Prince Harry recalls ‘losing it’ at Disney World with Princess Diana and William, revisits moment with Meghan and kids on 20/20
The Duke of Sussex describes his eight-year-old reaction to Disney World in 1993 as he and the royal family tour the Happiest Place on Earth in a special tied to Disneyland's 70th anniversary.
Prince Harry says he “lost it” with excitement as a child during a family trip to Disney World with his late mother, Princess Diana, and his older brother, Prince William, a memory he revisited in a 20/20 special about Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. The interview, conducted with his wife, Meghan Markle, aired as part of The Happiest Story On Earth: 70 Years Of Disneyland, which aired on Sunday. The couple, who wed in 2018, had recently shared a Disneyland visit with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in June.
Harry recalled the moment vividly: when he was eight years old, he joined his mother and brother on the Florida trip in 1993 and let loose in the park, overwhelmed by the characters and the spectacle. “I remember it very, very well. I remember losing it as a kid with all the characters. Like, losing it,” he said during the program. Meghan, speaking alongside him, noted that Disney World felt more accessible to her because she grew up in Southern California, yet it remained a “biggest treat in the world.”
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The segment also touched on Meghan’s own memories of Disneyland, including grad night from her high school years. “I don’t even know why they let us do that,” she said, to which Harry jokingly asked, “That sounds like a lot of fun. Can you do that in your forties?” The pair also discussed their most recent Disney outing earlier in the year to celebrate their daughter Lilibet’s fourth birthday, with Harry describing their kids’ reactions as they prepared to enter the park. “They’re like, ‘This is amazing!’ … before entering the main park,” he said. “To see the kids throw themselves into these experiences when they have no idea what they’re walking into – it was amazing. And it brings out the kid in you again.”
The couple had previously posted moments from their June Disneyland trip on Meghan’s Instagram, including a video montage that showed the family enjoying rides and treats. One clip captured both Lilibet and Archie meeting Disney princess Elsa from Frozen, while other footage showed the children riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Cars ride. Harry and Meghan were photographed seated at the front of Space Mountain during another moment of the trip, and a Little Mermaid–themed cake marked Lilibet’s birthday with pink icing bearing the message Happy Birthday Lili. Meghan’s caption thanked Disneyland for “two days of pure joy.”
The 20/20 segment also previewed other participants in the program, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Neil Patrick Harris and Jon Favreau, as the two royals discussed their ongoing relationship with the theme park and its broader cultural significance. A trailer for the special released earlier in the week showed the couple and their collaborators reflecting on the enduring appeal of Disney and its ability to spark family moments across generations. The newly released material arrives amid ongoing public interest in Harry and Meghan’s family life and their public appearances at major entertainment events.
As the Disney franchise continues to loom large in the couple’s public image, the pair have repeatedly tied personal memory to larger narratives about family, youth, and shared experiences. The Disneyland conversations in 20/20 serve as a backdrop for a broader discussion about how these moments shape their own family traditions and the ways in which they hope to pass those memories to Archie and Lilibet. The special’s airing comes at a time when the couple have been front and center in entertainment and media coverage, with fans watching closely for any new insights into their lives at home and their approach to creating family moments amid a high-profile public profile.