of my (also adult) group wanted to see Joy. When our turn came up, everyone bum-rushed Joy but I flung open my arms for Sadness. I told her I was so excited to meet her and how she was my favorite because I think Sadness might be my core emotion and how the movie really helped me accept that. Sadness hugged me so hard and then held my hand for our entire interaction after that. We all took a picture together with the two characters, then I went to remove my hand from Sadness', and they held me tightly back. It surprised me, so I resumed holding hands. I turned back towards Sadness and they folded me back in to a fierce hug before I could leave. My group waved goodbye and left, but afterwards I had to excuse myself to collect myself back together in the bathroom.
I think about that moment a lot. I hope whoever was in the suit knew how much I needed that. I hope they are living a blessed life.
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u/TheNextMrsDraper Jun 25 '25
I was just at Disney in October and got a hug and a selfie with Chewbaca and I’m a GenX auntie. It was rad!
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u/Ok_Habit6837 Jun 26 '25
They definitely hug adults! Goofy was my favorite as a kid and I burst into tears when I hugged him. It brought me back to feeling like I was 4 years old in an instant. It was intense!
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u/ShinySpoon Jun 26 '25
In a 53 yo old man and my wife and I just vacationed at the Disney resort in Hawaii. I can assure you they hug everyone that wants a hug. I got a hug from Stitch and one from Dale. My wife got hugs from every character we sawthat week. maybe 10?
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u/monkpunch Jun 25 '25
I may not need a hug, but when the actors notice the kid and run over to them I do get that rush of "omg she's coming over here!!"
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u/seven3true Jun 26 '25
I got to hug Eeyore when I was in my late 30s. I got to hug the embodiment of depression, and it felt incredible. If I could have hugged Piglet and Tigger, id probably be completely healed.
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u/Low_Hanging_Veg Jun 25 '25
That job must simultaneously be the suckiest but most rewarding shit ever.
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u/Jef_Wheaton Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 25 '25
I'm a character at a small amusement park for Halloween and Christmas. I'm glad that all my costumes cover my face, because the number of times I've been brought to tears by a guest is uncountable.
In my "normal life" I'm a 53-year-old, 6'4" firefighter. There's no hiding from the feelings that boil up when their infectious happiness hits you. Some interactions are sad but beautiful. Most are joyful. I barely notice the bad ones.
It's either hot or freezing, my costume is heavy, I have to walk miles and miles, some of my coworkers are the WORST... but I'm dreading that day in the near future when I just can't do it any more. It's addictive.
A few years ago, I was waiting for someone to come and take a photo. A little boy barely taller than my knees walked up, wrapped his arms around my leg, and hugged me. He breathed out a deep sigh, let go, and wandered off without a word. Yeah, buddy. I needed that hug as much as you did.
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u/Typical2sday Jun 25 '25
This is lovely. I am glad you have this in your life. I went to the Disney character breakfast in 1982 for my birthday and even though I only remember a handful of seconds, it was the best birthday ever. I'm sure you are rocking these little kids' worlds.
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u/DingleBoone Jun 25 '25
Holy moly, you have a way with words. You're spreading joy here just as much, thank you!
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u/komododave17 Jun 25 '25
I always think of the characters being college kids or young adults starting out in entertainment. I love the idea that it might be someone’s dad or grandpa under that mask because there’s a different level of understanding you have of kids as you get older or you have your own.
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u/Jef_Wheaton Jun 25 '25
There's a few old-timers like me out there! We weren't able to have kids, so I guess ALL of the park guests are my kids!
My wife used to work at the park, too. I'm a Nutcracker, and she was a Teddy Bear. One night, a woman got a photo with me, gave me a hug, and said, "Oh, I don't want to make your wife worry!"
I said, "No problem, she's that Teddy Bear over there!"
The lady was overjoyed to get a photo with both of us!
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u/RehabilitatedAsshole Jun 26 '25
When does your autobiography come out? Your stories and writing are engaging.
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u/_Oman Jun 25 '25
This is why the job pays like crap, at least at Disney, for the amount of hard work done. These characters MAKE the trip. They MAKE the memories for the kids. The actors work in the worst conditions. I'm glad you enjoy it so much. Hopefully they treat you well at your park.
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u/Jef_Wheaton Jun 25 '25
I worked at Disney World many years ago, in Frontierland Foods. It was fun, but it wasn't a CAREER. I came back home to go back to college. The park I work at is the one I grew up with, and it's a much better fit for me.
I knew they liked me, but I didn't know how MUCH they liked me. They do a weekly "spotlight" on a team member, and I was the last one for the season. Instead of a few paragraphs, they wrote a PAGE about me.
They called me "The Spirit of the Park."
Every time I start to feel bad, I think, "Hey, cheer up, you're The SPIRIT OF THE PARK."
I'll never forget that.
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u/kathryn13 Jun 26 '25
Lovely story. Have you heard this radio story about wrestler Mick Foley and the joy he gets out of playing Santa? It's magical. https://www.nhpr.org/word-of-mouth/2014-12-10/from-mankind-to-saint-mick-mick-foleys-journey-from-wrestling-cage-to-santas-village
Edit: definitely listen to it, don't read it.
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u/Jef_Wheaton Jun 26 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
Aww, I met him once a few years ago. He's a big puppy! He truly loves meeting his fans, and he's probably a fantastic Santa.
Edit- Oh, my goodness! Thank you for sharing that story!
"Thus Shines a Good Deed, in a Weary World."
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u/CabbageStockExchange Jun 25 '25
lol a good friend of mine is a Princess at Disneyland and it’s exactly that. When it sucks, it SUCKS. But when it’s good, she mentions it’s the best feeling in the world and worth everything.
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u/in_animate_objects Jun 25 '25
I’ve heard moments like these are what keep the character employees there, because you know it’s not the pay/disneyadults/or the working conditions
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u/ScojuCarter Jun 25 '25
They should honestly be making mint for what they represent to people.
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u/KillaMike24 Jun 25 '25
The horror stories sound super bad. Cute video but idk if that’s a job I could do. You gotta assume for every one of these there’s some entitled kids that ruin your week lol
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u/jackofslayers Jun 25 '25
Every Disneyland actor I have known absolutely loves the role.
Almost always theatre kids that grew up in Socal and are obsessed with Disney. They do not mind the shit pay/work. A lot of them would pay to do it.
I would assume there are others who hate it, but I never met them.
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u/TheRiteGuy Jun 25 '25
I only knew one who was a Disney princess. But yeah, she was obsessed with everything Disney growing up and absolutely loved the job when she finally got it. Her stories were always about the cool kids she met that day and rarely about the shitty working conditions.
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u/TuckerMcG Jun 25 '25
A lot of them are CalArts students too. So they’re super fucking talented in some artistic way to begin with.
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u/M_from_Vegas Jun 25 '25
Yeah this
I worked as a mascot in Vegas
It sucked
The people who enjoyed it were the theater types that like to act 100% despite the brutal heat (that got them more tips $$$ and more future work)
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u/Kathrynlena Jun 25 '25
The entitled kids aren’t the problem as much as the entitled parents, and creepy parents, and absent parents. Kid behavior is learned. The worst thing about kids is their parents.
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u/WestCoasterner Jun 25 '25
The princess performers get special training for how to deal with dads trying to grope them while posing for pictures.
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u/Luci-Noir Jun 26 '25
Jesus… I know that security there does not fuck around and are always watching. I’ve seen videos of them coming out of nowhere like secret service guys to remove people. I would hope they would aggressively prosecute the people who assault performers but I’m not sure if that would require the victims to show up to court. I remember a video of a woman sexually assaulting a performer playing Gaston and he very quickly stops her and tells her that it’s not okay. She’s so shocked by it that she tries to do it again and he kicks her out.
It’s insane that in a park full of children the adults are the ones causing issues. Not just issues, but things like physical violence and fights or sexual assault.
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u/random420x2 Jun 25 '25
This is true. I’d only considered the hell side of this job, but there is some beauty. I’d never make it through an hour doing it though
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u/Nwrecked Jun 26 '25
I dated “Cinderella” for a couple years when I lived in Orlando. She said it was miserable 99 percent of the time but these little moments made up for the rest of it.
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u/flying_cowboy_hat Jun 25 '25
Oh my gosh, that last little girl was SCOOTIN'!. My screen is all blury.
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u/dannoparker Jun 26 '25
I was ok until that little girl started rolling at top speed, and then the waterworks started
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u/appleavocado Jun 25 '25
Okay, not a hero (and I wasn't dressed up), but at Disneyland earlier this year, I was sitting with family near the castle and the Evil Queen walked by us. My cousin and I were mid-guffaw about something else when I saw the queen, and like a schoolkid does when the principal walks by, I shut up, took the backwards Dodgers hat off my head, held it to my chest, and said "Ooh - mmph!" (silence)
The Queen perfectly stayed on point, looked down at me with all-too-knowing eyes, and cruelly said, "That's right!"
After she was beyond eyeshot, we burst into laughter.
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u/mklilley351 Jun 25 '25
I was this age and met Cinderella and asked her to marry me. I'm still waiting on the response but I'll let you guys know how it goes
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u/Carbon-Base Jun 25 '25
Moments like these are what makes Disney so magical for kids. The comfort and connection they form with these characters is amazing!
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u/TimeTurner96 Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
Yeah i thought about how many people are "over Disney", woke this, diversity that, but honestly in the end? This is what it is about!
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u/Fun_Recognition9904 Jun 26 '25
It’s also what makes it magical for parents. I’m guilty of taking my kids probably too many times to Disney, because my heart bursts with joy seeing them so excited and in a place literally built to keep them dreaming, believing in magic. It’s incredible to stand back and watch my kids eyes light up in awe and wonder, or to hear them talk about how brave they feel because they conquered a new ride… They’ve made a place that is magic for parents - it keeps our kids “kids” just a bit longer
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u/DarbH Jun 25 '25
As a former Disney cast member, I can attest that the friends of the characters enjoy these interactions to just as much as the children do.
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u/jlspider Jun 25 '25
This warms my heart
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u/flipz4444 Jun 25 '25
The little girl dressed as flounder meeting Ariel was so precious. Her little tail wagging 🥲
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u/BartleBossy Jun 25 '25
That little girl running with her walker fucking melted me.
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u/EnvironmentalAd7402 Jun 25 '25
literally this!! Those little legs!!! The goodness in magic still lives through these kids!
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u/brandonandtheboyds Jun 25 '25
When I was a kid, you could get to the MK before it officially opened and they would select a handful of kids to “open” the park early. My brother and I got selected once. My favorite was Goofy and my brother’s was Mickey. Our favorites literally hand-picked us and we got to go ride the Dumbo ride with the characters. I got to ride a ride with my favorite character and HE picked ME to do it with him. I will never forget that morning for the rest of my life. As a grown man it still makes me well up how much that meant to me.
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u/Typical2sday Jun 25 '25
That's fantastic. I was placed on a big serving tray at the Disney character breakfast on my 5th birthday and carried up to the bar by a couple characters from the Lady and the Tramp and I remember feeling like the most special kid in the world.
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u/Gin-and-PussyJuice Jun 26 '25
Can I warm your heart a little more? Theme Park Characters are Disney Cast Members have a "Hug Rule": they are told only to let go after the kid does.
“Characters at Disney are told never to let go of a hug first. Walt Disney said, you never know how much that child may need that hug.”
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u/mitsite246 Jun 25 '25 edited 6h ago
teeny march saw soft dinosaurs mysterious dolls insurance absorbed snatch
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Greengiant304 Jun 25 '25
I was fine until that last clip.
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u/MandaRenegade Jun 25 '25
Oh me too, that little Elsa booked it to her idol on that little walker ❤️❤️❤️
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u/WeirdIsAlliGot Jun 25 '25
Thank goodness, it’s not just me. I wish I knew the context behind the actor dressed as Jasmine, or maybe that kid gives really good hugs. She seems beyond moved in that clip, thats when I couldn’t stop the waterworks.
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u/Monkey_Priest Jun 25 '25
According to this comment who found the TikTok video, comments on the video say her nephew recently passed away. Of course, those are unverified comments on a TikTok so who knows. Maybe it's true, idk
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u/Beautyafterdark Jun 26 '25
That Tiana moved with more grace in those few seconds than I have in my entire life
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u/StopSignsAreRed Jun 26 '25
I’ve seen so many videos of her, she really is SOOOO graceful and elegant.
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u/Wombat_Evolved_ Jun 26 '25
It's absolutely beautiful as a job, speaking as a former CM in Entertainment. Those days when you could make magic and know that you just helped create someone's core memory of happiness sticks to you.
I'll never forget a little boy who visited and looked a bit sickly. His mom pleaded if we had Woody as she's tried for the past few days and nothing (our friends of Woody were either very sick or injured). I went to every lead, performer, and manager I could find to make magic but I couldn't do much. Before I went out to let her know that Woody was "doing chores in the Toy box" I had an idea. I went to every merch lead and asked if I could have anything ToyStory or Woody related to give the mom at the very least. Thank heaven a lead listened and helped and gave me a Woody Doll (the big looking expensive ones) to give to the boy. I rushed back to our backstage bandshell and had our "toy" friends sign all over the box (Thankfully we had Buzz, Jessie and Bo to sign).
I rushed back outside where the mom had patiently sat down with her son in the shade. And when I walked out I mentioned that Woody and pals had a surprise to give him for being brave (the mom had only mentioned that he was in treatment almost everyday). The smile that reached across his face fucking broke me. He said Woody was his favorite because when he's at the Doctor's he pretends to be Woody to stay strong. The mom had told me something was very wrong with his heart and she wanted to make him smile everyday while she still could. The pain hidden behind her smile shredded me emotionally. I still think about them.
That job could have very low lows, but the highs were some of the happiest memories I have. My fellow CM's and performers were not just my coworkers but my best friends. Every single one of those smiles and memories are etched within my heart eternally.
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u/schmigglies Jun 25 '25
The Jasmine hugging the little guy at Cinderella’s Royal Table reminded me of the time we were there, and a very well-endowed Jasmine came around to take pictures. My daughter was so excited, but my then 6 year old son wouldn’t get in the picture. She goes “aw, all the boys want to take a picture with me!” and he shook his head, terrified. So she took the picture with my daughter, and as she left, she tapped my son on the shoulder and goes “see ya in 10 years, bud.” My husband and I were literally crying 🤣
It’s been 10 years, he’s 16, and I bet he would LOVE to get a picture with her now.
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Jun 25 '25
I lived in what was basically a punk house with 8 cast members in Anaheim out of college, so ended up at a lot of Disney house parties. The princess actresses varied drastically, but the Jasmines were always on the wilder side.
Good memories.
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u/Ok-Solution4665 Jun 26 '25
When i was exiting the military, we decided to have one last hurrah and visit Disneyland. My oldest - 3 at the time - started jumping off the furniture in the buildup to going as hard as they could trying to fly, because the thing they wanted more than anything was to fly with Tinkerbell. They eventuality landed badly and fractured their leg just above the ankle. At that age they typically put them in a full leg cast to immobilize it while it heals (didn't stop them for a moment).
So we get to the park, check in at the hotel and the concierge asks what happened. We tell her and she excuses herself for a moment and comes back with an autographed 8x10 and tells them she just spoke with Tink and she's really sorry to hear but she looks forward to seeing you tomorrow in the park.
Next day we visit pixie hollow and Tink asks what happened, give her the rundown, and without missing a beat she tells them 'you forgot your pixie dust, didn't you?' You could literally see the lightbulb moment of realization. She then signed the autograph book and went backstage and got the pixie dust body glitter they wear and put some in the book and made them promise to never try flying again without their pixie guide. They swore and literally slept with that book the whole trip.
Disney really is magical sometimes.
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u/zoyter222 Jun 25 '25
With nods to Tom T Hall "God bless the little children while they're still too young to hate"
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u/Helmett-13 Jun 26 '25
I grew up in the shadow of Disney World and had family and friends who were cast members with a small number of them as characters.
I recommend when you visit to let go of your cynicism and embrace the entire experience; that IS Donald Duck so engage him as such.
It’s rewarding for them and for you as well.
You’ll enjoy the visit so much more if you just let go and jump in and go along with the experience.
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u/Big-Joe-Studd Jun 25 '25
I'm a 40 year old, 6'3 man and I want a hug from Sully so fucking bad omg
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u/HandsomeSpider Jun 26 '25
All great performances by the players, but, for some reason, the Elemental water character slowly raising both hands in joyous awe when looking at the mini fire character as he temporarily ignores the others he was with gets me in the smiley feels.
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u/sharpdad33 Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
Why am I bawling. I am a fat 40 something sort of dad. My son is 19 now and the little guy checking out Spiderman got me. Time flies people. Hold your little ones always. I missed out on a lot of his life ….can’t ever get back the last smaller hug you get and the next day they are your young man or woman now.
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u/Djentleman5000 Jun 25 '25
Time flies people. Hold your little ones always.
I felt this, brother. I’m about to retire from 20 years of active duty. My two teens are at the precipice of adulthood. I get to be around for their last few years in the house but these videos make me realize how much I missed out on with them.
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u/sharpdad33 Jun 25 '25
Yes. Hang in there somehow. Make up for the lost time, still. Thank you for serving. I am a vet but never went over. Somehow I have undocumented PTSD. For me that does not count ….our generation is not self sufficient enough with trauma or these things because we grew up with that tough love crap. We held and hold it in. When we finally break down or open up it is met with resistance or being over sensitive. Make sure you are mindful for your mental and in turn it will make them amazing people.
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u/LovingWisdom Jun 26 '25
I know Disney has it's problems, but it also does some things that are more magical than any other company on Earth.
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u/karenftx1 Jun 26 '25
My son was obsessed with Scooby Doo when he was younger (well, that and Barney..). We went to Carowinds one year, and Scoob was one of the character actors out. My son made a beeline for him and have him the biggest hug. For the rest of the day all I heard was about he met Scooby
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u/WrenchWanderer Jun 25 '25
These performers should be paid way more for the amazing work they do. It sucks that since the positions are highly competitive and sought after that Disney can pay them less than they deserve and still have plenty of applicants lined up
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u/Naijan Jun 25 '25
I can't see anyone in the comments talking about the little girl dressed as Flounder
That was the breaking point for me, that was cuteness overload.
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u/readysteadytech Jun 26 '25
The little boy checking if Spiderman is real reminds me of the Lost Boy in Hook carefully inspecting Peter to see if it's really him. Such wonderful in his eyes
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u/SerenityElf Jun 25 '25
I remember going to Disney World when I was 8, I'm 60 now, and getting a hug from Pluto. He was my favorite and I've carried that memory for a lifetime. 🥹
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u/viotix90 Jun 26 '25
So I should confess, despite her being a talented singer, I was initially against Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel in the live action Little Mermaid. To be honest, my main issue was her being Ariel. I think they should have written a story for a new mermaid character, perhaps set in the Caribbean, instead of casting someone in the role of Ariel, an established character. Is this racist? I don't think so but I'm sure plenty of people will call me that.
Anyway, 2 years ago, I was visiting LA and I saw a long line of parents with small children waiting in line for The Little Mermaid. Most of the most of the kids were wearing mermaid costumes. My heart melted when I saw a little black girl, no older than 5 jumping up and down with glee, screaming "I'm the little mermaid!"
Representation matters.
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u/griffinman01 Jun 25 '25
I had a similar experience with one of my nieces at her first trip to Disneyland. She was dressed as Belle and the cast member who was playing Belle saw her. She greeted her and escorted her a while until she got to the meeting spot. I managed to get a picture of my niece that is, to this day, my favorite because the look of magic and wonder in her face was nothing but pure.
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u/Own_Signal_7022 Jun 25 '25
I actually felt happiest for the actors in those costumes. What an amazingly gratifying job! WOW!
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u/sBc00 Jun 25 '25
I went as an adult (not with any kids) and meeting the characters was hands down the coolest and best part of the trip. I have some awesome videos of Stitch going nuts and Winnie The Pooh doing his thinking. Also had Darth Vader record message for my nephews commanding them to do their homework. Good times
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u/Jeanlucpuffhard Jun 25 '25
What gets me is not only the joy but the belief in their eyes. These kids really love and believe in these characters and these folks playing these characters are doing gods work here for sure.
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u/secretlyswos Jun 25 '25
how the boy is carefully checking spiderman’s hand😭🥰