My Favorite Disney Things: The People You Meet

We started a series a while back about our Favorite Disney Things. It was a fun way for all of us at The Affordable Mouse to share some of the things that we just LOVE about our favorite place to be…..and I would like to add a new one today. 🙂

I was trying to explain to someone the other day exactly WHY we go back to Disney again and again. As I shared how friendly people are when there… I realized that this is truly one of my favorite Disney things!

Yes, I know there are a lot of folks that are clearly not having a magical day while they are at Disney. But by and large, I really think that those people are the exception. In my experience, most people are the opposite….they are warm, friendly and helpful. In fact, I have honestly not ever found another place where the vast majority of people are just so…..happy. And I’m not talking about just the castmembers either, although they are a very special group of people.

I am talking about the people that you strike up a conversation with while waiting in line. You know, we’ve met some pretty cool people by just asking the simple question: “Where are you from?” We waited in the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad line once with an Imagineer and his young daughter, who were just spending a Sunday afternoon like you or I would, visiting Disney World. What a really nice guy….and what great stories he had to share! I love meeting people this way, and honestly, it makes waiting in line go a lot quicker.

I am also talking about the people that you chat with on the buses at the end of the day. I know I know, there are some pretty hot, cranky, sweaty people at this point each night. But there are also some really nice people, adults as well as teens, who are quick to give up their seat for a mom who has a sleeping child in her arms.

And I am also talking about the folks who jump in to do “random acts of kindness” whether it is giving away a FastPass that they aren’t going to use, or offering to take a group picture for a family, or giving up a seat waiting for the parade so that a little one can be up front for a good view.

Having lived near major cities my entire life, I grew up learning “not to talk to strangers” but at Disney, people look each other in the eye, smile, and say “good morning” or wish one another a Happy Birthday, or congratulate newlyweds. I realize that it’s a different situation….but that is actually my point. It IS different from the life that most of us live, and that is truly one of the things I love about Disney! You don’t walk around worrying about strangers at Disney: everyone else is just another Disney friend.

I’m not entirely sure why this is, but I guess that Disney magic just brings out the best in most people…..and to me, that’s one of the most magical things that Disney does.

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My Favorite Disney Things: Bird’s Favorite Things are the Feelings

My favorite Disney things, eh? That should be pretty easy… except it’s not. I’m not sure I could tell you what my favorite ride is or my favorite restaurant, because there are something I LOVE about each one of them so far. For instance, if you’d ask what my favorite roller coaster was, I might say I love Space Mountain for the thrills and fun of not seeing the next turn or drop coming. But in my heart my favorite would have to be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad because not only was it my first roller coaster, but this past May I also got to share the “first roller coaster” experience with my daughter, who also just loved it! Oh, and Rockin’ Roller Coaster- soo fun! How can you pick your favorites? There’s so much to love! But, there’s no article in that, so I had to keep thinking, “What are my favorite things at Disney?” I thought and thought and the things that kept coming to mind weren’t necessarily things but feelings, so I kept dismissing them and continued to think…

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