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View Full Version : Random, Unexpected Moments that You Just Can't Forget



jakeybake
11-06-2009, 11:41 AM
Hi,

To me what makes WDW special are those random, unexpected moments that happen out of the blue, that end up being an unforgettable part of your memories.

For me it was last December at Epcot during Illuminations. I was on a solo trip thanks to a work training that I was lucky enough to go to. I was staying at the Yacht Club and had arrived a day early so I had an entire afternoon to myself to kill. I walked over to Epcot and spent the entire afternoon there. I left around 6:00, went back to the YC to freshen up and then shot back over so I could see the Holiday version of Illuminations.

I grabbed a spot right near the Refreshment Outpost as soon as the show started. I was the only one there until another solo traveler showed up. We were joking about how the ducks didn't even flinch during all the noise and explosions and making small talk. The show was incredible and very moving, just wonderful.

After it ended the person who was standing near by looked at me, leaned forward, gave me a hug and said, "Merry Christmas" and walked away.

Now being from the Northeast moments like that just don't happen and if they do you consider the person a nut job! This on the other hand was such a warm and sweet moment that it really touched my heart.

At that exact moment it made me realize why I love WDW so much and how it can move people to do things they would otherwise never dream of doing. Might sound corny to some folks but to me it was just an incredible moment.

Jay

jodijo
11-06-2009, 12:08 PM
For me it happened when my son was 4 (He is now 14). My kids and I went to DL without my husband. While we were there, we met up with my family and some friends. I told my son he could have 1 thing to take home from the trip. On the last night he picked a light up Buzz Light Year toy. About 10 minutes after buying it, he left it in the bathroom. We checked and it was gone. I had $17 left in my pocket (which had to get me through the next day) and a new Buzz cost $10. But, what can you do when your 4 year old is so upset? We went to the store and picked out another one. When we went to pay, the CM asked why my son was crying. I told her the story. She handed my son the toy and refused to take my money. Now, I was the one in tears. I don't think she understood what that meant to me.

That hooked me on Disney for life. I know it was a small gesture but it meant that I could feed my kids the next day.

T-Belle
11-06-2009, 12:10 PM
I agree. WDW brings out the best in people. A couple of years ago my DD and I were just starting a well planned week at Disney. We were checking in CBR when a lovely young couple were checking out. They had been on their honeymoon. As they we're leaving the lobby they asked if my DD and I would like their Typhoon Lagoon rainy day passes. Of course we accepted and thanked them profusely. We had a blast there one afternoon. And just added several more wonderful memories for us.

Missy_Mouses_Dad
11-06-2009, 01:04 PM
Mine is the opposite...

I was walking away from Mission Space towards Soarin' with 3 fast passes. DW DD and I had been on the ride earlier and thought we would try it again. A young boy and two friends ran by me to go on Mission Space and saw fastpasses were gone, and the wait was like 2 hours. They were really upset they wouldn't get to go on the ride. I called one of the boys over and gave him my fastpasses. He thanked me about 10 times and took off screaming to his friends that they now had fastpasses. Just seeing their excitment made my day...

joonyer
11-06-2009, 01:10 PM
I have posted this before in other threads, but this is a great topic, so it naturally keeps repeating itself.

The first time we took our boys to WDW (they were 6 & 9 at the time, & my DW had never been either), we arrived at our resort (All-Star Sports) about 8pm, and found out that the MK was open that night 'til midnight. The boys were so excited, we didn't even wait to unpack and caught the bus to MK, even though we had not planned to hit any parks until the next morning. We had not even looked at a times guide and knew nothing about the fireworks or parade schedules, we were just hitting attractions at random and enjoying the awe in our boys faces and their comments.

We found ourselves riding Splash Mountain about the the same time that Wishes started. To top it off, there was a beautiful full moon that night rising over the castle, and when we rode around the outside portions of the mountain, with the fireworks going off and the full moon overhead, and the music from the ride and Wishes, well the is no other way to describe it other than to say it was just 100% PURE DISNEY MAGIC.
The boys were amazed and even DW and I were carried away by it all.
It brought tears of joy to our eyes. WOW!

That completely unplanned "accidental" discovery of just how magical a place that MK can be has become the essence of Disney Magic for us and our favorite Disney memory; kind of like your first love, if you know what I mean.

On every trip since we have intentionally ridden Splash Mtn. during Wishes just to recreate and relive the memory of that first truly magical experience. We may not always get a full moon, but reliving the memory of that first Disney park magic is priceless, and worth the price of admission all by itself. We have many great family memories from other vacations, adventures and camping trips, but that Splash Mountain experience is at the top of my list of favorite family memories.

To me, this kind of family experience is what I imagine Walt was after when he first dreamed of and created DisneyLand.
:thumbsup:

dreamscometrue
11-06-2009, 01:22 PM
I'll never forget when DD was probably around 2 yrs old and we were in ToonTown or whatever it was back then. She was just happy walking around. She happened to turn around and behind her was Tigger. She stopped, called out "Tig!" and Tigger waved. She then called out "Jump!" and Tigger jumped. She could not stop giggling. Tigger then took both of her hands and they "jumped" together, my daughter yelling "Jump Tig" the entire time. When they finally stopped, Tigger gave her the biggest hug and she said "I love u, tig." It was incredible. I could not thank "TiG" enough.

seanyred
11-06-2009, 01:32 PM
Last summer at DL it was our last day and my DW and I wanted to ride Toy Story Mania one last time before we had to head to the airport. We got to the ride and the wait was long. We then decided to try the single rider line and just be split up. When we got to that line they were about to close single rider...the cast member ended up changing his mind and allowed us in the line...and to top it off they let us ride together anyway.

FenwayGirl
11-06-2009, 01:58 PM
The night before our birthday breakfast at CRT, our autograph books were stolen out of our carriage in Epcot.

The girls (then 10 and 5) decided that it was okay and the pictures that we had taken on the trip were good enough. As they stood in line to meet with Cindy, the CM asked them where their autograph books were. We explained, took the pics and headed upstairs. As we were sitting down at our cozy table over looking the carousel we noticed a CM coming our way. She has 2 new autograph books and pens for the kids. What a great suprise. After breakfast the girls were escorted downstairs to have Cindy be the first to sign their new books:mickey:

DisneyBarb
11-06-2009, 02:47 PM
I have a few, I hope you don't mind...

1) Our first trip and my daughter (tends not to give compliments) who was then 7 said "mom thank you so much for taking us here" as we were riding Splash Mountain

2) That same trip the nice CM that gave us extra fast passes because we were chatting with him waiting in line..

3) 2 years ago (son was 9) Minnie came up to the window and went nose to nose and hand to hand with my son..likey they were a mirror to each other. made his trip...

4)sipping hot cocoa listenting to Christmas music on Main Street..

Gator
11-06-2009, 03:13 PM
We were at the AK on a rainy day, which wasn't the greatest experience. But many people avoided the park that day because of the rain. We were walking along when a castmember jumped in front of us and said Winnie the Pooh and friends were waiting just down the trail. When we got there, NO ONE was there. My DD 3 and DS 2 got to play with the characters for about 10 minutes before anyone else showed up. It was awesome to see my kids playing like that. What a treat.

BigThunderFan
11-06-2009, 03:50 PM
Hi,



I grabbed a spot right near the Refreshment Outpost as soon as the show started. I was the only one there until another solo traveler showed up. We were joking about how the ducks didn't even flinch during all the noise and explosions and making small talk. The show was incredible and very moving, just wonderful.

After it ended the person who was standing near by looked at me, leaned forward, gave me a hug and said, "Merry Christmas" and walked away.

Now being from the Northeast moments like that just don't happen and if they do you consider the person a nut job! This on the other hand was such a warm and sweet moment that it really touched my heart.

At that exact moment it made me realize why I love WDW so much and how it can move people to do things they would otherwise never dream of doing. Might sound corny to some folks but to me it was just an incredible moment.

Jay

I'm surprised, being from the northeast and all, that the first thing to go through your mind wasn't "did that guy just steal my wallet...?" :thedolls:

Brer Longhorn
11-06-2009, 04:25 PM
My family made a trip in 06 and due to the age/height of our children we had to bypass alot of our favorite rides (BTMMR, Splash, Space...), but knew going in that would be the case, so we had a great time anyways. The one thing I really wanted to do was EE - it was new and we weren't sure when we would be coming back so I really wanted to experience it on this trip. We made it to AK and by the time we made it to EE, the line was well over an hour wait with fast passes not available. My wife knew I had been really excited so she told me to hop in line and she'd wait with the kids until I was done. I was so torn - I wanted to ride it but I felt that forcing her to wait on me was selfish. So here we are off to the side of the entrance having this entire conversation and I finally said "It's OK, I'll just wait until next time."
Suddenly, a CM tapped me on the arm and said "Why should you wait until next time?" and handed me a parent swap pass with a huge smile on his face. I was in, on and off the ride in less than 10 minutes. He made my trip!! Very magically and totally unexpected!!

ChipNDale79
11-06-2009, 04:44 PM
My wife and I were waiting to get in DHS before it opened, next thing we know a CM is asking us all sorts of questions and then finally asks if we would like to help open the park.

We said yes and were ushered into the greenroom.For the opening of the park we stood on the back of a car and a few lines to read in the short show.

We were escorted in the car (might i mention a car that was personally used by Walt himself) to be the first to ride Aerosmith for the day, all by ourselves.

I'll never forget that.

hope23
11-06-2009, 05:58 PM
I love this question! Our recent trip to Disney was the first for DS 5 and DS 3. It was truly as magical as it could possibly get... everything was wonderful. Our boys especially loved Splash Mountain and BTMRR... their genuine thrill was so overwhelming that we video taped them experiencing the rides so we could always remember those precious looks on their faces. We were so thankful to get that video. BUT... then DH accidentially taped over it and we were so bummed... and it was the last day of our trip. We had already gotten into Epcot and only had single park passes... very sad to have lost that video with no chance to replace it. However, that day was also DH's birthday, so he thought, "it's Disney... why not ask". So he explained the whole thing to the CM at the counter and said that his birthday wish was to be able to take his boys to Magic Kingdom one more time and get a video of them on Splash and BTMRR. SHE SAID YES! She gave each of us free entrance passes to MK and when we got there we were given fast passes to get right on both rides! The boys kept saying how cool it was that Disney gave Daddy his birthday wish... we got ours too (:

Phantod
11-06-2009, 06:44 PM
Tough to pick a couple, and likewise, I've reported these before, but I never get tired of writing about them.

We were at Disneyland with the kids. Our DD was probably around 8 or 9. We stopped in front of the Carousel to watch the Sword in the Stone show. Merlin comes out and invites a few people to pull out the sword....nothing, it ain't budging. Then he invites the DD to give it a shot....sure enough, out it comes. She got some kind of award, princess for the day or something like that. Talk about a kid with a big grin on her face for the rest of the day.

And magic does happen when you least expect it. Our DD has since married and moved away to Ogden Utah. We still live in the Sacramento area. Last May, we decide to hit the parks since we have annual passes. We fly down Saturday and hit both CA Adventure and DL on Sunday. It's pretty much a zoo that day. It's "Bat" day, and both parks are packed. We get in line at BTMRR and as we get to the head of the line, I look back to see how long of a line there is for the rear car. Who do I see, but the DD and her husband, and a friend of our sons from Sac. Her husband is kind of looking our way so I call out to him...the friend says to Ryan, hey that guy over there knows you. Our DD looks over, her eyes get big and she runs over to us for hugs.

What are the chances? We had no idea they were there that weekend, and they had no idea we were there.

Can you say goosebumps?

AvaNellMouse
11-06-2009, 11:07 PM
I have always wanted to go to any Disney park alone, not sure why, just the thought of doing what I wanted and moving at my own pace was such a fantasy.
Years ago I had the opportunity to be the lead on a trip for 93 people - yup, 93. I went alone and just chaparoned the chaparones.
The first day at Disney, I went to the hub, bought a cup of coffee and sat. I watched everyone come into the park - young, old, families, friends, every nationality - everyone was looking at maps and so fresh and lively. It was all that Walt ever wanted and I was seeing it right in front of me. Talk about MAGIC!! :mickey:
It is a beautiful Disney memory that will last a lifetime.

brownie
11-07-2009, 11:11 AM
Our server at Donald's Breakfastosaurus "squirted" me with "ketchup" using a ketchup bottle with red string in it. Not only did he get me, but he proceeded to get everyone else as they returned from the buffet (those of us who had already been had kept quiet, of course!) It was so fun I had to find and purchase my own set of ketchup and mustard bottles when we returned home.

Daisy'sMom
11-08-2009, 02:10 PM
I'm surprised, being from the northeast and all, that the first thing to go through your mind wasn't "did that guy just steal my wallet...?" :thedolls:

I can't see the humor in this. :confused:

BigThunderFan
11-08-2009, 03:53 PM
I can't see the humor in this. :confused:

What I meant was, anyone I know that lives in the northeast would have instantly thought that upon receiving a hug from a stranger.

Joannelet
11-08-2009, 04:14 PM
I was a cast member on the college program and was missing home greatly around Thanksgiving. While everyone at home in New Jersey was getting out their sweaters and preparing for some Christmas snow...here I was in shorts and feeling a little homesick. To cure my blues I went to DHS to do some shopping. (I had never visited Disney in during the holidays so all the decorations and Christmas activities in WDW were all new for me) As I was walking around I saw a street in DHS full of people and a cast member handing out 3-D glasses. He was like hey you look like you could use these and stay here because its something you DON'T want to miss.
I take the 3-D glasses and put them on. He tells me to look at the lights on the lamp posts.....the glasses make the lights look like they have angels flying around them. He tells me that what is about to happen starts up in front by the line. So there I am the only one standing by the line.
Eventually an announcement is made and everyone joins me around this line. Suddenly Minnie (my favorite) and Pluto come out and stand in front of me. They are jumping up and down & are excited about something!!! :)
Then this story goes on about some little girl who wanted her daddy to have christmas lights etc etc...and then the turned on the switch which of course was for the Osbourne lights. Minnie grabbed my arm and walked through with me pointing out the lights etc. As I turned the corner I saw snow and my heart just melted. Here I was missing home wearing shorts and there when I needed it most was snow :) It was an amazing moment and lifted my spirits that all the things I truly needed was right in front of me at that exact moment :)
It was where I was meant to be. :)
They no longer hand out those 3-D glasses but I have a couple of pairs that I took home with me.....I enjoy putting them on at christmas time and staring at my tree ;) Those angels were there when I needed it most and made me feel like I was home :)

mickeymousedabomb
11-09-2009, 08:27 AM
So in 2007 myself, my two DDs, and Grammie went to WDW. My Grandma lived in Jacksonville at the time and drove down to visit with us for the day. We were at WL walking around by the pool and bike rental place and a gentlemen named Mike came up to us and started chatting with us. It just so happens that he was supposed to take a family out for a fireworks cruise and they canceled. So he was asked to find a nice family and offer it to them. Well................HE CHOSE US!!!:cloud9: We couldn't believe it! We were about to head over to the FW to look around when he heard us. So he said he'd bring us over there in his boat and we'd have to meet him at the dock at a certain time. So of course we were there promtly:D. So we pile onto his boat and away we go! A free fireworks cruise!! OMG He had a cooler with drinks and bags of chips and snacks that the kids enjoyed. We saw one and heard another swim away and splah in the reeds, yup a gator! Mike got out his big flashlight and we were able to spot his eyes in the water. Mike was very friendly and shared alot of facts about himself and Disney in general. We were very thankful and know that was a not to be repeated type of magic. We thought it was a very magical moment for all of us! Thank you Mike:notworth:

JabberJaws
11-09-2009, 09:58 AM
There are soo many to choose from, but considering the surrounding circumstances, I think this one was the most special.

I proposed to my wife in Dec. 2005 at WDW. I had put together a rather elaborate surprise proposal scenario which involved a carriage ride at the POFQ, champagne in the room, dinner during the fireworks at the California Grill, etc. I had coordinated all of this with Disneyworld, working out all the little details.

The one thing that was somewhat left up in the air was the Calif. Grill. Due to the high volume of requests they get for window seats during the fireworks, they will not allow you to make seating requests prior to the day of your reservation. I had told them when I made the reservation that I would be celebrating my engagement (assuming she would say yes haha) which took place just about an hour prior to dinner, so I thought they might help me out, but wasn't 100% sure.

When we got there for dinner, I made my request down at the checkin desk. Unfortunately I was told that they were all booked up w/ window seats. No biggy as it would be a great dinner regardless.

Also, b/c they were so busy, we had to wait..and wait..and wait for our table. I was getting kinda miffed by all the waiting as it was throwing a monkey wrench into my plans and I was worried we might miss the fireworks.

We FINALLY get seated, and as we are going to our table I notice that not only was it a PRIME window table, but it was littered with mickey-head confetti. Upon being seated, we were brought complimentary glasses of champagne, all in plenty of time for the fireworks!

Needless to say in a night where I had tried my best to plan everything to a T, the one thing I couldn't really plan, Disney took care of all on there own!

sportsguy2315
11-09-2009, 10:12 AM
On my last trip (Dec 06), I was at MK late one night doing as many runs of SM as I could with my little cousin. My mom said my cousin had to be done and I had one ride left in me. Anyway, I go into the queue and all is perfectly normal...until I hear a couple girls laughing ahead of me :) . Being the curious person I am, I catch up with them and ask what was so funny and we get to talking. I find out they're both locals and best friends who were at the park for the night. After riding SM we exchanged numbers and I still am pretty good friends with them.

jenny1976
11-09-2009, 11:32 AM
Mine was in 2007. DH and I were celebrating my 31st bday at WDW. As we checked in and I asked for my birthday button, the manager @ ASMu pulled out a rose and asked everyone in the lobby to sing happy birthday to me. Also, on my actual birthday, we went to my favorite breakfast restaurant, Akershuss, soon after we sat one of the waiters comes out with a pillow on a siver tray with flowers, a tiara and a glass slipper. I looked at my husband and told him "how lucky she must be who is getting that" and as I said it, realized the waiter was coming to our table. My husband turned to me and said, "You're the lucky one, happy birthday". I was floored when I got the tray. The waiter said "happy birthday princess." And left. Needless to say I wore my tiara for the following ten days!!! Pure Disney MAGIC!!!
28 days from Mr. Mouse!!!:cloud9:

Stu29573
11-09-2009, 02:22 PM
have a couple from our trip in June. My wife and I were celebrating our honeymoon, so we were given"Just Married" buttons to wear. Of course, all the CMs and many of the guests wished us congratulations, but at Epcot they went a little further. We were waiting for the American Adventure to start when an older gentleman CM came and asked us our last name. I told him and he said, "We have a phone call waiting for you, this way please." I was actually a little worried and followed him to a table which he opened. There was a phone inside and he told me to dial a certain extension. When I did Micky and Minnie were on the line telling us congratulations!

The second time was at the DHS at the Hollywood Brown Derby. We weren't expecting anything, but we were given complementary champaigne and they took our picture and printed it out with "Congratulations from the Brown Derby" on it! :D

jakeybake
11-09-2009, 06:45 PM
I'm surprised, being from the northeast and all, that the first thing to go through your mind wasn't "did that guy just steal my wallet...?" :thedolls:

I didn't take offense at that comment. I know it was made in jest. And just to clarify it was a 20 something year old woman who gave me the hug. :D

BedknobsandBroomsticks
11-10-2009, 10:41 AM
1982, Oct., third day of our first trip ever to Disney. We stayed off-site at a campground. We decided to go to the new park Epcot that day and we were driving in a huge line of traffic to get into the parking area. After a while my brother walks up to the front of the camper and says "look Dad that car in front of us is from New Jersey too". My Grandad said "wow, that car looks like Bill and Mim's car". We drove into the lot and parked and it was his brother Bill and his wife. My dad's uncle and aunt. We had know idea they were going to Florida and vise versa and we end up behind them. Sometimes you really know when God is working the strings. We spent a whole wonderful day with them. Both great-uncle Bill and my Grandad died a couple of years later within 1 week of each other. We always smile and still talk about the time we met in Epcot, Bill's widow is still living, she is 93 years young.

Belle_0717
11-10-2009, 01:13 PM
It was 2 years ago when we went for our first WDW family trip - for DNephew's 1st birthday. My sis wanted to get his hair cut at the barber shop on Main Street. There was a short wait and he was being really good. Two brothers - between 5-9 - had been waiting in front of us. When they called for one of them to take a chair, they said let this little boy go. I was floored - I expect this in Disney but never from such young children. You could tell they were brought up well. While Andrew got his hair cut, my dad ran into the Emporium and got each of the boys $10 gift cards. There was magic everywhere!

BluewaterBrad
11-10-2009, 05:19 PM
It was 2 years ago when we went for our first WDW family trip - for DNephew's 1st birthday. My sis wanted to get his hair cut at the barber shop on Main Street. There was a short wait and he was being really good. Two brothers - between 5-9 - had been waiting in front of us. When they called for one of them to take a chair, they said let this little boy go. I was floored - I expect this in Disney but never from such young children. You could tell they were brought up well. While Andrew got his hair cut, my dad ran into the Emporium and got each of the boys $10 gift cards. There was magic everywhere!



That is really cool. I have too many to post now, but one was after Hurricane Charley wiped out our community. We had to cancel our trip that was scheduled for the week after the disaster. We changed to a quick 2 night stay just to get out of the chaos. The entire resort was dead because of the next hurricane coming, (took awhile to get back into town because of all the National Guard stopping us for IDs!), but from the check- in CM to the various bartenders and other CM's , that knew or found out about us being from Pt. Charlotte gave us hugs or other "magical" moments that it made us tear up pretty hard each time. WDW CM's ROCK!!!:mickey:

WDWFanatic
11-10-2009, 05:30 PM
What I meant was, anyone I know that lives in the northeast would have instantly thought that upon receiving a hug from a stranger.

Being from the northeast I TOTALLY get it and got a good chuckle from your post.

tinklover
11-10-2009, 07:13 PM
We just got back a few days ago and I was going to put this in our trip report but here goes anyway. we were in AK and in the handicapped section for the Safari. a family showed up right after us with a little girl named Madison who had Downs syndrome. Cutest lil girl. My dds were playing with Madison when one asked what her name was and could not understand her. So I asked her what her name was again and she said Madison. So I then asked" Madison, do you like chip and dale?" to which she replied "Oh yes" and I took off one of my hidden mickey Chip and Dale pins and gave it to her. Her family was in shock that i would give up one of my pins for their little girl. I said hey Disney Cast members are not the only one who can spread some magic. They were very appreciative.

2 days later we were in DHS and we pulled up to watch the comedy street show with Dorma Nesmond and ready Freddy Fiddlesticks. We Met Dorma Last year when she was on her way out to do a show and stopped to sing Happy birthday to my now 5 yr old DD. well we stopped to see her show this year ( 16.5 months and millions of people later) and she remembered us. That Made our day and made us feel so welcome and so at home.

Phantod
11-10-2009, 09:21 PM
That is really cool. I have too many to post now, but one was after Hurricane Charley wiped out our community. We had to cancel our trip that was scheduled for the week after the disaster. We changed to a quick 2 night stay just to get out of the chaos. The entire resort was dead because of the next hurricane coming, (took awhile to get back into town because of all the National Guard stopping us for IDs!), but from the check- in CM to the various bartenders and other CM's , that knew or found out about us being from Pt. Charlotte gave us hugs or other "magical" moments that it made us tear up pretty hard each time. WDW CM's ROCK!!!:mickey:

Hey BluewaterBrad, we were there about the same time. We flew in the Thursday before Charley hit on Friday evening. We stayed at CSR that year, and Disney had everyone back at the resort that Friday evening before Charley hit. It was packed and the food lines were a mile long.

But on Saturday, we did DHS in the morning, and then decided what the hey, let's do MK in the evening. So we did, and in about 3 hours, we did virtually the ENTIRE park. Everything was a walk on. If we could plan it, we'd come in the day before an Orlando hurricane every time. :thumbsup:

jakeybake
11-11-2009, 08:27 AM
My second meaningful moment happened on the same business training (yes I was lucky enough to go to 3 trainings in WDW last year!).

I was again staying at the Yacht Club and was cutting through the Beach Club lobby on my way to Epcot. As I was walking (ok half running!) by I heard someone call out, "Hey there young man you too busy to say hello?" I looked up and to my right and there was Art, standing 10 feet away. I ran over, gave him a hug (I'm a handshake and hug kind of guy!) and asked how he was. He then said to me, "And how are your wife and 2 little redheads doing?"

I was shocked. Not at how friendly and wonderful he was because obviously we all know he's the best, but on how he remembered not only me, but my family and the color hair they had!. Talk about an amazing man and a testament to all things WDW.

My family and I had met Art on our Beach Club stay on August of '07. We always stopped and said hello to him whenever he was working and the kids just loved talking with him. For him to remember us, given the thousands of families he meets each year is amazing.

Sadly, I heard he is, or already has retired. For my family and I, WDW will just never be the same without him.

Jay

Mr_Increddieble
11-11-2009, 10:01 AM
They oughta hand out hankies with this post!

Mr_Increddieble
11-11-2009, 10:48 AM
Our first family trip was May 2007. My special needs DS was then 11 yrs old. We went straight to the MK. I obtained a Guest Assistance Card as I read about in a post on this site although I wasn't sure what it ultimately would do for us. After meandering around allowing our 4 yr old DD to lead the way we ended up at Mickey's house. We walked thru (pushing DS in his stroller) and when we went around back and noticed that you could exit thru the garage or "Meet Mickey in the Judges Tent". I wasn't sure what was in there so as I edged DS into the tent I saw the big screen showing old cartoons to entertain the roughly 30 families waiting in the queue. I was just starting to back out and signal the DW that the line was too long when a CM beckoned, "right this way sir, follow me". She led us around the screen and told us to stop at the rope near the front of the line. She then disappeared down the hall and came back 15 seconds later. She disconnected the rope from the pole, stepped back, and pointed us down the hall. I looked at my wife like, "what gives?". We went down the hall, made a turn and as we went through the door, BOOM, there was a Big Blue Ribbon on the wall and... Mickey. It was surreal. There was also a cameraman and a handler and they proceeded to chat with us all. Then they snapped pictures of us with their camera then our camera. As we were saying goodbye Mickey took both my wife and I to the side and gave us each a big heartfelt extened hug. (Having gone 3 times since i know that is not a standard move). Parents need the Disney magic too. Then BAM we were out the side door. My wife looked at me and said, "Who do they think we are, Rock Stars?". "No", I thought. They know exactly who we are.

c&d
11-13-2009, 03:10 PM
Mine happened when DS was 3. We were at MK and DS had just come off the Dumbo ride and I was busy video taping. He came running down the ramp and said "This is the best day ever, now on to the next ride."

It brought tears to my eyes and I can still remember exactly what he was wearing 7 years later.

SignguyTom
11-13-2009, 07:13 PM
My dad, in 1982, was watching the fireworks near the castle and was purposely dropping one piece of popcorn every few seconds because there seemed to be a CM assigned to solely to clean up after him. The CM would sweep up that one piece of popcorn and simply wait for the next piece to hit the ground! :funny:

Ksmith75
11-15-2009, 07:10 PM
My DH and I were getting ready to leave the MK for the day, and stopped at the Main Street Bakery for some fudge.....the barber shop quartet was in there and asked my DH what they could sing for us...and my DH said "sing us a song about fudge" and they did...it was a love song...and whenever you would normally sing a name - they said fudge...it was great....it was also like 5 minutes long...it made me laugh....great time!

:mickey:

Insanity Clause
11-16-2009, 12:02 PM
This is more something my son said more than anything else. He was 7 when we were there in April and we were leaving Fantasmic and he turns and looks at me and says "Some people think that magic isn't real, but it is. Even if you live in Ohio." I just thought that summed up the whole spirit of Disney...believing in Magic.

BigRedDad
11-16-2009, 12:45 PM
The first that comes to mind that I remember is twofold. My two nephews were watching the Sword in the Stone thing behind the Castle. My youngest nephew was up front and when they asked to see who could pull the sword, some bigger kids knocked him down. My other nephew held them back a little so he could get him up. The older nephew was called up to pull the Sword. He got the medallion and pouted the rest of the day because 100 people he would never see again all cried out "Hail King Andy".

That leads up to the second part. As he moped all day, we went on PotC, got the pirate swords after and hit Liberty Tree Tavern. He sat in the corner gloomy and bitter. His sword was on the table next to my other nephew. Goofy came up, grabbed the other sword and proceeded to have a sword fight with my younger nephew throughout the restaurant for about 5 minutes. My nephew "got him" and he tumbled to the ground to play dead. It was a riot.

A final one only my mom remembers. At the time, I was the first person to get their head stuck in the railing at the Haunted Mansion. I was too little to know when (1971 or 72), but she says it all the time. They had to get maintenance out there to pry the bars far enough apart.

Reesa Roo
11-16-2009, 01:07 PM
Aww - this has been the best lunch break ever reading these posts. Here are three of ours...

On my kids first trip ever, first ride ever - we went to Winnie the Pooh and my daughter Caralyn (then 10yrs old) got to ride with Eeyore! He had his arm around her and was kissing her the whole ride. She thought she was too old for Disney but Eeyore changed that. She's 20 now and still loves Eeyore and WDW!

That same trip, my daughter Renae (then 6 yrs old)had the talking garbage can singing to her "Renae is my girlfriend. Renae is my girlfriend" It took us a while to see where that was coming from. She still talks about that.

On the last trip in 2006 we went to HDDR for dinner. I was afraid the kids wouldn't like it but they all loved it. They laughed the whole time. When it came time to pick volunteers, they picked my husband who ended up coming out on stage in a tutu. He hammed it up and danced around and the kids and I laughed harder that we've ever laughed. Great family moment.

Priceless...

Katzateer
11-17-2009, 07:41 PM
We have had many but the few that come to mind as the BEST-

Our youngest - her first trip to WDW - she was being held by Tigger and he would not let her go. She was wearing a Tigger-outfit and hugged him so tight. I think she was in his arms for about 10 minutes while other kids were crowding around. It was the best and I have some Tiggerific pictures.

What made it so extra special was she had been in the hospital about 24 hours before and to have that special moment and to have her at 18 months to be so thrilled was a teary-eye moment after having a stressful few days before our trip.

With our oldest, we had some really fun moments at MGM with the street performers-they were giving Michelle a hard-time - she was having a lot of fun with them, trying to figure out if they were teasing her or serious. They played around with her for about 15 minutes and other visitors were having fun watching her reactions to them. I think she was about 5 years old.

lettripp
03-10-2010, 07:23 PM
So happy I found this thread again! After long days of thinking, I have 3 Disney moments that I will never forget :-)

1) Being young and an idiot and trying to take a picture of the castle by climbing a lamp post... don't worry, I learned my lesson. The unforgettable part is that I tore a giant hole in the crotch of my pants. Thank goodness we had friends still on their way from the hotel room to bring me a new pair!!

2) Performing on the stage at the American Idol Experience was one of the coolest, most exciting moments of my life.

3) Now for something sentimental: When I was a kid I was TERRIFIED of the Haunted Mansion. I remember riding it during the day and hiding behind my dad. That night, after the rides had all closed, my mom was meandering through the shops. My sister and I were sitting in the carriage, eating lollys and holding onto our new plush dolls (I had Lady :-)) and my dad was pushing us around. Anyway, he asked us what we wanted to do, and then suggested the Haunted Mansion. We both said NO! And then, teasingly, he started to BOOK IT, pushing us towards the mansion. I mean, he was almost in a full sprint (if I remember right). I remember laughing and screaming and as much as that sounds traumatizing, it is one of my all time favorite WDW memories :-)

DisneyLuver91
03-10-2010, 10:12 PM
It was probably summer of '06 and my mom, sister, and I were at Test Track. We had already ridden it once and were in the showroom. My family is very into Chevys, so we started chatting up the cast member there about them. He decided that we were fun people and gave us fast passes to ride Test Track as many times as we wanted! So, thanks Kevin, you made our trip even more fun!

DisneyPrincess21
03-11-2010, 01:02 AM
Even though the trip didn't turn out as perfect as we planned it, my favorite WDW memory was being able to take a trip with my Mother just the two of us for the first time this past December. It was so wonderful being able to have the whole time to spend together just the two of us. One day I planned a surprise picnic on the beach of CBR for us on our 2nd to last day. (I secretly packed in my car, an old plastic picnic basket that my Mom use to pack our lunch in for us when we would go on little picnics together when I was a kid) It was very nice and relaxing and made for a wonderful memory.

My favorite earliest WDW memory, was being so overwhelmed on my very first trip to WDW, all I wanted to do was live there, and as a matter of fact, that is all I still want to do :D

I have been hooked ever since.


(ps. I saved this post for my 1,000 post)

Shanaynay
03-11-2010, 01:41 AM
My most magical moment was on my first trip to WDW. I was 5 y/o, and I was with my father, grandmother, and great-grandmother. My grandma and great-grandma were getting overheated and tired from walking around in the hot, humid Florida sun, so they decided that it was probably time to take a rest. My dad suggested that we sit along Main Street and wait for the parade since we would be able to be in the front. Being a 5 year old very eager to see all of the park in record timing, I was pretty bummed when I found out that I had to take a rest when all that I wanted to do was run around and see everything...so being a spoiled brat, I sat down and sulked. We were probably resting for about 10 minutes, when a cast member came up to me and said "hey, you don't look very happy for someone at Disney World! Cheer up! How would you like to be in the parade?" and I got so excited and screamed "YES! Thank you so much!" and he said "I'm going to give you a special sticker, and you can be on the last and the biggest float with Snow White!" So when I saw Snow White's float coming, I ran up and started dancing with her, and my family was in shock because I was such a shy, awkward kid at that age. It's such an incredible memory, and it gave me major bragging rights in kindergarten after I brought the pictures to show and tell haha. I will never forget how special that CM made me feel, I felt like a princess and as though I was really a part of something magical! To top it off, the following day we went to breakfast at the Crystal Palace and Cinderella told me that I looked just like Snow White, how strange? Thank you, CM, for helping to make my first Disney experience even more magical!

coneygoil
03-11-2010, 08:58 AM
The most awesome unexpected moment happen on my family's last trip back in October. Me, my dad, and best friend were going to MNSSHP, but my mom and BF's mom weren't going because we had only bought 3 tickets. My folks had befriended a CM manager on Main Street a couple days early. We told the her about our mission to make as many CMs feel special and appreciated. Well, she found out that my mom and BF's mom didn't have tickets to the MNSSHP. She said, "That won't do. I'll be right back." The CM manager came back with two FREE tickets to the MNSSHP for my mom and BF's mom! My mom started crying which made the CM manager start crying. It was a truly awesome experience and so very unexpected. WDW is the a magical place :mickey:

micky95
03-11-2010, 12:18 PM
my dw & i were down at ak last dec 09 and we got to park early one day.they let us in and we went to the tree of life to wait for the opening . a cm ask the people in front of us where they were going they told her safara ride .she let them & their 2 kids in .my wife turned to me & jokingly made the comment that we needed to rent some kids for the day .the cm heard and asked where were we going .she told the safara also.she let us in. we all went straight to the ride.we've ridden it many times but this was the first bus of the day. it was amazing allthe animals were out.we got to the lions area and the male was on arock over looking the female who was laying down .he was pacing back & forth ROARING!!it was the greatest thing we had ever seen.another thing we say one trip was when we were at epcot waiting for a bus .we say people looking and pointing to the sky. we looked & you could see a streak of fire across the sky. it was the space shuttle launch. still counting down to january 2011 !!!

BigThunderFan
03-11-2010, 03:03 PM
My favorite moments happened this last trip in January. First, getting to ride Big Thunder over and over during the Spectro parade and my kids saying "this is my favorite ride!". Brought a tear to my eye, as you can tell I sort of like Big Thunder too...

The next day my DD3 was taken on a private tour of Mickey's house by none other than the Mouse himself! He led her through the whole house while holding her hand and interacting with her (as much as a non-speaking 5 foot tall mouse can interact that is) and then over to the Judge's Tent. Once inside he covered her eyes and Minnie came out to surprise her! The look on my daughter's face makes me choke up everytime. And the photopass photographer caught every moment of it! Thank you to the CM's there, and of course to the boss, Mickey, for making my daughter's (and mine) trips!

There is also one more I don't personally remember, but in 1977 I made my first trip as a baby with my parents. We stayed in the Contemporary and Pluto was running down the halls. He grabbed me and played with me while my mom freaked out thinking he was kidnapping me! I have seen pictures of me rolling on the hallway floor with Pluto, and have to listen to my dad tell this story everytime we see a Disney character.

jpmsrivers
03-11-2010, 04:16 PM
There are so many but one of most magical moments was when.....

We are at AK near closing time and waiting in line to see Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore. The CM's standing in the area kept saying that we probably would not get to see them before they left the area. My sweet grandson was so worried because he really wanted to see Tigger. We were the last people in line and right when it was our time to visit with the characters they announced that we were the last family of the day and that we would have a special time and could spend extra time with the characters. It was wonderful...we got the pictures they had been taking with everyone with the individual character but then the CM had all the characters get together with our entire group and took several pictures. We were never rushed and the characters all interacted with my grandson...it was truly magical. :cloud9:

TheVBs
03-12-2010, 07:15 AM
I love this thread. :mickey:

So many moments to choose from.

I remember the first time my oldest DD saw Stitch. She was 2 at the time and the movie had just come out. It was the first movie we took her to the theater to see. When she saw Stitch in AK she was just in awe and gave him the biggest hug.

Two things from the last trip. One of the first characters we met was Capt. Hook. He stole DD4's Tinker Bell autograph book and refused to give it back or sign it. Her big sister "fought" Hook and got the book back, (after saying "please" ;)). For the rest of that trip DD4 told every character about that. They all listened intently and praised DD9. She felt so special and proud. When DD4 walked up to Peter Pan on the last day of our trip, she said, "I have to tell you a story about Hook!" He looked at her so seriously, sat down on the ground, patted the ground in front of him and said, "Tell me!"

The last one may seem like a small thing, but it was huge to us. On our first day in Epcot during the last trip, we'd gone around WS and the girls were ready for a rest and a cold drink. We got some fruit slushies right at the entrance to FW. No sooner did we sit down than DD4 dumped her slushie. She lost it. I thought, this is it, she's done for the day, we'll head back to the hotel for a break. I was trying to calm her down and before I had a chance to tell her that I'd buy her another, a CM came up with a replacement! She made DD4 so happy that it completely turned the afternoon around and we ended up staying until closing!

Jeniflower
03-12-2010, 08:19 AM
This is such a lovely post, close to tears (happy happy)

Two years ago I was in MK on my last day and I had just picked up a cold, so was doubly miserable. anyway i was in the queue in one of the shops when the little girl behind me asked said to her mum, that lady looks like the little mermaid and her mum said, Do you know I think that is the little mermaid. The little girl giggled and I practically walked on air for the rest of the day.

So last year I was queing with my sister for dumbo and the little princess behind me asked if I was the little mermaid. I told her I wasn't but she was one of my friends and we had great fun in the queue playing with that girl and her friend and telling them all mermaid stories

pink
03-13-2010, 10:32 AM
1) When DBF saw the castle for the first time and his whole first trip in general. I also will never forget when he thought the "robot" or Jack Sparrow was a real person and was confused with how he got around the different parts of the rides so fast.

2) When I saw the talking trashcan for the first time.

3) When everyone on the line for Toy Story Mania sang Happy Birthday to my mom. :mickey:

kemps@wdw
03-14-2010, 02:48 PM
Sitting outside the Plaza Ice Cream shop enjoying a little ice cream and people-watching and seeing friends from our hometown that we didn't know were there!

Strolling thru UK @ Epcot and finding the British Invasion (for the 1st time) and an empty park bench!

Being chosen Family of the Day @ Epcot...twice!

Being Flag Family of the Day @ WL!

Realizing we can go back to WDW...again!

kemps@wdw
03-18-2010, 10:01 PM
Oh yeah...and another one...seeing my DH on stage @ the Hoop-Dee-Doo in a pink tutu playing Davey's angel !:funny::silly::haha:

LoriMistress
03-19-2010, 12:19 AM
Seeing my husband grinning from ear to ear. Seeing him relaxed and acting like a kid.

mjm12000
03-19-2010, 12:06 PM
I would have to say all though I have had more magical moments than I could possibly write about in one entry, I would have to say the day we decided to buy our DVC membership. We had spent the day at AK and had run out of things to do, so we decided to check out the DVC information booth, the sales guy at the booth asked if we would be interested in taking a tour and mentioned we would get free fast passes, we had nothing else planned so we thought what the heck lets go check it out.

So we went and met with our DVC sales guy his name was Nick Cotton, he as young and fresh and genuinely excited to be telling us about DVC. He was never pushy but happy to answer all of our questions. We ended up leaving the tour with out buying but a few hours later after much discussion and thought we decided to call Nick back and buy ourselves the membership. Nick went out of his way to come all the way back to the Saratoga Springs display center to go over all the paper work etc. He was so nice and helpful and made the experience fun and excited. This May we will be going to our new DVC home at the BLT and I know when I first check into that room I will be thinking of Nick and saying a big thank you to him for helping us get our new home away from home.

queenmom9497
03-19-2010, 08:59 PM
Each of our trips has had something special ...

CBR ... sitting on the bed eating pizza and drinking beer with DH, DD, DD, after a long day in the parks enjoying the magic of being there with our family.

BWI ... sitting in France for waiting for Illuminations sipping Grey Goose Lemonade Slushies with DH while our daughters were wandering through the World Showcase.

YC ... DH Birthday. Each day held a new surprise for the whole week we were there. The Cast Members were friendly and every day something magical happened for my DH and our family.

:thumbsup:

jeshall1
03-21-2010, 12:01 AM
In 2008 we took our son who had just turned three to Disney for the first time. Toward the end of the week he started to not feel too good and he insisted on taking his favorite stuffed dog "Eddie" to the parks with him that day so that Eddie could go on rides with him and meet Mickey. Sadly by the time that we were returning from a very busy day we realized that his dog was gone. He was so upset! We checked with cast members and bus drivers and they advised us to fill out a form back at POP where we were staying so that if he was found they could notify us. So at 11:00 at night we filled out a form as I tearfully explained what had happened as he had Eddie since he was born. The cast members were wonderful they let us know that they would check everywhere that we had been since we had last seen Eddie. We had been at Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and at Poly so we figured it was a lost cause. After getting back to our room and placing our sleeping son in bed my husband and I got ready for bed. About an hour later we heard a knocking on our door and it was two of the castmembers that we had talked to. In one of there hands they had my sons stuffed dog. It turned out he was over at Poly! He was so happy when he woke up in the morning. To this day he still talks about the time that Eddie wandered off! :minnie:

syndrome
03-21-2010, 07:17 PM
The year the updated version of POTC opened my son and I were on the playground near Splash Mtn. A CM was there dealing with another issue and we started talking football. As our conversation was winding down he asked if we had ridden POTC yet--I told him no that we had started in Tomorrowland that morning. He gives me a "fastpass" to POTC and we walked over and got right on the ride--avoiding the 90 minuted wait!!!!

IrishMickey
03-21-2010, 09:57 PM
One rainy day at Disneyland, my friends and I wandered around in our bright yellow mickey ponchos, having a great time. We rode the Jungle Cruise and as we were exiting the boat one of the CM's would not let go of my arm, and of course the Captian of the boat on his mic kept saying, "miss, you have to let him go, he needs to work, miss, miss" needless to say my friends were crying from laughter, as were many guests, as I was "held" up by the CM"s. Great times, and even funnier pictures.:thumbsup:

kimommy63
03-21-2010, 11:20 PM
:jaw:
In 2008 we took our son who had just turned three to Disney for the first time. Toward the end of the week he started to not feel too good and he insisted on taking his favorite stuffed dog "Eddie" to the parks with him that day so that Eddie could go on rides with him and meet Mickey. Sadly by the time that we were returning from a very busy day we realized that his dog was gone. He was so upset! We checked with cast members and bus drivers and they advised us to fill out a form back at POP where we were staying so that if he was found they could notify us. So at 11:00 at night we filled out a form as I tearfully explained what had happened as he had Eddie since he was born. The cast members were wonderful they let us know that they would check everywhere that we had been since we had last seen Eddie. We had been at Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and at Poly so we figured it was a lost cause. After getting back to our room and placing our sleeping son in bed my husband and I got ready for bed. About an hour later we heard a knocking on our door and it was two of the castmembers that we had talked to. In one of there hands they had my sons stuffed dog. It turned out he was over at Poly! He was so happy when he woke up in the morning. To this day he still talks about the time that Eddie wandered off! :minnie:

:jaw: Thats the best one I've heard so far! I love WDW! Thanks for the great story!:mickey:

finaldynasty
06-08-2010, 10:05 PM
Two years ago, my DS ran up to the sword in the stone and unexpectedly pulled it out. He was 6 at the time. It was announced that he was offically prince for the day and he was given a sticker, certificate and spoken proclamation! It was awesome!!

Renfairwedding
06-08-2010, 10:58 PM
We have in the past bought batches of Disney pins on E-Bay to trade in the parks. We end up giving away what seems like half of them to kids that are going to the parks for the first time. We tell them its for trading with a CM and we explain the concept to their parents. The one little girl that stands out is one who was very shy and did not say a word. After having her mom put the pin on her shirt the little girl took my wife hand and held it as we traveled on the monorail and held it we arrived at their stop. She did not have to say anything as her action said millions.

My DW fav was at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We all were in our costumes from wizards and princess to pyrites. (Adults and Kids) As soon as we entered the tunnel at the start the whole boat broke out in song…. Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirates life for me.

hotmouselove
06-09-2010, 02:51 AM
But, I had to jump in...

2 years ago we took our son and 4 daughters to WDW at Christmas time. This was the first time our 4 youngest had been. Our ds has Autism. He's in no way severe but his difficulties lie in the communication area. He was 5 at the time. The only character he mentioned wanting to see was Mickey. We were leaving Epcot on our last day and saw the characters inside (the name escapes me) and thought we'll pop in and let E see Mickey!

Well we got inside and realized the line was long, so we asked the CM what her estimate was. She said about an hour. Dh and I had a quick conference and decided he wouldn't be able to hang. As we were heading out the door the CM asked why we were leaving. We explained E had Autism and we didn't think he could wait. She said "do you have a GAC?" We said no--we didn't really think we needed it.

She opened the rope and motioned us thru an told us to wait. Mickey was with a family and I turned to say something to my dh. Before I could say a word Mickey had left his post and was kneeling in front of E. Poor E--he got so excited he jumped up and down and ran the length of the greeting area. I wrangled him back and Mickey kneeled on the floor with him forever...he let E pull on his ears and touch his face, at one point he even held E down and tickled him. It was absolutely a dream come true for our little guy and for us to see him have such a wonderful and magical time--there are no words.

To this day I don't know how the CM communicated to Mickey it was E that had the special needs. He was at E's side before she could even speak to him or motion him over. Disney magic at it's best.

eeyorepoohfan
06-09-2010, 07:32 PM
:mickey:So this experience was at Disneyland, not WDW. My sister and I took a trip (just the 2 of us) and we were back in the area to meet Pooh and friends. Well the characters we're out yet, except for Eeyore. :eeyore: But since the other characters weren't there yet, he didn't go to his spot. There were only a few guests roaming around. I kept an eye on Eeyore. He went over to the little bridge that crosses a very tiny creek. He looked around on the ground and found a stick and dropped it off the bridge into the water. Then he turned to face the other way on the bridge and watched the water. He started pointing and the water when he saw his stick emerge! He was playing "Pooh Sticks" to pass the time!!!! It was so neat to watch! As you can see by my screen name, I like the Pooh characters! My sister couldn't figure out what Eeyore was doing until I explained it to her! It was such a special little moment that only a few people got to see that day! :cloud9:

DisneyBunch
06-09-2010, 09:01 PM
I can't see the humor in this. :confused:


I'm surprised, being from the northeast and all, that the first thing to go through your mind wasn't "did that guy just steal my wallet...?" :thedolls:

I'm originally from the deep South, but have lived in Pennsylvania for the past five years. Unfortunately, I can attest that BigThunderFan's comment is not too far off the mark.:mickey:

tinka
06-09-2010, 09:11 PM
I took my kids 11 & 14 to Disney by myself 2 years ago...hubbby had a new job and couldn't join us. The trip was wonderful and the kids were better than I could have ever imagined. On our last night there, we were shopping in the Emoporium and they asked if they could shop by themselves for a few minutes. I said yes and stayed where I could keep an eye on them. We had our last night dinner right after that at GF. Once dinner was over and we were enjoying Cinderella and Prince Charming's dance, they pulled out a box with Mickey earrings that I had looked at earlier in the day but not purchased. They had used their souvenir money and bought the earrings for me as a thank you for taking them on the trip. This is absolutely my most favorite memory and one that I will treasure forever! I knew I had great kids, but that night showed me how great they are!!:mickey:

plutosnana
06-09-2010, 09:29 PM
So my little sister (little like 7) was walking to our car in the HS parking lot. She looked at license plates and we'd see who lived where. So we got off of muppets then went to our van. She saw the lincense plate Mississippi. She said, "Look! It says Miss Piggy!" That was a laugh.

JENGABE
06-14-2010, 05:01 PM
When I was a kid my parents took us to Disney. On our last night in the Magic Kingdom we never got to see Mickey Mouse and a cast member overheard us talking. She told my parents to wait here and a few minutes later she came back and took us down a long hallway to Mickey's dressing room and we got our own private pictures with him!

Jared
06-14-2010, 07:27 PM
I am always torn reading these stories. They are all wonderful and magical. Each one explains perfectly what makes Disney such a special place for all of us.

Unfortunately, I am convinced these moments happen less nowadays, and we are partially to blame. Too many people read forums like this one and begin to expect this kind of treatment. When it doesn't happen, they make a beeline for the Internet and angrily post that nothing happened for them.

Disney brass read these sites. They follow the pulse of their guests. I wholeheartedly believe Disney is apprehensive about making magic because they fear offending everybody else.

Of course, it isn't "magical" if it happens to everybody, but I'm not sure everybody internalizes that in the moment.

BellesRose
06-15-2010, 04:16 PM
I remember one time when I was little, my family and I had just finished a day at the Magic Kingdom and my parents didn't feel like driving back home. We live about 2 hours away, which isn't such a big deal to us now because my brother and I are in our 20's, but we were young and tired then. We didn't have a lot of money, and it was late, but we went to the All Star Resorts to give it a try. The CM told us he was all booked, so we asked him about another All Star Resort because that's all we could afford. They must have all been filled for whatever reason, and we were sad to leave, but thanked him for trying. He looked at me and my younger brother, who must have been visibly exhausted by that point, and excused himself to make a phone call. He came back and sent us to the Grand Floridian with a view of the Magic Kingdom for the price of the All Star for the night. We were so grateful. When we got to our room, I went out on the balcony with my dad. The Magic Kingdom castle was lit up, and the Haunted Mansion music was up WAY loud. I asked my dad why we could hear it, and he said the Cast Members must be playing around in there. I think I was hoping it was the ghosts. To this day, it is now my favorite ride, and I'll always remember that night.

BellesRose
06-15-2010, 04:59 PM
Also, I just wanted to say thank you for everyone who contributed to this thread. I was having a really bad day, and I just spent the last hour reading this. I almost cried a few times, and I laughed a lot. It just really made my day, so thank you :mickey:

MickeyChick
06-23-2010, 10:07 AM
My boyfriend and I were walking through the jungle trek in AK and were lamenting that this was our second trip to WDW and we weren't going to be able to ride EE again because we had to leave the park. We were going to the luau that night and there were no fastpasses left and the line for EE was 2 hours long.

This was during the Year of a Million Dreams and a CM overheard us. The dreammaker guy took us to the front of the line of Everest and bought us the photo of us on the ride.

It was absolutely amazing and I'll ever forget it.

AdventurerKim
06-25-2010, 09:09 AM
I've had so many random, unexpected moments at WDW over the years that it's hard to pick, but this is my favorite!

When I was in high school, I got my pic with Mickey at MGM/DHS, and he kept pointing to my shirt and giving me a thumbs up. My shirt was from The Cure's "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" album, and I looked up and said to Mickey, "The Cure"? and he nodded yes with a thumbs up. I loved that moment!

whitney37354
06-28-2010, 11:35 AM
We had a few on our first trip a few weeks ago:

1. Our server, Kip, at Crystal Palace got down on DD's eye level and sang 'Happy Birthday" to her.

2. At 1900 PF, DD was able to dance with both Cinderella & Prince Charming because of where our table was.

3. One night we were in MK for the fireworks. I knew that Tinkerbell flew down from the castle, but I hadn't told DD or DH. We ended up standing right below Tinkerbell as she flew down. DH is on our video camera saying, "Wow..." and taping the sky instead of Tink because he was too busy watching her to pay attention to what he way taping...

Disney Day Dreamer
06-28-2010, 08:53 PM
1. Being the first family in Mickey's Garden Grill: We went for an wearly dinner. Unbeknownest to us, the first family seated gets all the characters at their table at once. My parents didn't know anything about it when they made reservations but... I got pictures and individual attention from Pluto, Mickey, Chip, Dale and Goofy all at once. Chip and Dale even stole my "mouse ears" to wear. Later, either Chip or Dale (can't remember which at the moment) came over to the table, took my hand and danced with me in the middle of the restaurant - with no music or anything, just out of the blue. That one dinner made my entire trip! :cloud9:

2. I was on the monorail once while it was stopped as another had broken down. The Bay Lake Towers were currently being built. We happenned to be sitting up front wih the pilot and, although he said he didn't know what they were at first, he actually told us what they were and why it was a secret - even before word was released to DVC members.

3. When I was staying at PO:FQ I brought my American Girl doll with me. I had heard stories of cast members doing special things, like posing them etc. When I returned, my doll was laying in a towel "hammock" between the bedposts, with towel origami animals surrounding her. On one of the last days of our visit, we came back to find a Dinsey Princess Balloon waiting for us in the room. Pure Disney Magic. Simple as that.

4. Riding Splash Mt. during Wishes. Enough said.

Disney Day Dreamer
06-28-2010, 10:40 PM
Ah... one more I forgot.
At the time I did not find this amusing, but...
I was waiting in line at HM in MK, standing right by the door. I turned around to say something to my dad and when I turned back, the CM was right there. The door had opened and he had come to usher everyone in without me hearing him. I jumped slightly and he screamed... literally, screamed... in reaction to me jumping, of course, prompting me to nearly have a heart attack. But at the same time - he never broke character and never smiled, even at my panicky reaction.
I was scared half to death but, still... it was pretty cool.

Jordan0301
07-02-2010, 06:53 AM
Well, as a 7 year old, I had a wonderful woman named Barbara wait on my family during dinner at the Plaza. She was so wonderful, we ended up going back to eat there 3 more times on the trip. She always gave me an entire bag of the gold after dinner coins and treated me like an adult.

We came back the following year, and low and behold she was our waitress again...amazing. We made it a point to make sure we sat in her section every trip after that point.

So...as I look through my photo album now, I have pictures of me with her at age 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18, and after college (if you read my signature and catch my drift) I have quite a few pictures of her with Prince Charming/Jack Sparrow/etc. etc.

She made the magic for me at 7 and inspired my career with the company.