Great memories of other guests

Here is a memory that another guest made for me...without even knowing it.

I am a HS band director, and take our band to Disney every 4 years. Sometimes it is trouble, but in the end I hope it is worth it. Once, on a family vacation, I was sitting on a Disney Bus with my family and 2 families were talking in front of me. Neither family knew each other, let alone me. It was just a "bus" small talk conversation. I guess i was eavesdropping, but what else do you do on a Disney bus!
In the middle of the conversation, the elderly couple asked the mother if this was their first time. She said it was as a family, but not her's. She had traveled to Disney with their HS band, and it was the greatest memory she ever had as a child. She wanted her child to experience the same thing, so she encourage him to take up music and when he traveled with their band, he too experienced the thrill. So as a family, they decided to travel as a graduation present to her son.
Neither family had any idea I was a band director, but in that moment, for me, it was a personal triumph that, if I can make that kind of a memory for just one of my students, then my career was successful.

We've had some great times with other guests! Even a quick conversation with a fellow Disney fan can make a day better.

The one I remember most is from last year. We were waiting in line for the dessert party in MK and there was a family behind us, with two kids and a baby. As we waited the kids chatted away to us (as did the parents) and we just generally enjoyed some company while waiting in line.

Later during the dessert party, I chatted with the Mom at the dessert buffet and headed back to my table. On the way I saw the little girl again and I asked her if she was having fun. She told me that "she was having a really big problem. She lost her Mommy and her table!!" I told her I knew where her Mommy was, and she grabbed my hand and off we went. I found her Mom, told her what happened, and they were all set.

A few minutes later, she and her Dad come over to our table and give us a "Disney Thank You" card that they had made for CM's who were awesome. They thought we were awesome, so they gave us one.

It really made my night, it was so great!

A couple of times I've had a chance to brighten a child's day and impress my DD with my knowledge (that I got from intercot). While at DL in front of "Snow Whites Scary Adventures" got a little girl who was there with her mom to touch the apple, she was so surprised when the witch laughed. The look on her face was so precious and DD (a teen at the time) thought I was kool. Another time while at the train station on Main Street (DL) a little boy remarked to his family that it would be kool it the telegraph actually said something, I was able to tell him it was Walt's opening day speech. He was delighted and once again DD thought I was kool (thanks intercot).

I just like to share one more Disney moment this one is about DD. Once while waiting at Main Street train station we got witness the flag ceremony when they were taking the flag down. DD was very impressed and was even more impressed when I told her it happened every day. :flag:

Great stories! :mickey:

I thought of another. One evening in Epcot during Illuminations, our youngest DD was getting a little sassy. I think she was 4 at the time. I corrected her and a woman sitting behind us said something really lighthearted about listening to mom. DD turned around and the woman, who had on these wild pink sunglasses, introduced herself as the Manners Fairy! LOL! DD looked at me with huge eyes and said, "Mama, you didn't tell me the Manners Fairy was here!" She went over, sat on her lap and I took their picture. Turned out she was with another Disney forum and there was a huge group of them there. They gave us pins with the site logo on it. :mickey:

I got away with using the "Manners Fairy" for months!!!

Several years ago, my son and I had FPs for Space Mountain - the old legacy paper kind. For whatever reason, we were not able to use them. The standby line was 90 minutes. We went to the very end and found another father and son and gave the FPs to them. The look of excitement on their faces was priceless. We have done this a few times back in the day, but this was stands out.

Nowadays, you can only give FP+s away 60 days in advance. ;)

AndrewJackson;2458724 wrote: Several years ago, my son and I had FPs for Space Mountain - the old legacy paper kind. For whatever reason, we were not able to use them. The standby line was 90 minutes. We went to the very end and found another father and son and gave the FPs to them. The look of excitement on their faces was priceless. We have done this a few times back in the day, but this was stands out.

Nowadays, you can only give FP+s away 60 days in advance. ;)

That was my favorite way to pay it forward. Someone once gave us fastpasses that they couldn't use, and from then on we always gave away any unused fastpasses as we left the park. Sad that we can no longer do that. :(

I love running into people from "back home," too. We've been in WDW when the Flyers were in the NHL Playoffs and a few times while the Phillies were having their red hot years and got a kick out of running into everyone sporting their gear and that feeling of comradery with total strangers.

My father passed in 1998 and after a few months we took the family to WDW for a much needed vacation. While in Epcot in Norway standing in line to ride the now closed boat ride a elderly gentleman introduced himself to me. He was from Maine and this was his first ever visit ever to WDW. We began a conversation and told me he was a WW2 vet. We became close friends in this short time and his sons about the same as me were getting nervous that he was bothering me. When the ride was over one of the sons apologized for their dad talking so much. When I told them I lost my dad to cancer a few months earlier they informed me he had only a few months to live and was dying with the same type cancer. We hugged each other with tears in our eyes and every time we are in Norway I take a pause to remember my ole buddy.

poodlemcduck;2458832 wrote: My father passed in 1998 and after a few months we took the family to WDW for a much needed vacation. While in Epcot in Norway standing in line to ride the now closed boat ride a elderly gentleman introduced himself to me. He was from Maine and this was his first ever visit ever to WDW. We began a conversation and told me he was a WW2 vet. We became close friends in this short time and his sons about the same as me were getting nervous that he was bothering me. When the ride was over one of the sons apologized for their dad talking so much. When I told them I lost my dad to cancer a few months earlier they informed me he had only a few months to live and was dying with the same type cancer. We hugged each other with tears in our eyes and every time we are in Norway I take a pause to remember my ole buddy.

Very touching.

One trip we were at the Studios. Turned a corner going towards Beauty ad the Beast. A friend of ours was standing in front of me. We stay in contact but hadn't seen each other in years. Her and her husband (who is my husband's childhood best friend) were at WDW with their grown children and grandkids. We were able to get together for breakfast a few days later. So much fun catching up and now I scan the crowds at WDW. Never know who you might run into!

Last year I had a conversation with an elderly man while waiting for parade. Ended up he was from a town in NJ where my uncle had been a lawyer and had run for mayor. He had information about my uncle who had been involved in many local activities. It was so much fun hearing about my uncle and how loved he was In the community. I only saw him as a visitor to Indiana and didn't know him well. Now I feel I know him a little better ( he would be in his late 90's if he was still alive).

DH and I went to Disney for our honeymoon, and that happened to be during the Year of A Million Dreams. Well our first full day in the park, this random family walked up to us, and said that they had just won the card that had fastpasses for all the fastpass attractions at MK, and that they had to leave to catch their flight and couldn't use them, and asked if we would like them. We didn't have on anything to indicate that we were on our honeymoon yet, so they had no idea. It was so special to us that they did that, and I've never forgotten it. I actually kept the little lanyard with the card on it, and there's one fastpass tab left for Jungle Cruise (we didn't need it that trip at all since it was a walk on every time.)

We've had lots of other great memories thanks to other guests, but that's the one that really stands out the most!

I love these! Thanks for sharing!

I was there for my birthday in 2009 and a random guest walked up to me and asked if he could sing to me. I was like, uh sure.... He sang happy birthday and his group of friends behind him just started humming. It was so funny. Then he thanked me and they went on their way.

Another time, this was years ago I was there with some fellow Intercotees and we went through a turnstile that had no line. We started joking with the cast member. and asked to get a photo with her. Then as we were asking people to take our picture we kept asking them to "get in the photo" just like in the old vacation planning video. We ended up with about 15-20 guests and a couple more cast members in this picture. I still don't even know who it was that actually took the photo and how I got my camera back, but it was an awesome moment.

Katzateer;2458957 wrote: One trip we were at the Studios. Turned a corner going towards Beauty ad the Beast. A friend of ours was standing in front of me. We stay in contact but hadn't seen each other in years. Her and her husband (who is my husband's childhood best friend) were at WDW with their grown children and grandkids. We were able to get together for breakfast a few days later. So much fun catching up and now I scan the crowds at WDW. Never know who you might run into!

One trip, my ex and I were stopping at the package pick up location on our way out of Epcot one evening and ran into our downstairs neighbors from when we lived in Maine (we were living in CT at the time). It was fun to run into people that we knew.

Not another guest, but a Cast member. I was in EPCOT and heard a Cast Member mention Pittsburgh. When I looked at her name tag, whe was from the town next to mine. We got to chatting and it turned out, SHE WAS MY COUSIN! Neither of us knew the other, but tracing the family tree. Yup, she was related to me. Totoally shocked us both!