Dad goes viral after video shows him belting 'Ave Maria' at Disney World
When Justin Gigliello took his family on vacation to Disney World he expected to come home with lasting memories. Little did he know, he would come home as a viral sensation.
Gigliello took his 6-year-old daughter, Lilly, over to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort on one of the final days of their Disney trip for a special reason.
“As a kid we would go to Disney World and we’d always go to The Polynesian to listen pianist and the music they would play,” Gigliello said. Gigliello brought his daughter over to see if the pianist would be in the lobby, so she could make some of the same fond memories he had as a child.
When they arrived, the pianist was playing in the lobby. Gigliello says he and Lilly started dancing to the music, when suddenly she walked away toward the man playing music.
Gigliello ran to catch up with her when she overheard him telling the man, “My daddy loves to sing.” The pianist asked Lilly what her dad’s favorite song to sing was, to which she replied “Ave Maria.”
Gigliello says he has often been told he doesn’t “look like a singer,” but he most definitely is. He began vocal training when he was 15-years-old, and even has a bachelor’s degree in voice performance. Currently, he teaches voice and piano lessons out of his home.
The pianist began playing the tune and suddenly, out from the mouth of this Disney dad — wearing a football jersey — came the voice of an angel.
“I don’t think the people at the hotel had any idea that was going to happen,” Gigliello said. “They were probably wondering who is this guy walking up to the pianist?”
Gigliello’s wife caught the moment on video and he posted it to his social media accounts.
“I wanted to show some of my friends from college and my old professors to see it just to know that I was still singing,” Gigliello said.
Well, they weren’t the only ones who saw it. The video quickly started getting spread in Disney social media groups until it was fully viral.
“I was completely shocked,” Gigliello said. “It was beyond anything I could’ve dreamed possible.”
While the admiration of so many people caught Gigliello off guard, the adoration that meant the most to him was the love and pride he saw from Lilly as he watched the video back.
“I had no idea that was her reaction until I watched the video,” Gigliello said. “Just seeing the love and adoration from your child. It was adorable. It got me.”
Although it was unexpected, Gigliello says he’s happy so many people have enjoyed the video.
“You’re making art out of music,” Gigliello said. “When people love it, it makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something.”
In that case, you’ve truly outdone yourself Justin. Bravo!
