“They Burst Into Tears,” Sick Child Blocked From Disney Park Vacation

A sick child has been left devastated after being barred from his and his family’s Disney park vacation.

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Disney parks are renowned for bringing magic to people from all walks of life. The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Central Florida, for example, is one of the most visited theme park destinations in the world–in fact, Magic Kingdom Park is the most attended globally.

Disney World joined the Disney Parks brand in 1971, 16 years after the opening of Walt Disney’s Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Southern California.

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Following the domestic expansion, Disney turned its sights to the international market, opening Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort over the course of five decades.

While a visit to any one of these destinations aims to be the most magical vacation a Disney fan can have, it is not always filled with happiness and smiles.

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Such was the case for five-year-old Charlie, who was barred from flying to Disneyland Paris. The trip was organized by Make a Wish UK following Charlie’s chemotherapy treatment for a brain tumor last year.

According to the BBC, “Charlie and family were due to travel from Manchester Airport but were told their Easyjet booking was not going ahead and they could not get on another flight.”

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The report states that Easyjet had canceled the flight from Manchester to Paris due to the “weather-related air traffic control restrictions over Germany.”

Charlie’s mother, Annalise Styles, said that the check-in desk simply told them the flight was canceled and to step aside, adding they were sorry for the disruption.

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Related: VIDEO: Six-Year-Old Goes to Disney World After Beating Leukemia, Gets Special Surprise

“They burst into tears, devastated,” Ms. Styles told the BBC, discussing her children’s reaction to the upsetting news. “They couldn’t understand why they couldn’t go.”

Despite alternative arrangements being made for other families, Charlie’s family was just one of two groups that were not boarded on a different flight and had to head home instead of to Disneyland Paris.

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Styles said that Make a Wish UK volunteers were making Charlie’s visit to see Mickey Mouse their top priority. The five-year-old underwent and completed 18 months of chemotherapy in 2023 following his brain tumor diagnosis.

As for the airline, Easyjet issued a statement regarding the issue in Manchester.

“We always look to do everything possible to minimize the impact of disruption for our customers, and so [we] are sorry to hear of their experience at the airport,” a spokesperson told the BBC. “[…] we are investigating with the teams involved as this isn’t the level of service and compassion we expect.”

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When Charlie and his family visit Disneyland Paris, they will encounter a resort that is significantly evolving. Walt Disney Studios Park is well underway with its €2 billion expansion, which will see the Frozen franchise come to France in a big way.

The sister location to Disneyland Park will eventually be renamed Disney Adventure World as the investment into it increases.

Have you ever had a disappointing Disney park vacation story? Let us know in the comments down below!