+
Pop Culture

Disneyland's Evil Queen hailed one of the good guys for making an autistic boy feel welcome

The park's most notorious villain is a pretty great human.

disneyland
@magicwiththomas/TikTok

Not so evil after all

Disneyland is coined “the happiest place on Earth” thanks in no small part to people who work there—particularly the performers. Sure, the rides are fun, but a lot of the magic comes from being able to interact with real life versions of characters we’ve fallen in love with from the movies.

That’s why people are hailing the Evil Queen, who had a very special encounter with an autistic teen boy, as the park’s true hero. She is one of many performers going out of their way to make sure everyone gets to be part of the fun, reminding us of what makes Disney so special in the first place.

A now-viral TikTok video shows the Evil (or maybe not-so-evil) Queen approach 15-year-old Thomas to offer a feel of her soft cape.


“Sensory QUEEN🤌🍃💜😍” one person commented.

“She understands he likes to touch and feel things,” another user wrote.

Then, gently taking his hand, the two take a quick stroll through the kingdom while shooing away the peasants. She is a Queen, after all.

Watch:

@magicwiththomas The not so Evil Queen offering him to feel her cape #autism#autismawareness#autismacceptance#asd#specialneeds#disney#disneyparks#disneyland#disneytiktok#disney100#snowwhite#evilqueen#fyp#foryoupage♬ original sound - Magic With Thomas

By the looks of the follow-up video, Thomas and the Evil Queen became fast friends, as she showed off a “better angle” of Sleeping Beauty's castle and suggested they take a picture together.

Thomas’ video got a lot of love online, including other parents who have had similar positive experiences, and those who had still been on the fence about taking their own autistic children to the park.

‘Why do you love Disney so much? This. This is why. I can take my autistic son, and he is loved and not an inconvenience to them,” one parent wrote.

Another added, “I haven’t taken my kids to Disney yet because I’m worried my autistic son will get overstimulated. I love [that] the cast members are so kind.”

Thomas’s TikTok account, which is run by his dad, is filled with all kinds of Disney characters making him feel welcome. The content is so pure and wholesome and leaves people with nothing but praise for the performers.

If you want to see Thomas chatting it up with the likes of Jack Sparrow, Winnie the Pooh, Cruella Deville and more, you can find his TikTok account here.

True

In a flurry of heavy headlines that constantly inundate our feeds, acts of good connect us back to our faith in humanity. Witnessing just one person go out of their way to make the world a better place is a powerful healing salve against apathy. It reminds us all of what we are collectively capable of creating. This is the philosophy that Upworthy wholeheartedly believes in, hence why we’re always sharing uplifting stories of people giving kindness, generosity and support to their fellow humans.

That’s also why we’re partnering with P&G, the maker of some of our favorite household products like Tide, Always and Pampers, to bring you the 2023 Acts of Good Awards, and celebrate the individuals who are giving back and strengthening their communities.

Think of it like the Oscars of kindness. Half as formal but twice as feel-good.

Besides providing the world with brands we know and trust, P&G is a company doing good acts, whether it’s supporting hygiene education, helping struggling communities gain access to basic necessities or delivering essentials for families impacted by disasters.

Keep ReadingShow less

Mariandrea Villegas dancing with Phil Wright at The Dance Awards.

Humans may not always recognize greatness right away, but sometimes it's so clear it simply can't be denied.

You don't have to be a dancer yourself to see when someone's got moves, and a viral video from choreographer Phil Wright spotlights a kid who's got moves. Like, wow.

Mariandrea Villegas may be tiny, but she packs a mighty amount of energy, skill, coordination and x-factor into her dancing. Oh and joy. Did I mention joy?

Keep ReadingShow less
Sponsored

ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

True

If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

Keep ReadingShow less

The Visual Look Up feature on Apple iPhone

Have you ever been walking your dog around the neighborhood, noticed a pretty flower, and wondered what kind it is? Have you ever looked at your dog and wondered what breed they are? Well, a new feature on your iPhone called Visual Look Up provides you with information about plants, pets and landmarks while you’re on the go.

A lot of people don’t even know that this helpful feature exists. It became available with iOS 15, so if you’re running an older operating system, then you’ll have to update your iPhone or iPad to use the feature.

Here’s how the feature works:

  • Open a photo in full screen; the Visual Look Up button (an “i” enclosed in a circle with a small star on the left side) indicates that Visual Look Up information is available for that photo.
  • Swipe up on the photo or tap the Visual Look Up button.
  • Tap the icon on the photo or at the top of the photo information results to view Siri Knowledge and more information about the object.
Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Slow motion video of jumping baby goats is a great life lesson in disguise

A video we didn't even know we needed…but totally do!

Sunflower Farm Creamery/Youtube

This is almost too cute for words.

Look, you’re busy. You’ve got stuff that needs to be done today. Do you really have time to watch tiny baby goatsjump in slow motion? Will that really add anything of value to your life?

Actually, the answer is yes. Because watching tiny baby goats jump in slow motion is not only exceedingly entertaining, it’s actually a simple life lesson in disguise.

These little guys hail from Sunflower Farm Creamery in Maine, where 60 (yes, 60) goats are born each year. Sunflower Farm promises that even if you didn’t love goats before, you will after watching videos from its Youtube channel showing the wee babes run, play, hop and snuggle. I mean, there’s another video showing the goats in pajamas…what’s not to love?
Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Great video shows guys having intense reactions to how overpriced women's essential items are

"I wouldn't be let back in the house if I went out and spent that much money on a haircut."

Men amusingly react to the price of items women use.

Debates around the societal differences between men and women are likely as old as humanity. There will always be a shift in expectations and personal needs, but some things never get old, like men discovering just how expensive it can be to be born with female reproductive organs. Or to simply exist as a woman in America, specifically.

So for everyone's viewing pleasure, the folks at the React YouTube channel gathered up a handful of average guys and asked them to guess what certain traditionally female items were used for, how they are used and how much they cost. The results were a mix between impressive and amusing.

React started off fairly easy by giving the men a box of tampons and asking what they were for. We are going to hope that most guys who reach adulthood have some general idea of what a box of Tampax is for, and these guys were off to a strong start.

Keep ReadingShow less
via 9Gag

Is the cat going up or down the stairs?

An image that initially went viral eight years ago is having a second life as a fun personality quiz. The Minds Journal published a picture of a cat on a flight of stairs, and it claims that if your first impression of the photo was that the cat was walking up the stairs, you are an optimist. But if you think the cat is walking down the stairs, you are a pessimist.

The image first appeared at 9Gag in 2015.

According to The Minds Journal, you are an optimist who sees “potential and growth” wherever you look if you see the cat walking upstairs. “Your mind has been trained to look at ways of rising higher in life, so given a situation where you have the choice of rising higher than others or falling to their levels, you would inevitably be the better person.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Perfectly delivered Monty Python-themed prom proposal might just top them all

It even earned several chuckles of approval from the girl's dad.

Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash

Monty Python is beloved by generations.

As someone who firmly believes that getting a prom date shouldn't be anywhere near as exciting ask asking someone for their hand in marriage, I'm generally loath to share "promposal" videos. Not to be too bah humbug about it, but the elaborate asks have gotten out of hand, and creating a memorable prom proposal feels like a lot to put on already-pressured teens.

That being said, one "promposal" video making the rounds on Reddit and other social media sites is worth watching. Not only does it shine with its clever concept, deft delivery and wholesome hilarity, but the simple joy it evokes crosses generations.

Monty Python has had a rather miraculous hold on several generations and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" in particular has been a cult classic for nearly 50 years. So seeing a group of high schoolers use it as inspiration for a prom proposal has people of all ages giggling with delight.

Keep ReadingShow less