Talk about Magical Moments!

[MommytoMJM]

We have had quite a few especially Magical Moments in the last few weeks (for any new folks who don't know, we live 30 minutes from Disney and get to go every weekend)

We went to AK a couple weeks ago. For all of the flak it takes, Tarzan Rocks is our favorite show. MJ LOVES the movie and her "adoption song" is "You'll Be In My Heart" so I of course, spend every show in tears.... First of all we were seated in Disabled seating right up front, we got to sit next to an awesome off duty castmember who was great to MJ, right off the bat several of the performer's recognized her and waved to her from the stage (and the waterworks begin) So we get throught the show and the magic begins....

To understand this magical moment, you need to know that MJ has been scared to death of the characters since we got our passes....

Turk comes out on stage, MJ claps (characters on stage or from a distance are ok) doe her thing and then jumps off of the stage RIGHT in front of MJ's Wheelchair! I just sort of shake my head internally and think, this is going to be bad....untill I turn to MJ and she is reaching her arms out to Turk who promptly envelops her in a hug and kisses her forehead! The waterworks really come in ernest now....which does not go unoticed by the lead singer who then jumps off the stange to give me a hug. It was just AWESOME. I am now crying writing about it, sigh..... Next weekend I am going to take a hand written letter to the stage manager and performers so that they can know how special they are and what an amazing part of our lives this show plays.

Also during the weekend, two CM's randomly stopped MJ and gave her pins....Awwww. (For the record, we never trade pins we are given, so don't ask if you see us! LOL) A guest we started talking with also just gave hera pin......I swear I spend more time in tears at this place!

At MGM a CM let MJ sit in front so she could interact (even tho the wheelchair section is technically in the back, she put us on a corner wo we wouldn't obstruct views...(It was the first time MJ got to be part of the streamers and bubbles and she LOVED it!)

Our wheelchairs are set up to ride side by side since Andrew is the only person to push both of us. It makes us too wide to go through many of the turnstiles and gates. We discovered this weekend that almost every attraction and show has alternate entrances where we can fit (tho we miss some preshows this way), transfer chairs we can use where MJ can sit in my lap or CM's who will go out of thier way to help me so that Andrew can deal with MJ. We did three whole days and never had to try to disasseble wour rig, it was great, takes a bit more time, but totally worth it since pushing MJ's chair in front of my chair is really painful for me.

So, Andrew's work schedule got changed this week and it just happened that it meant that we had a three day weekend this weekend and have a four day weekend coming up for the Happiest Celebration on Earth. So we spent three days in the parks (of course, where else) several special things happened this weekend, but five really stood out.

We FINALLY saw the Dapper Dans after looking for them for several weeks! They were so awesome and paid a lot of attention to MJ during their set (she ATE it up)

We got the BEST Jungle Cruise Captain! Ask for Crystal the next time you go on, she is great! Tell her Andrew, Bonny and MJ sent you!

MJ actually ASKED to see a character for the first time ever (Peter Pan and Wendy).....but she doesn't do well under pressure so the handler let us wait to be the last ppl to say hi to them so that she could interact without a long line waiting behind her. It was a bit more of a wait for us, but so worth it when she didn't shy away and let both of them touch her!

We ran into Gold Dust Gus on the the streets, he and MJ interacted for quite a while, she was fascinated by his animals, upon finding out that her favorite animals are bunnies he took one out of his pack for her to pet...a.s we were getting ready to leave he asked if she could "take care" of the bunny for him since he was going West....Her GAVE her the bunny......back in tears AGAIN, sigh, I am such a sap. "Gus" as the bunny has been dubbed hasn't been out of her arms (except when he got lost and recovered [Whew!] at Philharmagic)

And last, but certainly not least, a Magical Moment for Mommy! A little background....I am a flute/piccolo player and previous Marching Band member. I still play. I have been loving Magic Music Days at WDW a LOT. The new logo is a treble clef with a Mickey head in it that I just love. I have been dying to get my hands on something with that logo on it....so I was talking with a CM at the parade about it and she said to hang on a minute....and came back and said "I am looking into something, if you don't hear from me by the end of the parade, come see me at the HM, ok?" A little while later she shows up, bag in hand and says, here, my manager got this for you...inside were a shirt and a pin for MMD!!!! How incedibly awesome is that? Again, in tears!

Needless to say I have a VERY long letter to write to WDW. And several Thank You cards to pass out next weekend!

As an aside, We got to do several things that we had never done before (or tried to do and had to leave early because MJ got scared) and MJ handled them very well:

Epcot:
Soarin' (very cool!), The Land Boat Ride (so cool!), Circle of Life (very thought prvoking), Illuminations

MGM:
HISTK Playgound, Muppets 3-D (3 times! Those who know MJ will know that is AMAZING!), RnR (kidswap for mom and dad, AWESOME!), LMA (Awesome, tho we didn't get to see the jet ski's) WD:OMD, Fantasmic (Front row and Back Row! Awesome!)

AK:
Primeval Whirl (kidswap for Mom and Dad, NEVER again!), Kali River Rapids (great handciapped loading!)

MK:
Splash Mountain (not as bad as I remembered....we'll see if MJ will do it again), The theatre behind Kodak Store (very neat), Philharmagic (MJ stayed through the whole thing and only took her glasses off once), and for the second time the Flag Retreat (quickly becoming my favorite thing at MK)

Ok, if you got this far, thanks for reading! Can't wait for the 50th (three days, Woooo Hooooo!)

 

[Merriwind]

Glad to hear about your recent Magical Moments. Thank you for sharing...

 

[tbelfonti]

Sounds like a wonderful trip! WTG MJ for being so brave this time around!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

All I can say is WOW what great memories!!
I'm glad to see that even though you go often, the magic is still there.

 

[Texian@WDW]

Pass the Kleenex box please!

That's so sweet. God bless those CM's.

 

[matt&jakesmom]

Thanks for sharing your moment..Enjoy your weekend trip. Let us all know how it was...

 

[MommytoMJM]

Thanks for all of the love and support guys! I sometimes feel bad about MM that MJ gets, like since we go so often that she doesn't deserve them as much as some other kids....and then I remember all that she has had to (and is going) to have to live through in her little life and I realize that if this is the one way that I can make things happier and easier for her then so be it..... I don't know what we would do without Disney it is the bright spot in an otherwise very discouraging life for us.

 

[kpm76]

Thanks for all of the love and support guys! I sometimes feel bad about MM that MJ gets, like since we go so often that she doesn't deserve them as much as some other kids....and then I remember all that she has had to (and is going) to have to live through in her little life and I realize that if this is the one way that I can make things happier and easier for her then so be it..... I don't know what we would do without Disney it is the bright spot in an otherwise very discouraging life for us.

So glad to hear about all of your wonderful memories And you should not feel one bit bad about all of the MM your little girl gets.....she deserves them....and you and your huband deserve pixie dust too for being such wonderful parents

 

[MommytoMJM]

Thanks for all of the love and support guys! I sometimes feel bad about MM that MJ gets, like since we go so often that she doesn't deserve them as much as some other kids....and then I remember all that she has had to (and is going) to have to live through in her little life and I realize that if this is the one way that I can make things happier and easier for her then so be it..... I don't know what we would do without Disney it is the bright spot in an otherwise very discouraging life for us.

 

[gigi1313]

heck, you have *nothing* to feel badly about... MJ is soooo blessed to have you care so much and do so much for her... you all deserve every smidge of magic you get!

i've got a few questions, 'cause i thought i was pretty wdw-savvy, but a few of the things you mentioned i was unfamiliar with :gasp:: at the thought! LOL!)

LMA ??
WD:OMD ??
Flag Retreat ??

thanks in advance...

 

[JonJehrio]

Great experience. Many people ask me why I like Disney so much, your story is an example of why many people choose Disney, and keep coming back. I recently read an article in the Canada Post about how Disney brought 500 future CM's from the Hong Kong Disney to train and see how things are done the "Disney way". I know of no other company that puts so much effort into it's employees. Most companies spend a ton of money on "things", (rides, state of the art signs, Arena's, Stadiums, buildings, etc...), and make their cut backs on staff. (minimum wage part timers)
After a trip to IOA a few years ago after a week at DW, it took my sister and I 15 minutes to wonder, "Does this place get all the employees that get fired from Disney?"
You can have the best rides, theme park, or facility in the world, but if your employees do not care about the guests, it will make a world of difference. People choose Disney again and again because of their commitment to "magical moments". Because they train their CM's to care. The first place I worked my manager told me to treat every customer like they were my own family. I have always remembered that and try to instill that into my work ethic to this day, and the only other place I see that attitude is at Disney.
Those who do not understand what I am saying read Mommyto MJM's story again. What made Tarzan Rocks so special? The Cast Members, what made the Jungle Cruise so special? The Cast Member, Magic Music Days? cast Member. Dapper Dans, Gold Dust Gus, Peter Pan and Wendy, etc...? All Cast Members. All people who were trained the "Disney Way" to make guests feel special.
Hopefully all the CEO's and managers who are reading this can learn a lesson from this and the many other stories like it. Disney is so successful because of how it selects, trains, manages, and treats it's CM's. I know of no other company that comes close. That is why people keep coming back. I personally feel the rides and roller coasters at IOA and US are the best in the world. The Hulk Coaster, Spider Man ride, Jaws, The Mummy, ET, Back to the Future, Jurrasic Park, the Dragon Coaster (or whatever they are called), Shrek, Terminator3D, Wild West Show, all of them are awesome, but you know what? Since Universal opened I have been their a total of 2 times (one day each), Disney, 9 times (4 to 5 days each) plus 4 Disney Cruises (7 days each). Get the point?
Sure there are going to be those few people out their who have had a bad experience somewhere in Disney, but the reason I keep coming back is because of how I am consistantly treated. Disney wants you to keep coming back, and their actions prove that. Their CM's do not need to wear buttons that say "Thank you for your business, come again", because they convey that thru their words and actions. So when I have a choice of where I am going to spend my hard earned $$, I am going to go to a place that put's as much effort into giving me a reason to spend my hard earned $$, as Disney does.
Sorry, for rambling, I will get off my soapbox now. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Beanfield]

Hey! I'm new here but a long time lurker. I'm also on WDWMagic under a different name but nevermind that now...

Being from England; a nation of tight, unforgiving hypocrites(!), well, at least where I come from, I find it hard to understand how the CM just gave you the Tee and Pin!!!!And the bunny as well! I'd probably have a joyous heart attack if that happened to me!

Fantasmic story by the way! Tearful read!

 

[DZNYMGCFAM]

That is such a wonderful story!! I was tearing up the whole time I was reading it!!! I am so glad that you guys get to experience some real magic!! And do not feel guilty about it!!!

 

[MommytoMJM]

heck, you have *nothing* to feel badly about... MJ is soooo blessed to have you care so much and do so much for her... you all deserve every smidge of magic you get!

i've got a few questions, 'cause i thought i was pretty wdw-savvy, but a few of the things you mentioned i was unfamiliar with :gasp:: at the thought! LOL!)

LMA ??
WD:OMD ??
Flag Retreat ??

thanks in advance...

Awwww, thanks! LMA: Lights, Motors Action (the new stunt show at MGM) Also at MGM, WD:OMD Walt Disney: One Man's Dream (a walk thru museum and movie), at the Magic Kingdom at 5 pm everyday they take down the flag on main street, the band plays and often veterans or surrent service member participate....it makes me cry EVERYTIME I see it....sigh!

 

[MommytoMJM]

double post

 

[liznboys]

Awwww! What wonderful stories!! I too, don't think you should ever feel bad about all the MM your daughter gets. I am SURE she deserves every bit of attention that comes her way! Thanks for sharing, I got teared up reading your post.

 

[MommytoMJM]

Another Dupe post, sigh, sorry

 

[wendy1974]

Sounds like you and MJ are lucky to have eachother and even luckier to get to spend so much time in WDW together

 

[tinkssister]

Oh for Heaven's sake!!!!

Could you PLEASE put a tissue alert in your subject heading next time. I'm at work with tears in my eyes. People are going to think I'm nutsy.

Lovely post. Thanks for sharing this story.

 

[MommytoMJM]

Oh for Heaven's sake!!!!

Could you PLEASE put a tissue alert in your subject heading next time. I'm at work with tears in my eyes. People are going to think I'm nutsy.

Lovely post. Thanks for sharing this story.

Awww, I'm sorry... I have to say, after the "Oh for Heaven's sake!!!!" I was afraid you were mad at me! You are welcome, I will share more now that I know everyoine likes them so much!