Have you ever had a "It's a small world" experience at WDW?

[Miss Mickey Mania]

YES, I have. It was in the Pringle store in the UK pavilion at EPCOT. We were talking to a Scottish CM in there and discovered that his mum used to live just round the corner from our house, about a 2 minute walk!

Louise

 

[goofyernmost]

It reminds me of another time when I was visiting the Kennedy Space Center. A family with a little blond three year old girl was on the bus tour with us. They had just gotten off the cruise and were touring KSC before heading for WDW. The little girl sat in the bus seat next to me and started talking and talking and talking about the fun she had on the cruise. We separated and by chance met again at the Imax Movie. Once again the little cutie sat next to me and about half way through she fell asleep against my arm. Her mother was so worried that I was being bothered by her but I assured her that all was fine, let her sleep.

The rest of the week, I couldn't believe how many times we ran into that family at the "Worlds". MK, Epcot, or Studios, it was like we were on matching schedules. Everytime the little girl would run up and say hi and tell me how much fun she was having. I'm so glad this thread jared that memory. Who said life isn't good.

 

[LKS]

In fall 1996 we were walking out of the Coral Reef restaurant and our back-door neighbors were walking in. We didn't even know they had gone to Disney until we ran into them.

 

[dgaston]

We've had two small world meets.

On a very crowded POR bus my son ran into two young women he had worked with at a church camp in NH. They had first recognized my "Calumet" hat.

DH and I were on the Behind the Scenes Tour at Epcot and a couple from our old church recognized us while we were all waiting for the tour to begin. They were at Disney with their adult children and grandchildren. It was a lovely chance meeting.

 

[Louise-Montreal]

Do not know if this counts- met Zurg at Haunted Mansion. Never met him before, but I recognized him and his family from Zurgswife's signature on DIS. I yelled out across the way "Hey, Zurg!" as I did not know his real name. They were so surprised that someone from the DIS boards would know them. Shook their hands and Zurg gave me his Badshoe card. Saw them again at Boardwalk but did not scream hello again as I figured I had embarassed my DH enough for one day.

Thought that was pretty freaky!

 

[cdrn1]

Last year my sister, SIL, and myself (all 40-somethings) and my 26 yr old DD went to WDW. We are from the midwest, and my nephew was a freshman at a college in Clearwater. It was his first year so far from home, and it was December so he had not seen any family in months. We invited him to come and stay with us at WDW for the weekend, and he did. We were just in general spoiling him, (took him to Boma and I have never seen a kid eat so much!) and went to the parks, and we had a great time and if he was bored with his old aunties he didn't show it, but while we were in line to get in at MGM we heard someone yell, "Hey Justin!" and it was a girl from the same small midwestern town. He was grinning ear to ear, we told him to get lost, and we didn't see him again for three hours. It was great.

 

[Talking Hands]

Many times
1. Took my daughter to see the aerial ballerina in Festival of the Lion. It was her good friend from school. They went to school together from 3rd grade on.

2. June 2002 was at MK waiting for the parade in the handicapped area because it was going to be interpreted. Several other deaf and hard of hearing were there. This guy taps me on the shoulder and asks me if I am from Miami. Was a friend of one of my interpreting professors who I had met a few times at deaf socials.

3. MK again Aug 2001 I met the interpreters and the girl was from the same interpreting program I am in.

4 Not at Disney World but Disney related. Went to a conference in St Augustine and one of the interpreters was one I had already met at Disney.

5. Walking through MK and bumped into the choreographer from Miami Christmas Pageant.

6. EPCOT wearing a Miami Christmas Pageant jacket when my husband hears someone exclaiming Miami Christmas Pageant. We turned around to see a former MCP castmember who is now a Disney castmember.

And these are just a few

 

[carene]

Bump

 

[RickinNYC]

My partner and I were wandering about the Marketplace when someone called his name out. Turns out that the woman was an old New Jersey college chum he hadn't seen in about 13 years! They chatted for a bit when her husband strolled over and introduced himself.
To let the two catch up, her DH and I talked sports, bars, basic guy stuff. When the discussion went to "so what do you do for a living", he managed a club/restaurant/bar in Port Jefferson, NY on Long Island. Turns out he worked for my old boss' wife at a restaurant (pub section of course) I frequented back in my own college days!

Another story is when we were at Typhoon Lagoon, I heard my name called out only to turn around and see a former coworker with his new bride! We hadn't seen each other in years!

 

[jrabbit]

We live in Oregon. Live in small town of about 2100 people.

Go to Disneyland frequently. One trip we knew that another family was going to be there at the same time. We did run in to them there, but we also ran into several other families - which was a surprise.

The biggest one was last January we were sailing on the Disney Magic and had just spent the day on St. Maarten. While walking back to "our" ship (you can't help but think of it as your ship once you've cruised on it!) we heard someone yell - "Aren't you from our city?" It was our neighbors from across the street - but they were sailing on a "Princess" ship. We didn't know each other was going on a cruise to the same part of the world. We actually know them better now that we have run into them about 6,000 miles from home.

We are all connected!!

 

[Mike]

Well it happened again on our last trip. We were eating breakfast at the hotel and we started talking with the family sitting next to us. Come to find out, they live in the town next to us, but, since we both live near the border, we are actually only about a mile apart. As soon as she told us where they lived, I knew exactly what house was theirs as I drive by it everyday on the way to work.

 

[dijid]

Many, many years ago my family went to DL and ran into our neighbors there. Never even knew they were going.

Back in '92, went to Tampa for spring break from PA with a large group. Three of us decided to go to MK for the day. We were stsanding in front of Cinderella's castle looking for someone to take our picture, when lo and behold a classmate of mine walked by! He was happy to take our picture.

This past May, we decided to run to the MK for one last ride before starting the drive home. On the tram, I keep telling DH, "I swear that guy in front of us went to school with me." I finally get up the nerve to ask him, and sure enough it was. Not the same classmate as '92, but another one.

I wonder what classmate I will run into next...?

 

[Blueberry]

Back in 90 we were sitting in the Diamond Horseshoe having lunch and spotted a guy downstairs at a table and it turned out to be my DHs first cousin...whom he had not seen in several years. .

My two DS and DD ran into some kids on the Ferry Boat from their high school once whom they knew quite well and ended up meeting up with them and spending time in the parks together..It was spring break and none of the kids knew the others were going to WDW.

A close co-worker is going to WDw this month right when we are, and until the other day I did not know he was going. If we run into him and his spouse we will get some photos for the people at work....

 

[sherry8253]

About 5 years ago I was walking down Main Street in the MK when I heard someone yell, hey Sherry from PHEAA (which is where I work) what are you doing here. I looked around and lo and behold it was someone who worked where I did. Neither one of us knew that the other was going to be at WDW at the same time. Talk about a small world - running into each other in a place the size of WDW a 1,000 miles away from home!

 

[CamColt]

We had 2 more last week.

While in AK I walked by a man sitting on a wall and he said hi to me. I said hi and kept walking, thinkinghe was just a friendly Disney guy, then I stopped, did a double take, and realized it was a father of a kid in my DSs class. The family was all there nearby too. We ran into them again at the end of the week at MGM.

WE did EE at MK on Thursday and after parking the strollers and going to get in line at Dumbo I heard the woman next to my friend yell "What the heck is going on?" I thought, whats up with this whacko?, then I realized she knew my friend. They are actually very good friends, but neither one knew the other was going.

Mike, after reading your post, when were you there?

 

[Demosthenes]

My wife and I ran into the missionary who baptized us in MK last NYE week. We were walking by the Tea Cups when we heard someone yell my name over the din of the crowd. Lo and behold, there was Elder Pearson, our missionary. We were all so excited that we cancelled our evening plans to get dinner together. It was very fortunate because it was his last day, and our first. We don't normally go to the parks on the first day, and this, being a Saturday, was the least likely park of all for us. A last minute change of plans (we were staying at the CR, so this was the most obvious park for us) merited a most fortuitous meeting.

 

[Mike]

CamColt,
We were there from 8/10- 8/22.

Mike

 

[carene]

The other day we bumped into some friends which we hadnt seen for years.
We started discussing how we are going back to WDW next year, and were suprised when they said that they had a trip planned also.
Imagine the surprise when we discovered, that both of us had booked for Orlando on the same day, and the same flight! Hmmm, wonder where thye will end up staying whilst at WDW???

 

[OhMari]

Missionary who baptized us in MK

Sorry, couldn't resist, I read it so fast, I wondered at first how did that happen until I went back and reread it.

 

[Mike]

Just resurrecting this thread to see if there are anymore stories ....