Mousenap'd

[PrincessTori]

I've been meaning to post this for some time. My DD remind me of this sad moment again tonight. She has cried herself to sleep many of nights over what I'm about to tell you.

Pal Mickey came into our life in December of 2004. We had traveled to Miami on vacation. Before leaving for vacation I had been reading the boards and had read that Pal Mickey could be found at a Character Store in Miami. So while on vacation we set out to find this mall. We soon found our treasure and Pal Mickey became part of our family. He traveled with us and then stayed in our home while we planned for our Disney trip in December of 2005. This Disney trip was a complete surprise for our 5 year old DD. We arranged to go on a cruise the week before our Disney vacation. The cruise was to celebrate my MIL and FIL's 35th annv. Mickey joined us on the vacation and we took many photos of him enjoying himself in the hotel, on the ship and at every port of call. Mickey was then used to surprise our DD with the second part of our vacation her dream disney vacation. After disembarking the Mariner of the Seas, we told our DD that we were going to take Pal Mickey home. It wasn't until we pulled up to the Gates of Disney World that our DD realized the full meaning of this. Our first day of vacation was spent at Animal Kingdom, it was a perfect day. The next day, December 5th, the big day, was Magic Kingdom. We were there at rope drop and rode every ride we wanted within a couple of hours. We then spent the remainder of the day enjoying the park. Mickey was so much fun that day. All of his corny jokes and little tid-bits really added to our adventure. Then the fatefull hour arrived. It was 4pm and we had ressies for dinner at the Whispering Canyon at 5:30. DD had passed out in DH's arms so instead of taking the boat ride over, we decided to sit on Main Street to let her rest. While people watching, I decided to run up a couple blocks to purchase DD a mongramed Mickey ears to surprise her with upon waking. DH's remainded sitting there with DD in his arms and Pal Mickey sitting at his side. I arrived back with DD's surprise hid behind my back, just in case she was awake. She was still peacefully sleeping in my DH's arms. Then horror struck. DH noticed I didn't have Pal Mickey cliped to my side. My heart sank. He didn't notice that I had left Pal Mickey beside him. At first I thought he was pulling a joke on me, as he does quite often. But sadly no. Mickey was Mousenap'd. While my DD was sleeping someone took him. DH said he had stood up and stretched with her sleeping for just a few moments, he was sitting on the wall right below the train station and had no back support. He didn't realize Mickey was laying there when he stood up to stretch, someone saw Mickey unattended and took him. In tears I ran immedately to the lost and found in hopes that a park attentant picked him up or someone saw him and knowing it probably belonged to a child, turned him in. No such luck. They gave me the phone number for the main location of Lost in Found and through out the remainder of our stay and even after leaving to return home I checked. No one did the right thing. Of coarse we then went over everything "we" should have done. My DH felt horrible. He went out that evening, even with us thinking that there might be a glimmer of hope that he would be returned to us safely, and bought us a New and Improved Pal Mickey. Though he was good to us, and we enjoyed the rest of our trip with him, we have been lost with out OUR PAL Mickey. Thank you Mickey, where ever you are for traveling thousands of miles and several states and several countries with us. Even in the Happiest place on Earth, hearts can be broken.

My DD came to me one morning last week in tears. She said she had prayed to God for Our Pal Mickey to come home to us and he didn't answer that prayer. Then again tonight (the reason I'm prompted to post this) she cried herself to sleep saying her prayers don't come true and that she wanted him back. I comforted her the best ways I know how.

A few days after that sad day we were visiting Universal Studios and came across a very worn small stuffed bunny that some child had left on a bench. My DD saw him, ran right to him, picked him up and gave him a hug. While doing so, she told him not to be sad, she would take him to someone who would help him find his family. We then took him into the nearest store and turned him in for Lost and Found. I hope that child was reunited with the bunny, you could tell it had been loved.

Take care all

Our last family photo with Mickey

 

[tjmouse]

That has got to be the saddest thing I have ever heard. I have an older Pal Mickey, one that I bought for like $20 when they went on sale at Character Connection. The one from before the Happiest Celebration Mickey. While my dd would probably miss him at first, she has several other Mickey's and doesn't really play with him that much.

Do you think your dd would think that was hers if I sent it to you? I would be more than happy to do so. Like I said, my dd doesn't really play with him that much and we don't take him to the parks because I am a single mom and can't carry all the stuff that we have to take, let alone Mickey.

Please PM me if you would accept my offer. I really think your dd needs him more than we do.

 

[athenna]

Oh, that story just brought tears to my eyes. Please do give your DD a hug from me. I can imagine how much her Pal Mickey meant to her. Don't feel bad, it was an accident, and you did everything you could. Some people are just down right rude, they should have never taken your daughter precious Pal Mickey. Your DD did a wonderful thing turning in that bunny, so another child didn't have to feel sad.

And to tjmouse, I commend you for your offer to make a child happy.

 

[Mom to a Princess]

I am so sorry that this happened. I know how hard it is for the little ones (and big people) to recoup after such a loss. In March of 2004 I was checking into the WL with my sister and her daughter. While we were doing this my niece dropped her beloved Ana on the floor. After about two minuted we realized that it was missing. We searched the lobby high and low but to no avail it was gone. THe staff was very helpful in looking for the item but it was never turned in. That same trip I left my car/house keys in the hotel room. I did not realize this until I went to unlock my car at the airport. I called the hotel and my keys were delievered a few days later.

Now my point is why do people take these things? Why do they not turn them in? Obvioulsy your mickey and my niece's ana were beloved items. It is a cruel thing to take a child's beloved toy. Okay now I realize that a child may take something they see but once their parent realizes it why don't they turn it in? We were at the WL for a week and my niece checked with the front desk every morning or night for her Ana, someone found it and should have turned it in.

So, I can relate to your story. At least for my niece she had another Ana waiting for her at home.

 

[Sammie]

You can find them on Ebay.

 

[poohs4me]

Well....does the story continue.... Did Pal Mickey come home in your daughter's eyes via an alternate source.

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

I will never understand how some people can do things like that

I feel terrible for your DD, but maybe knowing that she helped some other child get reunited with their lost friend will help.....

Just think of it that your Pal Mickey is off having a grand adventure somewhere......

Give your DD a hug for me

 

[Ilovestitch]

I probably would have just bought her another one before she woke up/noticed it was missing.

Then she wouldn't have to cry herself to sleep at night..

 

[Dale-n-Chip]

I probably would have just bought her another one before she woke up/noticed it was missing.

Then she wouldn't have to cry herself to sleep at night..

That might work **IF** the new Pal Mickey and the old Pal Mickey (from 2004) were the same. . . but they aren't. How would you explain the tuxedo?! "Uh, well, Mickey has a big important dinner tonight and. . . uh. . . he got dressed up. . . and lost his other clothes. . . " (I'm really getting a chuckle out of this!)

Here's hoping Pal Mickey finds his way home to your family.

 

[hsmamato2]

The same thing happened to us, our little guy put him down somewhere, and some rotten person took him! My advice is,and listen carefully here, go directly to the lost and found at the TTC. the magic is living in there with the great cast members. If you can't do that, get a new one cheaply somewhere,and create a story of Mickeys travels and adventures he had while he was away for a while.

 

[AdventurerKat]

Ah, this is so sad. I am sorry no one turned him in. Some people are just plain mean.

 

[PrincessTori]

I probably would have just bought her another one before she woke up/noticed it was missing.

Then she wouldn't have to cry herself to sleep at night..

I wished it would have been that easy....

In my post I told how my DH felt so bad he went and bought us a "new and improved" Mickey that same night. The one with the tux. We finished out the vacation with him. However, my DD held the other Mickey very dear because he had been with us so long and and had traveled so many places with him. So we did buy another, unfortunately we were at Disney, and the old ones were no where to be found.

 

[PrincessTori]

The same thing happened to us, our little guy put him down somewhere, and some rotten person took him! My advice is,and listen carefully here, go directly to the lost and found at the TTC. the magic is living in there with the great cast members. If you can't do that, get a new one cheaply somewhere,and create a story of Mickeys travels and adventures he had while he was away for a while.

That is so awful.....I just hate the thought of a child getting their heart broke. Something that seems so simple as a doll, can really hold a special meaning. I'm sure whoever is capable of doing this doesn't have the mindset to think about that. I did go to the Lost and Found at the Magic Kingdom since he had just disappeared, thinking he may have been turned in by someone. I'm sure the nice cast member who helped me thought I had lost my mind. I was in tears asking her if anyone had turned him in. I'm sure she had saw children like this before, but I don't know about an adult. We never personally went to the TTC lost and found, but called there several times. They never had one turned in.