Disneyland is coined “the happiest place on Earth” thanks in no small part to people who work there—particularly the performers. Sure, the rides are fun, but a lot of the magic comes from being able to interact with real life versions of characters we’ve fallen in love with from the movies.
That’s why people are hailing the Evil Queen, who had a very special encounter with an autistic teen boy, as the park’s true hero. She is one of many performers going out of their way to make sure everyone gets to be part of the fun, reminding us of what makes Disney so special in the first place.
A now-viral TikTok video shows the Evil (or maybe not-so-evil) Queen approach 15-year-old Thomas to offer a feel of her soft cape.
“Sensory QUEEN🤌🍃💜😍” one person commented.
“She understands he likes to touch and feel things,” another user wrote.
Then, gently taking his hand, the two take a quick stroll through the kingdom while shooing away the peasants. She is a Queen, after all.
Watch:
@magicwiththomas The not so Evil Queen offering him to feel her cape #autism #autismawareness #autismacceptance #asd #specialneeds #disney #disneyparks #disneyland #disneytiktok #disney100 #snowwhite #evilqueen #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Magic With Thomas
By the looks of the follow-up video, Thomas and the Evil Queen became fast friends, as she showed off a “better angle” of Sleeping Beauty’s castle and suggested they take a picture together.
Thomas’ video got a lot of love online, including other parents who have had similar positive experiences, and those who had still been on the fence about taking their own autistic children to the park.
‘Why do you love Disney so much? This. This is why. I can take my autistic son, and he is loved and not an inconvenience to them,” one parent wrote.
Another added, “I haven’t taken my kids to Disney yet because I’m worried my autistic son will get overstimulated. I love [that] the cast members are so kind.”
Thomas’s TikTok account, which is run by his dad, is filled with all kinds of Disney characters making him feel welcome. The content is so pure and wholesome and leaves people with nothing but praise for the performers.
If you want to see Thomas chatting it up with the likes of Jack Sparrow, Winnie the Pooh, Cruella Deville and more, you can find his TikTok account here.