It's a Small World - who have you run into at WDW?

[Harters2WDW]

We were planning to meet up with a friend and her family. We hadn't worked out the details and then realized we were both on the carousel at the same time! We ran into one of my DD's classmates and her family at Epcot and the entire baseball team from our brother school (my daughter attends an all-girls school) was staying at our hotel one year!

 

[SC Minnie]

Not at WDW but on the Disney cruise- it was our first cruise and the 2nd or 3rd day DD (~7 at the time) and I were getting of the elevator. A little girl was getting on and DD said 'Hi 'girls name' and the little girl said 'Hi DD's name'. I asked DD if she had made a new friend in the clubs, she said no, that XXX from my daycare, very nonchalantly like it was no big deal. We were cruising in mid January so not over spring break or Christmas or any big vacation time.

 

[MHSweb79]

Many years ago, we were eating at Chef Mickey's and we were wearing matching Disney polo shirts with our name on them. This guy came over to my DH and said, "By any chance are you Bob X?"

My DH said yes, and he said, "I'm your cousin Brian!" They hadn't seen each other since they were kids but the (actually second) cousin said he thought he recognized him and then when he saw the name on the shirt, he decided to come over. Haven't seen him since.

This past trip in January my DH thought someone said his name. He looked around then said, "Oh, never mind." He got back to work the next week and a coworker told everyone she saw him there and he ignored her. He said he thought it might be her but he didn't like her so he just kept walking. I didn't see or hear her but if I did, I would have at least made him say Hi!

 

[Kellykins1218]

My husband has been telecommuting for 12 years and had never met any of his co-workers in person. They are spread out all over the country. Last year he & another guy both had the same week scheduled for vacation so they asked about each other's plans. Turns out it was Disney World. We met one morning for breakfast & they thought it was pretty cool to finally have a face to go with the voice they'd been hearing for years.

 

[tubachick]

DH and I ran into his Brother and his family on the monorail on our way to O'hana. They said -- we know you -- and then we all laughed. We did not know they were coming down, and DH and I had flew down for a quick weekend away without telling too many people. Turned out they were headed to O'hana as well. It is a small world!!

 

[JamieJo23]

We took our first trip to Disney last October and decided to pop into Magic Kingdom for a couple of hours on the night we arrived. My younger daughter wanted to do the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor so it was the first thing we did on arrival. We had a great time laughing at "that guy" and at the end, my younger daughter was chosen to be Marty's joke assistant. As soon as the show ended, I heard someone yell my name. It was a family that we've been friends with for years through preschool...and their father/FIL was "that guy!" It was so random to meet someone we knew at the first attraction and both have someone on screen! It was there last day there and our first so we didn't see them again (or anyone else for that matter)!

 

[CluelessDisFan]

I ran in to a childhood friend at Universal Studios after walking out of Beetle Juice half way through.

 

[bushdianee]

One time I was on a plane with a student. He was going to Tampa and I was going to Orlando. A few days later as I was walking through DHS I heard my name and there he was.
Another time my mom and I were staying at a motel in a suburb of Buffalo, NY when we ran into close friends from home who were also staying there. both families had orginally lived in Buffalo but had both moved to the same city over 20 years previously. We joked about living about 5 miles apart but traveling over 1000 to see each other!

 

[kylmac]

These stories are great! Ran into an old high school friend on a Disney Cruise years ago and a few years ago ran into our next door neighbors at It's a Small World at WDW at Halloween. Had no idea either friend would be there! Did not hang out with neighbors but caught up with high school friend-ours kids are the same age. It is a small world!
Elizabeth

 

[PinkMagnolia]

I was riding the MK train back to the train station to leave the park, when one of my little guys freaked out and said "MICHAEL! MICHAEL!" The train was rolling out of the Fantasyland station as Michael's family was walking into the station.

This little boy was a really great friend and classmate of my twin boys. We got off at the Main Street Station, and waited for the next train, which had Michael's family on it.

All 3 boys were SO EXCITED to see each other!!! It was priceless!!! THAT was Magic!

I knew the family was going to Orlando, but I didn't really know them well enough to "make plans" in any way with them... All 3 are still great friends, and we often bring up this reunion at the Main St. Station and how special it was.

 

[rdevine10]

We have! 4 years ago we were on the beach in Daytona and started talking to a nice family. Later they drive by (as you drive on the beach there) and they have a soccer sticker from the same whole in the wall town we live in (population under 2000). We wave them down, and low and behold, they are neighbors with our good friends.

We have run into an old high school friend in security lines at MCO.

More recently in Disney we ran into older DD's friend and classmate. We didnt know they would be traveling to WDW and they were even staying in the same hotel!

And then last trip we were standing in line at Monsters Inc and ran into a family we are neighbors with (although we dont know too well). So funny!

We are going again for our spring break, I expect we will run into someone again....

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I thought of one more. We also ran into my mom's boss on one of our trips. He was "the guy" in Laugh Floor. His son-in-law happens to also be a former co-worker, and they were together for a family vacation.

 

[stasijane]

Me and my daughter were down about 3 weeks ago at WDW and she ran into her teacher who happened to be taking a vacation at the same time. Neither one knew they were going, but both of our families are Disney lovers so I shouldn't be surprised it happened. It was still a shock to her though

 

[Dan Murphy]

Over the years, many, many people from the disboards and several other forums.

 

[kar0066]

A couple years ago we were walking around Pop Century's gift shop on our arrival night. My daughter waved to a girl and she waved back. The other mom and I both said to our girls at the same time - Do you know her? It turns out they are in the same summer camp every year.

 

[MHTeacher]

During our trip last May, we saw three families from our school. I teach there, and of the six parents, I teach or have taught with five of them. Out of the ten children in the three families, I have taught six of them.

Then during the most crowded Christmas/New Years week, we saw our neighbor, not once but two different times during the week!

 

[Donnainnj]

Yes we have. We have gone on Disney vacations many times during "NJ week" (during teacher's conventions) Seems like half of NJ is there with us. One year we ran into one of my daughters classmates/fellow girl scout troop member and her family on the Disney Cruise, the kids ended up spending some time together (even picked to be part of the stage show the first night). A year or two later we ran into the same family at Pop.
Donna

 

[cjnix29]

I ran into my eye doctor once. Another year, we befriended a family from Chicago who had a son about the same age as ours. We had similar interests and spent quite a bit of time chatting at the pool. We were staying at the WL at the time. The next year, totally different time of year, we ran into the same family at the Polynesian.

 

[reginaastralis]

I've run into a couple of friends and such, especially since we're "local" (about an hour away.)

One was a family I used to teach at craft class at Michael's and used to wait on at my second job (they started at the classes, and then used to visit me later in the day for dinner at my second job) It was right when Finding Nemo opened at Epcot, and dd and I were standing in line when I see this family in a clam shell going crazy. They waited for me when we got off, and were pleased because they finally got to meet my dd. We actually ran into each other later that day at MK ... small world.

My favorite though just happened this past weekend. We went up to Disney to stay the weekend, and my parents were planning on coming up on Saturday to spend the day at MK for my birthday. We wanted to start the day at EPCOT, however, so we figured we'd call them after making our way through the food stands of the Flower and Garden festival. Imagine my surprise when I heard my mom yell my name in the crowded parking lot, and I turned around and they were about 10 cars and a row behind us. It all worked out perfectly, and was hilarious to us.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

On a high school choir trip to WDW, my friends and I kept seeing strangers that reminded us of people from home, including this one boy. The day we were in Epcot, my friend goes "ha, that kid looks like so and so!" and suddenly the person turns around and it was the actual boy.