The boy was taking his picture near the center of the park, with a crowd of other park-goers making way for the boy’s family to take pictures for the day.
As this was happening, a man in a brown navy uniform pushed his way through the crowd and headed straight for the boy, whom he did not see approaching.
When the man approached the boy, he knelt down behind him. Of course, it was the boy’s father, to be with his family and surprise his son.
The boy was so surprised, he was so happy, the father hugged his son and gave him a big kiss, he just said “hello” first, then told his son that he was finally home home before his son shouts “Daddy” excitedly. It was a wonderful surprise and a great example of the unique kind of magic that can be found at Disneyland.
The boy said how much he missed his father and was excited and happy to receive such a wonderful surprise. The passing crowd resumed in the moment, father and son cheered and came together.
There were tears from those who witnessed the event. What happened after this encounter is not documented, as the participants and staff simply allowed them to spend the day together as a family. You can see it all in the video USA Today shared on Militarykind.
This kind of story happens regularly at Disneyland, but having it documented and watched by so many spectators was something special that added a sense of joy to everyone’s day.
