The Kindness of Strangers

[stindall]

The last time DH and I were at Disney was 2009 and it was probably the worst vacation either of us had ever taken in our lives. My parents and brother and brother's friend were going down for a holiday trip. My Dads plan was to surprise my Mom with her best friend coming down. Then the best friend decided that it'd be even better if she surprised my Dad with me coming down too, on his actual birthday. The plan went off without a hitch and we made my Dad cry which is a rare sight! (here's a video I made of the surprise and one of the entire trip) Then after that everything went south and DH and I were miserable.

One day, towards the end of our trip, on the bus to one of the parks a gentleman was on his way off the bus and he stopped gave me a pin and told me to have a good day. He was very kind and had such a big smile on his face. I had no idea why he gave it to me (I assume I probably looked pretty sad) but it really made the rest of our trip a lot better. Today I found that pin and it reminded me as to why I'm so excited to go back. The kindness of strangers in WDW is really an amazing thing.

So if you're reading this and you recognize the story and the pin please know that it really brightened my day. It now sits on my desk so I can look at it and smile when I'm feeling down.

 

[megveg]

Stories like yours make my heart swell

 

[Phatoomch]

Love it! Such a cute pin too

 

[sephorachick]

I love these kind of stories!

 

[cheshireqt]

So sweet. Love stories like yours!

 

[scrappymel]

what a sweet person. we try to do something kind each trip as well.

 

[stindall]

I feel I should also add that I don't collect pins so I didn't have a lanyard on or anything. That's what made it really great. It was the nicest thing.

what a sweet person. we try to do something kind each trip as well.

That's so good of you! I try to be nice to people but I've never done anything special, I'm going to try to next time!

 

[Micca]

Great story, Thanks for sharing it.

 

[AndiSlamberg]

Love this story!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Loved the video!!

 

[Suziewan]

I love that about Disney - that was so nice!

We had something similar happen on our first trip; it was our first bus ride to a park and we were chatting with a mom and her 2 girls. We had no idea what pin trading was all about and one of the two little girls gave my DS one of her pins -- no urging from mom, completely on her own. He refuses to trade it to this day, but that girl inspired a love of pin trading and also the spirit of giving them to others sometimes.

 

[DVC Jen]

Stories like yours make my heart swell

ditto!

 

[Q-man]

We give our fast passes away when they don't end up fitting our schedule. The kids take turns picking who out of the crowd they want to give them to. People are so thankful.

 

[Starclassic]

Great story! And cute pin!

 

[stindall]

I love that about Disney - that was so nice!

We had something similar happen on our first trip; it was our first bus ride to a park and we were chatting with a mom and her 2 girls. We had no idea what pin trading was all about and one of the two little girls gave my DS one of her pins -- no urging from mom, completely on her own. He refuses to trade it to this day, but that girl inspired a love of pin trading and also the spirit of giving them to others sometimes.

Awww that's so sweet! I kind of want to get into pin trading but I would never trade this one!

We give our fast passes away when they don't end up fitting our schedule. The kids take turns picking who out of the crowd they want to give them to. People are so thankful.

That's so thoughtful! Love it!

 

[jalaine]

We have a kind of similar story Our last trip, my 7 yr. old daughter had just reeeeallly gotten into Stitch! We were at Mouse Gears one day and the CM at the register had a big stuffed Mickey wearing a vest with pins all over it. I saw one of the small "cutie" Stitch pins on it, but she and my husband were somewhere else in the store with her lanyard, so I didn't have anything to trade for it.

I asked the CM to please hold on to it for a bit while I went off in search of her (explaining how much she would just LOVE that pin) so she could trade for it. There was a younger man in line right behind us with a lanyard full of pins and he said "here, I'll trade one of mine for it and you can take it for your daughter." It was so, so sweet and kind of him! I thanked him profusely and when I found my daughter, she was so thrilled with it!

I saw him from afar later that day and pointed him out to my dd as the nice man who got Stitch for her

 

[tony609]

Last year I saw a CM with a Duffy pin I wanted. I was carrying my pins in a baggy , I was tired of wearing my lanyard. I went into my bag and realized I forgot my pins in the hotel. I said oh well and the CM gave it to me anyway. I was Sooo happy.

 

[sdzta]

We give our fast passes away when they don't end up fitting our schedule. The kids take turns picking who out of the crowd they want to give them to. People are so thankful.

We do the same.
We have also been on the receiving end many times.

 

[capecodprincess]

I love this stuff! I really feel that the thing with Disney magic is, it feels so good to be part of it (doesn't matter if you are on the giving end or the receiving) why not just help spread the magic. I try to do little things every trip (give up bus seats, fastpasses, whatever comes up). My favorite though was the trip I took my 8 year old sister on. I made her an appt at Bbb and for the rest of the day people who saw her called her princess. When I was putting her to bed that night, she told me that "Disney magic was real. It doesnt matter if the costumed characters are real or not because they are there to make disney magic real.". She continued "disney magic is what I felt every time someone called me princess today. I really felt like a princess. For the rest of the trip she said "hello princess" to every little Bbb girl she saw.

 

[yankeepenny]

I too give fast passes away. I also give the fruit/veggie sticks from counter service meals to moms and dads.

Leftover unopened drink bottles at the end fo the trip I give to whomever walks past the door. (i usually have one or two)

The thanks is enough.

I like to pay it forward.

one time, in the ladies room, i needed change for a dollar(you know, lady stuff) I asked if anyone had change, and someone said here- and would not take the dollar, but gave me the quarters!