This was our Magical Moment I posted several weeks ago.
"Last week we were just walking down the street at Disney-Mgm when a CM came up to us and talked to my granddaughter - age 5. She asked her 'who her favorite character was' fully expecting her to name one of the Disney Princesses, but DGD says 'Lightning McQueen and Mater!!!!! The CM was a bit taken back and said, 'well I have never had one like this, but let me see what I can do.' We waited while she made a few phone calls and then she came back and said that if we were at a door by Star Tours at 4:15PM we would have a private Meet & Greet with Lightning and Mater!!! True to her word, at 4:15 she took us 'behind scenes' and there were Lightning, Mater, and the pit crew all lined up! My granddaughter is very very shy, but her eyes just POPPED! She got to touch them, hug the cars and have her picture taken. My eyes teared up seeing how taken she was by the experience. The CM then gave her a certificate making her an honorary junior pit crew member! It all took about 5 or 10 minutes, but it MADE the whole trip for that little girl! When we left she looked at her certificate and said, 'I'm taking this to preschool, then the other kids HAVE to believe me when I tell them about Lightning and show them the pictures and certificate!'
Sure the magnificent prizes of cruises, night at the Castle, DVC memberships would bowl me over, but the look on that little girls face and the stories she tells several days later, mean more to her than ANYTHING else could have done! My grateful thanks to the CM, pit crew and others who made this magical moment for such a shy, sweet little girl!"
Upon returning home, she took her photos and 'pit crew' certificate to preschool for her day of 'show & tell.' When I arrived at noon to pick her up, there she was on the playground with 'FOUR NEW BESTEST FRIENDS'! (her words not mine) I asked her how she acquired these new friends, and she told me that 'now the kids believe me that Lightning McQueen & Mater are REAL! (apparently when she told them previously the other kids said that they were 'just cartoons.' ) I asked if she remembered how she got to see them privately, and she said, "Disney Magic, Grandma, don't you know?" This from the little girl who used to stand on the side of the playground and WATCH the other kids play!
There are no words I can use that describe how I feel that one small thing could bring that child out of her shell and begin to mix with the others in her group. Now she joins in with ALL the kids to play, smile, and do what 5 year olds do. I will be forever grateful and wanted to share what is REALLY important in life. For us, this has been the BEST promotion that Disney could have ever done. And thank you to DISer's for listening.
"Last week we were just walking down the street at Disney-Mgm when a CM came up to us and talked to my granddaughter - age 5. She asked her 'who her favorite character was' fully expecting her to name one of the Disney Princesses, but DGD says 'Lightning McQueen and Mater!!!!! The CM was a bit taken back and said, 'well I have never had one like this, but let me see what I can do.' We waited while she made a few phone calls and then she came back and said that if we were at a door by Star Tours at 4:15PM we would have a private Meet & Greet with Lightning and Mater!!! True to her word, at 4:15 she took us 'behind scenes' and there were Lightning, Mater, and the pit crew all lined up! My granddaughter is very very shy, but her eyes just POPPED! She got to touch them, hug the cars and have her picture taken. My eyes teared up seeing how taken she was by the experience. The CM then gave her a certificate making her an honorary junior pit crew member! It all took about 5 or 10 minutes, but it MADE the whole trip for that little girl! When we left she looked at her certificate and said, 'I'm taking this to preschool, then the other kids HAVE to believe me when I tell them about Lightning and show them the pictures and certificate!'
Sure the magnificent prizes of cruises, night at the Castle, DVC memberships would bowl me over, but the look on that little girls face and the stories she tells several days later, mean more to her than ANYTHING else could have done! My grateful thanks to the CM, pit crew and others who made this magical moment for such a shy, sweet little girl!"
Upon returning home, she took her photos and 'pit crew' certificate to preschool for her day of 'show & tell.' When I arrived at noon to pick her up, there she was on the playground with 'FOUR NEW BESTEST FRIENDS'! (her words not mine) I asked her how she acquired these new friends, and she told me that 'now the kids believe me that Lightning McQueen & Mater are REAL! (apparently when she told them previously the other kids said that they were 'just cartoons.' ) I asked if she remembered how she got to see them privately, and she said, "Disney Magic, Grandma, don't you know?" This from the little girl who used to stand on the side of the playground and WATCH the other kids play!
There are no words I can use that describe how I feel that one small thing could bring that child out of her shell and begin to mix with the others in her group. Now she joins in with ALL the kids to play, smile, and do what 5 year olds do. I will be forever grateful and wanted to share what is REALLY important in life. For us, this has been the BEST promotion that Disney could have ever done. And thank you to DISer's for listening.
Glad you have very special memories of your trip that will last a lifetime.
