The Disney Parks make magical things happen every day. There’s a reason Disneyland and Disney World are know as “the happiest” places on earth.
We’ve seen stories of Disney proposals, Mickey helping with a gender reveal, and even famous Disney characters doing sign language for deaf children. Each and every magical moment at the parks is unforgettable, and this next story is no different.
Courtney Gilmour and Tom Gilmour are a couple who treated their foster children (12-year-old Janielle and 10-year-old Elijah) to a trip to Disneyworld. Courtney and Tom had been fostering the children for 3 years, and they thought a trip to Florida would be the perfect way to surprise them with some amazing news.
Little did Janielle and Elijah know, but the Gilmours had finalized the adoption papers right before the trip! The couple knew that they had to make the moment an amazing one, so they came up with a plan to get one very famous mouse involved.
“We didn't have the adoption date until the Friday before our vacation, but once we got it I thought, 'How cool would it be to give a sign to Mickey?'" Courtney recalled. "When we got down there we sent out pictures on Twitter of our buttons. Ours said, 'Adopting Our Kids.' Theirs said, 'Getting Adopted.' The people from Disney World's Twitter reached out to us and asked, 'How can we help make this extra special?'" She had no clue how special the moment would be: "I thought it meant we were getting a dessert!"
The Gilmours got so much more than a dessert to celebrate the unforgettable news. After the family went to dinner, Courtney had received an email from a member of the park staff saying that they had arranged a special meet and greet with Mickey Mouse.
Thankfully, the Gilmours captured the incredible moment on video, which they shared on their Facebook page recently. In the video, Mickey Mouse signs autographs for the two children, and shows them some magic tricks. Then, he delivers the news: their adoption date. Upon realizing what’s happening, the adorable kids erupt in happy tears.
“They just thought they were getting their books signed. This went better than we had hoped. They were beyond shocked and we were beyond emotional.” Courtney wrote in her caption alongside the video on Facebook.
Since posting the video in early July, it has reached millions of people and warmed hearts all over the internet. The Gilmours could not be happier with the video’s positive and viral response, as they believe it showcases fostering children in a positive light.
You can watch the magical experience for yourself below, but Courtney warns: “have tissues when watching PURE DISNEY MAGIC!”.
