3-year-old cried with joy seeing life-size Mickey Mouse on stage. Then Disney delivered a magic he'll never forget
Disney will always have a special place in a child's mind. Take three-year-old Mali, for instance. The little boy has always been a huge fan of the iconic Disney character Mickey Mouse. When the family visited Disneyland, they decided to get tickets for Disney on Ice, where the young boy happened to see a life-size Mickey Mouse on stage. The little boy grew emotional, and the video went viral on social media. However, the video caught the attention of Disney, which decided to deliver a magical surprise that he will cherish for a lifetime. Sharing the update on January 11, 2026, (@diamoniquevalentine_), his parents could not be happier for their son, per PEOPLE.
New Jersey-based parents Diamonique Valentine and Marcus Valentine wanted to create a magical experience for their three-year-old son, Mali, who has always been the biggest fan of Mickey Mouse. They got their tickets to see Disney on Ice; however, as the little boy witnessed his character appear on stage, he gave an unexpected reaction that left his parents surprised. In the clip shared by his parents, the little kid, upon seeing Mickey Mouse, begins shedding tears of joy and is seen saying, "That's my boy." His parents, who were beside him, could not contain their emotions as his reaction brought them to tears. Sharing the video, they wrote, "There's something about watching your child feel something so big for the first time. It makes you feel it all again too."
According to the parents, his love for the character began last summer after he was introduced to the world of Disney. "He would use his imagination and call himself Mickey, Mommy is Minnie, and Daddy is Goofy. We knew he loved Mickey, but had no idea it was of this magnitude," his mother said. After the show ended, Mali asked if he could get a hug from his character, but little did he know that he was in for a big surprise. Following the video going viral, Disney arranged for the long-awaited meet-up between Mickey Mouse and his greatest fan, Mali. In the video shared by his parents, the little boy meets the Disney character, who gives him the warmest hug and spends quality time with him. Their wholesome interaction was much-awaited by online users.
A 2019 study published in PubMed examined why children perceive messages from fictional characters and ignore a human expert when it comes to consuming information. The study noted that children trust information received from fictional characters due to their sense of familiarity and due to how the information may have been presented. For Mali, Mickey Mouse plays an influential figure; meeting the character brought him a lot of joy.
Online users who were thrilled for the little boy expressed their joy in the comments. @fridaywereinlove wrote, "The inner child in all of us needed this burst of joy through such a sweet child!" @belightwithshina wrote, "Me to my therapist tomorrow, Hello, yes, I can't stop crying because the Valentine's got to take their son Mali to meet his boy, Mickey at Disney World! thank you so much for sharing these special moments with us. JUST JOY." @belladreamhair commented, "Followed just so I could see the ending. Staying because I want to see his joyful face every day. So happy for him."