Random Acts Of Kindness in the Parks

[anewvision]

I had a $25,000 Rolex turned into the lost and found at EPCOT. I lost it on my favorite attraction (Horizons). An elderly Asian couple found it. I'm sure they knew what they had, but never gave it a second thought about tuning it in. That was 1989.

[Ilovemesomedisneymom]

Just got back from my awesome vacation. After reading this thread before my vacation I decided we would buy a ballon before we left the park for the day.

I bought the one with Mickey and Minnie on it as I was leaving I stood by the entry gate where they check your bags waiting for the right family. After standing there for 15 minutes, I heard a little boy look at his mom and say "Look at the train mommy". That was it, that was the family I was waiting for. I believe I totally shock the family with this gesture. I told them it was a tradition that my kids and I had just adopted and they couldn't thank me enough.

So later in the week we went to the Contemporay and visited the Arcade. I played the Deal or No Deal machine. I was doing pretty good and had racked up about 125 tickets or so. I went up to a mom and her daughter playing a game and gave them my tickets. The mom was speechless.

Thanks for all the suggests. We will continue this tradition.

[mattandmandy]

This is hard for me to write, so I will try to be brief...Every year on the anniversary of our son's death we try to do something special in honor of our son. A couple of years ago we happened to be at WDW and we decided one morning to go to Tom Sawyer's Island. We got there it seems as if it was closed, but the CM waved us over and said that we were the first ones in line. He stated that he didn't have time to hide the paint brushes and gave us some fast passes in exchange for us hiding them. As my wife and I were searching for a place to hide the brushes, I noticed a family with their "Make A Wish" t-shirts on. I struck up a conversation with the father and asked them if they were on their wish. He stated "yes" and I told him that they should probably look under the bush as there might be a surprise. I walked away and could hear the child yell and scream that he found the brush. I know it made his day and it warmed my heart.

[BandMan]

mattandmandy, that's great. And it's wonderful that you honor the memory of your son by brightening the lives of others. It's a lesson we could all learn.

[BraddyB]

This is hard for me to write, so I will try to be brief...Every year on the anniversary of our son's death we try to do something special in honor of our son. A couple of years ago we happened to be at WDW and we decided one morning to go to Tom Sawyer's Island. We got there it seems as if it was closed, but the CM waved us over and said that we were the first ones in line. He stated that he didn't have time to hide the paint brushes and gave us some fast passes in exchange for us hiding them. As my wife and I were searching for a place to hide the brushes, I noticed a family with their "Make A Wish" t-shirts on. I struck up a conversation with the father and asked them if they were on their wish. He stated "yes" and I told him that they should probably look under the bush as there might be a surprise. I walked away and could hear the child yell and scream that he found the brush. I know it made his day and it warmed my heart.

Sorry for your loss and your story is very touching. Not only did you make the child's day, you gave the family a special moment that they will talk about for years to come. We need more of that in the world.

[dizneydeb22]

I just remembered this: About 6 years ago my son and I went to MK while my DH and nephew went to the water parks. While we were looking for a place to see the parade, an elderly woman in a wheel chair called us over to where she was and asked us to please watch the parade with her and her son. She had a great spot in the handicapped section. While we were waiting, she had a great conversation with my son. Right before the parade started, she asked my son to do her a favor. When he asked her what, she said, " When you are older like my son, and your Mommy is older like me, you have to promise me that you will take your Mommy back to Disney World." He thought about it for a minute, then said," Sure, but do I have to wait until she's THAT old?" I was horrified at first, but she started laughing and gave my son a big hug! As the crowd was breaking up I thanked them profusely, but she assured me that we made their day as much as they made ours!

[MKFD43]

When I was in the WORLD last year, I was in Epcot in China with my little nephew. We were looking at the plastic swords and stuff when I found a cell phone. There was no one around us. So i grabbed it and walked out side to get a signal. I looked through the contacts hoping to find home,mom or dad. Well as luck would have it I found DAD. I called the number and explained the situation, that I was in Epcot had foudn the phone and was trying to get it back to the owner. I asked him where thay were. he said that it was his sons phone and he was at epcot with his mother. I told him to call her and tell her to go to china to get the phone I went back in and gave it to one of the counter people and told them I found it and the owner would be by in a few minutes to pick it up. The dad was stunned and thanked me repeatedly before we hung up.

[texas211]

Great thread! So many fun ways to spread Pixie Dust!

I was a Cast Member for about a year in 1998. My husband (then my fiancee) had an annual pass, as did the rest of my family. I never had the need to use my Maingate Pass for my friends or family. (If you're not familiar with a Maingate Pass, it's a pass given to CMs that allow you to bring up to three people into the park with you up to 12 times a year).

When we would arrive at a park, we would wait in front of the ticket windows for a family of three. I would introduce myself (and of course show them my CM ID card) and offer to bring them in with us using my Maingate Pass. We did this on several occasions, and I was always happy to spread a little magic.

I love reading about the wonderful things guests do for each other while in The World!

Ginny Lynne

That's just awesome, is all I can say.

[FriendsofMickey]

During the year of a Million dreams (I believe it was the first year), a lady walked up to my twins in the restroom and gave them "a year of a million dream" Mickey ears. She said a cast member had given them to her and hers and she was not interested in them. My girls were thrilled!

On another trip (first with my girls), we had just arrived and were staying at CBR and went to dinner there. When we were leaving the building walking back to our resort and the waitress came running us down. My husband had dropped about $150 - $200 cash on the ground. I know that she was a CM, but a great and honest human being! That would have been all of our vacation spending money.

The next year, I got to return the favor when someone left their wallet in a bus seat.

[alliekat]

One time after coming off of rock n' roller coaster I realized I lost my phone.I thought it was probably shattered on the track in 1,000 pieces . About 10 mins. later someone called my dad saying they had found my phone we thanked them alot .

My family and I were in the Emporium when my son triped and fell .He was fine he just got a little bruise. Not only did they bring out the medics but after they checked him out and said he was fine a manager asked us what his fave. characters were he said, cars. About two days later concierge at our hotel droped off a package at our room that was a cars track and two cars ! My son was thrilled.

[Disney Hungarian]

Bumping this thread back up!

Love this thread!!!

I have always given away FP's.
I always give away left over CS or snack credits. Although people waiting in line think I am crazy at first, they always smile when they realize it wasn't a scam.
I can make really cool roses out of paper napkins so I always keep a pocket full to entertain the tired children on the busses.
Mom loves to play the carnival games at AK. She always wins lots of little stuffed animals and has me push her all over looking for people to give them to.
This year, thanks to this thread, I just placed an order on-line for the 22" glow necklaces. I think mom will be just as happy giving them away as the people will be that she gives them too.
I also plan to let her give away a balloon. Thanks so much for all of the wonderful ideas.

[kemps@wdw]

Oh my, we've given away FPs, food, even an umbrella stroller, given to us by a stranger @ our resort, that we passed on to another famly when we left. If we're flying, and have unused "supplies" we bought for the week and can't/don't want to take them on the plane,it's nice to find a family, just arriving, and "donate" to their supply necessities.

[Disney Hungarian]

In Sept. I bought mom glow necklaces to give away. It was a big hit.

Now, I need suggestions on what to buy her to give away on our December trip????

[eire]

Last August, my family and I decided to grab one last dinner at Wilderness Lodge before we hit the road. A woman approached us when we walked in and explained that she was leaving after spending 14 days in WDW. She had many Disney Dining credits left. She bought our entire family ( 6 people) dinner and went and got rice krispie mickey ears for the kids for the car ride home. Can you imagine? What a way to end our wonderful vacation. Disney definitely brings out the best in people; we will pay it forward!

[Disney Hungarian]

I love this thread. Since we are getting into the holidays now, I would love some more ideas for our next trip.

[faberj]

What great ideas!
I will be buying some glow sticks for sure.
Such wonderful stories, thank you all for sharing.

[BrerSchultzy]

My wife is obsessed with giving people FPs, or taking people on with her with the Baby Swap passes. And the more I look back at all my WDW trips as a kid, I remember how my mom was always doing stuff like this. She sometimes buys stuff in the stores without any reason, other than she thinks it's cute. But when she sits down to look through her bags, she realizes she has no need for 30 lollipops, and she'll start giving them away.
I think the most fun I have in "paying it forward" is finding parents who are doing a great job with their kids, and actually telling them that they are doing a great job. Since I've become a parent, that's the best present anyone could ever give me. And this last trip, while we were waiting for Fantasmic, I leaned over to a family and told the parents how wonderful their kids were behaving and how they seemed to be such great parents....they were so grateful, and they said someone else told them that early on in the week, and it helped them remember why they were there.

This is such a great thread...and I'll have to remember the glow necklaces thing next time. I think this thread is what makes Intercot so much different from a lot of the other Disney message boards. Thanks y'all!

[Auroring Good Time]

My son loves to play the games in Dinoland at Animal Kingdom. He never wants the prizes, just to play to win. He always gives the prize to a small child (after checking with the parent first).

[wdwfansince75]

Gifts that cost you nothing, but always gets a smile are park maps and event schedules....Although I could probably do all four parks blindfolded, navigating by sound and smell alone, I always grab maps and schedules for the parks...when I see someone looking lost, I offer a map. And when I here people trying to figure out what shows are where, and when, I gift a map and a schedule.

[Gator]

I've probably picked up park tickets that were dropped at the gate a half dozen times and returned them to the guest that dropped it. I guess that would qualify, though I would hope everyone would do the same.