Meeting new people at WDW

[ryca1dreams]

Besides going to attractions at WDW, you and your kids also have a great opportunity to meet people from other countries and cultures. I think everyone should try to take advantage of this.

Two examples:
While at AKL looking at the animals, I met a young man from Botswana and talked with him for about 20 minutes about his country.
At MK I bought something from a young girl in Liberty Square at a vendor cart. Her nametag said she was from Beijing so I said "Thank you" in Chinese. She looked very surprised and happy.

The Kidcot program or the Epcot passport are 2 good ways to ease into this for your kids.

[BronxTigger]

I think I met the same guy from Botswana at AKL. DH and I also talked with him for about 15 minutes or so about his country. Granted, there could be many CMs from Botswana at AKL.

I like to talk to the people around me while waiting in the queue lines. You never know who you are going to come across.

[crazypoohbear]

A few years back when my youngest was doing the passport around Epcot my youngest son was about 8ish at the time and surprised the people in the Japan pavillion by saying please and thank you everytime he spoke. The surprised look on their faces was priceless. A little redheaded freckled face Irish american speaking Japanese!!
Now he can also "speak" Spanish and italian.
The Japanese he learned what little his aunts and I remembered and the Italian and Spanish he takes in school.:blush:

[LibertyTreeGal]

When my twins were four, we were at Toontown Fair and outside of Mickey's house there were four, probably young twenty-something, Chinese gals. Did I mention they were very beautiful? They were flirting and smiling with my boys, and Andy says, "Momma, pretty like Mulan!"

Well, those girls definitely spoke english because they all lit up and started talking to each other in Chinese, making a fuss over the boys. We all took pics of the boys and them together and they followed the boys through the house, taking pics and holding their hands. Not much conversation because they weren't interested in culture -- but they do know a pretty girl when they see one :mickey: And we still talk about those nice young ladies....

[Pop Centurion]

I don't have a particular story but anytime we meet people from other countries it always leads to interesting conversation. I never stand around a listen to people talk to me just to be polite when really I just want to get on with my day in the park. I've always had interest in other cultures so any chance I get to meet people and listen and learn things about them, I take advantage of.

[MarkC]

In March I took my 14 year old son and his friend to Disney. Since there were 3 of us, I ended up by myself on a lot of attractions built for 2 people. I talked to people from all over the US and several countries. It got to the point where I was actually enjoying it. Love to meet other people.

[Disney Maniac]

We met two boys from Kenya during the animal tracking at the AKL. They told us about how they had tracked a cheetah in Africa.

We also met many CMs and people from our home state Illinois.

I think it is very neat to met different people from different countries!!!
:sombrero::cowboy::pipes:

[bleukarma]

Yesterday I was at DTD and I met a CM from Venezuilla. He said he met his wife here about 6 years ago when they both worked for Disney and she is from Puerto Rico. Disney helps so many cultures meet each other, and sometimes there is a spark of love! I told him that I thought he had a great story!!!

[mainemajor]

We met a lot of great people last year during the food and wine festival :wine:

[kaerbear178]

When my fiance and I went in Jan 05 we talked to a few of the hosts/hostesses as some of the restaurants. We took pictures of them at Nine Dragon, Boma and Ohana and then emailed the pictures to them when we got home. The people from Nine Dragons and Boma both emailed me back.

[LoriMistress]

On our last trip, we met this nice family, who I believe who are from Jersey. For the life of me I cannot remember their names. We met at Mickey's Philarmagic. And we bumped into them again waiting for the Dreams Parade. They were basically pros of WDW (been there numerous times...been there for every time fo the year, etc.) They were just wonderful. They shared great stories they had (good and bad), and just chatted.

I hope we bump into them again...that would be awesome.

[snifflesmcg]

Last year my BF and I got talking to a family on the bus on the way back to the resort. They were in AS Movies and we were in AS Music. They were orginally from UK living in Canada. We had the best time talking! We were suppost to be at the same park on the same day later in the week but sadly, we never bumped into them.

[dolphinmickey9170]

The perfect time/place to do this is when you are waiting for parades and fireworks. We stood up on the trainstation platform waiting from Spectro and Wishes and had a great time talking with a family from Ohio whose 70 yo mom had never been to Disney, this was her first visit. What a great family. We shared stories, life and work, snacks, pictures etc. It was great.

[MushuGrl]

I totally agree with that. During my first trip, my sister, best friend and I got the chance to hang out with a great family from Alabama, and another from Texas, as we waited for Spectromagic and the fireworks. Spectromagic didn't happen because of the rain, we were all soaked to the bone, but we just had the BEST time!

My friend and the lady from Alabama were both scrapbookers and we teased them as they'd jump up and take a picture every time the castle would change color. Just a GREAT time hanging out and eating Casey hotdogs!