Walt Disney World’s hospitality is going viral after a young girl had to give up her balloon to enter one of the major theme parks.
Stephanie McCarty took to LinkedIn over the weekend to share how her daughter had to check in a balloon with guest relations to enter Disney’s Animal Kingdom becasue balloons are not allowed because they “scare the animals.”
Related: Report: Food Prices At Disney Have Increased 60% in 10 Years
She was told to pick it up at the end of the day.
“When we went to pick it up at the end of our day not only did we get our balloon back, we also got a full report of what the balloon had done while it was separated from my daughter,” McCarty wrote. “What I love most about this specific experience was how they took a situation they knew would be unpleasant (if you’ve ever tried taking a balloon from a toddler, you know exactly what I’m talking about!) and found a way to make it less so.”
The service is branded as “Balloon Daycare” and of the four major parks, is only enforced at Animal Kingdom.
Balloons are not permitted inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Kidani Village and Jambo House), per Disney’s list of prohibited items.
McCarty’s post has received over 5,100 interactions and 325 comments on the social media platform, with many praising the company for its hospitality and attention to small details.
“When we went to Disney, my two-year-old played with the phone in our hotel room and accidentally called guest services,” one person wrote. “When guest services answered to a child, they transferred her to Goofy who had a chat with her. Amazing.”
“Forgot the branding, this is just touchingly human,” another wrote.
Related: Is a New Disney World Theme Park in the Works? Florida Vote
McCarty said this experience inspired her “to look for the same opportunities” to turn unpleasant experiences positive.
“What I love most about this specific experience was how they took a situation they knew would be unpleasant (if you’ve ever tried taking a balloon from a toddler, you know exactly what I’m talking about!) and found a way to make it less so,” she added.
