To children, Disneyland is a place where dreams can come true.
Everyone remembers growing up watching their favorite Disney princes and princesses while they were growing up. Many of Disney’s animated films had big adventures and big ideas that we could follow our dreams, be brave and experience magic in our lifetimes. As anyone who’s seen Pinocchio knows, there was also the lesson that dreams could come true if we wished for them hard enough (and on a star, of course).
For one military family, staff at Disneyland worked to make a real wish come true—and the results were magical.
Three-year-old Alyssa Brown and her brother Liam were having a hard time.
The Brown children are part of a military family and their dad, Scott Brown, is a Marine who had been deployed in Afghanistan. Both children were feeling the absence of their father though Alyssa was the only one old enough to truly understand it. The family decided to take a trip to Disneyland to raise everyone’s spirits.
But little did Alyssa know that her mom, Jennifer, had planned a major surprise for her.
Just like any normal visit, Alyssa went with Snow White to approach the wishing well.
Once they got there, Snow White asked her what she wanted to wish for. “I wish that daddy would come home,” she said. Everyone around is touched by the little girl’s love, and Snow White tells her to close her eyes and repeat the wish over and over again. What happens next is incredible.
After she opens her eyes, Alyssa’s daddy is there to greet her with a smile.
After their big hug, everyone can see that the surprise was a huge success.
Alyssa and the entire family are so happy—and according to mom, Alyssa never left Scott’s side for the rest of the time they were together:
Since the reunion earlier today, Alyssa has been sticking right to Scott’s side & every few minutes kept saying, “I missed you Daddy.” It took Liam a little bit to feel comfortable with Scott, but by the end of the day he was sitting on Daddy’s lap too enjoying some cuddle time. Later that night as Scott tucked Alyssa into bed, she put both hands on the side of his face & said, “Daddy, my wish came true.”
This story is a beautiful reminder of the love between a child and father.
Although the military is a big commitment for anyone, the families of those deployed also suffer as well. In this video, all that tension is released when the family comes back together, safe and sound. Congratulations and best wishes to the Brown family!
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