One of the reasons that Nancy & I started JHM's monthly
newsletter is that we wanted to be able to share some of the more special items
that sometimes come our way.
Take — for example — this e-mail from Wendy W. Who
recently read that article I wrote a few years back about what it was like to
be at Walt Disney World on September
11, 2001 and then decided …
… to share a little something with you. My husband and I
were there with our then-3 year-old son. We had arrived the day before and
having done all my homework before, we knew exactly what to do and when.
On that Tuesday morning, we were in Animal Kingdom. We had
done the safari and a few other attractions when we stopped for a restroom
break. While in the bathroom, I heard
THE announcement. "Due to circumstances beyond our control, the
park is now closed." Well, being (at that particular theme park) and then
hearing that announcement, I had only one conclusion: an animal must have
gotten loose! Oh no! But then upon
leaving the bathroom, we started to get information from people all around us
about what was really going on.
I have to say that people were calm and caring. We were
pushed out to the bus lines and the lines were long. People were offering small children drinks
from their own bags, ushering those who needed shade to shady areas and just
keeping a sense of calm around.
We spent the afternoon in our hotel room napping and taking
it all in.
Wendy and her son in the lobby of the All-Star with Buzz & Woody on 9/11
That evening we ventured out of our room and there is where
we had the MOST incredible experience. You see, our son was a huge Toy Story
fan and we were planning to see (those characters in the park) the next
day. At this point we didn't know if
that would even be possible. And then it happened. We turned the corner in our
lobby and there in front of us was Buzz and Woody! Our son did not understand
anything that was happening that day and he knew the next day was Woody day.
But for him to get a visit in HIS hotel from Buzz and Woody made his day. They
were there to see HIM.
With tears running down my face we took several pictures and
enjoyed this special moment with our son. It is the part of the story that he
still remembers and will never forget.
By the way, we still have our tear-off tickets that were
passed out. We have been debating whether to use them or save them as part of
our story.
We will be going back to Disney for the first time since
that trip this coming February when our son — now 16 — will be marching down
Main Street with his high school band.
It will be another magical moment for all of us.
Isn't that a great story? Thanks again to Wendy W. for
sharing that memory and especially that photo of her son & Woody and Buzz in
the lobby at Disney's All-Star.
If you'd like to be the first to see Jim Hill stories like this, we invite you to subscribe to our monthly Newsletter "The Rest and the Best".