Recently, after years of visiting Disney parks, I saw one of Disney’s best-known — and most adorable — unwritten rules in FULL EFFECT!
Pluto
Before I tell my story, though, let’s run down the “Hug Rule” just in case anyone is unfamiliar. The so-called “rule” refers to the fact that Disney characters won’t break physical contact or a hug with a child until the child releases first. According to theme park urban legend, the “rule” dates back to Walt Disney himself, who once allegedly expressed something along the lines of “You never know how much that child may need that hug.” While that’s unsubstantiated, there’s no doubt that the “Hug Rule”, aided by exposure on social media platforms like TikTok, has become somewhat well-known. Which brings me to my story…
Recently, I was at Hollywood Studios with my son, and we visited the Cool Kids Summer installation. The setup itself was a highlight of the day, offering air conditioning, music, and Disney characters just freely interacting with kids with no lines!
Plenty of characters to meet
We made our way over to Pluto, and my son’s interaction with the character was adorable! They held hands and danced, and being that this was only my son’s second full trip to Disney and first where he truly interacted with the characters on this level, I began getting emotional myself… which is probably why it took me a few minutes to realize that the encounter was stretching out longer than usual.
At that point, I saw that my son was hanging onto Pluto’s paw and hadn’t let go. I also realized that the character was subtly trying to indicate that they had to move along while at the same time keeping to the “Hug Rule” but not breaking contact or pulling away first! I jumped in and slipped my son’s hand out of Pluto’s, indicating that Pluto had to go visit some other friends, and the pup jauntily walked off to greet other children.
The “Hug Rule” in action.
The whole interaction probably lasted about a minute, and filled my heart with joy, both in seeing my son enjoy time with a Disney character and seeing said character’s commitment to making that interaction as special as possible! Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney’s unofficial and unwritten rules!
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Kelly thank you for sharing. I have gone to Disney World many times, but I had not heard of hug rule.
Sounds extra special with your child. Enjoy they grow up way too fast. 😊
That is the sweetest story and informative. This is why I love DISNEY FOOD BLOG!
So cute! We pushed the limits of this rule with my 2 year old son on our last trip as well. He absolutely loves Stitch and it is his favorite plush to sleep with at home. We were in Tomorrowland hoping to meet Stitch, but it was getting very close to nap time. Amazingly, he held it together, fueled by excitement and adrenaline once Stitch appeared.
We got in line and you could not wipe the smile off his face as we got closer to our turn. When it was finally his moment, he was shy at first, but then went in for a hug. Stitch knelt down, embraced him, and my son nestled his head right into Stitch’s belly, looking like he could curl up and fall asleep on the spot.
I knew the rule, so I tried to gently move things along, but Stitch gave me a thumbs up and waved me off, letting my son have his moment. We have the sweetest photos, and another family even caught the exchange on video. The clip cuts off at 41 seconds, but he was still holding on well after that. It felt like forever with all eyes on us, haha. Honestly, my son would have stayed in Stitch’s arms all day.
It is a memory our family will never forget, and we are so thankful for the kind cast members who made it possible.