That one moment **TISSUE ALERT**

[Missytara]

On our last trip, watching a young boy with down syndrome speak to Belle. He had the bigget smile on his face and she was very sweet to him.

I have a similar one when we were at Akerhaus for the dinner character greet.

There was a teenager, most likely with Cerebral Palsy, and he was confined to a wheelchair. He had the most wonderful time and just smiled endlessly.

As we were leaving, we noticed the princesses were taking one last chance to interact with him and he had the biggest dark red lip print right on his right cheek! He was just squealing with delight.

 

[DontCallMeJunior]

Some really amazing stories...I'd like to share mine.

It's nothing too great...but just a personal goal of mine I accomplished.

I was raised by a single mom. She did everything she possibly could for me. She was truly a terrific mother. There was always food on the table for me even if there wasn't enough for her. She made everything special.

She raised me on Disney. I was 8 or so when I decided I wanted to be an animator. She put me in art classes. And encouraged me.

Even though money was scarce...she'd take me to Disney World every year since 1990. Sometimes we'd stay a week...sometimes only a weekend. But it was always just me and my mom. And our Disney World trips were very special. They meant the world to me.

My favorite moment going with her was when I was "Artist of the day" on Main street. I drew Mickey Mouse faster then the Disney artist and just as good. She was so proud of me. The first place we'd go every trip was the Magic Kingdom. Main Street was her favorite place.

Our last trip there was in 2002. We had a great time.
I was starting college the next year. I was going to be a animator. So Disney trips wouldn't be in our budget for a long time. But we'd still talk about Disney world when we'd be together. We'd talk about the new attractions and memories. We wanted to go back so bad.

My mother passed away in 2005.

I had no other family. Just her.

I graduated college with honors. I became an animator. It took me nearly 2 years to get a job...but I got one.

When I got a job as a game production artist...I took my first vacation in nearly 8 years. I went back to Disney World in 2010.

It was the first time I was there without my mother.

Last time I was at Disney World...the last thing I did was exit the Magic Kingdom...my mother by my side...and thought about the next time I'd be there. As a child...I was hopeful for the future I was about to embark.

9 years later I returned by myself.

I stood in the Magic Kingdom with goosebumps. A place that very much shaped who I was. I stood there an animator. I stood there an accomplished person because the woman who raised me told me to never give up.

I looked up to the sky and said to myself, "We made it."

 

[stitchlet]

Wow! Thank you so much Missytara and DontCallMeJunior for sharing your truly touching stories ...my eyes are tearing and I've got goosebumps (the good kind ) ... Disney is such an amazing place, and knowing that such wonderful, beautiful moments are occurring for people all around us make it even that much more special!

 

[Jacksonev1]

As a family we'd been to Disney numerous times (and so many times prior to having kids), but the one moment that stands out to me involved my 2nd child, my son. My son was a very late talker. We had already been through numerous evaluations for him and because he always fell into a 'gray' area with the testing, we didn't have a definitive diagnosis. Receptive/Expressive lang. delay? Autism? Natural late talker? Apraxic? We just didn't know for sure. Well, when he was 3 we took our annual trip to WDW and there was just something magical about it. He started talking, he started being more interested in things, he was so full of joy and trying to communicate everything he saw to us! While in line for It's A Small World he said "Mommy" and he clapped his hands and said "Ride." It was by far a turning point for us, for him. It truly will always be a trip to remember for our family. From that point on, his speech really took off. We continue to go to WDW every year, and it seems like every year he is still making improvements!!




I think the curiosity and wonderment that Disney evokes works magic, I truly do. No one will ever convince me of anything different.

This brought tear to my eyes!!!

 

[Pills]

This is more of a personal story that happened at WDW, really, but I still tear up thinking about it.

A little background first: I grew up living about a mile from my grandparents' house. We saw them very often and were very close to them. In 1977, they bought a condo a few towns away from Ft. Lauderdale, which led to us going down over February break every year. We trekked up to WDW in 1978, 1982 and 1990 (I was 4, 8 and 16).

My grandfather died in 2001. Grandma's still going strong at 94.

In 2006, my pregnant wife and I took our daughter down to WDW for our first trip as adults. I don't remember where we were going, but there was a point when we were on a bus with one other family.

The boys looked to be about 7 and 4 (my brother's and my ages on our first trip).
They were there with their parents and grandparents, same as my first trip.
The smaller kid's name was my name.
He called his grandfather Pop, which we called ours.

When the kid said "Pop", I couldn't even look at them. I had to look out the window of the bus for a minute, or they would've seen this then 32 year old father with tears on his face for apparently no reason. Since about a month after his death, I've never missed my grandfather as much as I did in that moment.

 

[nocomment711]

REVIVING THIS THREAD.

I bawled through most of this. So many touching stories.

I used to go to Disney with my grandma (and my last two trips to WDW were with my grandma). On our last trip, my grandpa had been on hospice for nearly six months and I took her down as an escape. It was a short trip, but it was just enough. The Beast is her favorite character (even when I went to Disneyland she would ask if I met the Beast or not). At MVMCP the Beast meets with Belle in a very non-handicapped friendly space (my grandma can barely walk). Well, she decided that she was going to meet the Beast no matter what. I waited in line while she parked at the exit. When I got up there, I helped some of the CMs help her up the steps where she stood to get her picture taken (and get a hug) from the Beast.

Later on in that trip, we went to the Candlelight Processional. I'm not the most religious person, but my grandma sat there with rapt attention, smiling. I then proceeded to start crying because just seeing her smile and have so much fun meant so much to me in such a bad time in her life.

We were planning a trip down in two weeks, but she's not doing so well and we had to cancel. I try not to think of that trip as our last trip down there together, but I'm glad that it was so magical.

 

[Bertie131]

REVIVING THIS THREAD.

I bawled through most of this. So many touching stories.

I used to go to Disney with my grandma (and my last two trips to WDW were with my grandma). On our last trip, my grandpa had been on hospice for nearly six months and I took her down as an escape. It was a short trip, but it was just enough. The Beast is her favorite character (even when I went to Disneyland she would ask if I met the Beast or not). At MVMCP the Beast meets with Belle in a very non-handicapped friendly space (my grandma can barely walk). Well, she decided that she was going to meet the Beast no matter what. I waited in line while she parked at the exit. When I got up there, I helped some of the CMs help her up the steps where she stood to get her picture taken (and get a hug) from the Beast.

Later on in that trip, we went to the Candlelight Processional. I'm not the most religious person, but my grandma sat there with rapt attention, smiling. I then proceeded to start crying because just seeing her smile and have so much fun meant so much to me in such a bad time in her life.

We were planning a trip down in two weeks, but she's not doing so well and we had to cancel. I try not to think of that trip as our last trip down there together, but I'm glad that it was so magical.

Love your grandma's smile!

 

[stitchlet]

Beautiful post, nocomment711 ... thank you so much for sharing it!

Praying that your grandma is feeling better.

 

[JoAnna525]

This is such an amazing thread. I truly feel sorry for people who think that Disney is frivolous, manufactured, or just another theme park. They do not appreciate the vision, the immense investment of effort made by hundreds and hundreds of people to help suspend visitors' disbelief, the human ingenuity that WDW demonstrates, and the cross-generational and cultural significance of WDW. As shown by the stories in this thread, WDW is an American icon, WDW is the home of memories, and WDW often brings out the best of who we are, both individually and collectively. If that ain't magic, I don't know what is.

I've been to WDW more times than I can count in the last 30 years - the first time I went was when I was 10 with my family, the last time I went was this past summer with my extended family, bringing my DH and my 18-month-old son. I, DH and my son are going back in a few weeks. My moments are simple, and common WDW fare - the first time I ever saw the castle, the first time I was given a little freedom to roam the WDW with my sister as a 13-year-old, the fact that the World Showcase inspired me in my youth to travel the world as an adult, crying as a 25 year old as MK closed down for the night because it was all "just so beautiful", tearing up as my little boy hugged Mickey for the first time and clapping with glee when the Seven Dwarfs came right up to him during the parade. But most of all, every time I am in WDW, "that one moment" is one that usually hits me when I least expect it, that makes me think, "Isn't it just amazing to be alive?" Magic, indeed.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

I've only made it to page 4 and I think I'm out or tears.

So many wonderful, touching, heartbreaking stories in one thread should be illegal. Subscribing to come back and read the others after I've rehydrated.

 

[scdak]

I knew I should not have opened this thread tonight, but I did anyway! Now I can't read any more threads due to the tears! Oh well, I guess I should just go to bed now, can't see, can't breathe, my night at the computer is done.

 

[nocomment711]

I came to the grand Floridian tonight to watch the fireworks and the lady greeting guests remembered me and my grandma from nearly two years ago. If that's not magic, I dunno what is.

 

[GoofyRob]

In Jan 2000 I took my DW, DS and DN for a one time trip. My son was diagnosed with Autism earlier that fall. During the trip he was sick and very withdrawn. We went to the Tapestry of Nations parade at Epcot the 3rd night of the trip. During the parade one of the electric butterflies took my son out of the crowd and had him dancing with her in the middle of the parade. I have a picture of my 6 year old son with the biggest smile on his face that I have ever seen. That was the night I became a believer in Disney magic. I am a DVC member and every trip I take I am always looking for the Disney magic in the eyes of a child. The best place to see it is as they walk through the tunnel onto Main street and they see the castle for their 1st time.

 

[RebeccaB]

I've got one from our recent trip. We were at MNSSHP. I was feeling irritated bc my fil had been being ridiculously childish and grating on everyone's nerves. Suddenly, a little girl about 5ish right in front of us starts bouncing up and down and says with the true enthusiasm only a child can muster: "This is absolutely the BEST day of my entire life!!!" Bam. Just like that all my irritation was gone.

 

[mapleleaf4ever]

Bump

 

[tcherjen]

For us: DD got to dance with Prince Charming.

 

[pampam]

Just the other day, I was watching the maharachi band in Mexico. They pulled a couple out of the audience who were celebrating their anniversary, and sang a beautiful song to them. I had no idea what the song said, since it was in Spanish, but they sang it with such emotion, and passion, you could tell it was a lovely song. I was bawling by this point. I said to someone standing beside me that I couldn't understand what they were singing, but it seemed like a beautiful song. They loosely translated it, saying "I have loved you these many years, and I will love you forever." It was very touching.

 

[jeff p]

Bump

 

[jeff p]

Bump

 

[adc]

During Wishes my four year old had his arms around my husband's and my neck. He pulled us in close and said,"I love you guys. I wish this could last forever."

Best memory so far this year!