Home From America: Lost Bear Returned from Disney World
A young girl from Darlington, England, has Mickey Mouse and the magic of Disney World Cast Members to thank for a remarkable act of kindness in returning “Jofli” home from America. Leilani Hatton, age 5, embarked on a memorable trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with her beloved teddy bear, Jofli. However, the adventure took an unexpected turn when Jofli went missing.
Leilani’s family, who traveled roughly 4,200 miles for their vacation, had Jofli with them throughout the trip, according to SWNS, the British news service. Grandmother Lynne Cullen shared that Leilani takes Jofli “anywhere and everywhere.”
“One of the days we just suddenly realized he wasn’t with us anymore. We got back to the hotel and thought, ‘Where’s the bear?’” Cullen recalled. After reviewing photos from their trip, the family concluded that Jofli must have been left at either Epcot or the Magic Kingdom.
During their visit, Jofli had met all the Disney princesses, making the loss even more heart-wrenching. “We’ve got photographs of her with this bear and all the Disney princesses and characters,” Cullen added.
Despite putting in a lost property claim before leaving, the family had little hope of recovering the cherished teddy bear. They returned to England, unsure if they’d ever see Jofli again.
But then, a touch of Disney magic happened. About two weeks later, the family received an email announcing that Jofli had been found. Shortly after, a package arrived at their home from America containing the beloved stuffed animal. Disney employees had somehow located Jofli and mailed him 4,200 miles back to Leilani.
The family decided to make the moment extra special for Leilani. “We surprised her and let her open the parcel, saying that Mickey Mouse found it for her. The teddy has always been important to her, so she was delighted,” Cullen shared.
The gesture touched the entire family, knowing the vastness of the parks and the likelihood of items getting lost. “Those parks are massive, and there must be a lot of lost property, so it was a really lovely touch for them to go out of their way and make sure he returned home,” Cullen added.
Leilani, overjoyed by the return of her teddy, wrote a heartfelt “thank you” note to Mickey Mouse for bringing Jofli back home from America safely. Cullen concluded, “Jofli has certainly had an adventure of his own, and he’s ready for his next one after returning from America.”
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