Anyone made firm friends whilst visiting Disneyworld

[Chris and Pooh]

Whilst looking for somewhere to sit in the Rose and Crown we were invited to sit with an American couple who were a generation older than us. We started chatting and got on famously but had to leave as we had a dining reservation and said our goodbyes.
The following year we were in line for the Living with the Land ride when DW pointed to a group of four and said "Is that **** and **** who we met last year" I agreed and went over to them and they were totally shocked and none of us could believe the coincidence. We arranged to meet up later that day and subsequently they picked us up and took us to there home in Kissimmee a day ot two later. As they had both retired they wintered in Florida going to Disneyworld nearly every week in between playing Golf and helping out with charitable causes and in they summer they live in Asheville in NC, and as such we were invited to visit them there, which we accepted, we went last year and visited some of the local attractions such as the Biltmore Estate and the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have now become firm friends and email and phone regularly and will be meeting again in October when we go to Florida again.

Has anyone else made long term friends as a result of visiting Disneyworld?

 

[Pinky166]

Oh wow that is so lovely, what a coincidence bumping into them again.

 

[natalielongstaff]

great story ive not made firm friends in wdw, but i have thanks to these boards xx

 

[lexie32]

I met one of my now best friends in Discovery cove in 2003, my dh had treated me for my birthday and i was mega excited and just got chatting to the couple who were with us whist we checked in, we then took a wander around the park together and luckily had the same time dolphin swim, we had been put in seperate groups but the trainers could see we were getting on really well and moved us into the same group we then spent the rest of the day with them and as it was my birthday we arranged to meet up in The Hard Rock cafe. We then met up every day for the next week at some point ( sometimes for the day sometimes for just an evening meal) and when we got home they came over for a visit and we booked to go back with them in 2004, we then went together to France in June 2005, florida in sept 2005 and france again in june 2006. In June 2006 whist away dh and i realised Mike was having an affair, i probed my friend but she had no idea anything was wrong and dh assured me that keeping quiet was the best thing as we could be wrong and Mike had denied it to him. Unfortunatley Mike then had apendicitus (sp) on our return and my friend found out about his affair from his mobile phone, they then divorced and my friend came to florida with us in 2007 and came to visit my mum who lives in portugal with me in 2008, this is our 1st year without a proper holiday together ( we are managing a few days in my dad's caravan in Mersea Island!) but really must get something booked for 2010!

 

[PoppyAnna]

Whilst looking for somewhere to sit in the Rose and Crown we were invited to sit with an American couple who were a generation older than us. We started chatting and got on famously but had to leave as we had a dining reservation and said our goodbyes.
The following year we were in line for the Living with the Land ride when DW pointed to a group of four and said "Is that **** and **** who we met last year" I agreed and went over to them and they were totally shocked and none of us could believe the coincidence. We arranged to meet up later that day and subsequently they picked us up and took us to there home in Kissimmee a day ot two later. As they had both retired they wintered in Florida going to Disneyworld nearly every week in between playing Golf and helping out with charitable causes and in they summer they live in Asheville in NC, and as such we were invited to visit them there, which we accepted, we went last year and visited some of the local attractions such as the Biltmore Estate and the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have now become firm friends and email and phone regularly and will be meeting again in October when we go to Florida again.

Has anyone else made long term friends as a result of visiting Disneyworld?

Wow! That was "meant to be" as they say

We met a lovely couple, probably not a full generation older than us, but probably just a decade or more. We got talking to them whilst waiting for Wishes to start, they had their teenagers with them who were the nicest, well balanced and kindest teenagers I ever met Just like their parents. They were so chatty, were well travelled, had been to London on many occasions so we had lots to talk about. We really hit it off and when they went for refreshments they bought the girls surprise ice creams and water for us (or for the girls if they weren't allowed the ice cream). They were so young at heart with similar interests to us and he in particular loved his thrill rides and still got a massive thrill out of WDW. In fact, he was in competition with his son and daughter to see who could ride the most rides...they were taking the "mickey" out of him for wasting time watching Wishes when he could be upping his score...
They walked all the way to the monorail with us and they helped us get the girls through the crowds and cheered them up when they were tired. They helped us onto the Monorail and we said goodbye at the Contemporary.
Whilst watching Wishes DH had our eldest DD on his shoulders and our youngest wouldn't go on my shoulders (she feels safer with her Dad) their teenage son offered to put Poppy on his shoulders and Poppy loved it In fact I think he carried her out of the park
We never exchanged numbers and I feel really saddened by that.
To us, they seemed to be everything we want to be as parents

 

[saratogagirl]

Thats a lovely story, we made some great friends who we shared an Illuminations Cruise with and then were lucky enough to share a Wishes cruise with them the year after, we keep in touch by e-mail, great people.

I have found some great mates on here, I am very lucky ..

 

[wayneg]

Never met anyone in WDW.
We did meet a very nice family on a Disney cruise, Disney put us all together for dining. kept in touch for about 2 years went to their house in Claremont, took us for a meal at their golf club. Unfortunatley lost contact now.

Most friends we met thru VMK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Magic_Kingdom
Even though no personal info was supposed to be allowed on the game (aimed at children but more adults played than children) we managed to meet a lot of very good friends, been to Cali twice to meet as many as poss, we have more up in Seattle, North Carolina (meet as often as we can) Nantucket, Monterey and also our CM friends at WDW who we meet every visit for meals or a BBQ at their house.
The worst decision Disney ever made was closing VMK. Without VMK We would never have been to Disneyland Cali or bought AP, half the trips we made were due to VMK. They did tours, merchandise, we spent £1,000's extra because of that game. All worth it for the friends we have now.

 

[Chilly]

Some lovelt stories.

Thats a lovely story, we made some great friends who we shared an Illuminations Cruise with and then were lucky enough to share a Wishes cruise with them the year after, we keep in touch by e-mail, great people.

I have found some great mates on here, I am very lucky ..

I didn't make friends with the family on my Illuminations cruise, some nutter called Natalie

 

[natalielongstaff]

I didn't make friends with the family on my Illuminations cruise, some nutter called Natalie

yeah you meet some right dodgy people on these things !!

 

[Tinks1984]

I have done this also, whilst back at WDW in 1998, I was 13.

My family and I were at Virgin Megastore at DTD whilst I fed my obsession with the Backstreet Boys. I was looking for a particular CD to complete a collection of 5 and was having major trouble finding it and was coming quite close to the end of our trip.

Whilst browsing around for the last CD I needed I bumped into a girl (around my age) looking for the same CD's! She was from the UK also and was collecting them like me to bring them home. I mentioned to her which CD I was looking for and she'd already asked about when it was coming in, and sadly, I was told that it would only be back in stock AFTER my return to the UK

We got chatting about the Backstreet Boys and my Mum was also chatting to her Mum about random Disney things also. After a while of talking, her Mother did the kindest thing and offered to pick the CD up later in their trip and they'd post it out to me on their return to the UK. Well, I was over-joyed!

We swapped addresses and phone numbers and I was promised my CD once they returned Sure enough, a couple of weeks later my CD arrived! Along with a letter from my friend. Since that day we've wrote, telephoned, swapped birthday/Christmas cards etc, it's been great! We now keep in touch using Facebook more than anything, but I'll never forget how we met, it was fantastic and it's great to still be in touch after all this time.

Amazing thing is WDW - brings unexpected friends together!

 

[BRobson]

Great stories

Me - well I am Billy no mates

 

[wayneg]

Great stories

Me - well I am Billy no mates

 

[grahamo]

My story is not of meeting at WDW but getting a pen-pal on the Dibb boards she lives in Michigan we have such a lot in common we get on really well.Then in Nov 08 we met up in Orlando we had a brilliant week together her husband George also got on well with my family.
Shirley has asked me to go over there to visit and I go on 15th September for 3 weeks,we are both so excited that we can't wait we have so much planned.

 

[wideeyes]

Great stories

Me - well I am Billy no mates

Me too

lovely stories everyone

 

[Deedee]

We have made 2 lots of good friends. When we were there in 2001 DD was into TY beanies there was a shop called Mr B's in the Mercado which we went in almost every night to see ir they had had any new ones. We got to know the couple who owned it who were English. They eventually sold up and came home but put us in touch with another collector who lives in Orlando to swap UK and USA ones. We still keep in touch with them and meet up with them when we are over there for days out. We still keep in touch with the couple over here too.

 

[Booknut]

We've made some wonderful friends with a family in Orlando and we value their friendship a lot. We're so lucky too that they love England so they come visit each year and we get together and catch up as we can't afford to go visit them every year.

And as a bonus one of them works at WDW so we get to hear all these cool stories about what its really like behind the scenes. And Matilda now has an official Fairy Godmother who spoils her with lovely Disney gowns, toys etc

 

[Chris and Pooh]

We've made some wonderful friends with a family in Orlando and we value their friendship a lot. We're so lucky too that they love England so they come visit each year and we get together and catch up

Unfortunately our friends are unable to travel, we would love tobe able to have them stay and show them around, still, the upside is it gives us more reasons to travel to the States

 

[Danauk]

I became good friends with a fellow disser when we realised we were on the same flight to WDW 2 1/2 years ago, does that count? We still chat on MSN most days.

 

[alisonbestford]

When DH was alive I submitted to an online support group for people with Meningiomas (a type of brain tumour)

Before our first trip to WDW, in 2001, I asked for advice on visiting the US as it was, largely, an American site

We had a reply from Hilde, a fellow Meningioma sufferer, and the rest is history

We try to meet up whenever possible as she lives close by Universal Studios and her grand kids are a similar age to Eve.
I think it's suffice to say we've seen each other through some ups and downs over the last few years