The Happiest Place on Earth helped a deaf California boy feel just a little bit happier when he and his family visited the park in June.
Olive Crest, a child abuse prevention agency that has helped more than 3,500 at-risk kids and families throughout Southern California, Nevada and Washington, helped set up the special visit for the boy.
The family had arranged to have an ASL translator present during the trip, Olive Crest representatives said, but the characters apparently weren’t briefed prior to the child’s visit.
The child was greeted by Mickey, Minnie and Pluto when he arrived. And as the video shows, he was happy to see them speak to him in his “language.”
“The characters are signing ‘it’s nice to meet’ and ‘I love you,’” the Olive Crest representative said. “The little boy typically isn’t a hugger, but once he realized that they spoke ‘his language,’ he couldn’t help but run into their arms.”
Every year Olive Crest sends foster and adoptive families in Southern California to Disneyland for Foster Care Awareness Month. The hope is the children will spend time with their families, as well as connecting with staff and case workers.