For years, Melissa Beeler has heard her husband Ryan Beeler, whom she describes as "crazy about Christmas," wax poetic about the one time he visited New York City and saw the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in person.
It was so memorable a visit that Melissa Beeler came up with the bright idea to surprise her husband with a trip to the Big Apple for his birthday -- but in addition to that, she came up with a dare for him: Dress up as Buddy the elf from the iconic 2003 Christmas movie "Elf."
"The week before, we were talking about everything we wanted to see, and I said, 'You know what would be hilarious? If you walked around New York City and re-created scenes [as] Buddy the elf,'" Melissa Beeler recalled to "Good Morning America."
Buddy, played by Will Ferrell in the film, is a big part of Ryan Beeler's Christmas celebration every year, according to his wife.
"He coordinates our whole house to a Christmas light show, and we even have an inflatable Buddy the elf in our front yard, and he rides around with one in his truck during Christmas time," Melissa Beeler explained.
This dad's surprise school visit was the best gift during the holidaysLittle did she know, Ryan Beeler would wholeheartedly accept the challenge. On Dec. 5, Mellissa Beeler captured her husband's movie-inspired antics as he hopped through New York City intersections and greeted pedestrians as Buddy the elf.
Her TikTok post featuring footage from the outing quickly went viral, with over 3.6 million views so far -- and counting.
Melissa Beeler said both she and her husband got a big kick out of the challenge.
"He accepted the dare, and he sure did it," said Melissa Beeler. "He hopped all around that city as Buddy the elf and made people's day."
