Painted with gratitude: Disney fan’s painting spreads joy to entire Disney World cast

SUAMICO, Wis. (WBAY/Gray News) - The wonderful world of Disney has meant the world to Drew Gustin and his family, and he recently inspired the entire cast at Disney World.

WBAY reports when Drew learned Disney had shut down during the pandemic, he felt really sad. So, he decided to paint Cinderella’s Castle for the staff at Disney World to thank them for all the kindness they’ve shown him over the years.

“The Disney cast members make Disney special for everyone. A lot of times, when you have a special needs person, people tend to look away to be polite, but at Disney, they actually give attention and pull people out who have special needs. They’re not afraid to celebrate the differences,” Drew’s mom Diane Gustin said.

And the family says their son received quite the “thank you” in return for his painting.

Drew’s sister, who had worked at Disney, sent the portrait along with a note from her brother to a current cast member. In the days and weeks that followed, something magical happened.

“It just went crazy. They [cast members] all wanted to see the picture. A woman had it framed and named it Project Drew,” Diane Gustin said. “All of the Disney cast members were asking to get their picture taken with the portrait.”

To thank Drew for his love and inspiration, Disney sent him an album, created especially for him, filled with photos of hundreds of cast members posing with his painting.

“The proudest part is that he’s bringing so much joy. I mean not the recognition that he painted it, but that he painted it with the spirit of gratitude,” Diane Gustin said.

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