Disney World's Snow White Soothes Emotional Boy with Autism

Disney World is extremely stimulating! Between the costumed characters, the rides, the parades, the colors, and the crowds, it can be a lot to handle for anyone, let alone for someone who is neuro-atypical. New Jersey mom Lauren Bergner took her whole family on a vacation to Disney World recently, including her son Brody, who has autism and is non-verbal. Unfortunately, at a certain point, it all became too much for him.  

Luckily, when Brody was overwhelmed, Snow White swooped in and came to the rescue. You don't think of Disney princesses as necessarily being experts in calming children with autism, but she was so patient and happy to spend time with Brody that it ended up being just what he needed. 

Lauren posted pictures along with an emotional Facebook post about the whole encounter. "I am so emotional with these pictures!!" Lauren wrote. "Brody was having a meltdown. It was our turn to take pictures with her and he wanted nothing to do with it! Snow White could tell Brody had special needs!"

She very calmly took Brody for a nice little walk, got him away from the crowd, and helped him calm down. "This is true magic!!" Lauren continued. 

Lauren then shared the email she sent to Disney to show her appreciation for this kind and understand Disney princess. "I wanted to share an amazing experience that I had today, Sunday, August 25th in Epcot," the letter begins. She goes on to explain that her son Brody's situation. 

They went to meet Snow White in the afternoon when Brody had a meltdown. Understandable for an overwhelmed kid who has autism. "He was crying and was overwhelmed and just having a hard time," Lauren wrote. "Snow White was amazing with him!! She kissed, hugged, and cuddled him. He was laying his head crying on her lap."

Lauren continued, "She then took him for a walk away from the crowd! She was amazing. She held his hand, danced with him, took him over to a bench and sat with him. She went above and beyond!! She took so much time with him."

When you line up to take a photo with a Disney princess at Disney World, you don't often get to have a meaningful interaction with them. It's mostly for the picture you can then post to Instagram, am I right? But this Snow White understood that this kid needed a few minutes to calm down, to get away from the crowds and the pressure, and just relax. And she was more than willing to take that time to help a kid in need.

"She was a pure angel," Lauren's letter to Disney continued. "She was magical and my family is forever thankful and touched!" Lauren attached the pictures she snapped of this special bonding moment between Brody and Snow White, and then asked if there is an email for the woman who plays Snow White so she can personally thank her. "My heart is full. Please make sure she is recognized! We will never forget this moment."

It's pretty safe to say this Snow White got the attention she deserved since Lauren's post went completely viral. I'm talking 249,000 reactions, 22,000 comments, and 75,000 shares viral. So many people, especially those with family members who have autism, were touched by this story and by Snow White's obvious compassion. 

"This brought tears to my eyes," one commenter wrote. "So beautiful. Thank you for sharing." "This made me cry," another wrote. "This young lady is obviously the right person (soul) for this job. What a blessing she is to your staff and to this little boy and his family."

You never really know what other people are going through. This story is a wonderful reminder to have compassion and patience for everyone you come across. It's also a story of a wonderful, kind, and special person who wasn't about to dismiss someone because they didn't have the reaction most people do when meeting a Disney princess. Disney World really is the happiest place on Earth, and this story proves it.