It really IS a small world!

[addicted2dizney]

This was a weird one.. in fall of 1992 we went on our honeymoon cruise out of Puerto Rico. The day before the cruise we went horseback riding in the rain forest with a small group. There was a couple there from England on their honeymoon as well. We joked around with them and lunch was included so we shared a table with them. We said our goodbyes and wished each other well. That was the end of that.

Fast forward to spring 1993 walking around WDW we run into them in the Magic Kingdom!! What are the chances?? We walked square into them and both kind of froze and looked at each other like.. " I know you from somewhere.." We figured it out in about ten seconds and all just stood there laughing and shocked at the chance meeting. It was really bizarre!

 

[Luvchefmic]

While staying at POP a few years ago I was feeling very "down" and decided to walk around the back of the 50's bldg to catch a little quiet time & watch the sunset. It's one of my favorite get away places. Well I was hurting very much because my Dad had passed away in 2000 and I was missing him so badly. A CM happened to pull up on one of those carts and he started talking to me. We admired the sunset together and having immediately detected the Noo Yawk accent we each had we really started talking.

He had retired from the Post Office in NY...I said nothing about that at first but could feel the goosebumps starting on my arms (my Dad had worked for the post office for 34 yrs prior to retiring) ....then he mentioned where in NY he was from & which PO he worked at...the hair stood up on the back of my neck when I heard the location! This man had worked with my Dad and remembered him!!!!! After much hugs and tears I told him that Dad had passed away. You know something there are no such things as a coincidence....this CM was working O/T at POP and had never worked there before! This angel was sent into my life to ease my pain and I will never forget that meeting. We exchanged info and when I left he went out of his way to be at the DME bus to see me off.....I started this out by saying this was the most magical experience I had ever had at WDW but really it is the most magical I have ever experienced in my life.....I'm going to write a nice long letter to him this evening

 

[tchrrx]

While staying at POP a few years ago I was feeling very "down" and decided to walk around the back of the 50's bldg to catch a little quiet time & watch the sunset. It's one of my favorite get away places. Well I was hurting very much because my Dad had passed away in 2000 and I was missing him so badly. A CM happened to pull up on one of those carts and he started talking to me. We admired the sunset together and having immediately detected the Noo Yawk accent we each had we really started talking.

He had retired from the Post Office in NY...I said nothing about that at first but could feel the goosebumps starting on my arms (my Dad had worked for the post office for 34 yrs prior to retiring) ....then he mentioned where in NY he was from & which PO he worked at...the hair stood up on the back of my neck when I heard the location! This man had worked with my Dad and remembered him!!!!! After much hugs and tears I told him that Dad had passed away. You know something there are no such things as a coincidence....this CM was working O/T at POP and had never worked there before! This angel was sent into my life to ease my pain and I will never forget that meeting. We exchanged info and when I left he went out of his way to be at the DME bus to see me off.....I started this out by saying this was the most magical experience I had ever had at WDW but really it is the most magical I have ever experienced in my life.....I'm going to write a nice long letter to him this evening

That is awesome!

 

[mstinson14]

My dd ran into one of her fellow classmates while entering epcot.

 

[pwdebbie]

On my last day at work before my first WDW vacation started (2007), I found out that the owner of the company (it is a small company) was also heading to Orlando. He thought they might go to WDW but the bulk of their trip was anything other than theme parks. I never gave it a thought that we would run into him. A few days into our trip, dh and I were walking along a narrow pathway at Epcot when we heard a voice say, "I guess they are just going to pretend they don't know us. Look, they are walking right by us . . ." I looked over and there they were.

 

[BethC1952]

DH and I were on Main Street on 12/31/82, along with our son who was then seven years old. I ran into my OB-GYN's nurse! But the story gets better. The next person I ran into was DH's college roommate. They hadn't seen each other in ten years, so he introduced us to his wife. You guessed it...he was married to the nurse! She used her maiden name, so I had no idea!

Beth

 

[penjen]

In 1996 my DH and I went to the ticket counter because one our ticket didn't work and I kept looking at the person since she looked like my friend from high school. I never really said anything to her since I wasn't sure. Well she is now my 'friend' agian on facebook and she did work at disney during that time frame and still lives in Orlando.

We were getting on the Haunted Mansion in 2004 and ran right into a coworker of my DH's. Kind of ironic. Never did see him again that whole week.

This is kind of wierd too...we used to go to disney in september before my ds was in school. Two years in a row we were on the same flight down to Orlando as this other family. I didn't know them or talk to them just remembered them from the year before

 

[minijenny]

When I was younger we would always run into classmates and my parent's colleagues, so much so that I've been disappointed on my last two trips that I haven't seen anyone I know. But the strangest chance meeting happened at DS when I was in middle school. I went to a tiny school with only 25 students in 6-8th grades. There was a group of five of us that lived near each other and hung out together on the weekends. I was talking about going to WDW for weeks before spring break. The day we went to DS was pouring rain and the park seemed completely empty. We walked straight onto TT and as we're walking back down the street we pass maybe 10 people. Suddenly I whip my head back around and call out "Mark!" really loudly because it was raining so hard. One of my four best friends who knew for weeks I was going to be at Disney conveniently forgot to mention he would also be there. He seemed totally confused that I was actually there and talking to him. I think he was just embarrassed at being a 12 year old guy toting his little sister around Disney. So I made sure to tell everyone once we got back.

 

[Tara922c]

On our way home from Disney, my dh was waiting by our gate at the Orlando airport, and I took dd3 to the restroom. When we came back he was talking to some guy. Turns out they used to work together.

 

[MeanestMomEver]

When we lived in NJ we went during infamous "Jersey Week" and it seemed like we spent more time with friends and neighbors than we would at home. It's not like it was a surprise, though, we lived on a military base and there was a great military ticket promo and SOG was closed for rennovations so they gave us great deals at DIS resorts instead. FUN FUN

We bumped into the same neighbors on two different days and numerous other neighbors here and there. My daughter met a boy from her class in MK and they signed each other's autograph books.

The CMs joked, "Is there anyone left in the state of nj?"

This last trip, my DD was wearing a Purude shirt and she and I got on a boat from YC/BC to Epcot with a family in which the Dad was wearing a Purdue hat. We struck up a conversation:

BC Dad: Are you a Purdue Student?
DD: No but my sister is.
BC dad: I work there!
DD: So does my dad!
BC Dad: What department?
Me: (told department)
BC Dad: REALLY? What's his name?
Me: (told name)
BC Dad: Oh, my gosh! I am trying to get a project going with him!

So, we met a great family that lived in my town and with whom I have quite a bit in common. (haven't seen them since, LOL)

 

[kyirish25]

Luvchefmic ~ your story gave me chills!

When DS was in K we ran into his classmate at Mickey's BBQ. They were sitting at the picnic table next to us.

The next year as we were on the Wonder and standing in line for an excursion we ran into another classmate.

Then last year as we were getting off TSM we ran into his baseball coach from that season.

Not to mention all the DIS sightings from frequent posters where I just recognized them from their pictures.

 

[palmtreelover08]

One of my closest childhood friends' mom (who lived 3 houses away from my mom). First, She called out my name in the food pavillion by Soarin' at Epcot. I didn't turn around.. I mean come on.. everyone I "knew" there was sitting at the table. She tapped me on the shoulder and said "Don't you turn around when someone calls you?" I almost fell on the floor. I hadn't seen her in YEARS.. then to meet up in Disney.. go Figure. I thought that was one of the oddest things ever. We exchanged greetings, asked how everyone in the family was, yadda yadda and parted ways.

TWO days later, my group and I ate at 1900 Park Faire. I had never been there, didn't even set up the Resi's. Guess who gets seated at the table next to mine.. Yup.. said friends Mom. We were shocked. She was actually staying at the hotel (I had no idea). We have lots of children with us (it was a character meal), and she was there with a friend. We were both in such amazement, that we took a picture together so we would remember forever.

What are the odds of that!?!?

 

[DMOMof3]

While staying at POP a few years ago I was feeling very "down" and decided to walk around the back of the 50's bldg to catch a little quiet time & watch the sunset. It's one of my favorite get away places. Well I was hurting very much because my Dad had passed away in 2000 and I was missing him so badly. A CM happened to pull up on one of those carts and he started talking to me. We admired the sunset together and having immediately detected the Noo Yawk accent we each had we really started talking.

He had retired from the Post Office in NY...I said nothing about that at first but could feel the goosebumps starting on my arms (my Dad had worked for the post office for 34 yrs prior to retiring) ....then he mentioned where in NY he was from & which PO he worked at...the hair stood up on the back of my neck when I heard the location! This man had worked with my Dad and remembered him!!!!! After much hugs and tears I told him that Dad had passed away. You know something there are no such things as a coincidence....this CM was working O/T at POP and had never worked there before! This angel was sent into my life to ease my pain and I will never forget that meeting. We exchanged info and when I left he went out of his way to be at the DME bus to see me off.....I started this out by saying this was the most magical experience I had ever had at WDW but really it is the most magical I have ever experienced in my life.....I'm going to write a nice long letter to him this evening

I got goosebumps and teared up reading this. How magical & special

 

[palmtreelover08]

While staying at POP a few years ago I was feeling very "down" and decided to walk around the back of the 50's bldg to catch a little quiet time & watch the sunset. It's one of my favorite get away places. Well I was hurting very much because my Dad had passed away in 2000 and I was missing him so badly. A CM happened to pull up on one of those carts and he started talking to me. We admired the sunset together and having immediately detected the Noo Yawk accent we each had we really started talking.

He had retired from the Post Office in NY...I said nothing about that at first but could feel the goosebumps starting on my arms (my Dad had worked for the post office for 34 yrs prior to retiring) ....then he mentioned where in NY he was from & which PO he worked at...the hair stood up on the back of my neck when I heard the location! This man had worked with my Dad and remembered him!!!!! After much hugs and tears I told him that Dad had passed away. You know something there are no such things as a coincidence....this CM was working O/T at POP and had never worked there before! This angel was sent into my life to ease my pain and I will never forget that meeting. We exchanged info and when I left he went out of his way to be at the DME bus to see me off.....I started this out by saying this was the most magical experience I had ever had at WDW but really it is the most magical I have ever experienced in my life.....I'm going to write a nice long letter to him this evening

Wow.. That is awsome.. made me cry..I am glad you found a "close" friend at that difficult time.

 

[bdoyledimou]

Not Disney WORLD, but Disney LAND ... Back in 2000 i surprised my ex-wife with a Valantines Day trip to DisneyLand.
I went all out, Stretch Limo, First class plane tickets, etc etc.

While sitting in the boarding lounge we ran into a group from our church that were leaving for a Pilgrimage. We boarded the plane first, and were sitting in our First Class seats when then boarded and one of the ladies stopped and announced loudly that "This isn't a BUS children, you can't just sit anywhere you want". We corrected her, and she then refered to us as snobs every time we say her

And this is completely outside of Disney but.. My SO is from Portugal. She moved to Canada when she was 17. We met when we were 35. Turns out I worked with her cousin.
I hosted a Highschool reunion a year after we were together. Although she didn't go to that school, when we arrived, she ended up knowing ALL of my friends from highschool.. ALL OF THEM... (She met them after I had left the neighborhood, even though she never lived in the neighborhood)
And over the course of the 18 years she lived in Canada before we met, we had lived within 50 feet of each other in 5 separate residences.

It's amazing how lives cross.

 

[MeanestMomEver]

Not Disney WORLD, but Disney LAND ... Back in 2000 i surprised my ex-wife with a Valantines Day trip to DisneyLand.
I went all out, Stretch Limo, First class plane tickets, etc etc.

Ok, I must need a nap. It took me way longer than I care to admit that I was thinking, "WOW, what a nice guy to treat his EX so well and on Valentie's Day to boot!"

 

[Luvchefmic]

That is awesome!

Luvchefmic ~ your story gave me chills!

I got goosebumps and teared up reading this. How magical & special

Wow.. That is awsome.. made me cry..I am glad you found a "close" friend at that difficult time.

I am extremely blessed and I was so happy to share this with you, it still makes me tear up too....especially on the bad days (and God knows we all have them) it reminds me of what a truly wonderful life we do have and whatever our beliefs its nice to know that it all comes together when it really matters most..Ruthie

 

[lawone]

I ran into someone I went to high school with and hadn't seen in 20+ years! The best part? She was dropping her daughter off.... who was going to be working for Disney!!!

 

[natcat117]

Last year at the Orlando airport my sister and I were waiting at the gate for our flight to San Antonio (which was delayed about five hours). I was half asleep and pretty cranky when I heard a young guy next to me talking about how he was from Eagle Pass, TX. Our town is tiny, about 30,000 people, and it's two and a half hours away from San Antonio, so it was a nice surprise.

Turns out the guy was a teacher and was accompanying a student and his family who were taking a Make a Wish trip to Universal. It was really nice meeting the family. They were so sweet. Meeting them was like the last bit of magic before going home.

 

[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)?

I forgot about another one on the same trip! We heard the band coming and saw a sign that said "Wildcats." Once I looked closer, we saw that it was the band from a town only 10 minutes away.

I bought a "its a small world" pin to help me remember last year's trip!