A question for parents

[specialkk77]

I'll be the odd duck out and say that I, initially, would find this bizarre. I think, however, after a few days of Disney magic and vacation decompression, my attitude may be different.

see, that's the reaction i would expect. I know in this crazy world it's hard to trust people's intentions, especially if you have children. I never used to branch out to people I didn't know, but after working retail, it's easier to talk to strangers, lol. I just thought it would be a nice touch for parents and kids alike!

 

[cattywampus]

Here's the nuance. If it flows naturally and isn't over the top, it's great. If it feels too planned and/or too much about the adult "spreading magic", it's weird and feel like some are trying to be CMs when they are not.

If you are with your children and naturally include others around you with glow sticks, etc, good. If you appear at the parade route with no kids and suddenly pull out Mary Poppins bag with toys that you planned weeks in advance and start playing with kids you don't know, it feels contrived and would make me uncomfortable. I'm not saying you have to have kids, but things start to stack and look obvious that you planned ahead to do this, which may concern parents (unfortunately, we have to be a bit suspicious of stranger motivations).

I was at DLR last week with my little one who fell asleep in stroller on way back to hotel. I took my glow bracelets off and handed them to the parents of two little girls on our way out and kept walking. I also gave away Space Mountain FP to a couple that had been standing next to during fireworks. All seemed natural and appreciated but I also didn't stay around to "watch them" enjoy the items and, in the case of glow bracelets was "parent to parent" with a sleeping child headed out of park. Had there been kids around us when we started using glow sticks, I would have definitely shared and it would have felt normal.

On an extremely hot day, I also noticed an obviously overheated older gentleman who took a seat on the bench next to me. As we were leaving, I handed him a chilled bottle of water from my stroller saying simply "here's an unopened bottle of water". He was pleasantly surprised snd thankful and I smiled and just said "enjoy" and kept walking. Again, I didn't stay to watch him drink it or get fawned over in appreciation. I just left him in peace, in a little bit better shape than I found him. It actually turned out to be a great lesson for my little one who commented on it hours later. I was able to make the point that small kindnesses go a long way toward making the world better and was glad he saw that I wanted nothing in return. I had something that could benefit someone else and shared it without a big deal.

I think that's the big difference to me -- kindness without a big deal. Unplanned, naturally occurring kindness with no expectation of participation in their enjoyment is spectacular. Packing extras in case, is great. The rest can be a little weird.

YMMV.

 

[set1208]

I have four kids and as a mom, I've always been very grateful and appreciative any time someone hands my child a gift. Food might be weird, but not a glow stick. Do it!

 

[Fantastic4]

I think this world needs more kind people like you!

 

[specialkk77]

I think this world needs more kind people like you!

Aw, thanks. I'm just an average person though, lol. I figured it would be common for people to share kindness in the parks

 

[smiths02]

I am assuming you are a female? I don't want to be sexist or anything, but that makes a difference. If you are a female, it is less "creepy." Also, if you approach the parent first, I don't find it creepy. However, don't let it ruin your day if you get a few snippy reactions.

[I had free local zoo passes (I had a membership that came with guest passes that we never used), so I was standing by the entrance trying to give them away and got a few nice responses, and a few looks like I was creepy or trying to scam someone (I had my son with me), and finally someone took them and was appreciative.]

 

[hannouz4]

WE are leaving in 3 weeks and I am encouraging my daughter to do things like this. I have bought extra glow sticks and disney stickers for her to share. She is 7 and I want to encourage her to think of others she is at the age where it is "me me me" so I was hoping to have her pass something to someone she saw had on a birthday button or something or share with kids while waiting for parade and fireworks. Just to get her to think of others once a day. I like the idea of asking parents I will make sure we do that.

 

[robndani]

We had two nice ladies give our kids pins on the bus to MK. They were so cute that I didn't have the heart to tell them one of the backs was missing and that my two year old twins wouldn't be trading them that day! It was so sweet! I also agree with the give and move on point! Lingering would seem weird to me. We also are brining a few extra glo sticks and Disney stickers for our kids (now almost 5) to hand out!

Enjoy your trip and thanks for being nice!!!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Yes to glow sticks, no to everything else, especially the confetti. Too messy. Stickers are handed out like candy by every CM you see.

Also, since you don't have kids, I'm just going to warn you...don't necessarily expect gratitude from every child you try to offer something to. My 4 year old says, "NO THANKS!" to a lot of things that are offered to him by randoms. Like I hate it when the TSA goes out of their way to offer my kids badge stickers and they're like, "Yeah, no thanks." I promise they're not ungrateful jerks, they're just not that into stickers.

 

[ktlm]

As a parent, I would think it was sweet. I agree with the others that say no food- I would not let DD eat anything a stranger handed her. My DD would go nuts over a glow stick, and the reaction would have been the same when she was little. You would be her new best friend! She is 8 now, and she has been known to pull a pin off her lanyard if a smaller child is admiring it in the parks and give it to the child. She gave away 4 or 5 of her own pins on our trip to DL this summer. I think she learned that because when she was little we had a couple of times that off duty CMs gave her a pin in the parks and she loved it. She still remembers Grandpa Smiley who gave her her very first pin at Mama Melrose- she was either 2 or 3 at the time. I think that is why she passes the love on! You would be surprised at the impact a simple gesture like you are contemplating could have on a child.

As far as stickers, as others have said sometimes the CMs can go overboard handing out stickers. When DD was 2 or 3 and running around in a princess dress, it seemed like CMs were handing her stickers everywhere she went to the point where she finally got stickered out and started saying "No thank you" when they offered them. Some kids will probably go nuts if you give them a sticker, others may have just been given stickers from 10 different CMs and may turn you down. Even so, it is a very very sweet gesture!