It's a Small World - who have you run into at WDW?

[cheriemek]

Have you ever run into a friend/neighbor/relative at WDW whom you didn't know would be there? It has happened to me twice. One was a very beloved teacher that two of my kids had. My extended family was on a bus back to POR after MK fireworks and we were pretty loud. I heard someone call our last name, and it was the teacher with her mom and two kids. The whole family was excited to see her. I knew she loved Disney - she had gotten a job teaching at Celebration some years earlier, but came back to Buffalo, NY because it was too, um, Stepford Wives for her! The second was a co-worker. I was at Disney Studios by myself when I heard my name being called. I stopped and spoke to him and his wife for about 20 minutes - I had no idea he was a Disney fanatic!

 

[kymom99]

Actually I never have, but a friend from work was there at the same time as us on our first trip. We never ran into them and we never managed to meet up.

 

[Mac4life30]

I have run into co workers and one time a cousin

 

[MacClemsons]

Have run into childhood friend and a sorority sister (15 years after college). Childhood friend was fittingly there for Long List Friends week this year. Saw her in line at Robin Hood. Ran into sorority sister in Animation courtyard in 2009. Granted I did know both would be at WDW because of Facebook so I knew to keep my eyes open. But, we had not planned meeting up.

 

[1osfan]

I am a high school math teacher with 17 teachers in my department. During our first trip, four members of my department were all there at the same time. I only ran into one - we were staying at the same hotel.

During the same trip, while staying at POP, my kids played with two other children about their age at the hotel one day. The family was from England and the kids had a blast together. We went our separate ways, but ran into them again the next morning on our way to an early ADR at CRT. They were going there as well. During the remainder of the week, we ran into them two other days at different parks. We didn't know them previously, but we thought it was so crazy seeing the same family that many times that week.

 

[MommytoCaitlyn]

This wasn't at Disney but it's still funny. My DH and I were in a cafe in Siena, Italy when all of a sudden my DH ran out of the coffee shop without saying a word. I looked out the window to see him talking to someone. I walked outside, and it was a good, old friend of my DH's! We didn't know he was going to be in Italy the same time as us, and he apparently had no idea we were going there either! It ended up being quite the treat since he spoke fluent Italian and we were getting by speaking none. He is also an art history professor so he took us on a tour of a museum and really explained several paintings to us, then treated us to an amazing dinner. He also gave us the "low down" on some amazing small restaurants to try and things to do. It was a great time!

 

[forever11709]

I have run into people from the soccer community in Disney a couple times but my weirdest meet up was on spring break my senior year, our whole class had gone to Cancun except me and my best friend, we went on a cruise. Well while in the Cayman Islands we happen to run into another girl from our senior class. We were on separate cruises so it was extra weird. Also my BIL and SIL just got home from their honeymoon and while at Atlantis in the bahAmas they ran into her boss!

 

[rosemom1313]

We were there in jan. My dd ran into a friend from her girlscout troop in Hollywood Studios. In 2010 we ran into dh's coworker in chef mickeys. Didn't know either would be there.

In high school, I was in France and ran into my English teacher in the Louvre.

 

[RachaelA]

I was in line in front of a guy that looked familiar at Epcot. We both kept looking at each other and then finally he goes "Kent?" (Where I was in school) and I was like "Yeah" and he's like "STARBUCKS!" I worked at Starbucks and he was a frequent customer there.

DH ran into a district manager he knew from his company when we were at AK one day.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I ran into my former French teacher, where else but France in Epcot! Seriously!

My DS16 ran into one of his classmates who happened to also be a student of mine. They were at Disney Quest, but I hadn't tagged along.

My DH who is also a teacher has run into several of his students and one of his colleagues.

I ran into my allergist. We spent several minutes catching up while in line for BTMRR at a Halloween party.

 

[acourtwdw]

We were standing on Main Street and my sister said, "I think that guy is trying to get your attention. He was yelling your name." It was a former co worker that I had worked with years before.

Once on a cruise to the Bahamas, I ran into someone I went to school with. She was on the same cruise as us but it was a big ship. We didn't know they were on board until we were disembarking for an excursion.

 

[Ds4angels]

Well we didn't really know this guy, but the photo pass photographer was from MD and we joked about how he was our neighbor to the south, b/c we live in PA. Turns out he camps the same week we do at an attraction in the middle of PA. So he said to look him up, he camps 2 rows down from us. Small world (just the nicest guy)

 

[Neesy228]

Several years ago we got into line for the teacups -- only to see our next door neighbors (that we are not particularly close to) standing in line right in front of us! Awkward conversation followed, until we got on the ride and went our separate ways.

 

[ajcrusher]

In October my husband & I were in line at Small World & saw my third cousin with his wife, kids & grandkids. We had no idea they were there. We only got to chat for a second as the line was moving. We didn't see them again on the trip.

 

[Samar]

We ran into our across the street neighbors twice at separate times! My husband ran into them earlier in the day at DHS with my older 2 kids and I ran into them with my youngest when we went to see Fantasmic! I was a late arrival and when I saw a familiar profile coming past me on the steps, I was like "PSSSTTTTTTTTTTT NAMEEEEEEE" It was quite funny since we were supposed to do DHS a day earlier but TS Isaac changed our plans

 

[luvgoing2disney]

One trip we ran into a family whose son was taking Tae Kwon Do classes with our son. Another time the son of our church secretary recognized us and came over to talk Before one trip I had been reading a random blog of someone in the DCP who has posted pictures of herself and her boyfriend--who was also on DCP. He was working the a train stop in AK one day and I recognized him. I think he was a little surprised and maybe freaked to be recognized from the blog!

 

[purpledisneyprncess]

I ran into a girl from my H/S both last year and the year before. She is a CM at Magic Kingdom, but didn't know she moved down to FL until I saw her there. Funny that I saw this thread, because tonight I was just talking with her through facebook,saying I was going back in 2 weeks and maybe I would run into her again... but, she is having her baby about the time I will be in DW.

 

[purpledisneyprncess]

Oh and forgot to add, the last time I ran into this girl, it was at "It's a small world ride"

 

[MomofKatie]

We ran into our neighbors at AK in 2010. They live 3 doors down from us and have 3 kids, one of whom was in the same grade as our DD. Neither of us knew the others were going the same week to WDW.

2 years later, this past November, our next door neighbors were in WDW the same dates we were. They stayed at the All Star Sports resort and we were at All Star Music. We saw them at Epcot one day. We knew a few months beforehand that they were going- the mom is as big a Disney freak as me, and is a DISer, too. When the Free Dining for later fall offer came out, we each booked the same week.

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

Good One "Purple" !

Our last visit May 2012.... DH, myself, Teens x 4 sat through HDDR.... when the show was almost over...

I guess they have this song or something... "where are you from"....

We were SO surprised.... the table RIGHT next to us was from Louisiana !

Wait... Then we found out .... they were from Baton Rouge !

..... uh.... Wait.... then we found out.... they live in our neighborhood... about a street away !

LOL... we exchanged information but never contacted them... Hmm... we should look for those names !

Hugs
mary