Halle Bailey just made a little girl’s dream come true in arguably the most magical place on earth- Walt Disney World.
Ahead of the actress’ debut in the upcoming live-action adaptation, “The Little Mermaid”, she had the opportunity to meet a little girl named Mila Rose, who’s favourite Disney princess is Ariel.
The heartfelt moment, caught on video, was shared to Bailey’s Instagram Story on Thursday, in which the young fan is seen hugging Bailey as the actress holds her in her arms and tells her, “you’re so beautiful and sweet.” Bailey and Mila then posed for a photo together.
“Met this beautiful baby mila rose who made me cry,” the actress, 22, captioned the video. “She just hugged me so tight.”
READ MORE: ‘The Little Mermaid’ Trailer: Halle Bailey Dreams Of Being Part Of Your World
Bailey is currently on a four-day trip to Disney World as part of the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy, an annual once-in-a-lifetime program “aimed at broadening career awareness and creating exclusive opportunities for Black students and teens from underrepresented communities across America,” as per Disney Parks blog.
Each year, 100 students embark on an all-expense paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort where they have “the amazing opportunity to participate in immersive career workshops, networking sessions and mentorship events led by celebrities, Disney cast members and industry leaders to help the students reach their dreams.”
READ MORE: Halle Bailey Reveals First Look At ‘Little Mermaid’ Doll In Emotional Video
On March 23, the first day of this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy, Bailey was named the celebrity ambassador for the 16th annual event, held at Magic Kingdom Park.
“It means everything to me,” she told TheGrio of her excitement over joining this year’s program. “When I come here, I honestly feel inspired by them. They are the future, they are making waves, they know what they want for their lives, and they’re passionate.”
The students selected for the Academy include business owners, performers, aspiring doctors, lawyers, teachers and writers.
“I’m just grateful to be of help in any way,” Bailey added.
Elsewhere, Disney Dreamers Executive Champion, Tracey Powell, spoke to the outlet about the mission of the program.
“We want to make sure we are pouring into each of our Disney Dreamers and being able to have them have an opportunity to go after those dreams,” Powell said, adding that, while student attend the program, they’re truly able “to reevaluate [and] think about those dreams.”
In following years, graduates of the program have gone on to become storytellers, artists, engineers, innovators, journalists and more.
