It really IS a small world!

[tchrrx]

Tell about a time you have encountered someone at Disney that was a complete surprise.

I teach at a very small school (about 80 kids in 1st-5th). Last year, I ran into one of my students at the Atlanta airport on our way to Disney.

On the day we were traveling to Disney, two of my students were on their way home from Disney.

Then, while walking through EPCOT, we bumped into two of my other students. We had no idea they were even vacationing there that year.

So, when have you unexpectedly ran into someone in Disney (or anywhere else)?

 

[mom2shayleeandlogan]

I ran into someone I went to school with growing up(K-12TH grade). She now works at disney, she is Cinderella sometimes. It's funny to see her in other peoples pics.

 

[ICF]

A few years ago, while there on fall break....

We are watching Fantasmic and notice that not 10 feet from us was a girl and her family who was a classmate of my son. We had no idea that they were also going to be visiting from Indiana at the same time.

 

[mullii5]

something like that happened to my sister at Hartsfield-Jackson...

My sister doesn't fly very often and she was in Atlanta on a layover to Orlando. Hartsfield-Jackson is a huge airport and my sister was completely lost on how to get to her next gate. All of a sudden, she looks up and sees a friend from high school that she had not seen in years. He was a frequent flier and happened to be familiar with the airport...he pointed her in the right direction and she easily made her flight.

She said it had to be God watching out for her because she had no idea what she was doing....

 

[mb168]

I ran into my aunt last year there and had no idea she was going. We almost walked in to each other under the train station at MK entrance.

 

[seelyt2]

I'm a township auditor with a friend and we really one see each other January thru March. Well guess who we bumped into within two hours of landing at MK - my friend! We joked that we live one block away from each other and only see each other a couple time a year in the winter. Now we chance meet in WDW. Ironically enough we ran into them again two times after that.
That same trip my husband bumped into some from his work.
It really is a small world!

 

[disneyfanUSA]

Last year in line for Toy Story Mania we ran into one of DHs best friends from when he was younger and he was a groomsmen in our wedding. It was a nice surprise.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

We were at the Millionaire show and our neighbors walked in and sat in the same row. Several of our seats kept showing in the top ten scores. We actually ran into them a few times that week. It was wintertime when we all kind of hibernate and we did not see them to know they would be there when we were going.
We also ran into a family from church at Knott's Berry Farm on a trip to Disneyland. Again, we ran into them several times during that day.

 

[Pills]

In the summer of 1989, I went on a teen tour with other kids from Long Island. The first time I was at Epcot, the next February, I saw one of the kids there.

EDIT: Just remembered one, though non-Disney related. When I was younger, we'd go to the Ft. Lauderdale area during February break, as my grandparents have a condo there (my 91 year old grandmother is now a snowbird). We'd go to an ice-cream/arcade place at least once while we were there. So, my brother and I are playing games, and my grandmother sees a girl about my age (9, I think) and starts talking to her. I'm not sure what was said in the beginning, but the crux goes like this:

Grandma: "So, where are you from?"
Girl: "Long Island"
Grandma: "Oh, so am I! What part?"
Girl: "I'm in Matt's class" (me being Matt)

My grandmother still tells this story.

 

[plutotek]

While in high school, I knew my best friend was going to DL the same weekend as we were, but my parents were insistent that it's so big and crowded, we wouldn't run into them. Yes, you guessed it, at the first attraction, there they were! If it hadn't been that our parents didn't get along, we'd probably have spent the whole day together.

Another time, I ran into a co-worker that I wasn't aware would be there, but was able to avoid her (gossipy person who would have spread the word about my date around the workplace).

 

[MerMom60_94]

We have run into:

DD's teacher at AK.

DH's cousin and her family at Orlando airport. They were returning from a cruise and we were returning from WDW. It turned out we had the same flight home.

A family we are friends with at Typhoon Lagoon. We were getting ready to leave and they were arriving. We settled back down and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out with them and had a blast!

The lady from the pool store at MK.

One time we were at Epcot enjoying a street performance and there was an obnoxious guest nearby. When I looked over it turned out to be one of DHs former co-workers. We just hid our faces so he wouldn't see us and moved into the crowd.

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I was there last week with my SIL and she is the lunch lady at her school and she saw 2 different families from her school in disney.

 

[mariepapa]

In April I ran into one of the mothers and her kids from my daughter's school at MK. She is a friend of mine and we had no idea each of us would be there!

 

[Virtucomp]

On our trip in 2006 we were standing at the Southwest boarding line on our return trip from WDW when some big guy bumps me pretty hard. I turn around with a angered look and there is my cousin who lives in the next town back home. He was on the same flight back with a few friends. We were able to catch up and share pictures on the flight back.

 

[giftcard]

While at Disney Studios, I ran into a guy I was best friends with when I was really young (his parents were my godparents). I haven't seen him in years and have never just run into him even though we both live in the same city (albeit a very large city).

I saw him walking along and yelled out his full name! We had a nice little chat -- couldn't believe we'd run into each other in Florida of all places.

 

[RobinHoodGirl]

Spring break senior year of college went down with a friends family and had two "Small World" encounters -

1. On the ride down found out my friends little sisters boyfriend (now husband) was at the same college as me and same major... I though that was cool and kind of "small world-ish" because it was the state university

2. A good friend of mine apparently ALSO decided to do Disney for Spring Break and we ran into her in DHS! We ended up getting reservations at Teppan Edo later that week together.

 

[englishteacha]

While on our one commando day in 2007, I saw one of our school's ed techs and her family. Her son would be in my class that coming fall. Apparently he said to his mom, "Mom, there's Mrs. EnglishTeacha!" She replied that I wasn't going to Disney so it couldn't be me. He insisted and finally she said, "Austin, if that's Mrs. EnglishTeacha, I'll give you a million dollars." He's still waiting for his money.

 

[blessedby3]

We were at Cirque last week and my dd said that a girl from her Sunday school class (in her college hometown) was sitting a couple of rows ahead of us. They had just gotten out of college for the summer and I guess her family had the same idea as we did

 

[W.E.D.]

Last trip I was passing through the breezeway between AL and FL at MK (where the restrooms are) and bumped right into my science teacher from high school. We were both headed for Jungle Cruise and got to catch up while we stood in line.

 

[Deb loves Disney]

A few weekends ago I was getting gas at the Hess Station on Disney property, the one near the Boardwalk Resort.
As I was pulling away I saw an old friend that I grew up with and hadn't seen in at least 15 years. I was then skeptical that it was him but when I got home and checked Facebook, he posted that he was at Disney for the weekend with family, lol.
I sent him a message that we were at the gas station at the same time and what a small world it was.

I've also run into co-workers several times at the parks. I do live only 30 mins away now but to be in the exact same spot as the other person in such a big place is pretty hard to do!