If there’s anything that can heal your inner child, it’s watching compilations online of kids hugging their favorite characters at Disneyland.
They really get you every time, but if you look closely, you might notice a familiar pattern – the Disney character will keep hugging the child until they break off the hug.
While it’s not an officially mandated rule (although many others exist … more on that later), it’s an informal guideline that many Disney theme park staff have embraced, so it’s now become a standard practice.
The adorable guideline helps ensure that the child feels their beloved character isn’t pulling away.
According to the Disney fan site Inside the Magic, the practice dates back to Walt Disney himself, who apparently said, “You never know how much that child may need that hug.”
TikTok features countless videos of this rule in action, including one heartwarming clip from @flickdash, showing a montage of kids hugging the characters for as long as they wish, and the characters patiently hold on until they let go.
In another clip by @mccallcook, liked by 3.3 million people, a girl called Hazel is seen running up to Anna from Frozen and refusing to “Let It Go” for more than two minutes.
The character is seen chatting with Hazel and asking her questions endlessly until her parents finally manage to guide her away.
“I THINK SHE BROKE THE RECORD WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Hazel’s mum wrote in the caption.
“I think Hazie would’ve sat there all day long if there wasn’t a line behind us.”
In the comments, people were getting teary over the adorable moment.
“This is so pure and innocent,” said one.
“I’m sorry, but how do you not break down crying every time this happens?” another asked.
However, some wondered whether the parents should’ve stepped in to break the hug sooner and let another child have their turn.
“As a parent, I would have stopped it earlier,” said one.
“The parents should know that the hug went on for way too long as they put the Disney worker in an awkward position,” added someone else.
Other official rules at the parks include that characters must never eat in public, tattoos need covering, staff must be able to sign autographs as their character, and no staff member can say “I don’t know” in response to a question.
Also, if a staff member wears glasses and their character doesn’t, they’ll need to wear contact lenses to keep it authentic.
For guests, no one over 14 is allowed to wear costumes so they aren’t mistaken for real characters, and guests staying at the Disney Hotel aren’t permitted to hang wet towels, swimmers, or clothes off their balconies.
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