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Niwel
03-15-2007, 08:59 AM
Just curious who on here has ever helped out fellow guests at the resort...

A few weeks ago my fiance and I bought a locker on Main Street. We ended up leaving the park at 6 -- but noticed there was no way to "inform" the locker that you are done with it. We were going to take our locker code to City Hall so they could give it to someone. But the line was really long and we realized they would never do that because they want to make money off the lockers.
So we decided to give it to one lucky person entering the park. We saw a woman -- in her late 50s/early 60s enter the park with some shopping bags. My fiance asked her if she was going to get a locker. She said she would try to, but that they are usually full at night. So he said: "this is your lucky day" and gave her our print-out code and told her where she could find the locker.
(She said the locker number was her son's birthday or something).
Anywhoo -- we felt really good that we could do something to help someone else.

Anyone else have a story to share?

samsma
03-15-2007, 09:06 AM
On our last trip the park was pretty packed, and we were loading up on fast passes in the AM and using them later. A few different days, after enjoying all we could before crashing, we had space mountain passes, and another day Indiana Jones passes. We had a group of three, so we searched for similar on our way to the shuttle busses, and gave them our fast passes. Nothing really big, but a nice treat(especially since Space Mountain fastpasses were all gone by 2:00pm).

Andrew
03-15-2007, 09:14 AM
We often give FastPasses we aren't going to be able to use to guests entering the park as we leave.

Malcon10t
03-15-2007, 09:27 AM
We had bought an extra "Kids play Free" ticket last year (kid didn't come) and gave it to a lady with 4 kids waiting for 2 day tickets (it was a 3 day.)

I sent someone on here the lanyard coupons I had for her kids to start their pin trading collection. Gave each kid 2 pins to start with.

olegc
03-15-2007, 11:23 AM
I ALWAYS stop and try to help people with their photos. I hate in when I am never in my own shots with my family. This is one of the biggest smile generators at the park. I feel good about it...

ima_mickeyfan
03-15-2007, 01:34 PM
We had bought an extra "Kids play Free" ticket last year (kid didn't come) and gave it to a lady with 4 kids waiting for 2 day tickets (it was a 3 day.)

I sent someone on here the lanyard coupons I had for her kids to start their pin trading collection. Gave each kid 2 pins to start with.

THAT WAS ME!!! boy, I sure hoped I thanked you for that:eek:
the children loved their pin trading, infact they really didn't want to give them up!!

missm
03-15-2007, 01:46 PM
I ALWAYS stop and try to help people with their photos. I hate in when I am never in my own shots with my family. This is one of the biggest smile generators at the park. I feel good about it...

That is what I do too! Whenever I go I like to spend some alone time and I always end up in the courtyard (the name is escaping me right now) in NOS and I offer everyone coming in to take pics to do it for them.

On a different note, I am a meter feeder. If I find someones parking meter expired I put some change in.

LostBoy02
03-15-2007, 02:53 PM
It really is a SMALL WORLD ;), sorry couldnt resist mickeyfan.

Anyways, my fiance and I always do our best to make sure that we allow children in front of us for parades/fantasmic/fireworks etc. I think that when youre in the happiest place on earth things like that just come as second nature.

alexandrasmom
03-15-2007, 03:11 PM
Well, my huge diaper bag came in handy a few weeks ago... I gave someone sunscreen and then I gave a spiderman bandaid to a crying girl who scraped her knee.

Malcon10t
03-15-2007, 04:27 PM
THAT WAS ME!!! boy, I sure hoped I thanked you for that:eek:
the children loved their pin trading, infact they really didn't want to give them up!!
You did. I'm glad to hear they enjoyed. I love watching kids pin trade.

samsma
03-15-2007, 04:36 PM
We also had a nice family give us a package of Kleenex travel size from their diaper bag. My DD had decided she needed to run to the bathroom, and since it was just down the bridge at DCA off she went. Wel she landed flat on her front, skidding her knee and hands. They saw what happened, and helped us out after I sent DH for napkins. We already had bandaids. Their help was greatly appreciated, and know I wil always carry them, and be ready to help someone else out.

rentayenta
03-15-2007, 05:18 PM
We often give FastPasses we aren't going to be able to use to guests entering the park as we leave.


We do this too. We have also given away days that we had left on our Hoppers. Yes, we know they are not transferable but they were paid for I we were just fine with helping someone out! ;) There was NO way I could throw that money away!

Mushka
03-15-2007, 06:09 PM
On my very first day at Disneyland EVER, this fall, a VERY nice lady noticed that I had a "1st time" badge, and gave me a totally cool piglet pin, and a scamp pin for my husband. It was sooooooo sweet of her. We "paid it forward" - we bought a couple of pins to give to some kids that we saw and WOW - those kids were thrilled. I loved being part of the Disney Magic.

Karin
03-15-2007, 06:13 PM
We do Niwel's idea, too, of giving the locker to someone when we're leaving early. We usually find someone walking into the locker room and ask if they are jst coming in for the first time and if yes, then we give it to them.


We often give FastPasses we aren't going to be able to use to guests entering the park as we leave.

We did this last weekend (or was it 2 weekends ago). We had 4 FP for Space for 6:45 and were leaving at like 3:30 or something. Stopped a family of 4 and asked them if they'd like them and their faces lit up and smiles abounded! It was nice!

I like to offer DH's professional camera skills when we see a couple taking pictures of each other to see if they want one together.

Drince88
03-15-2007, 06:24 PM
I will often offer to take pictures for others, particularly if I'm by myself that trip. I also have been known to do the fastpass re-distribution. And let kids in front of us for parades - AND make sure they get back to their parents safely if we're in between them (sometimes, if they're shorter parents, they get to go in front of us too!)

But my favorite Pay It Forward was at Animal Kingdom - I ended up going on Triceratops Spin (Prehistoric Dumbo) first thing in the morning, and got a Dream Fastpass. My day was already very full, and the only time I had for rides was between rope drop and 10:00, so there was no way I could use the FP. The entire ride, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with it. As I'm exiting, one family that rode with me is telling Dad that he needed to go ride so he could get a FP (it was a slow morning, there was no line, and they were still giving them out). He wasn't all that interested, so he solved my problem of what I'd do with my dream fastpass!

Karin
03-15-2007, 06:55 PM
Oh, and I've given a child the stuffed toy DH has won me (with his permission, of course) on Whack-a-Mole. I would have 3 otherwise at this point. The other 2 have since gone to Goodwill, again, with his permission.

Don't flame me! They were fair-sized leopard print dinosaurs with their mouths wide open, not the sort of cute, cuddly stuffed animal a gal wants to hang onto cuz her guy won it for her! Is it my fault that Whack-a-Mole is the only carnival game he'll compete in?

Niwel
03-15-2007, 07:11 PM
Oh, and I've given a child the stuffed toy DH has won me (with his permission, of course) on Whack-a-Mole.


I did something similar -- I won a pink dolphin on a saturday night before MA a few years ago. My cousin and I were sitting waiting for the electrical parade to start in PP and there was a sweet little girl next to me. The last thing I needed was another stuffed animal... so I asked her mother if I could give it to her... the little girl's eyes lit up and she hugged that dolphin for the whole parade.

ThemeParkAddictOfOC
03-16-2007, 12:09 AM
After listening to the teenagers behind me in line at Conestoga Fries try to figure out if they had enough money to get fries and a drink, I just added two more orders of fries to my order and handed them over to them when we were done at the window.
I like to give out my FP's too if I don't need them.
That same day, some nice park guest gave my DD a pin to trade since she was waiting so patiently for me at one of the stores.

geoffa
03-16-2007, 12:25 AM
I ALWAYS stop and try to help people with their photos. I hate in when I am never in my own shots with my family. This is one of the biggest smile generators at the park. I feel good about it...

We operate a "If you take one of us, we'll take one of you" policy. Nothing worse if there are members of your party who aren't all in a photo. Don't forget too that the official photographers will always take one of you with your own camera if you ask.

RStar
03-16-2007, 06:08 AM
My brother and I were at Disneyland at Christmas time, and were were getting a refill of our coffee at the market House. It was close to the start of the parade, and we entered the door on the Main Street side, not noticing that there was a line on the other side of the store wrapped around the Franklin stove. When the CM walked up to use and took our cups the guy that was next in line was furious. He yelled at the CM, threw a few boxes of candy at her, asked her name, and said he was going to complain about her at City Hall. At first I was shocked, but then realized he'd been waiting a long time and we inadvertantly cut in line.

I asked the CM to quickly scan the candy, and I raced out to find the guy (as my brother paid). He was heading back to his family waiting on Main Street for the parade. I handed him the candy, and apoligized for cutting in line and explained to him what happened, and that as busiy as the store was the CM probably didn't see me come in the door. I handed him the candy and told him and his family to have a Merry Christmas.

shamrockshake
03-16-2007, 09:07 AM
One extremely warm sept day in California Adventure, right near the stage by the muppet movie, my daughter had a melt down. She was around 2 years old, hot, tired and cranky. Unfortunately my husband was doing TOT AND had the money, so I could not buy her a drink. Luckily a nice family offered me one of their juice boxes. ( I am so grateful to this family!) Kaylee clamed down, drank her juice box, ( which is a treat, she normally only drank water and milk at the time)

Now I know to offer anything to a parent if needed to help a kid. Even in the happiest place on earth, kids can have meltdowns.

I have offered diapers to folks who have run out. But still have not done something so wonderful like the folks who helped my daughter.

Leap for Joy
03-16-2007, 09:11 AM
When DH & I were at DL during Christmas break, we saw a very confused father & daughter trying to decide about fastpasses for Big Thunder. It was late morning and they hadn't ridden anything yet. We helped them understand how to use the fastpass distribution machine, but then we felt bad because we should have directed them to get fastpasses for something else. As they walked away we had one of those rare moments when we knew what the other was thinking without saying a word. We chased after them and gave them our entire fastpass accumulation: Space, Indy, and Splash. It was amazingly fun!

ghoofie
03-16-2007, 10:02 AM
Let see...

1) We've also given away FP.

2) During parades and fireworks I always let little kids
get in front us if it helps their viewing.

3) Once, there was a lady sitting in a bench waiting for the fireworks. We were sitting behind her, leaning backwards against the bench, then would stand behind the bench when the fireworks started. So, couple of CM's came by and told the lady and her group (all on the bench) that they have to move the bench for traffic reasons. So after making a big stink, the lady was arguing with the CM...she said this is MY bench. So they moved it a ways over and the lady followed them and promptly sat her group on the bench. A few minutes later... some different CM's moved a different bench right to where we were still sitting..the same place. So we sat on the bench.
That lady came running over and started screaming for us to get off of her bench.. she even signaled her group at the other bench to come over and take over "THEIR" bench back. I explained to the lady that HER bench got moved. My wife told me to be nice, so we gave the lady HER bench back.
BUT ..as Karma would happen...as soon as the fireworks started, people walking by stopped right in front of her and they couldn't see. They had to stand up and they walked away looking for a better view... so I got a good laugh in return for it all. That was kinda pay it forward I guess.

ESS Heckler
03-16-2007, 10:34 AM
We always make sure that people who look befuddled at the FP machines get a quick "FP101" class. We make sure they know all the tricks that us 'geeks' know. Sometimes I worry that we overwhelm them with too much information.

I always carry a couple of packets of moist towlettes in my backpack - I can't tell you how many mothers have thanked me for those after their child has consumed a cotton candy or a carmel apple.

During the Halloween events, at Woody's Round-up, you could buy a box with a special cupcake in it that had icing and different things to help decorate your 'monster cake'. There was a single mother there with three kids, and all three kids were trying to share decorating one cupcake. You can imagine how well that was going. I went to the counter, bought two more cupcake boxes, gave them to the mom with some lame excuse about not having time to sit down and finish them and walked off before she could say anything.

I have given away more pins than I have ever traded. I love to give pins to kids who are not having much fun at the "Happiest Place on Earth". It can really turn their whole day around.

I LOVE the idea of giving away your locker to someone else, but since we're usually there till closing time, that probably wouldn't work for us.

Keep these great ideas coming! This is a GREAT thread.......

Mark Mywords
03-16-2007, 10:48 AM
We've given away our dream fastpasses on one of our trips. The people we gave them to were sooo happy!