Best Unscheduled Memory

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

There's many facets of a WDW that require scheduling. Airfare, ADRs, hotel reservations, fastpass plus, guided tours, all must be planned out and scheduled months in advance. It's my opinion, however, that the lasting memories at WDW tend to happen during non-scheduled times, or things that happen spontaneously.

For me, it was my first trip with my children, Brendan age 8 and Jessica and Ciara age 5 (yes twins). We were in Pixie Hollow (then in Mickey's Toontown), and Tinkerbell asked where Mommy was. My kids said "Up in heaven", and Tinkerbell quickly replied "Well you give me huge hugs, and I'll fly up and give them to her right away."

That night was our first ever watching of Wishes, and we were right in the hub. When my kids saw Tinkerbell descend from the castle they all yelled "Tinkerbell's back. Mommy got our hugs!!"

What's YOUR favorite Unscheduled Memory?

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Don't have one as good as that! Crying at the breakfast table.

 

[Disney_traveler]

Ok this is really bad but we still laugh about it. Illuminations had ended and we were making our way around World Showcase, taking some pictures and enjoying the end of our day. There was a man walking along not far ahead of us and no one else around. ALL of a sudden we heard a loud bark/quack of a fart from the right. I looked at Mom and she looked at me and I said it wasn't me because it was from her direction. She said it wasn't her she was sitting on an ECV seat. Then we looked over to the guy who was the furthest to the right and he kinda glanced around with that uh oh look on his face. I started shaking from giggles and eventually couldn't hold it and then Mom and I were both snickering and snorting and trying to walk/drive. We eventually just had to stop and let the giggles run their course. To this day we will say "remembers when that guy quacked at us in world Showcase?"

 

[BrianL]

OP, that is such a sweet story! Such wonderful Disney Magic.

My unexpected memories mostly lean on the funny side, like when I puked a bright pink strawbeery milkshake right outside the doors to Captain EO or when walking down a path one night at our resort (Dixie Landings at the time) my Mother felt like someone was following her, turned around and screamed really loudly right in some poor kid's face. His verbal reaction was inappropriate for his age or for Disney, but it is indellibly burned into my brain. We still give my mom grief over that.

 

[GillianP1301]

Ours was in Country Bear Jamboree of all places. On a trip when my DS was 5, we were at MK right around opening and my son really wanted to see Country Bear Jamoboree. So while everyone was running off to one of the Mountains or Peter Pan, we headed to a ghost town of Frontierland and got seated for the first show of the day. We had multiple MK days, so I wasn't bothered with deviated from my touring plan to satisfy the request. We were the only ones in the theatre and when the CM got on the mic to do her schpiel about no drinking, eating, etc... and no flash photography, she says "oh, take all the pictures you want, it's not like you'll be disturbing anybody". It was just a quirky little fun thing to happen and my son felt like a king because he thought it was a private viewing just for him.

 

[Disney_traveler]

Wait I just remembered another! We were walking down that back path from imagination to Canada area. There was a family walking opposite direction with a 13 ish year old boy eating a popsicle. Popsicle fell off stick onto sidewalk and boy bent to pick it up and dad said "uh uh don't pick it up" and quick as a flash he did and popped it in his mouth and was laughing. Dad kinda did one of those bear hug head lock things and they just went on.

 

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

Then there was the time we stayed at AKL, Jambo House. I'd go out on the balcony every morning with a coffee, and I saw our next door neighbor doing the same thing. It was their first trip, he was with his wife, small child, and another on the way. We'd talk every morning, and on our last day in the lobby we were chatting and someone asked for his autograph. Turns out it was Bard Paisley and family. I don't listen to country music, so I had no idea.

That, and a giraffe licked my daughters face that trip.

 

[KittyKitty]

When my kids saw Tinkerbell descend from the castle they all yelled "Tinkerbell's back. Mommy got our hugs!!"

DVC Dad, your memory is very special.

Mine was more funny. While trying to go on our 5th time on Toy Story(yes 5th, that 3rd track is wonderful, And the week between MNSSHP and MVMCP is slow), our FPs were different times, so the CM had my friend do the chicken dance right there in front of the ride, to go with me. FUNNY!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Ok this is really bad but we still laugh about it. Illuminations had ended and we were making our way around World Showcase, taking some pictures and enjoying the end of our day. There was a man walking along not far ahead of us and no one else around. ALL of a sudden we heard a loud bark/quack of a fart from the right. I looked at Mom and she looked at me and I said it wasn't me because it was from her direction. She said it wasn't her she was sitting on an ECV seat. Then we looked over to the guy who was the furthest to the right and he kinda glanced around with that uh oh look on his face. I started shaking from giggles and eventually couldn't hold it and then Mom and I were both snickering and snorting and trying to walk/drive. We eventually just had to stop and let the giggles run their course. To this day we will say "remembers when that guy quacked at us in world Showcase?"

Beware Low-Flying Geese!

 

[Accidental Magpie]

Husband ducked in for a spur of the moment haircut, then this happened when DD6 and I went to pick him up. We were the only ones in the Barbershop. They joked and teased DD6 and she had a blast.

 

[Accidental Magpie]

Or almost the only ones ...

 

[GillianP1301]

I remember another one at Epcot... we kept running into the same family. First it was in line at Spaceship Earth, then it was in line at Soarin' and then we go to have lunch at Biergarten and who is sitting at our table? Same family! It was super weird, but we all got a good laugh out of it.

 

[RobinDragonryder]

My favorite memory isn't really of the parks so to speak, though that's where it started. This is copy-pasted from a letter I sent the Cast Compliments email address:

I was at Hollywood Studios at the end of November, while Doctor Strange was making appearances. I am a 27-year-old young woman, too old to participate in his show, but I have Asperger's Syndrome, which has a few effects relevant to this story. I obsess over various things, and I don't handle disappointment well. Lately, I've been obsessed with Doctor Strange--the movie, the comics, everything. When I found out the good Doctor was appearing at Hollywood Studios, I was ecstatic. All I wanted from this trip was a picture with him. But then I heard he only took pictures with the kids who were selected to participate in the show, and my heart sank. Nevertheless, I came to the show on our first day at HS (Nov. 28), and loved it!! It was a fantastic display and I consider it one of my favorite parts of the trip. Anyway, the show ended and the good Doctor announced that he had to return to the Sanctum Sanctorum. I was disappointed, but prepared. Still, due to the aforementioned inability to deal well with disappointment, I was embarrassingly close to tears (I was already not having the best of days, but that's another story). But then, as he walked away, I was walking vaguely in the same direction since my friends (who didn't care much about the show but were humoring me) were waiting on a bench by the exit to backstage. He noticed me, and without my asking or prompting in any way, stopped and asked if I would like a picture. My friend hurried over and snapped a picture for us. This simple interaction, that took maybe 30 seconds, made my entire trip. When he stopped for a photo with a sad girl who was too shy to even ask, made not just my day, but was the highest of high points on the entire trip.

But it gets better!! Fast forward to February, I heard a knock on the door. It’s a tube fed ex package. I assume it’s for my dad’s work.

Mom: No, it’s to you. From….Marvel?

Me: ….did someone order me a Doctor Strange poster for a late Christmas present? Because it looks like that happened.

And this letter and poster were inside:

(If the picture is too small, it's a letter from the Creative Director at Marvel, and a Doctor Strange poster signed by most of the film's stars, the director, and the head of the MCU.)

Disney Magic is alive and well. It doesn't top OP's post, not by a long shot, but it made me so happy I cried.

 

[Statefan17]

During our last visit, we stayed at BWI. Our room overlooked the large grass courtyard. One night while sitting on the balcony, we saw some kids (boys and girls) start kicking a soccer ball. Soon more kids joined in and started playing a game. After that night, we sat on our balcony every night watching a soccer match unfold that included boys, girls, different ages, and different nationalities. These kids showed us how the magic of Disney brings different people together. I have been to WDW many times but this memory stands out as one of my favorites.

 

[Cosmic]

We did our first time driving down (1,200 miles straight through!) about five years ago. We checked in to Pop around 2:30 after driving straight through since around 6 the night before. Get settled in, and decide to pop over to the MK for a bit; we had APs that year, so a couple hours in a park was no big deal. Anyway, we go to the bus stop at Pop and a regular Mears bus pulls up to the MK stop, not a Disney bus. It was the "high" kind with space under the seats for luggage; like a Magical Express bus, but it was a really-for-real black and yellow Mears bus. My wife and I look at each other, like WTH is going on? It was the middle of October, so it wasn't a crazy crowded time of year. Anyway, we get on the Mears bus to MK. Eventually, we realize that the bus is taking us to the TTC instead of going right to the MK like a Disney bus would. Again... WTH!!! Now we have to wait for the ferry or the monorail! This is horrible! During the ferry ride, it was the most beautiful sunset I think I've ever seen anywhere, the MK was in the distance, and we had the beginning of trip euphoria. If we just got on a regular Disney bus that took us right to the gate, we probably would have never noticed.

Of course I would blink in the picture!