As a child, I had the opportunity to visit Disneyland twice. Each time, my sister and I were on a hunt to see if we could meet the real Mickey Mouse. We weren’t so lucky. A decade and some change later, I would have a chance to meet the mouse as an adult on a work trip.
And even though I was fully grown, the moment was still magical. A childhood dream come true. One father captures this same type of wonderment with his teenage son on the TikTok account @MagicWithThomas.
Thomas and his dad make frequent trips to Disneyland.
Thomas’ dad documents his son’s interactions with Disneyland characters. The heartwarming content has been viewed millions of times with hundreds of thousands of comments.
The teen's recent interaction with the Evil Queen from Snow White has done it again.
Typically, Disney characters do not break character and live up to their names, but the Evil Queen was so taken with Thomas that she was compelled to kindness.
The Evil Queen was instantly welcoming to Thomas.
In the clip, Thomas, a 15-year-old with special needs, approaches the Evil Queen and she instantly welcomes him.
“Thomas, is that you, my dear? My goodness, what a time. I did ask my magic mirror for you,” she says.
Eventually, she extends her hand for Thomas to take and invites him on a stroll. He obliges.
On their walk, the queen creates a sensory experience for Thomas.
They did take that walk. As they make their way through the park, the Evil Queen instructs other park goers to "make way for royalty."
Another parent responded to Thomas' video, saying, "Why do you love Disney so much? This. This why. I can take my autistic son, and he is loved and not an inconvenience to them.”
Thomas’ father agrees. “Thomas is safe and understood there. Cast members take good care of him and they show a genuine happiness/excitement to see him,” he responded.
In another video, the Evil Queen and Thomas take a look at the ducks in the moat surrounding a nearby castle. Later, she finds “the softest leaf” he will ever feel.
Looking back at the camera, she clarifies that it’s not as soft as her cape. This moment was significant as sensory experiences are particularly important for children with autism.
Commenters celebrated the queen's efforts in altering her performance.
The commenters on this video commended the Disney employee in the costume for adjusting her performance to enhance Thomas’ experience.
“Sensory QUEEN,” one person wrote.
“Ohhh she knows what she’s doing. Well done Queen,” another chimed in.
Another commenter perfectly summed up what we were all feeling watching this video: “Never thought I would love a villain so much.”
