A New Jersey couple’s 3-year-old son, Mali, has gained online fame after his tearful and emotional reaction to seeing his favorite Disney character, which led him to realize his dreams.
Parents Diamonique, 34, and Marcus Valentine, 36, wanted to ensure their older son “continued to feel loved and had some one-on-one time with Mommy and Daddy” after the arrival of his younger brother, Mahzi, in November.
As part of their effort to create “more meaningful experiences” for Mali, the parents of two purchased tickets to attend a Disney on Ice show.
The toddler had an unexpected emotional reaction to seeing his favorite Disney character, Mickey Mouse, appear on stage during the show. His doting mom told People that they were “just dancing and having a good time” when it happened.
The proud parents shared a clip of the moment on Instagram, which has since gone viral with over 1.5 million likes, showing the boy getting teary-eyed and repeatedly saying, “That’s my boy,” as soon as he spotted Mickey Mouse.
“We had no idea that his reaction would be that big when Mickey came out,” Diamonique recounted. “We were just dancing and having a good time and next thing we know our boy is so full of emotions and joy that it brings tears to his eyes, which brought tears to our eyes. We were definitely surprised.”
Diamonique and her husband were emotional at their son’s response, recognizing the value of these precious, shared moments with their children.
“It was emotional for us too,” she remarked. “As parents, you just want to give your kids the world, and you never know that little moments like these for them are the world.”
The child’s admiration of the popular character began last summer when his mother, Diamonique, first introduced him to the enchanting world of Disney.
“Mickey started being his boy from the beginning,” she recounted. “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.”
When the show concluded, Diamonique asked her 3-year-old son about his tearful reaction. He explained his reactions, saying he was crying “because he’s like my buddy” and declaring his love for the character.
The boy mentioned wanting a hug before moving on to look for Mickey Mouse. Although he didn’t receive the hug that night, the subsequent viral attention ultimately led to his biggest dreams being realized.
“After the cameras went off, because of the virality of the video of his reaction to seeing Mickey, Disney reached out to send us to Walt Disney World to meet Mickey,” Diamonique recalled. “It was an amazing experience.”
The memorable experience made an impression on the toddler. Diamonique noted that her son had been watching the video of his reaction to Mickey Mouse and expressed how much he misses the character.
The devoted mother said the social media response to her son’s reaction was “gratifying,” and added that the experience was also “reassuring” for them as parents.
“As parents it’s reassuring,” she said. “More times than not we doubt and question whether or not we are doing and saying the right things to our kids and this was the reminder that we are doing a good job.”
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