Snow White Helps Calm Little Boy with Special Needs at Disney World
Disneyland is heralded as “The Happiest Place on Earth,” and for good reason. When you walk into the famous park, you are in another dimension, cocooned from the real world and its trials.
There’s no news there. No war. There are colorful displays and carefully curated scent experiences. Everything down to the staff is specially selected to give you a unique, joyful experience so that for one day you can forget your worries and try to forget how much money you just dropped on tickets.
Disney characters are one of the integral parts of the experience. What is 2D on film jumps to life in 3D, and kids can interact with live versions of their favorite princesses, heroes and villains.
For one family, it was a recent interaction with a classic character and friendly patrons that brought them an unexpected dose of happiness.
Lauren and Bill Bergner and their sons — Billy (14), Jake (9), and Brody (6) — set off on a trip of a lifetime to Disney World that was months in the making.
It was Aug. 25, after a day of heat and rides, and the 6-year-old was over it. That would be a pretty normal reaction for any kid his age, but Brody also has autism, which made him feel even more overwhelmed.
But Snow White, in true Disney Princess form, knew exactly what to do, and while it was Brody who had been crying, soon it was his mother who picked up where he left off.
“I lost it. I was crying,” Lauren told “Today.” “She [led] him to a bench and he was leaning into her and she was hugging him. Brody loves squeezes and soft, soothing voices.”
Though the mother was concerned that the crowd of people also waiting for their moment with Snow White would be annoyed over the hold-up, the other parents responded beautifully, clapping as they watched the Disney magic taking place before them.
Of course, Lauren had to share their encounter on Facebook in hopes that the woman who plays Snow White would see and know how much the family appreciated her gesture.
“I am so emotional with these pictures!!” Lauren wrote in a post. “Brody was having a meltdown. It was our turn to take pictures with her and he wanted nothing to do with it! Snow White could tell Brody had special needs! She took him for a walk and got him time away from the crowd!! This is true magic!!”
She also shared the email she sent to Disney.
“I wanted to share an amazing experience that I had today Sunday August 25th in Epcot,” she wrote. “My son Brody has Autism and is non verbal. We went to meet Snow White by the fountain at the Germany Pavilion at 4:00 this afternoon. My son was having a autism meltdown. He was crying and was overwhelmed and just having a hard time.”
“Snow White was amazing with him!! She kissed, hugged and cuddled him. He was laying his head crying on her lap. She then took him for a walk away from the crowd! She was amazing. She held his hand, danced with him, took him over to a bench and sat with him.”
Lauren referred to Snow White as a “pure angel” and said they would never forget the moment she made so memorable for them.
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