Disney World means many things to many people. For some, it’s just a theme park. To others, it’s escapism. Many call it home. And then, for others, it’s a place to process grief. I myself have grieved loss at Disney and know firsthand its heart-healing powers. One family on TikTok recently discovered this as well.
The family of Rayne Straaseley shared a video of their recent trip to Walt Disney World, but this was no ordinary vacation. Rayne passed away last September after, as her “Aunt Juju” (Jules) put it, “a rough go in her small time on Earth.” Her aunt went on to explain, “She’s been in and out of the ICU multiple times, eats from a feeding tube in her tummy, and has a plethora of medical machines and equipment to help her live her daily life. At this time, there is no umbrella diagnosis for us to understand why these things are happening to her.”
For what should have been Rayne’s 7th birthday, she and her mother took a photo of Rayne to Disney World to meet her favorite characters. This alone is enough to reduce a grown adult to tears, but a video shared to TikTok of Rayne meeting Mickey Mouse was one of the most touching Disney moments I’ve ever seen.
First, Mickey took a napkin and made a blanket for Rayne because he didn’t want her to the cold. Then he waved at the photo and kissed it. He spent time with both Rayne’s mom and aunt, tenderly touching his face to there’s, telling them not to cry. Then he led the family in singing happy birthday to Rayne in a moment they will never forget.
The touching video went viral and got the attention of the official account for @DisneyParks, who weighed in: “Mickey always knows how to put a smile on our face 🥹 Sending you lots of love and pixie dust 🫶”
Disney (and Mickey) proves once again that “no matter how your heart is grieving if you keep on believing…a dream that you wish will come true.” You can watch the full TikTok videos here and here.