Mickey and Minnie Mouse sign 'I love you' to deaf boy at Disneyland
"The child was ecstatic after meeting the characters."
— -- One deaf little boy’s magical visit to Disneyland became even more magical when the Disney characters started speaking with him in sign language.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse kneeled down to the small child to sign “It’s nice to meet” and “I love you,” which prompted him to give them each big hugs.
“The child was ecstatic after meeting the characters because he didn’t know they would speak ‘his language,’” a spokesperson for Olive Crest, a child abuse prevention agency that arranged the trip, told ABC News. “The child is typically not a hugger, so the fact that he hugged both Minnie and Mickey spoke volumes to the joy he felt.”
Olive Crest, an agency that serves over 3,500 at-risk kids and families every day throughout California, Nevada and Washington, cannot disclose the name or age of the child, but said they “hope to send the message that with a little love and ‘magic,’ that you can truly make a child’s dream come true and provide them a bright memory that can last a lifetime.”
The little boy’s family did arrange to have an ASL translator present during his trip to the park, but Olive Crest said the characters seen in the viral video “were not briefed” on his visit before he arrived.
"The family had a Disney translator with them, who was behind the boy telling the characters what/how to sign. The encounter wasn't planned, however," said spokesperson Steven Macias.
The Disneyland video has amassed nearly 400,000 views since Olive Crest posted it to their Facebook page on May 23.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.