Disneyland characters follow this 'hug' rule for a heartwarming reason: 'Made my heart melt'

Disney World is among the magical places that revive childhood and bring a unique sense of nostalgia. Age is no barrier, especially in these theme parks, where adults and kids alike have their dreams come true and cherish their fairytale moments. Besides meeting with favorite characters and enjoying the rides and food, another factor plays a massive role in delivering this majestic experience. A mom—who goes by @the.diary.of.aria.and.gray on Instagram—shared a video revealing a heartwarming rule that all Disney characters follow at the theme park. With a clip of her daughter meeting her favorite characters, the mom captured the sweet hug.

The mom mentioned that her daughter was repeatedly hugging the characters and the latter did not get agitated, almost to a point where it felt unusual. “Did you know about the ‘Disney Character Hug Rule?’ It has only just come to my attention that there is such a thing,” the mom wrote in the caption. She further explained, “I found it quite strange that Aria kept receiving these overly long hugs from the characters and I never knew why. No word of a lie, some lasting as long as 10 minutes.”

She added that standing beside her daughter while she took all the time she wanted to absorb the hug somehow made her feel awkward. She was worried that her daughter was taking up too much time. “It now all makes sense since I heard about the ‘Hug rule,’” the mom remarked. “It is the character’s practice to never end the hug first and they hug for as long as the child/adult needs,” the mom exclaimed. In the video, the mom shared glimpses of her daughter hugging several Disney characters for long periods and not a single one seemed to worry or make haste.

They let the little girl have her hug for as long as she needed, making it as welcoming, comforting and warm as possible. This wholesome rule has been followed for quite some time by all characters. Moreover, the rule applies to kids and adults. People in the comments added to the mom’s knowledge and even shared their experiences of the unusual yet endearing rule. @londonlivingdisneydreaming wrote, “I’ve heard this as well! I’ve seen kids end up falling asleep on the characters.” @her_journey_ remarked, “This made my heart melt! Love this idea!”

Vicki—who goes by @vickiandmickey on TikTok—shared a video, where we can see a similar scene unfolding. A little girl was hugging a Disney character for a long period. The caption explained why characters allow and engage in such a practice. “Characters at Disney World are told never to let go of a hug first,” the caption read. Revealing the heartwarming reason behind the same, she added, “Walt Disney said, ‘You never know how much a child may need that hug.’” The rule had been set to impart kindness and love that people and children might not even know they need. Right enough, through the years, children can fully gain warmth and soothing relief from these hugs, which add to the feeling of magic altogether.

You can follow @the.diary.of.aria.and.gray on Instagram for wholesome content on parenting.