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Friendship

Best friends, 88 and 92, experience Disneyland for the first time and their joy is contagious

Watch them hopping out of their wheelchairs to dance in New Orleans Square.

Photo courtesy of Disney

June and Ann felt the Disney magic on their first trip to Disneyland.

Good friends can come along at all ages and stages of our lives. While some friendships start early and blossom slowly, others arrive later—sometimes much later—and quickly burst into full bloom.

Ann was nearly 90 years old when she met her bestie, June, and their friendship blossomed instantly. Ann's son, Alonzo, started dating June's daughter, Lauria, three years ago, and the two moms have been inseparable since then. Now 88 and 92, June and Ann do pretty much everything together. "They've known each other almost as long as [Alonzo and I] have been together," says Lauria, "and they've been causing trouble ever since."

 disneyland, disney park, disneyland resort, first trip to disneyland June, Lauria, Alonzo, and Ann enjoying The Happiest Place on Earth.Photo courtesy of Disney

Only good trouble, of course. June tells Upworthy that she and Ann are often told they look alike and they've grown to be more like sisters than just friends. "Our closeness in age allows us to do things together that the younger people wouldn't understand," she says, "like laughing at things we feel are funny or going to dinner, shopping, watching game shows and taking walks together."

And, apparently, hopping out of their wheelchairs to dance to the music in Disneyland's New Orleans Square. June and Ann recently took their first trip to Disneyland and the Disney magic didn't disappoint.

Watch how joyfully these two kicked up their heels with their kids:

 

  June and Ann loved dancing in New Orleans Square.Video courtesy of Disney 

 

"[Experiencing the Disneyland resort] was a wonderful, fun, and exciting experience," Ann tells Upworthy. "It exceeded my expectations and made my first visit to Disneyland a magical experience that I will never forget. I plan on returning for another visit if God is willing."

June says the kindness, patience, and laughter of the cast members stood out to her during their visit. "All the people were so kind to us and I will never forget how warm and happy and inviting they made me feel," she says.

  Disney Perfect Loops GIF  Giphy  

Both of them said their favorite parts were dancing in New Orleans Square and taking a boat ride to see the animals. "We still laugh about all those animals," says June.

Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, which means the children who first visited the park the year it opened are now well into retirement. But as we can see from June and Ann's joy, you're never too old to enjoy a little sprinkle of Tinkerbell's magic.

June and Ann's experience with employees—known as cast members—isn't unique. Part of what has made Disneyland such a special place for seven decades is the dedication of the people who work there. Cast members strive to ensure that every guest, no matter their age or how many times they've been to Disneyland, experiences the Disney magic and truly feels they've arrived at The Happiest Place on Earth.

In honor of its 70th year, Disneyland shared a video highlighting a handful of long-time cast members who have been welcoming guests for decades, including Disney's longest-serving cast member, Henry Ameen—affectionately known as Hank—who first started working at the park in 1958.

@disneyparks

At Disneyland, happiness is generational 🏰✨ Since 1955, more than 300,000 cast members have followed in Walt's footsteps to welcome guests to The Happiest Place on Earth, and we can’t wait for everyone to Celebrate Happy during our 70th anniversary.

Disneyland has earned the loyalty of cast members and guests alike since 1955 by honoring the imaginative child that lives in all of us. June and Ann are a delightful reminder that sharing joy with your favorite people is a big part of what makes Disneyland "The Happiest Place on Earth." Whether you're 9 or 92, friendship combined with a sprinkle of that mysterious Disney magic is the perfect recipe for unforgettable memories.

Day workers get paid to spend the day at Disneyland.

Most people would love a free impromptu trip to Disneyland. It's one of those destinations that doesn't have an age limit; no matter how old you are, you get to go explore the park and feel like a kid again for an entire day. And the best part is, since you're an adult, there's no one to tell you no to ice cream before dinner or to drinking a fancy margarita with Mickey ears at 1:00 in the afternoon. You truly just get to escape and pretend you have no responsibilities.

Some lucky day workers got to do just that recently. In a video uploaded to TikTok, Jesús drove a local hardware store to see if any day workers wanted to accompany him and the person filming to Disneyland. The group was skeptical, especially when he wasn't offering work, but a day of fun—and when he told them they'd be paid to join him.

This offer would be a head-scratcher for just about anyone, but these guys decided to lean into the curiosity and hopped in for a full day of working hard at playing.


The look on the men's faces says it all. They went from ride to ride laughing, smiling and just enjoying their time at the park. I'm sure if they're married or partnered, they're going to have a hard time convincing their significant others that they actually got paid to go to Disneyland, but it was worth it. One of the men says in Spanish, beaming while watching the parade, "The face of a child who has never had a toy."

At the end of it all, the men got dropped back off at the parking lot they were picked up and everyone was still full of smiles and gratitude. Jesús gave each of the day workers $200, a hug and memories that will last a lifetime.

Watch the sweet video below:

@juixxe

Their smiles say it all 🥹

@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.

Pop Culture

Disneyland unveils major changes happening to the park, including lower ticket prices

The announcement follows Bob Iger's return to his role as Disney CEO.

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

2023 Disneyland looks like new rides and lower ticket prices.

Let’s face it. Disneyland might have once been dubbed “the happiest place on Earth,” but over the years that title has lost its merit. Complaints about cheapened experiences are common—from huge crowds, to broken-down rides and even foul smells. This, combined with insanely high ticket prices, has made guests feel like the Disney magic has dimmed.

However, it seems that Disney might be helping the wish for a better park come true, as it just announced several positive updates happening to its resorts in 2023.

One of the biggest changes will be more days available to purchase low-tier tickets at $104. Folks should be seeing nearly two months worth of these low-cost ticket days.

In addition, guests will receive more flexibility with Park Hopper tickets—allowing them to cross over to different parks starting at 11 a.m.—as well as complimentary Disney PhotoPass digital photo downloads.


Lastly, passes to Disney’s Magic Key program, which provides reservation-based admission to one or both Disneyland Resort theme parks, will be available for purchase more times throughout the year.

 

The Walt Disney World Resort will also be undergoing some changes, including Annual Passholders being able to visit after 2 p.m. without a reservation (except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom Park and during normal blockout dates) and complimentary self-parking for guests staying at Disney Resort hotels. That last one is already in effect, as of Jan. 10.

Both parks will have a few new offerings and attractions as well. As Walt Disney World says goodbye to Splash Mountain, it will say hello to a highly anticipated Tron Lightcycle/Run roller coaster in April.

Meanwhile, Disneyland’s Splash Mountain won’t be torn down, but instead reimagined as a “Princess and the Frog” themed ride called “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” which will accompany the soon-to-be debuted restaurant Tiana’s Palace, replacing the French Market Restaurant.

 

These updates are almost certainly due to a leadership shakeup at Disney headquarters. Or perhaps we should say … a leadership reversal? Bob Iger, who retired as CEO of Disney in 2021, was replaced by Bob Chapek. However, after Chapek lost a significant amount of fan loyalty (due in part to price gouging), Iger returned to his post as CEO less than a year after retiring.

Iger’s comeback and the upcoming changes to the Disney resorts indicate a renewed sense of what was once a major part of Disney’s culture—which is to honor the fans. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro, who wrote about the updates on Disney’s website, shared:

“I’m excited about all of these changes and offers and want you to know that we are committed to listening, adapting, and staying relentlessly focused on making the guest experience at our Disney parks even better.”

He continued, “I believe there’s no other place like Disney and of course, nothing helps our guests connect with Disney like you do. And while it’s easy to celebrate the products we make, the moments we create, and the experiences we provide … I think it’s important that we recognize all of YOU who make it happen.”

Read the full Disney update for 2023 here.