Meeting their dream character at Disney World can certainly be exciting and even overwhelming for young kids, and it’s completely normal for them to get emotional in the moment.
But what about adults? One 58-year-old woman recently sparked a conversation about the topic after she broke down in tears while chatting with Mickey Mouse at the beloved theme park.
Tracy M Sommer, from Mohawk, New York, was visiting the Happiest Place on Earth with daughter Savannah when they decided to get in line for the Minnie and Mickey meet and greet.
As a long time Disney fan she knew the moment would be special, but never expected to get emotional.
She told the Daily Mail that as she was waiting for her turn she began remembering her first family vacation to Disney with her own parents decades prior, when she was only 10 years old, and started missing them intensely.
Memories of her and her daughters watching Disney movies together when they were younger also came flooding back to her.
Upon walking into the room and seeing the characters, she became ‘overwhelmed with emotions’ and started shedding ‘happy tears.’
‘When I met Mickey I knew he was not real but for those few minutes every good and painful memory left and I said, ‘Thank you Mickey I finally got to meet you,’ and I cried,’ she said of the moment to the Daily Mail.
Tracy M Sommer, from New York, sparked a conversation about adults at Disney World after a video of her crying following her meeting with Mickey and Minnie went viral
Her daughter Savannah shared a short clip of Tracy breaking down in tears right after she met the characters
‘Mickey and Minnie were so comforting with their hugs and gestures. I got caught up in the moment and forgot I was an adult. It was a special healing moment for me.’
Afterwards, Savannah took a short video of Tracy reflecting on the moment while on the phone with her husband, John, and uploaded it to her Instagram, where it went viral.
‘The magic of Disney at every age. So thankful I got to experience this moment with my momma! Makes me cry still. Thank you @disneyparks,’ she captioned it.
‘Smiling because moments like this remind me that it’s my mom’s first time living too,’ she added in a text overlay on the video. ‘I feel blessed to be a part of it.’
In the clip, a clearly emotional Tracy could be heard talking on the phone to her husband.
‘I finally met Mickey,’ she said between sobs, as he responded, ‘Are you crying?’
‘A little bit, I know it’s stupid that I’m crying, and I’m 58 years old,’ Tracy added as she wiped away tears.
‘It’s not stupid,’ Savannah interjected. ‘That’s the magic of Disney at every age.’
She told the Daily Mail that memories of her and her daughters watching Disney movies together during her childhood came flooding back to her, which made her emotional
Afterwards, Savannah took a short video of Tracy reflecting on the moment while crying and uploaded it to her Instagram, where it went viral
In response to those who may judge her emotional response, Tracy said, ‘I am sure that some people might think it’s immature but I truly feel every adult has an inner child’
Tracy told the Daily Mail that Disney was especially important to her family because her eldest daughter Kaylee became seriously ill as a child and watched a ton of Disney films while she was healing.
‘We almost lost her. But Disney helped her heal,’ she explained.
The video got over 77,000 views and hundreds of Instagram users rushed to the comment section to share their thoughts.
Most people were moved by the ‘sweet’ moment and praised Disney for spreading the magic for people of all ages.
In response to those who may judge her emotional response, Tracy pointed out that all adults have ‘an inner child.’
‘I am sure that some people might think it’s immature of me but I am humbled and blessed by the comments of so many who felt the same way,’ she said.
‘I truly feel every adult has an inner child… The world is a tough place and characters make people happy. Disney will always be special to me.’
