Enriching our vacation through spreading Pixie Dust...ideas?

[MrInfinity]

I think you're overplanning. Unplanned niceness is great. But if you want to plan niceness there are more effective ways to donate and people who need it more. Lots of good ideas above that I agree with:

Give a place in line.
Give up a bus seat.
Offer to take a picture.
Give up an empty table if you see someone has food and can't find a spot.

I'm not big on handing out glow sticks. This is akin to taking in sandwiches to a restaurant and handing them out to the patrons. Disney is trying to sell those lightup swirlie things at $25 a pop. Giving out ponchos is similar.

I'm not grossed out by the lightup ice cube things. Nice if it was a random situational thing. If that family bought cubes to try to make eye contact w kids and give them out, gross. But it was a genuine spontaneous moment so it's cool.

And so on. Coming ready with gifts for strangers seems over the top. If something like that happens spontaneously, like your kid runs into the other little girl she waited in line with for an hour, later in a store, and they end up both finding a matching tsum tsum, it would probably be really memorable to buy them each one after talking to the parent. But if you have toys you really want to give away, the local good will can sell them and do more with the money than a parent at WDW.

 

[Wedcot]

Many things have been mention that are good ideas. Fast pass, taking pictures for others, etc. OP I would be highly offended if you came up to me and offered my child USED clothing or toys. It is not enriching to many people, it is offensive to many as you can see. There are many organizations and people who would love the Disney clothing and toys, what about a children's hospital in your area? What about Make a Wish, etc? It seems almost creepy to be carrying around 'gently used items' to the parks to hand out to those whose day you think needs brightening. So many people have a hard time saying no and honestly might take whatever and then throw it away. A glow stick, stickers, balloon or something AFTER asking a parent is one thing BUT used items is not something most people want. If they do let them go to their local Goodwill or Salvation Army and find. Seems you are spending too much time looking around at other people in Disney than concentrating on having an enjoyable trip yourself with your family.

 

[tjmw2727]

Good point on the glow sticks, although these were pretty lame compared to the stuff Disney sells! Our situation was usually opening a pack of 6 for my 2 dd's and sometimes giving away the others to "friends" in the stands they had been talking to at fantasmic for example. Other times they just put the others back in the bag for another night.

I think you're overplanning. Unplanned niceness is great. But if you want to plan niceness there are more effective ways to donate and people who need it more. Lots of good ideas above that I agree with:

Give a place in line.
Give up a bus seat.
Offer to take a picture.
Give up an empty table if you see someone has food and can't find a spot.

I'm not big on handing out glow sticks. This is akin to taking in sandwiches to a restaurant and handing them out to the patrons. Disney is trying to sell those lightup swirlie things at $25 a pop. Giving out ponchos is similar.

I'm not grossed out by the lightup ice cube things. Nice if it was a random situational thing. If that family bought cubes to try to make eye contact w kids and give them out, gross. But it was a genuine spontaneous moment so it's cool.

And so on. Coming ready with gifts for strangers seems over the top. If something like that happens spontaneously, like your kid runs into the other little girl she waited in line with for an hour, later in a store, and they end up both finding a matching tsum tsum, it would probably be really memorable to buy them each one after talking to the parent. But if you have toys you really want to give away, the local good will can sell them and do more with the money than a parent at WDW.

 

[kmb584]

Please don't. There are a lot of other ways to spread pixie dust and the previous posters have given you fantastic ideas. Personally, I'd be put off by someone offering my daughter a gently used shirt or stuffed animal, and would decline on her behalf.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Most people who can afford to go to a theme park probably don't need the handouts. Its a nice thought but I think a local shelter would be much more appropriate.
I think you would just put people in an awkward situation.

And yes sometimes you may see a family having a not so magical moment but don't interfere. Perhaps the kid has been acting up and they are being disciplined and you go pushing in rewarding them. Just give them room.

Common courtesy is the best pixie dust.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

This thread makes me sad. What a spoiled society we are. As if anyone who goes to WDW is above wearing a gently used shirt or having her child enjoy a toy someone else has played with.

How can so many people be offended by a thoughtful, if not economically valuable, gift? I can almost understand politely declining such an offer, but actually being offended?

 

[CdnCarrie]

This thread makes me sad. What a spoiled society we are. As if anyone who goes to WDW is above wearing a gently used shirt or having her child enjoy a toy someone else has played with.

How can so many people be offended by a thoughtful, if not economically valuable, gift? I can almost understand politely declining such an offer, but actually being offended?

No one said they are above wearing 2nd hand clothing but there is a time and place for everything. Going up to a family outside Space Mountain and asking if they want a old sweatshirt is just odd. Many charities no longer take stuffed animals - quote from The Toronto Star on why.

It isn’t uncommon for charities to say no to stuffed animals for reasons exemplified byThe Hospital for Sick Children’s own stringent no second-hand stuffed animals policy.

“Think about how a child plays with a toy,” said Marie Bomba, director of hospital/foundation relations. “They put it everywhere, they put it in their face, they sleep with it; it has very close contact with the child and those stuffed animals can’t really be cleaned because of the material.”

Lice can be on stuffed animals.Same with bed bugs.
Items such as stuffed animals and pillows which are not washable can be stored in tightly sealed plastic bags for two weeks. Lice and their eggs will be killed if they freeze so some items can be placed in a freezer overnight.

Actually clothing could be too.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

This thread makes me sad. What a spoiled society we are. As if anyone who goes to WDW is above wearing a gently used shirt or having her child enjoy a toy someone else has played with.

How can so many people be offended by a thoughtful, if not economically valuable, gift? I can almost understand politely declining such an offer, but actually being offended?

I agree. Whatever happened to, "it's the thought that counts". I try to teach DS8 on occasions when he receives presents that, no matter what he thinks of the gift, the appropriate response is, "thank you". OP, if your family approached us with a shirt or toy or some other small item (even if we didn't want or need it), we would most likely accept it with smiles and thanks (and try to offer something to you in return) or simply politely and very kindly decline. It is the thought that counts and I think your intentions are good ones. We once went to a private Illuminations dessert party sponsored by a company and one of the dads at the party had brought glow necklaces to hand out to all of the children. It was a small, lovely and thoughtful gesture. On our last trip, we left little thank you notes and small tips for our housekeeper, who then started to write back to us. We never actually met her, but it was such a nice exchange throughout the week and we really wanted her to know how much we appreciated her work in keeping our room clean. On our last trip, my DS also got into a conversation with a man who was really into Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom and had a whole folder filled with cards. They then exchanged a few cards and the man gave my son some pointers on the game. One of the nicest things anyone ever did for me was when I was traveling alone with DS when he was about 4 and he had fallen asleep on the bus and there was no way I could get him and the stroller off when we arrived at the resort. This lovely gentleman took my stroller off the bus and unfolded it so I could step off and place DS inside. There was also another dad who invited my DS to sit with his children on a curb at MK during a very crowded Christmas parade last year. Just lovely, thoughtful gestures. If you would like to do random acts of kindness in WDW because it makes you and your family happy to try to spread some joy, why not? We try to be kind in WDW AND give to charities throughout the year. I'm not sure why you can't do both?

 

[pfalcioni]

This thread makes me sad. What a spoiled society we are. As if anyone who goes to WDW is above wearing a gently used shirt or having her child enjoy a toy someone else has played with.

How can so many people be offended by a thoughtful, if not economically valuable, gift? I can almost understand politely declining such an offer, but actually being offended?

Why should it make you sad to think that people are giving away nice clothing and toys to people who aren't in need? If anything makes you sad it should be that those great hand-me-downs aren't going to actual needy families.

Kind gestures are always great, like others mentioned, if you see someone struggling then offer a helping hand. But handing out toys and clothes where they're not needed or wanted is weird. It's also usually not a great idea to try and comfort someone else's crying child, you don't know the family dynamic, they could be in the middle of teaching their child an important lesson. Sure, a kind word to the parents who are dealing with a child who is making a scene it is always nice, but other than that it's just smart to avoid sticking our noses into other people's business (even if we're doing it out of kindness).

 

[NewRVLady]

This thread makes me sad. What a spoiled society we are. As if anyone who goes to WDW is above wearing a gently used shirt or having her child enjoy a toy someone else has played with.

How can so many people be offended by a thoughtful, if not economically valuable, gift? I can almost understand politely declining such an offer, but actually being offended?

Because you don't get gifts from strangers.
WDW vacation is not somewhere that I want strangers to hand me a used piece of clothing.
I don't wear used clothes....and sorry the idea of gifting a used stuffed animal is simply not clean-even Charities don't take them

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

No one said they are above wearing 2nd hand clothing but there is a time and place for everything. Going up to a family outside Space Mountain and asking if they want a old sweatshirt is just odd. Many charities no longer take stuffed animals - quote from The Toronto Star on why.

It isn’t uncommon for charities to say no to stuffed animals for reasons exemplified byThe Hospital for Sick Children’s own stringent no second-hand stuffed animals policy.

“Think about how a child plays with a toy,” said Marie Bomba, director of hospital/foundation relations. “They put it everywhere, they put it in their face, they sleep with it; it has very close contact with the child and those stuffed animals can’t really be cleaned because of the material.”

Lice can be on stuffed animals.Same with bed bugs.
Items such as stuffed animals and pillows which are not washable can be stored in tightly sealed plastic bags for two weeks. Lice and their eggs will be killed if they freeze so some items can be placed in a freezer overnight.

Actually clothing could be too.

This is true. But I have also seen upsetting reports about lice and bedbugs that can be found in hotel blankets and pillows and carpets- even in the nicest hotels. And most of us stay in those while on vacation. We sit (or stand) shoulder to shoulder with strangers on buses. People try on clothes and hats in stores that have come in contact with countless other peoples' hands, bodies, and heads. We sit on the same toilets as hundreds of guests before us.

My kids go to school and touch toys and clothes and backpacks of all the other kids in their classrooms. They crawl around on the same carpets as others.

Human beings and our possessions are teeming with bugs and bacteria. I've never been able to find a way to avoid that.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

My daughter was once the recipient of "pixie dust" in the form of a rather unique used toy (a porcelain doll) from a stranger. We accepted it politely even though I found the situation to be strange. 15ish months later, a post like this popped up on the DIS. I read through it and discovered that our pixie duster was on the DIS and had posted about her experience with spreading joy at Disney. As it turns out, according to what she posted, she targeted us because we looked poor to her and she thought we couldn't afford to buy any souvenirs.

You can see how that turned out here:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/pixie-dusting-adults.3277421/page-4#post-51443139

Just be polite to other guests. Don't take your used stuff to give away at Disney. There are other ways to teach your children compassion.

 

[anniemae]

This thread makes me sad. What a spoiled society we are. As if anyone who goes to WDW is above wearing a gently used shirt or having her child enjoy a toy someone else has played with.

How can so many people be offended by a thoughtful, if not economically valuable, gift? I can almost understand politely declining such an offer, but actually being offended?

I don't think anybody is saying they are above wearing used clothing or having kids play with used toys, heck I bought my kids toys from yard sales, and my neighbor gives me her sons clothes when he outgrows them, but it's different if the parent does these things.

I think what people are getting upset at is that it's a little strange to be on vacation at an amusement park and have a random family run up to you offering you used hoodies and stuffed animals. It just shouldn't happen. I would actually wonder if my family looked "in need" and get a little self conscious! LOL! I would decline such a gift, or deposit it in the nearest trash can if they insisted I take it.

First of all, most people have paid thousands of dollars for the Disney vacation so they don't really NEED a used t-shirt. I think people are saying there are people who could make better use of the clothes, like homeless people, or women and kids in shelters who have fled an abusive situation with only the clothes on their backs etc. Not a family on an expensive vacation.

At least that's what I took away from it! I still like the idea of small trinkets to hand out during parades and long lines, but not the toys and clothes. Plus, who wants to schlep all that stuff to Disney, then around the park?

 

[heart]

There are lots of things that I have disagreed with over the years on these boards but never something that made me so sad about the human condition.

1)

We may disagree on what constitutes a "kind gesture." I think this type of gift-giving is more about making the giver feel good that then recipient.

Of course. What act charity isn't about the giver? So what?

2) When you're given a gift, say "thank you." Yes, yes; teach your children not to blindly accept gifts. But here's the deal--you're an adult. You can accept gifts, you can drive, you can drink alcohol, you can post on the internet without another adults permission.

3) If someone thinks you "look poor," so what? You can't control what other people think of you. You may be able to influence it by how you behave, dress, etc if that's your goal, but you may not.

4) "People at Disney don't need charity." Maybe true, maybe not. But it's clear that the OP goal is spreading kindness and good cheer. Clearly we are lacking in the kind of charity that supports our fellow humans if so many people can think of so many negative things to say about that.

 

[NewRVLady]

My daughter was once the recipient of "pixie dust" in the form of a rather unique used toy (a porcelain doll) from a stranger. We accepted it politely even though I found the situation to be strange. 15ish months later, a post like this popped up on the DIS. I read through it and discovered that our pixie duster was on the DIS and had posted about her experience with spreading joy at Disney. As it turns out, according to what she posted, she targeted us because we looked poor to her and she thought we couldn't afford to buy any souvenirs.

You can see how that turned out here:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/pixie-dusting-adults.3277421/page-4#post-51443139

Just be polite to other guests. Don't take your used stuff to give away at Disney. There are other ways to teach your children compassion.

See!!! Exactly what this thread proposes
Your lady thought you looked like you could not afford the trip or souvenirs
So funny how people judge others

I once learned this lesson when a "poor old farmer" in dirty coveralls came into the shop I worked at and bought those most expensive item...gave me his credit card. I Googled his name- he owned an Oil Company
Boy...was I wrong

 

[hiroMYhero]

My daughter was once the recipient of "pixie dust" in the form of a rather unique used toy (a porcelain doll) from a stranger. We accepted it politely even though I found the situation to be strange. 15ish months later, a post like this popped up on the DIS. I read through it and discovered that our pixie duster was on the DIS and had posted about her experience with spreading joy at Disney. As it turns out, according to what she posted, she targeted us because we looked poor to her and she thought we couldn't afford to buy any souvenirs.

You can see how that turned out here:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/pixie-dusting-adults.3277421/page-4#post-51443139

Just be polite to other guests. Don't take your used stuff to give away at Disney. There are other ways to teach your children compassion.

Literally, for months I have wondered why you had that disclaimer tag beneath your avatar. Mystery solved! And, really, too funny!

At least the gift giver spoke to you in English. Many WDW guests and CMs have a look of amazement when perfectly spoken English comes flying out of my mouth! It's the only language I know. I hope when the OP hands out her pixie-dust gifts, she speaks to non-Caucasian guests rather than pointing and gesturing which unfortunately happened to me during my trip last month. Compassion, kindness, and intelligence without assumptions is what I would rather see in fellow guests.

 

[jesse8931]

See!!! Exactly what this thread proposes
Your lady thought you looked like you could not afford the trip or souvenirs
So funny how people judge others

I once learned this lesson when a "poor old farmer" in dirty coveralls came into the shop I worked at and bought those most expensive item...gave me his credit card. I Googled his name- he owned an Oil Company
Boy...was I wrong

My great grandfather was very wealthy but looked poor as could be. He went to a Cadillac dealer to buy a car they didn't give him the time of day he went to another and bought the most expensive model they had with cash.

I learned not to judge someone by there looks.

 

[NewRVLady]

Your siggy under avatar now makes sense! LOL

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Your siggy under avatar now makes sense! LOL

LOL! Before the new board software it said "Looking Like I Can't Really Afford to Go to Disney since 2012." I guess the text is cut off now so I should change it.

 

[jt'smom]

I am a child therapist and I usually try to stay away from too much "hippie-dippy therapisty" stuff with my kids, but I have noticed that our trips become more magical and positive when we go out of our way to be positive and spread some kindness...I engage my children (and DH) in coming up with original ideas about how to brighten someone's day in the parks and it has become a ritualized part of our trip(s). We have even taken to "special" acts of kindness (like collecting out grown but "new" looking Disney hoodie's and T-shirts, a light up toy no longer used, a Disney plush no longer cherished, etc and searching for the "perfect" kid to give it to). We save these "special" gestures for when we are tired or cranky or have encountered a "not-so-magical" moment (like line cutters, screaming parents, not getting "picked" for a show, or the rare unfriendly cast-member). It always perks every one up. And just in general throughout the day/night- it has become part of the fun to randomly pass out stickers, glow sticks, or silly bands. To give out random compliments (not in a creepy-stalker way, but in a "You have the coolest T-shirt" or "I heard you singing, you have a great voice" kind of way). We always buy at least one small surprise a day (light up toy, a balloon, etc) and give it away as well. My DD's always save up their spending money and allocate at least $10 for their "kindness fund". They get excited deciding what to buy and who to give it to.

Anyway, this may sound cheesy, but it is so easy to become negative, overwhelmed, overstimulated, self-involved, etc when at Disney (or anywhere I guess), that I like to encourage my kids to think of others and learn how good that makes them feel.

So... anyone else have other ideas to add to the pile? We would love to hear new ideas about how to spread kindness (and make ourselves happier in the bargain). Thanks!

I'm sorry, but this is one of the weirdest things I've ever read on the DIS, and that's saying something! Don't get me wrong, I think it's lovely to perform random acts of kindness, but the highlighted part above is just flat out bizarre. Giving a random kid a glow stick=spreading pixie dust... Preplanning and scrounging up hand-me-downs to pick the "perfect" kid to bestow it upon=creepy-stalker. I just have this vision of some Stepford like family with creepy eyes and frozen smiles walking up to an irritable child, and it being like, "do you want some candy, little boy?"