Disney Honors Chilean Miners With Parade
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thirty-one out of thirty-three Chilean miners who drew world acclaim for their resilience and unflagging hope while trapped for more than two months in a collapsed cooper mine got a rare treat on Monday. They met Mickey. And Minnie, and Donald Duck and the other world-famous Disney characters.
The miners were guests of honor at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.
The miners rode in antique buses and fire engines --festooned with red, white and blue balloons –the color of both the U.S. and Chilean flags— and otherwise lived-out childhood fantasies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“This is a dream. I felt like a kid. I enjoyed all the rides and games,” said miner Juan Carlos Aguilar to The Associated Press.
Jorge Galleguillos agreed. “It is a gift. I never dreamt I would be in Disney,” he said after the miners were acclaimed with applause during a parade. “It is a gift from God.”
31 out of 33 Chilean miners are vacationing with their families in Walt Disney World. Four rescuers are also being honored.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.