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3 Girls eating at Epcot Food and Wine Fest

‘Tis better to give than to receive. Studies have proven that the happiest people in the world are givers—those people who, even on vacation, are always looking for opportunities to bless others just as they have been blessed. When we’re at a place like Walt Disney World, it’s easy to become a little self-focused. It’s a time when families might be looking for relief from stress at work and the bustle of day-to-day life at a place where we can just sit back, eat some delicious food, ride some fun rides, and enjoy ourselves in the Most Magical Place on Earth.

We’ve talked before on Theme Park Tourist about the best people you meet at Walt Disney World, from kindly grandmothers giving away stickers to Cast Members who are always looking for opportunities to make guests’ days a little brighter. Want to take the magic a step further? We found six ways you can pay the love forward at Walt Disney World and make someone else’s day magical.

1. Give up your seat

Monorail passing over Epcot

Our readers usually have a very vocal response on social media when we mention this one, for good reason. Shouldn’t giving up a seat on a Disney bus or the monorail for the elderly or pregnant women be common courtesy? There’s even signs asking people to do it.

Many an expectant mom and disabled visitors has learned that sadly, this isn’t always the case on Disney transportation. The problem is people are often so focused on their own business (or phones) that we fail to look up and even notice that another guest might desperately need a seat. Maybe we mean well, looking around to see if anyone else is going to step up and do the deed.

Want to become one of the best people you meet at Walt Disney World? Practice being that person who offers to give up their seat.

There’s something rather fun about looking for opportunities to be courteous, and it doesn’t have to stop with just looking to see if anyone elderly or pregnant boards the bus. Maybe it’s the single dad whose little girl fell asleep on his shoulder or the mom juggling three boys. Maybe it’s the young couple who were just married. Even just offering can make someone’s world a little brighter.

Giving up your seat sometimes doesn’t just have to stop on Disney busses, monorails, and friendship boats. Score a really good seat on an attraction that you’ve ridden tons of times? You can offer to switch places with a family who has a small child bursting with excitement to ride the first time. At quick service restaurants, you can flag down patrons searching for a seat and give them your table. No attraction can simulate the joy of showing genuine kindness to another person and giving up your seat is one of the easiest ways to do it.

2. Become pin trading Santa Claus

Walt Disney World Pin Trading Sign

Pin trading is seriously one of the most addicting activities ever at Walt Disney World. The thrill of the hunt for exclusive pins on Cast Member lanyards, bulletin boards, janitor carts, even for a whopping huge album of pins at Guest Services can’t be underestimated. For parents and kids alike, pin trading is a blast.

Not everyone is aware of Walt Disney World pin trading however, even many veteran guests. Once many small kids figure out what pin trading is, they want to get in on the fun. However, Walt Disney World pin trading starter packs are expensive. Indeed, we usually recommend guests buy pins online rather than purchase starter packs directly at Disney to save money. Many parents just don’t have the funds to splurge on their kids getting their first lanyard or pack.

Want to make some kid’s day crazy magical? With some boundaries, you can plan ahead to always have a spare pin lanyard and some basic trader pins on hand. My mother used to keep a pocket of them just in case we ran across a kid on the bus or monorail who saw her pin lanyard and wished they could join the pin trading game. Always check with the little one’s parents first (many kids are taught not to accept gifts from strangers, for good reason), but if they’re okay with it, you can gift them with a lanyard and/or pin or two so that little prince or princess can start trading. Even just giving a kid their first starter pin can be one of the most magical moments they experience at Disney.

 
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