Paying it forward..... and spreading some Magic!!!

[cindyfan]

I think there are a few other threads out there similar to this...
but I was inspired to start another......
How have you in the past.......
Or how do you plan to on your next trip......

to "Pay it forward" and "Spread some Magic"??

Here's a few things I plan to do..... (most of these I've done before.... but it's good to make it a tradition when we go! )

get fast passes and give them away

give my seat on the bus to a mom and her babies, an elderly person or just someone that looks tired!

buy an ice cream for the person in front or behind me in line!

Hold the door open for the stroller that just ran over my foot.... and give them a smile! It's not easy to manuveur that stroller!!

Buy extra ponchos and give them to a mom that it trying to keep the kids dry

give up my curb seat at the parade to the kids that showed up late....

 

[torinsmom]

We are getting GAD fastpasses. It's only the two of us and since you can get them for up to 6 people for each voucher, I was thinking of finding a family and asking if they want to join our "party" for a few minutes to get the fastpasses. I know some people think that is "cheating", but I see it as sharing the magic.

Marsha

 

[CanadianPaco]

We've give away fastpasses before...what a thrill that can be...especially for Expedition Everest. I love the idea of paying for the next person's ice cream! Awesome!

 

[TooGoofyMan]

I read about this somewhere and did it last trip and plan to do it again this year.

I bought a bunch of Disney stickers at the dollar store and put them in my son's fanny pack. Every time we were in line with kids that looked like they were tired or getting cranky, my son would politely ask the parents if he could give them a sticker. He would look through the stickers and decide on which one would fit the child -- princesses for little girls...etc.

The best part about it was that it was teaching him that it feels good to make someone's day.

 

[The.Epcot.Man]

on one of our trips, we used our left over snacks to buy rice krispy treats and gave them away at the park

 

[ronnmel]

Many years ago, after the first Stitch movie came out, I fell in lvoe with Stitch and just HAD to get a plush toy of him. There are no Disney stores anywehre near where I live, so an online friend who lives in Florida offered to buy one and send it to me. When I asked her how much it costs, she refused to tell me and said to "Pay it Forward". To this day I have yet to find something that would qualify as "Pay it Forward", but I think my next trip to Disney will be the perfect place!

I may get the "I made magic today" stickers, give away a Fastpass, or use left over dining plan credits to pay for someone else. Or maybe I'll get another good idea from this thread?

 

[OB1]

The buy an ice cream for the person behind you is pretty neat. I'll remember that one.

We want to have something special to give to cast members that make extra magic for people. We live in GA, so something that ties into our state. We have a month to figure it out.

 

[pilotwife_02]

Last time we went we gave away extra fasspasses we didn't use and DH and I gave up our seat more than once to people who could use it more than we could and had our boys sit on my IL's laps. We also brought Disney themed beach balls to the pool with us and at the end of the trip gave them away.

This time I will be bringing extra stickers and glo-stickers and will have my 2 and 3 year pass them out to at parades (with parent's permission of course since I have read here that some parents may not appreciate a stranger giving their child a gift ).

As for cast members, my boys LOVE riding the bus and last year we told this to one of the bus drivers that was super friendly. He gave my boys "transportation cards", the boys were so excited to get these (wouldn't let them go all night). We then asked him if we could get a picture with him. It is one of my favorite pictures. I could tell it made his day to be asked this. So I think when we experience extra special service from a CM I am going to make sure to let them know how special they made our trip, either by writing their name down and letting WDW know or just asking for a picture with the boys if they did something special for/with my boys. Just because they aren't a character doesn't mean they don't deserve to be noticed! (I wish I had remembered to get this bus drivers' name )

 

[shocker]

I learned about giving away FP from reading the Dis. I didn't say anything to the kids about it 'til we were in the park. We planned to leave at lunch, go back to the room and nap, then hop to another park anyway for the evening. They thought I was insane.

Then, that very night, we go to DHS the kids are DYING to ride ToT but FP are all gone and the wait is about 60 min. The spray fog in the line is making it unbareably humid and I tell the kids we'll just have to forget it and try another day. As we turn to leave the line a gentleman hands me enough FP for our party and the return window is NOW It was a great "what goes around comes around" lesson for my kids, who gladly did this on each remaining day of the trip.

 

[shocker]

As for cast members... I could tell it made his day to be asked this. So I think when we experience extra special service from a CM I am going to make sure to let them know how special they made our trip... Just because they aren't a character doesn't mean they don't deserve to be noticed!

When a CM stopped us at DHS and told us about a "super secret" character meet and greet and told us she'd be there. My DD found her at the event and asked for HER autograph in her book. I think the CM was pleased as punch to have been asked.

 

[kim532]

Never did it as a pay it forward thing, but so far every trip we have been on, we have ended up giving away fastpasses.

My SIL had a wonderful pay-it-forward that she was the receipent of. Her BF and her had dinner at Bongos in DTD. He proposed, she said yes, Down on one knee and everything. The restaraunt cheered. When dinner was done, they were waiting for the check and the waiter never brought it. They inquired and the waiter said the table (and pointed to where the family was sitting, but had already left) had paid for their dinner.

I love Disney magic.

 

[Eljay]

Watch for families taking pictures and offer to take it for them, so the whole group can get in the shot.

Buy a package of glow sticks, necklaces or bracelets and share with surrounding kids at the parades.

Compliment every little Princess that you see.

Stop and help direct people that you see struggling with a park map.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Watch for families taking pictures and offer to take it for them, so the whole group can get in the shot.

Stop and help direct people that you see struggling with a park map.

I was just about to post these two exact things!

1. We ALWAYS ask people if they want us to take their picture.

2. When I overhear people discussing wrong information or wondering about something, mostly on the bus, I like to jump in and help them out. Only if they seem like the kind of people receptive to that. Some people don't like to have their conversation butted in on so it is a touchy one!

 

[Buckeye Princess]

Our last trip I ordered a stroller from Walmart and had it shipped to the resort. I didn't want to risk our good stroller being stolen. At the end of our trip we donated it to Give Kids The World. I plan to do this for all of our trips. My sister went on a Wish trip so whenever we see wish kids in the park I do whatever I can in that moment to do something special for them. We've bought them ice cream (with parents permission), souvenirs, etc. I always tell the parents that my sister was a Wish child and I was so grateful for all that others did for her I just want to be able to do the same.

 

[Suellen]

I've been wanting to do this for several years ~ and just haven't found the right way to go about it yet ~ but I definitely will figure it out.

I would like for my DD (4) to do something special for another little girl there on a Make a Wish.

We have given away fastpasses (12 of them) for any ride! People looked at us like we were crazy but we had done a DVC tour and were leaving for Magic Express pretty quick after our lunch.

Love the sticker idea ~ might steal that!

 

[doggydoc]

We are getting GAD fastpasses. It's only the two of us and since you can get them for up to 6 people for each voucher, I was thinking of finding a family and asking if they want to join our "party" for a few minutes to get the fastpasses. I know some people think that is "cheating", but I see it as sharing the magic.

Marsha

I was hoping to do this exact thing as well just not sure how to make it happen.

Last trip my wife ordered a gift basket for DD's birthday that had included an autograph book. We had already purchased one the day before. On our way to the parks that afternoon DD watched for a family with a little girl checking in and walked up and asked if she had an autograph book and presented her the extra one. The family and little girl just looked so amazed and thankful it almost brought tears to our eyes. DD was floating on air even more than standard for Disney the rest of trip.

 

[candy0730]

Our last visit to WDW we went to DTD on our last day and my 4 year old son gave his Mickey balloon to a little girl. It turned out that it was her birthday and she was very excited (as were her parents ). It was a great teaching moment and my son was so tickled that he made that little girl happy.

 

[glk2009]

We give away our balloons before we leave and this year we'll be bringing extra stickers to share. I bought a ton from medibadge.com.

 

[cindyfan]

You guys are the greatest!!!
Some of these are already bringing tears to my eyes!!

I love the sticker idea.....

I almost forgot last year we went to the dollar store and bought like 3 tubes of those bracelet glow sticks. (about 15 in each tube)
Then the kids gave them out while waiting for the nighttime parade to start.... with the parents permission.
It was so funny listening to the boys (age 5 and 3 at the time) ask.... "hey lady? can I give your little boy/girl a glow stick?"

 

[sonnesolsun]

When we were there last summer it was our 1st trip and we had so many wonderful things happen to us. We wanted to share in all the magic as well...

I made little Thank You cards (business card size) and taped a lifesaver to them and DD6 and DS4 would hand them out to the CMs who cleaned the tables at restaurants, the bus drivers, an awesome janitor who "painted" a giant Mickey head with his mop water on the pavement as my kids stood and watched in amazement! and other CMs who were just helpful to us throughout our trip.

The kids were chosen to "open" the park for EMH at MK one night with Mickey and Minnie and two nights later we saw the CM who had arrange dit all. My kids ran up and gave him a hug, a Thank You card, and asked him for a picture with them!!! You should have seen his face! He had made their night, but I think they made his that night!

We also gave out Fastpasses to Soarin and Kali River Rapids, shared extra glow sticks from the Dollar Store, and left goodies for the next family that was getting the stroller and fridge in our swaps!

It was a great trip! Can't wait 'til June when we surprise the kids with a return trip!!!