Kindness in parks

[Aurora]

A recent thread about rudeness and another post about a restaurant guest routinely cleaning off their dishes and stacking them for the waitperson got me thinking:

How do you go out of your way to be kind to other people in the parks, or what kindnesses by other GUESTS (not cast members) have been shown to you?

We give away our fastpasses to random people if it turns out we're not going to use them. We love the looks on their faces!

[tink'72]

This is a GREAT thread!

My family (5 of us) were getting fish and chips in England at Ecpot right around the time of Illuminations (crazy I know). We went to sit in their little seating area but of course all the seats were filled. An extremely nice family from England cleared off half of their table and allowed us to share their table but of course there are no seats so kids kneeled down on the ground and began to eat. Two seperate people at 2 seperate tables offered my son and daughter their seats so they wouldn't have to sit on the ground. I was floored.What a nice gesture!
These 3 seperate families made our quick service dining experience one of our favorite meals that trip.:mickey:

[BluegrassDaisy]

I always offer to take pictures for other guests so the whole group can be in the shot :mickey:

[Jasper]

We also give away our fastpasses and offer to take pictures for others. But mostly, we do the little things like smile at people, hold the door for them, etc. Probably the most obvious thing we do is at parades.

My wife always insists that we show up for parades at least an hour before they start. (By the way, this is a great way to take a break and get everyone to sit down for a bit.) Needless to say, being there early gets us great seats for the parades. However, we always watch for young children who might arrive later and let them come up front with us.

[robnadina]

When I am at DL or even WDW, I try and remember that everyone paid good money to be there. Some even paid money they really didnt have just so their kids can have a great day.
We always hand out our Fast Passes when we arent going to use them. Last time we were at WDW, I talked all the adults into letting only the kids have the front row at Fantasmic (thank goodness they were on board for the idea). I am a firm believer that random acts of kindness will come back to you. And I hope that if someone sees kindness they too will be kind to others.

[Frog]

Love this thread!
We pack laundry soap for a mid trip wash (we drive there and back and thus have the need). So, we always share and then leave the liquid soap we brought with us for others to use in the on-site washateria for others to use. Also ya gotta give the fast pass away if your not gonna use it, right!!

[g8rgirl29]

We too give away fast passes and we always bring extra glow bracelets & necklaces to pass out to other children (and even some adults) during the evenings. We are usually on the lookout for kids without a toy or who are having a tough time with the late hour!!

[TheVBs]

People have been so kind to us in so many ways at WDW! We've had people give up bus seats for our kids, we've been given things by other guests, like fastpasses and pins. Other guests have helped us out by giving us information. One kind lady helped herd my girls closer in to the characters on the dance floor at the BBQ just long enough for me to get a good shot! But the biggest thing other guests have given us was just being friendly, happy, and willing to chat and share their enjoyment.

We in turn, help out others whenever we can. We offer information, directions, we always give up bus seats for people who need them more than we do. When another family at the BBQ missed Mickey coming around to our table we helped them find out where and when to sit at another table so they could see him.

What a fantastic, positive thread! Thank you! :mickey:

[MushuGrl]

A wave, smile, and "Hi!" goes A LOOOOOOONG way.

I also look around to see if there may be someone shorter than me standing nearby at parade time, and offer to let them move in front of me.

[MickeyandTink]

Great Thread!

Two years ago when we were there, we were getting ready to leave on the bus from POP and had some unused CS meals from the DDP. My DW went into the restaurant at POP and after some searching, found a couple of people who were not on the DDP and bought their lunch for them.

We've also been on the receiving end. On the ME bus back to the airport last year, DS (then 2) developed a bad case of the runs and we did not have enough diapers and wipes with us because they were in the checked luggage. Another mother on board donated a pack of wipes and a couple of diapers that allowed us to make it home safely.

[TikiLounger]

We, too, give away fast passes and have had them given to us. Also, if my son sees a family with young children standing by the rope pull joke outside Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, he always makes sure to go over and tell them to pull the rope. It's fun for him and the kids always love the surprise.

[Rekenna]

To start off with, this was quite a few years ago-hopefully doesn't cause any issues....

When my DH and I took our then DS3 to the parks for the first time we hadn't bought tickets yet (we were newbies and the internet was not quite as prevalent then and we were cluless). We went to the then MGM for our first day and bought tickets at the gate, the CM there explained the tickets and park hoppers (we still have 1 day a piece left on these non-expiring tickets-can't seem to let it go for some reason-sentimental I guess) and looked at our DS and said with a wink, "Wow, he sure is a big boy for 2!" We said, "Oh, he isn't 2." The CM said, "He looks 2 to me!" Needless to say magic was spread that day, and we have never forgotten it. It was such a treat to 2 very young, very poor parents.

I have never forgotten it, and b/c of this I am a customer for life!:mickey:

[MistressGracey]

Once when we were playing in the arcade at Pop Century, a gentleman came over to me and asked me if I would like his "front of the line" passes because he and his family were leaving the next day. He told me he got them from DVC (I asuume since he was staying at Pop, it must have been a reward for listening to the DVC spiel). The next day we went on Space, Splash and Thunder at the MK with this pass with no waiting whatsoever! I thought this was just the neatest thing ever! This year, we bought a AAA package that includes a mini-golf voucher that we won't use, so I'm going to scope someone out in the arcade and give it away. Pay it forward, right?:)

[AllDisney]

We turn in unused fast pass tickets & offer to take pictures for other guests:mickey:

[debandbub]

LOVE threads like this! We do the usual FP giveaway, bus seat give-up and group picture taking. Last time we were there, a gentleman came up and asked where we got our water bottle holder thingies. We told him they usually sell them at the stands where you can buy bottled water, and we took a quick glance around and there were of course none in sight, so we handed him ours. Not a big deal, but he was happy.
Also, on the receiving end- I am sooo grateful when I spy someone else having a particularly great time that I tend to tear up- part of the Disney Magic, I guess, but I consider that a kind gift that someone has given me. :blush:

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

We went last year, my mother, me and my 2 DD's. So many people offered to help us on and off the busses with the stroller. It was so nice.

We always try to offer up fast passes, etc. Additionally, hubby and I always give up our seats for anyone whol looks like they may need them more.

2 years ago there was a pregnant woman standing on the bus and holding a toddler all the way home from MK to POP. She got my seat as soon as I could get to her! I couldn't believe no one else was getting up for her... but she was thankful.

[SurferStitch]

We also give out unused FP's. Last year we had two FP's for EE, and realized we wouldn't be able to use them. We found to teenage boys and asked them if they could use them. They were so happy they almost hugged us. It was early afternoon, and FP's were gone for the day.

We happened to be walking by EE near what would have been our FP time, and there they were, entering the line.

We also love to take photos for people (DH and I are pro photographers). Lost of times when people see the photo after we take it, they ask how we did it. We love to give them little tips and tricks to give their photos a more professional look through composition and using available light.

DH is always holding doors for people, giving his seat to just about anyone on a bus or monorail, and is a "ladies first" gentleman. Actually, I'm pretty much the same (except the gentleman part).

We like to give a nice Disney pin to CM's who have really made our trips special. We started this last year, and I look forward to doing it again this year.

The few times we've gotten excellent spots for parades, I've always given them to kids. It's really not the kids' faults that they don't get to a parade in enough time to get a good spot, so we give them our seats, and then just stand behind them. I don't really like sitting during the parades anyway since most of the action is so high. I prefer standing, and the parents are always very appreciative of the gesture.

[Pirate Granny]

We also give our unused FP away...one time, the woman and young girl that we tried to give "Toy Story" FP refused them and pushed us out of her way..we were quite surprized...but the gentleman and his daughter were thrilled when we offered to them. I have an annual pass and always go to get the 'special pins' and find a young person who is collecting, ask them which pin they think is nice (in the special collection) and purchase the pin and give it to them...Parents always seem quite surprized...we also give up our bus seats...even when we waited for another bus so we wouldn't have to stand, only to have the last two person get on the bus who looked like 80+ and ended up giving up our 20 minute waited for seats...but...what the heck...
:pirate:

[ransam]

this is what i love about disney...everyone is on their best behavior!!!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

This is a great thread...I love when people focus on the positive rather than the negative:thumbsup: In general, I find most people at Disney are kind...from giving up seats on the bus to holding open doors...and most of the times the perceived rudeness is not intentional anyway...:mickey:

[BriarRose0708]

I like commenting on kids who have dressed up like the princesses or other characters. I hope parents don't think it's creepy, but it's fun for me to say "oh you're dressed up like my favorite princess!" and talk with them about their favorite things in WDW. Also giving up Fast Passes, bus seats, and letting people go in front of me in lines so they won't get separated from their parties. I also like to give positive feedback to restaurant and resort managers about good service from CMs. It's too often that all they hear are complaints.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I like commenting on kids who have dressed up like the princesses or other characters. I hope parents don't think it's creepy, but it's fun for me to say "oh you're dressed up like my favorite princess!" and talk with them about their favorite things in WDW. Also giving up Fast Passes, bus seats, and letting people go in front of me in lines so they won't get separated from their parties. I also like to give positive feedback to restaurant and resort managers about good service from CMs. It's too often that all they hear are complaints.

:D My cousin just had a daughter and named her Briar Rose...how cool:cool:

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

We were in the world this last Christmas and had a blast with the pins. We had bought a huge lot from sellers on an online auction site and we had quite a lot of pins that were traders. The whole week we were there it was so much fun to give pins to kids who were just starting pin collecting or were having a bad day. It made us feel good, kinda like Santa or something. And it never failed to really brighten their day. And like other have said, more often than not, the parents were just floored that we would out of the blue give our pins away.

[handmaidenofprincesses]

I love this thread!

I always try to give away FPs, and give people directions, take photos, etc.

The dollar store in our town has a HUGE supply of glow bracelets/necklaces/sticks. I always buy a bunch before we go and give them to kids near us when we watch Wishes or Illuminations.

I think one of the most magical experiences I've ever had was when a little girl "adopted" me and my friend. We were waiting for dinner at CRT and this adorable little girl came over and started talking to us (I believe it was her 6th birthday) She made the wait go by very quickly! It turned out that she and her family live only about a half an hour from me. It was their first visit as well, so I tried to help them and answer her mom and dad's questions... But the best part was how I got repaid... The little princess asked me to sign her autograph book! Right next to Mickey!! What an honor!! :mickey:

[WorldTraveler]

Love to ask young DK's on the bus or at a bus stop what their favorite ride was so far. Usually gets quite a conversation going and then I can give out suggestions to the family if I find that this is new to them so that they do not miss something that they may not know about.
Sometimes it results in letting the youngster tell me what not to miss and I can go along and listen to the advice.
Either way, it gets some funny reactions from the kids for everyone on the bus to enjoy hearing about the attractons from the eyes of a child.

[Checkers]

:mickey:I do the usual things like offering to take photos, giving away FPs, seats, etc. To me being at WDW is just magical and truly "the happiest place on earth"! When we go with our grandchildren one of the stipulations is that we all have "happy hearts" when we are there and I must say it really has worked.

Great thread!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

When we were there a couple of years ago with my then 4 year old nephew, I had brought little tiny flash lights in case he got scared on the dark rides which he didn't. The day we were leaving I was talking to some parents there who had brought there little one for the first time. I gave them one of the little flashlights and told them to use it but shine it at the floor of the ride. That way the little one wouldn't be scared but the flash light wouldn't bother other people on the ride. They were so grateful for the light and the tips.

[RalsFam]

When we were at WDW last year, we were on the bus and my kids were getting a bit cranky. So I started doing the few magic tricks that I know to keep them occupied. They love it, it's a bit corny but they love it. There was a family sitting by us with 3 young kids so my offspring decided to let them in on the magic dad thing. I ended up doing tricks for all these kids until we got to MK. :D Pretty cool for me also.
We did the FP give away too, plus the letting folks have our seats who needed them more than us.

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

trivia with my kids to pass the time before Illuminations and the other nightly shows. Usually before I know it I hear "can I play too" and we have many kids from different places and different families joining in. It makes the time go really fast and it's fun too. I always give up my seat to anyone who needs it more than I, my dad would be proud as he always did the same. His mom was disabled. I have my kids do it too. They will stand or sit one on each of my knees. We let kids in front of us at parades too because we know what it is like to be late and have someone refuse to let a child see. Once we let a woman in a wheelchair and her caregiver in front of use right before the parade. She couldn't get to the handicapped area because the street had become to congested and it was full anyway. The lady in the chair couldn't speak but her eyes said "thank you".

[Daisy'sMom]

Reading all these posts makes me want to go out of my way next time and make sure we spread lots of kindness. We have always given our FPs away, but I can think of a hundred other ways to make someone smile at Disney. Thanks to the OP for starting this off.:mickey:

[wire0monkey]

My kids usually get a Mylar balloon at the start of the trip. The balloons are usually still good by the time we're ready to leave, but they're too big for the plane. We take our balloons to the resort check-in and find some kids who arriving and give them our balloons.

It's a much better solution than letting them go. My kids make some other kids happy. The balloons don't go to waste and they don't damage the environment by being set free.

[wire0monkey]

A lot of people help with kids. I've had people turn around and ask if my son (who is standing about 25 feet away) is mine. They were just checking to make sure the boy was with someone and not lost.

I've also had people let me go around them or past them quickly with a smile because I was chasing a quick-moving toddler or preschooler.

[japhilli]

On our trip this past July, we were eating lunch in the food court at our resort (the Wilderness Lodge) while waiting for Disney's Magical Express to pick us up and take us to the airport . We had 2 counter service meals left on our plan so we found a couple who was not already on the dining plan and used our credits to buy their lunch. It was really cool and what a great feeling to see the looks on their faces. It's so much fun to do nice things for people.

[Laughin' place]

We have bought big tubes of glow bracelets. Our plan was to have our teenage boys (who are big brutes with really soft hearts, especially for smaller kids) give them to others at parades etc. We were hoping to "brighten" the nights of little kids, especially those who were tired, cranky, or didnt have the expensive light up toys that are sold at events. In the end, we had even more fun giving them to cast members as a "thank you". Our guys, and the case, really enjoyed running around MK after midnight, passing out bracelets and saying thanks. The cast members were really happy to be recognized, and waved to us the rest of the night. We saw those darn things everywhere that night:mickey:

[IloveDisney71]

One guy we'll never forget was named Bob. My DD, her boyfriend and I wanted to ride the RnRC but when we walked up there was over an hour wait and all the fast passes were gone. Bob overheard us and said to come with him and his daughter. He explained that he had some special pass that allowed him to go on all the fast pass rides without having to get a fast pass. It was fantastic! After we rode RnRC he took my DD and her boyfriend to ride the ToT. We couldn't thank him enough! He's even in our picture from the ToT. :D

We always let little ones get in front of us at parades. We hand out extra fastpasses.
We give up seats to other people who need them more than we do on the buses.

I've always found that overall people are very friendly and helpful at Disney. There might be a few people who are rude but there are many more kind people at WDW.

[Miladymorgane]

I keep a bag with alot of extra supplies to help people. if its a bandaid for a cut or an extra poncho to put over a stroller i normally have what someone needs. I noticed having extra maps and a highlighter comes in handy as well. I always see alot of people trying to figure out their way around the park so i'll give them a map with directions to where they want to go. Another thing is i get stickers from cast members and dvc stands they are great to have when you see a kid crying in the parks. its amazing to see how quick a mickey sticker will cheer a kid up not to mention the parents.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We also bought some pins off EBAY before we went down this summer. My current lanyard is a "Minnie" theme, but I have some of these EBAY "traders" on it as well in case I see something to trade for.

DS5 and I were waiting to use the washroom, and the little girl ahead of us turned around and said "You have a lot of pretty pins!". I asked her if she traded pins too. She told me she didn't, and she didn't know how to. I asked her her name (she was with her Mom), and she told me, then I took off one of my pretty carousel horse pins and gave it to her. I said "Anna, you can trade your pins with your friends, and with Cast Members. It is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. My name is Jennifer, and I'm your new friend." She was so excited to get her first pin, and I could hear her talking about it with her mother while we were using the washroom. When we were all washed up and headed out, we saw Anna with her family out by the lagoon. She beamed at us and waved "Bye Jennifer! See you!".

I don't know if she got into the pin trading or not, but that simple interaction made a magical moment for both Anna and I. :mickey:

[SandmanGStefani24]

i like to do one little thing each time i go. I love to visit the arcades in the resorts, and each time I collect tickets from the games, but I never have any intention of keeping them. I like the games, but when it comes to the tickets, i always find a kid to give them away to. WDW is the only place I feel comfortable enough approaching strangers with children. This day and age you can't be too trusting, but at WDW I'm glad little gestures like mine still happen.

I also love to speak at least a few words of the native language to CMs in the World Showcase. I'm better at some than others, but they always seem appreciative for the effort.

[kemps@wdw]

Kindness rules @ WDW, and these posts are proof! My kindness story begins w/a stroller. Just an average foldable stroller. While talking w/a couple @ the CBR pool, they noticed we had friends w/us that had a 4 yr old. And wondered if they needed a stroller. and it just so happened that they did. Come to find out, this couple had purchased the stroller in Orlando for their grandchild, and didn't want to take home on the plane with them. So, they GAVE it to us. So, when it came time for us to leave, we didn't want to take it on our plane ride home either, so we found another family w/youngsters (@ the pool), and passed it and the story on to them, with their assurances that the tradition would continue. Hmmmmm...I wonder...how many familes benefited from that little stroller? :D

[TheVBs]

Oh man. All of these stories are making me feel soooo homesick for WDW! :(

MickeysGirl, your story reminded me of two things on our last trip. One night we were sitting in the cantina waiting for Illuminations and we got chatting with some of the people around us. Turns out that most of the other people sitting there were from another Disney forum and we're having a meet! Our DD4 really took to one woman and everyone fussed over the girls so much. As word went around the group people came over and introduced themselves to us and two wonderful ladies gave our girls trading pins. Only in Disney!

Then on the way out of Epcot one night (can't remember if it was the same night) we stopped to chat with a CM. Our DDs noticed her lanyard and asked us to get theirs out of our bag so they could trade with her. She was so nice! She insisted that since it was closing time and since our girls asked so politely that they pick 2 pins, then wouldn't take any pins from them.

Ok. I'm feeling all sniffly now.

[EJS-Houston]

Nice to hear of so many people spreading the Fast Pass joy. We do that too.

2 years ago, my friend and I got on Expedition Everest for the first time and found ourselves riding in the front car. Loved it! We later came back and lucked into the front car again. While we were waiting for our car, we struck a friendly conversation with a really charming young (late teens/early 20s) couple next to us. They were riding it for the first time, so we offered to switch cars with them. The look on their faces was priceless. It felt great to do such a small thing that nonetheless made a couple of people that much happier.

Aside from that, I think it just makes a difference to go into WDW resolved to have a happy experience...to keep a smile on your face when you talk to people, be they fellow guests or cast members...to be courteous and friendly...I know this is sounding pretty Pollyanna-like...but I do think you get back what you put out into the universe. And wansn't "Pollyanna" a Disney movie? :mickey:

[blondeinbrandon]

We try to be a good Disney Family! We do the FP and Pins thing. My boys (9&10) always tell the little princesses they see how pretty they are. This is so cute to watch!
My DH never sits on a bus unless it's empty and our boys are getting old enough to do this too. I always gave up my seat until two years ago. A spinal injury and fibromyalsia force me to have to sit, so I just want to thank everyone that gives up a seat! I would love to be able to give up my seat again - and hope too soon! But in the mean time THANKS! From a struggling Mom (that looks healthy on the outside!):mickey:

[EJS-Houston]

What a great thread! I'm going back to WDW in 5 weeks and 2 days (but who's counting?! Me, clearly!), and this thread makes me feel more inspired than ever to keep my attitude positive throughout and look for ways to "pay it forward."

[PeterPan]

Several years ago, my family was at WDW with a large group of musicians who were there to perform as part of Disney's Magic Music Days. The Park Hoppers you get when you are part of that program expire within a few days whether you use them or not. Of course, these passes are purchased in advance of your arrival. As often happens with large groups, there were four people unable to come on the trip at the last minute. No way to get a refund on their tickets - and no one to use them. As leader of the group, I had these Magic Music Days Park Hoppers in my possession and it was driving me CRAZY that no one was using them. Then it hit me...GIVE THEM AWAY. So, I went to the front gate of EPCOT and spent an hour looking at people who were lined up to buy tickets. One family of four really seemed to be in a delimna, so I approached them and struck up a conversation. They were pretty shocked at ticket prices and were struggling with their decision to buy anything at all - or just leave. Of course the kids were just frantic. SO I had the WONDERFUL opportunity to say to them "How would you like four 4-Day Park Hoppers?" they did not believe me, of course. I insisted, they finally took them in a kind of shocked manner. I am sure they thought it was a hoax. I stayed until they used them and entered. After they got through the turnstile, they turned around to look for me and the LOOK on their FACES is something I will truly never forget. What a joy to give a family a chance to go to WDW for four days for free.