The coolest thing that's happened...

[rrunnels]

What's the coolest thing that's happened to you at WDW? We went to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue and then took the boat back to the Magic Kingdom. My brother, his wife, their four kids, myself and lots of unrelated strangers were sitting on the outside part of the boat. One guy had a harmonica, and he started playing some patriotic and folk songs. Everyone started singing along. Right then, the Fireworks over MK started. It was a truly magical moment -- complete strangers having a fantastic time together.

 

[hAm53]

This one's easy . . .
Seeing my girlfriend's eyes when we pulled up to POR this past Feb. I had told her that we were staying at ASMo, like we did back in 2000, and let's just say she kept asking if we could go somewhere nicer since we are out of school now. I kept telling her there was no way we could afford it. But thanks to Dreams Unlimited, they helped me get a code that put us in POR for only 9 buck more a night than ASMo. Rose was even asking on the flight to MCO if there was a chance we could stay one night at a nicer place.
Little did she know

~Chris

 

[SuiteDisney]

I find so much magic at WDW that it's hard to pick just one time, but here goes.

I stayed at the AKL right after it opened and one night while I was there I had a dream that someone gave me a chocolate foot. I was laughing about it in the concierge lounge while telling my friends about it. Chef Amy overheard me and by the time we came back from the park she had taken one of the tiles that they used to decorate the rooms (you can see them in the bathrooms), and made a chocolate foot on it. She had it placed in our room, along with a note that said that dreams really do come true at WDW.

I was walking from the YC to Epcot and a manager rode by on a golf cart (they were setting up chairs and tables on the beach in front of the BC for a special event and I think he was heading there to check up on it). I called out and asked him for a ride. He just turned and smiled and kept going. Then I called out, "That's okay, I don't ride with strangers anyway!) He turned around and came back and picked me and my friend up and gave us a ride all the way to the International Gateway on the back of the golf cart. We were laughing and joking the whole way and I think he had as much fun as we did.

It was the last day of our vacation and also my Birthday. We were eating lunch at Akershus (there were 6 of us), laughing and talking with the waitress during lunch. I had on my "It's my Birthday" pin and she asked if it was really my Birthday. I told her it was and after lunch she brough out a cake that was big enough for all 6 of us and a Magical Moments paper that all of the servers had signed, wishing me a Happy Birthday.

We've gone for my Birthday a couple of times. One time a CM in Buzz Lightyear stood up on the railing in the queue and made everybody sing Happy Birthday.

But the coolest thing, now that I think of it.... was when I gave my kids money to win stuffed animals on the Boardwalk in the evening, then I gave the stuffed animals to little kids who weren't able to win their own. The coolest thing was when I gave one to a little boy, he must have only been 2 or 3 and he gave me a big hug. Yeah, that was the coolest thing. It's now become a family tradition to win stuffed animals and give them away, but hugs in return are special - and rare.

 

[SuiteDisney]

And..... (this was really cool!)

We went to WDW in March. We were supposed to check in March 2, but when we found out that Tapestry of Dreams was ending on March 1, we went a day early so we could catch it one last time. This has always been my favorite parade and I've always interracted with the puppets, even to the point of being pulled out into the parade by one of the puppets (so was my DD on a different trip).

I knew this was the last time, so I made sure to wear my Tapestry of Nations t-shirt. I danced and waved and held out my arms and at least 13 different puppets acknowledged me by reaching out the puppet arms, or nodding and waving, blowing a kiss, or bowing in front of me. (I know this because we filmed it and counted as we watched the film.) It felt like the parade was just for me and on the film you can see all the puppets coming over to us. It was truly magical and I watch it over and over.

 

[SuiteDisney]

And... (okay, I'm on a roll)

We renewed our wedding vows through Gifts of a Lifetime. The event included a dozen roses and a task to perform in the MK. We had to get 7 strangers to take our picture in 7 designated areas while we kissed. I started giving a rose to the person who took our picture. When we were finished, we walked around and picked out people to give the other roses to. The ones who stand out in my mind were the elderly gentleman in the wheelchair who gave me a hug in return and the mother of a handicapped boy who told us how they were there through the Make A Wish Foundation. She was so happy and excited to be there and you could see the Disney magic in her eyes. And if I hadn't stopped to give her a rose, I would have missed it.

 

[InstImpres]

Laura -

No fair, your cool things are making me cry! But they are cool. TOD was my 2nd favorite next to ELP. My daughter (7) still occassionally cries that neither are going to be there for our next trip.

Sandy

 

[kdibattista]

No fair, your cool things are making me cry!

Me too!!!!

Waking up first thing in the morning, getting a cup of hot tea & sitting on the balcony of AKL with a newspaper looking at giraffes & zebras.... freakin giraffes!!! Although some may not think this is really cool, it is for me.... I want to go on a real African safari for our 10th wedding anniversary. This is getting DH used to the idea

 

[CamColt]

Besides the obvious things like my kids having a great time and stuff like that I have 2 that stand out.

After checking in at Chef Mickeys, we were near the photo line when Goofy grabbed a banana, got down to DS's level(he was then 20 months old) and started feeding him. It was priceless! Thats one of my favorite pictures of all our trips.

This one Ive posted before but its Disney at its best.
On our last trip we arrived at Epcot around 4:00 to find all FPs for TT gone. The wait was about 1 hour. DH and I wouldnt have minded riding single but it was my 12 yo nieces first time on it and she didnt want to be alone. So we debated for a while over what to do(wait the hour, try another day, etc...) because we felt bad leaving my mother with the younger kids for that long if we waited. While discussing it 3 CMS approached us and asked what we would do if we could skip the line. Of course we said anything. After some discussion(they joked we had to sweep the park, stuff like that) they said if we would sing the Mickey Mouse Club song in front of TT, they would get us on. The ironic thing is that was probably one of the first songs my kids and nieces ever learned because my mother has been singing it to them since day one. So, like fools, the 7 of us all stood there singing. One of the CMs even video taped it for us. It was hysterical!

 

[Virgo10]

Back in 1999 I attended the big RADP meet in December. A bunch of us met at Splash Mountain one morning but when we got right near the boarding area, the ride broke down. We had the option of waiting it out or leaving and we all decided to wait. While everyone was was standing around, I thought that it would be fun to sing Christmas carols and suggested it. We had a sing along for nearly 15 minutes. Even the CM's and other non RADP people were joining in.

So on the cool-o-meter that ranks right up at the top!

Roberta

 

[RickinNYC]

I have two moments that come to mind:

On our last trip to WDW, while in AK, we played the boardwalk style games in Dinoland (is that what it's called???? I'm having brain freeze right now). My partner proudly won a stuffed toy from one of the attractions and held it aloft, boasting and puffing his chest. It cracked me up to no end!
We walked through the area and he pointed out two little boys with their father, playing the squirt gun race game. The CM was politely and quietly and very playfully shooing away anyone who had wanted to play because it was clear he wanted one of the two tots to win a prize. What a guy!
It was so cute to see the boys shoot and shoot and of course, one won! He was so proud!
But of course, because his little brother (a VERY tiny boy of tiny stature!) didn't win, tears welled up in his eyes and quickly ran down his cheeks. And what did his big brother do? He walked over, and said "Here, I won this for you," and handed his prized toy over without a bat of the eye. BOY did his little brother beam like the sun!
And what did my partner do? He walked over to the big brother, held out his own prized toy and said, "And I won this for YOU!"
And big brother, without initially accepting, looked to his father with a look of quiet desparation and said, "Can I Daddy?" And of course his father let him!
With a very firm, grown up, handshake, big brother shook my partners hand, "Thank you sir," and gratefully held the toy to his chest in a huge hug.
I still poke gentle fun at my partner for that, calling him a big softie. I love that memory.

Another isn't quite so happy, though it brings back pleasant thoughts.

We live in New York City. Immediately after 9/11, I volunteered overnight shifts, providing food and conversation to the Ground Zero workers. Without fail, I felt it would be inappropriate to express my own feelings in front of the men and women who were working so hard, trying to find our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. You see, I lost 9 friends that horrible day and my volunteering was meant to bring me closure.
I worked for several weeks, surrounded by exhausted, soot covered men and women, inhaling the noxious smoke and fumes, my feet and back screaming in pain, my clothes covered in grime. But I kept my mouth shut. I bit my lip when necessary. But I refused to express myself. I refused to shed any tears. I just wanted to give thanks and show my appreciation to the workers. And I wanted to keep working no matter what. I didn't think I had the right to feel so deeply depressed because I kept thinking that all I was doing was feeding the workers, I wasn't digging up bodies and worse. I also felt that I had only lost friends but others had lost their parents, children or spouse. I felt in my heart that in expressing my grief, it would have been insensitive to those with a greater loss.
Keeping it all buried finally reared it's ugly head a few short months later. I couldn't sleep and when I did, I'd wake up screaming or crying. I had horrible nightmares. I started getting blinding migraines. My entire physical well being crashed and burned. I buried myself with work. I became very withdrawn and quiet. When I spoke, I usually lashed out.
Finally, one day in early 2002, my partner sat me down and firmly said, "You're in pain and you need to release it. You lost friends. You saw horrible things. You need to find that happy person inside of you. You need to get away from this city for a while. You need to let go." And still, I stared at him and refused to cry or talk about what I had smelled, what I had seen, how I felt, or how much I missed my friends. I just stared and sat mute.
And then he said, God bless him, "Diana and Rocco (two great friends) and I have made vacation plans and we think you need to go to Disney World. It's your favorite place in all the world and you need to be there for a little while. We're taking you."
My answer was not with good cheer or happiness. "How can you think of going there right now? It's the f---ing 'Happiest place on Earth' and so many people are in pain. How can you be so insensitive?"
He immediately said, "We're going, there's no discussion." and he stood up and left the room. He shouted angrily from the kitchen "And you better back your bags tonight because we're going tomorrow."
And we did. I refused to talk to anyone while flying down, I wouldn't say a word on the ride to WDW, I sat to the side while we checked in at ASMu, and I wordlessly unpacked my clothes and put them away. I stared out the window while riding the shuttle to the Magic Kingdom. I would give monosyllabic grunts or brief replies when spoken to.
And we entered the turnstiles. And we walked under the railroad tracks. And we stepped onto Main Street. And I looked up and saw the castle. And tears began coursing down my cheeks. I muffled a sob. I couldn't hold it in. I began crying, my body even started shaking. My partner and friends gathered around and hugged me. We hugged each other. I said I was so sorry for pulling away from everyone. And we cried some more.
Mutters of "it's ok", "you needed to get away", "you needed to let go", "we all were hurting, it wasn't just you." We hugged some more. And then again. And gradually the tears tapered off, I looked up once again at my surroundings and laughed. For the first time in months. I laughed at the curious stares, the confused glances. I could only imagine what the other guests were thinking.
And I found that happy person inside of me again. I was truly in the Happiest Place on Earth!
And I stepped fully into the Disney World experience and had an amazing week!

 

[tonyk]

Great story, Rick. Thanks for sharing it.

My coolest moment was actually "coolest" for my 8yo son. We had stayed at the Poly for the weekend. It was Sunday afternoon and we had already checked out and were now hanging around the arcade waiting for a couple others in our party who were at Epcot. I had given my boys some money to play games with and it lasted about a half hour. We still had a whole hour to go before the others met us to go home. my son asked for more money and I said I'd have to go make change, but no way was he going to get an hours worth of money. As if on cue, a Poly CM came up and said "how about a free game?" I said to my son "Hey that's great, he's offering you a free game, say Thank you". The CM said "Actually, I'm offering an hour of free games for all of you!" Well, you would have thought my kid just hit the lottery by the look on his face! And a pretty cool moment for broke Dad too. Everyone in the arcade got to play whatever they wanted for a whole hour. What a great surprise to end the trip. Cool.

 

[BethC1952]

Mine is in two parts which stretch over 24 years!

My son was 3 1/2 the first time we stayed at WDW. We were having lunch in the buffet restaurant which used to be in the Concourse at the Contemporary, and he reached for a banana. The CM took it away, and asked him for a driver's license! Said you needed ID to have bananas at Walt Disney World. My son thought about it for a minute, and pulled out his wallet, and proudly showed his Kid's ID card from one of our local restaurants at home (maybe Roy Rogers?). The CM gave him a banana--and an apple, some grapes, strawberries and all sorts of other fruits.

I haven't really thought about this incident in many years. Last night, my son, his wife and my granddaughter were at my house working on the plans for our trip in December. It will be my daughter-in-law and granddaughter's first time. We were discussing documents needed, and my son told my granddaughter that she would need a driver's license if she wanted to eat any fruit while at Disney World. (My son can't remember what he did last week. I was amazed at this 24 year+ memory!) She opened her purse (what well dressed three year old young lady doesn't have a purse?) and pulled out--yup, her "Kid's ID" from some local restaurant. Like father, like daughter! I guess we'll all be eating lots of fruit!

Beth

 

[KSDisneyDad]

My favorite moment has to do with a special character greeting(s) in October 2000.

My DS's (3 at the time) favorite character is Jessie from Toy Story. On his first trip to WDW, we saw many characters but he would not go up to them (especially face characters). He would allow me or grandpa to carry him up to other characters, but he would not touch them.

Well, we saw Jessie at MGM and he hugged her and hugged her and would not let go. It was priceless, but the story doesn't end there.

A few days later, we had an off-day. As this was October, our kids had brought their Halloween costumes and my DS, (yes DS's) costume was Jessie. We ate that day at the Wildhorse Salloon and afterwards, he put on his Jessie hat and costume and we began walking around DTD and found a Wildhorse Salloon merchandise store. We went in, and the first CM began shouting, It's Jessie! It's Jessie! The second CM said, no it's Woody.

Well the Jessie fan CM ran to the back room and came back with a day planner. In it, she had some Jessie stickers and a picture of Jessie in costume. She came over to us and said she wanted a picture with Jessie. Of course, our DS wouldn't go near her, so we had to force him to get in the picture and he just buried his head in grandpa's shoulder. We got the picture of grandpa holding DS in his Jessie costume with the Wildhorse Salloon CM holding a picture of Jessie.

We told her all about how Jessie was his favorite and how he wouldn't go near any characters except Jessie. We told her about how we had to pull him away because he just kept hugging her at MGM.

A little later, she came by and whispered to us that she remembered the moment and that it was her that he was hugging.

To this day, we have that picture displayed on our fridge.

 

[Eeyore2003]

We're kind of shy people, so we really don't wear the buttons or anything, but to us it's the little things that have made our time special

For our trip with Nana and Pop pop we went to the Hoop de Doo, we were the first table in front and when I wasn't looking they had just swooped my then 5 y/o up on stage and he was the sheriff for the little melo drama. Hitting the villain with the pillow and then putting his foot on the villain with his arms like a "tough guy" was priceless. He was small for his age too, so it looked extra cute. And Nana and Pop pop there to share it was the topping on the cake.

That whole trip with Nana and Pop pop was priceless. Pop pop is now gone and Nana is not doing real well. Pop pop loved it when we went the Diamond Horseshoe (not sure of exact name), anyway, the dance girls would sit on his lap and kiss his bald head. They had so much fun there, that while we went to eat at the castle, Nana and Pop pop went back there to eat.

Nana went with us on our last trip when she was doing a "little" better, and it was so much fun when we ate at Chef Mickey's and the characters would sneak up behind her and hug her and make big fusses over her. She was 79 and the memories of her on the TOT and Splash Mountain are also priceless. On the pictures I'm sitting there with my eyes shut tight and she's looking around laughing and smiling. It is really a place for everyone and even the everyday ordinary details that they do, make life so special.

Can't wait to take my niece and nephew for the first time next summer!!! And thanks so much for the special ideas. I like the one about winning a stuffed animal and giving it to a kid walking around.

Oh, one more thing, when we went with both Nana and Pop pop, Pop pop sat on the bench next to the bald lego man sleeping on the bench at McDonalds, closed his eyes for a bit and I snapped a picture. When just Nana was with us the last time, which was 10 years after they both had come with us, she sat down on the bench next to the lego man and fell asleep, and I got that picture too. So cute.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

I just love all of your stories!!

And Rick, thanks for sharing, we too lost friends and I know the pain.

My absolute favorite memory happened 2 trips ago. I was pregnant with my 3rd and my 2 dds were 1 and 4. Well I know my 4 yo was a little anxious about yet ANOTHER baby, and perhaps feeling a little sad. But just one day at the world turned it all around. She was chosen to be the "BIG KAHUNA" at TL, she got such special treatment all day from the CMS they all knew her by name and she wore her medal proudly. She must have filled her free mug 10 times just to go up and get a soda! We had our own special beach blocked off, she got lunch and a picture and it really made her feel special. Then later that night, as we rode the FRONT of the monorail, she asked to go on the jungle cruise first. When we got on the boat she was asked to "drive" the cruise. She was so pumped! A perfect ending to a perfect day.


Laura

 

[stinkerbelle]

all of these stories are wonderful and are making me tear up while at work! hehehe

But I think the coolest thing that happened to me in WDW was the man I love most in the world asking me to be his wife at MK.

I said yes of course, and can't wait for our honeymoon there in less than 4 months!!

 

[f7prez]

My wife and I planned to take our 4 sons to WDW for 8 days before their baby sister was born... it would probably be the last trip for a few years. On the last day we usually start feeling a little sad because we have to leave the next day, and this time was no different. We were waiting to have breakfast at Cinderellas Castle when Fairy Godmother came to talk with the boys. She asked why they looked a little down. They weren't very talkative, so I told her it was probably because we had to leave for home in the morning. Well, Fairy Godmother does this Bippity Boppity Boo thing, tells the boys that it has been taken care of and they can stay for three more nights. I was a little mad that she told them this because how was I going to explain to them that we really did have to go home tomorrow. I told my wife how disappointed I was and she told me to relax because she secretly extended our stay the extra three nights before we even arrived, and that she asked Fairy Godmother to play along.
The boys thought it was magic... I thought it was extremely nice of her to make those boys feel as special as she did. And of course my wife deserves a whole lot of credit.

 

[cheeringmom]

Having my 3 yr old see "snow" for the very first time right before the Osbourne lights show. We sure will miss it.

 

[Penny2]

Have had many magical moments at DW with CM's, guests and places....too many to list. One of the things that I love to do to make it special for me is to bring stickers of Disney Characters and give them out to children who are waiting in line nicely, sitting on a bench smiling...whenever I see good behavior or a smiling face! I usually start a conversation and then try to get the OK from the parents first...but the smiles I get when I give out a sparkly tinkerbell or mickey are priceless. It's my way of being a little disney fairy (well, okay, a big and fluffy disney fairy)!!

 

[Pig Pen]

This pales in comparison to some of these magical stories, but we thought it was super cool when it happened.....

We were staying at CSR and had 5:00 pm dinner ressies at Boma. Since we didn't have a vehicle the plan was to take the bus to AK, then hop a bus to AKL.

As we boarded the bus to Animal Kingdom about 4:00 pm in a driving thunderstorm the driver says "you realize Animal Kingdom closes at 5:00 tonight...."

I said yes, we are going to catch a bus from the park to AKL for dinner.

Well, since we were the only riders, she radioed ahead and got permission to make a special trip to AKL and drop us off before going to AK!

We were very appreciative.

So, if the bus is ever late picking you up at a park, it may be because the driver is doing something magical for someone else.