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

[kgoodb00]

This has happened a few times. About 20 years ago, me and my family went to MK for a day trip and right in the middle of the hub I saw one of my friends from school! We had absolutely no clue we were both going to Florida or even MK during Christmas break! A few years ago, we were in EPCOT and just got off SE and were walking towards EPCOT, and we ran smack dab into my DH's boss. We knew he was in Florida, but it was crazy to think we were in the same place at the same time! I have also met numerous CMs that are from near where I live. Since I live in a very small town, it is always exciting when someone knows where it is! I love these stories!

 

[AngiTN]

We ran in to a coworkers of DH's on our first trip, while at the Halloween Party. We did not know they were there

On another trip we were greeted at WL by a young lady on the College Program that was from DH's college. Not a huge "small world" thing since he did go to a large university but it was sort of fun that she was the one to check us in

 

[anniemae]

I ran into a guy I used to work with years ago on the bus from DTD to POP. We kept looking at each other knowing we looked familiar, but unable to place each other. Finally, he asked where I worked and it clicked that we knew each other from working together years ago at a clothing store. It was so funny and we actually wound up having breakfast at the hotel with him and his family the next day!

 

[whitney37354]

We were at H&V breakfast. Sitting next to us was DH's cousin, who lives in the same town as us! We had to go to WDW to see each other.

 

[Mikie]

This happened when I was a kid and went with my family. We didn't know that another family who was basically our across-the-back-yard neighbors were also going to Disney. During busy Spring Break time, we are lined up along a packed Main Street to wait for the parade when we spotted our neighbors directly across Main street - they're in the background of all of our parade pictures from that day.

People in our school district have started joking that we ought to just contract for some kind of charter plane to Disney, because it always feels like quite a few people are headed to Disney over our fall break. This year, we ended up right in front of my first grader's classmates at rope drop at DHS and saw a teacher from the elementary school at Animal Kingdom the next day. Didn't know either of those people would be there.

 

[bramble4]

What a fun thread! I know a lot of people who have had experiences like these, but we're yet to see anyone from home!

I'm not sure if this counts, but we got to know a family in the airport food court on our flight down to MCO two years ago. We talked until our flights were getting ready to board and then parted ways. The next day we saw them in the hotel lobby, and then went on to see them in the parks on 6/8 days of the trip. Apparently we had the same touring schedule? It was fun seeing how their kids were enjoying their first trip!

 

[nilla]

For me, the wildest is when a CM recognizes us. We have visited once a year for the last nine years, so we're not exactly fixtures in the parks, which makes it even more amazing. This has happened twice:

1. We ate at Teppan Edo one year, and were seated with another family we did not know at the hibachi grill. The cook came over and asked the other family where they were from, then looked at us and said, "I know you're from Pennsylvania." We recognized him as the chef we had two years prior, since chefs at Epcot's Teppan Edo are not something we typically see in our daily lives. But to have him recognize us, and remember where we were from, was pretty impressive.

2. At the Biergarten, we had a GREAT waitress whom we never had before. She recognized us, however, and was able to tell us exactly what table we were at the year before. Considering how many people are in and out of these places every day, that completely blew my mind.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Just this past November we were waiting to scan our MB at Buzzlight Year. Since it was just after the horrific events that took place in Ottawa we were proudly wearing our Poppies. The CM asked us where in Canada we lived, i touched my poppy and said "North of Toronto" since our city is rather small and obscure ... He asked again "where?" as he pointed to his name tag ... His home town is a very small one about an hour north of here ... add to this the fact that my mom owns a store smack dab in between the 2 cities and i look freakily like her "How's your mom" with a rather wicked twinkle in his eyes

 

[mickeyfan32]

I ran into one of my friends from high school coming out of space mountain. This was before cell phones.

 

[dbenlee]

Happened to us once. About 6 or 7 years ago, we were looking at the ride pictures at the end of Rock n' Rollercoaster when a familiar looking kid walks past me. So acting like a creepy theme park stalker, I began following her until she walked up to her parents, my cousin and her husband. Neither of us knew the other was going to be at the World at that time.

 

[sky13]

Haven't met anyone I personally know when in Disney parks... possibly because I live too far away from them!

However earlier this month I was talking to a CM at DHS when I noticed that he was from New Zealand. Asked him where in New Zealand he was from and he said Queenstown... at which point I just had to show him the screensaver on my phone (which is a photo of Queenstown that I took when I went there a few years back)!

 

[Doug M]

Last summer my family stayed at CR. A coworker on my same team and her family were there the 1 day earlier than us, we also at CR, and ended up 3 doors down from us at CR.

 

[poohfriend77]

I love these stories! We have a couple as well. I was talking to a guy on a very crowded bus one night. It turns out he was from my town (in Illinois), and we had even worked for the same company before I "retired" to have my kids, but never met each other then.

We also met a CM in the America pavilion at Epcot who graduated from DH's high school (also in Illinois).

And not exactly at WDW, but we met a family at the airport on our way there one time. My girls were making faces to entertain their baby, so we started talking. We found out that the woman was sorority sisters with my DD's best friend's mom. The airport was in a large city, two hours from our home.

 

[mort1331]

Great thread and i can see why its been running so long.
We have been lucky to have this happen a few times. Last Sept I took a last minute trip with my youngest DD3, left mom and oldest daughter at home with work and school..heheh. I get a text from my best man who knows how much I love Disney, its of a thunderstorm happening over Downtown Disney. I pick up my phone and call him and ask how he got the picture and he tells me he is at one of the resturants right now there. He was down for a convention. I explain I am looking at the same sky but from TOTW. We ended up hooking up for dinner the next night at DD since we were staying at SSR anyway.

This March break we knew we were hooking up for dinner with a family that there kids were our flower girl and ring bearer 11yrs ago.They were starting their trip and we were near the end of ours.Then as we were checking into BC my wifes cousin yells at her(there Greek so normal voice for them) and they were checking in as well. Had no idea, so great times on the boardwalk for the next couple of nights. |Then we were at HS and coming out of Beauty and there are our direct backyard neighbours. Had no idea they were coming down, and turns out they were only going to one park for their whole trip, rest of the time heading to a house on the beach they rented. So we had a trifecta on our last trip, with one that we knew about ahead of time.

 

[kcpinwdw]

I can't believe it has been 12 years since I started this thread and ten years since the last reply. Where does time go? I'm getting ready for our annual trip in July and would love to read some more of these stories if anyone has any to add.

Thanks for resurrecting a great thread!

I think I have run into someone almost every trip! As a kid i remember running into my teacher at Disney World. WHen i was in college I ran into an old teacher at Disneyland. Last time I was at Disney World we saw one of my husband's coworkers and her family. One time when I was a kid we were on a horse/ gentleman's cab ride with another random family, and it turned out they were from the same home town as us.

 

[old lady]

I had one such experience when we walking around in the park and by chance, we meet someone from our own city visiting.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

This has happened to us three times! Once we were in line for POTC and struck up a conversation with the family in front of us. Turns out we were all from the same town and their children attended the same high school we had. This past February we ran into a family whose little boy was in my son's first grade class. And once we were on a Disney Magic cruise and ran into a really good friend from a different state - had no idea we were on the same cruise and ended up sitting at the same table for dinner!

 

[scrapquitler]

On our last trip, we were having dinner at Chef Mickey's. Another family was soon seated right next to us and our kids started playing together and talking about the rides they went on. Before long, us parents started talking and we discovered that we were from the same town - only a few streets away!! Here we are having dinner 1300 miles from home and we get seated next to "neighbors". What are the odds of that?!
Does anybody else have any similar experiences?

Yes. I was in line at Space Mountain and went around the bend in the line and saw....a cousin from my hometown. I was unaware that they would be in Disney that week.

 

[goofyernmost]

Used to have that happen all the time back in the 80's and 90's, but, not at all recently. I guess all of the contemporary's of my younger years are either now gone to the Magic Kingdom in the Sky or consider themselves to old to go there.

 

[Hisgirl]

Mine is a little bit different. Back in the early 90s, we took the kids to WDW and while visiting the MK, we spoke to the family sitting right in front of us on the tram. We spent a long fun day at the park, then headed to the tram to go back out to the car.

However...we had NO idea where we had parked! NONE!

We were about to panic, when suddenly (!) we saw the family that had sat in front of us! They were climbing onto the tram so we followed them back and very quickly found our car! Small world within the 'world' but saved our necks for sure!