Can a security guard make Disney dreams come true?

Disney dreams come true

Wieczorek was hired as a security guard at Walt Disney World, where he works two evenings a week checking the bags of people entering the Magic Kingdom. In finding the bright spot he was lacking in his own life, he is now bringing joy to legions of others.

When his bag check line is not too long, he asks kids in costume for their autographs, a twist on a longtime Disney tradition of kids collecting autographs from their beloved characters.

“Their face brightens up,” Wieczorek said of that moment when pint-size princesses and pirates realize they’re being mistaken for the real thing. “This is something so unbelievable for them. It gets them by surprise and they feel special.

“Every time I see a princess leaving from that signature or when I just tell them, ‘You look so pretty,’ I see them skipping. Then I know I just made their day. And the pirates, the same thing. When they ‘Awwwr,’ it’s very special.”

In his 4 1/2 years at Disney, Wieczorek estimates he’s collected more than 1,400 signatures, some taking the shape of a smiley face, a heart or even just a scribble from the youngest characters. Recently he gained some fame around the Web after the grandmother of a little Cinderella posted a photo of their meeting on Pinterest, with others reposting the touching image.