Enriching our vacation through spreading Pixie Dust...ideas?

[Hrhpd]

Post #1

collecting out grown but "new" looking Disney hoodie's and T-shirts, a light up toy no longer used, a Disney plush no longer cherished, etc and searching for the "perfect" kid to give it to)

Page 8, Post #142

They're actually very small little trinkets (with the exception of one T-shirt one time with tags attached that was too small for my daughter when we returned home last trip and Harry Potter wand that is new in box and my oldest daughter never did use or appreciate that she would like to give to someone else at Universal ) Never anything dirty or even used really. (and I shouldn't have listed plushes. That was actually just a mistake of quick typing. I wouldn't accept something so easily dirtied for my own children as well. Gross!).

One can draw their own conclusions.

Not sure how collecting outgrown hoodies and t-shirts is a typing error and it really is one t-shirt with tags on it. But I am not there, so maybe the OP did mistype.

That said, after everything I have heard here about how awful it is to not appreciate somebody shoving an unwanted item at you, I am beginning to think that calling security may be a better choice rather than saying a polite "no thank you" if somebody approaches me with clothing.

 

[Magpie]

Post #1

Page 8, Post #142

One can draw their own conclusions.

Sure, "out grown" doesn't mean it was ever worn. It might still have tags. And a plastic light up toy might be in basically the same shape it was in when it was purchased, depending how much it was played with.

In MY household, toys would get played with until they were destroyed and we wouldn't even donate them to Goodwill. But I had a good friend with a whole heck of a lot of disposable income, whose toy room was overflowing with so many toys... some of them were even still in their boxes! And, once, when I was looking in the closet for a sweater for her daughter, I found a half dozen little girl dresses with tags still on, never worn. Her girl would outgrow things, before she ever got a chance to wear them.

So, while I agree it'd be strange to offer someone a gross, strained, slobbered on toy or shirt, it's also entirely plausible to me that the OP's gifts are, indeed, in as nice condition as she says. Every family is different.

Personally, I think offering a spare Harry Potter wand in its box to a child at Universal is an awesome thing to do. Just donating it to Goodwill wouldn't ensure it finds its way into the hands of anyone who'd appreciate (or even recognize!) it, and I'm absolutely positive the OP made someone's day with that particular gift. We have three of those things on a shelf in our library, and the kids I tutor are always agog over them. Especially when I tell them they actually work in Universal.

Finally, does the OP *really* deserve to be crucified over this? No one yet has shown up to complain that their vacation was ruined because someone gave their kid *anything*, much less a gently used toy.

 

[hiroMYhero]

@Magpie, you must have missed this post by jtowntoflorida and the linked thread:

My daughter was once the recipient of "pixie dust" in the form of a rather unique used toy (a porcelain doll) from a stranger. We accepted it politely even though I found the situation to be strange. 15ish months later, a post like this popped up on the DIS. I read through it and discovered that our pixie duster was on the DIS and had posted about her experience with spreading joy at Disney. As it turns out, according to what she posted, she targeted us because we looked poor to her and she thought we couldn't afford to buy any souvenirs.

You can see how that turned out here:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/pixie-dusting-adults.3277421/page-4#post-51443139

Just be polite to other guests. Don't take your used stuff to give away at Disney. There are other ways to teach your children compassion.

 

[Magpie]

@Magpie, you must have missed this post by jtowntoflorida and the linked thread:

I did indeed miss that! That's an unfortunate mess. However, I wouldn't want to tar this OP with that one's brush.

It seems to me that the person who gave the doll away because she thought that other guest looked "poor" was operating from much the same paradigm as the folks who object to the OP giving away toys. She's thinking that a gift is the same thing as an act of charity and that the recipient must be somehow needy or "lesser" than herself. Which is nonsense. It's entirely possible to spread "pixie dust" (such as giving away the unwanted Harry Potter wand) without demeaning the recipient or being obnoxious about it.

I gave a random family my entire stack of (used!) Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards on my way out of the Magic Kingdom last trip. I'd deliberately brought them with me planning (with malice aforethought ) to give them away. I went to the Firehouse and looked around. I spotted a dad with some boys in line, saying, "I don't know what this is, but we can check it out..." And I walked up to him and said, "It's a card game! Here, you can have my cards. We're heading home today." And his kids' eyes got big and round and Dad said, "Are you sure!?" "Yeah," I said, "They're all yours. The nice lady up there will explain how to play." And off I went, feeling pretty darn happy. They seemed happy as well. It was a win win!

 

[Hrhpd]

I know I should just walk away, but I have to ask... was it the OP who started the poll or someone who felt they needed support in attacking her? I'm going to say it again... I don't think the OP was asking for our opinion on what she does (she wasn't asking if she should do it) on her vacations with her stuff. If you are that turned off by it please just say "no, thank you." All of these judgement posts about if you think it is creepy or not is just feeding this thread and not answering the question the OP originally asked, which was: What do you do to spread pixie dust? If the answer is nothing move on!!

In the past my children have shared their extra glow sticks and the extra stickers I used to bring to occupy them. I have bought random people lunches with our extra C/S credits. In the good old days (lol) I used to share fastpasses that we were not going to be able to use.

Whether my children want an item or not, if they are offered it they have been taught to say "Thank you" or "No, thank you" and move on! It's really quite simple.

And there have been numerous suggestions that the best way to spread pixie dust is to do spur of the moment, random acts of kindness such as taking pictures for families, common courtesy and things that don't involve material items. The OP had a great idea of walking through the parks issuing compliments. That is great.

The OP has been very gracious with her responses in acknowledging that giving clothing and used toys may not be as well received as she thinks.

 

[AntJulie]

We gave away the "rider switch" passes that we didn't use at each park when we knew we would not be returning and someone else could still use them.

 

[GPC0321]

That said, after everything I have heard here about how awful it is to not appreciate somebody shoving an unwanted item at you, I am beginning to think that calling security may be a better choice rather than saying a polite "no thank you" if somebody approaches me with clothing.

Oh for goodness sake! Now she's "shoving" stuff at people and it's time to call security??
This thread has gotten absurd.

 

[Hrhpd]

Oh for goodness sake! Now she's "shoving" stuff at people and it's time to call security??
This thread has gotten absurd.

I take it that you are one that loves to give stuff to strangers with your almost militant attitude that people are wrong if they don't appreciate somebody else's self-indulgent behavior.

That post was just a reaction to everybody who has said how horrible you are if you do not appreciate somebody giving crap (yes crap) to your kids solely to make themselves feel good about themselves. People who have said they would not appreciate it have been told on this thread that they are snobs, are wrong for feeling that way, should accept the intrusion politely although some have said that it was ok to say no thank you. Some of the frustrated responses to the fact that people really don't like this kind of stuff done to them makes me wonder about the safety of interacting with these people that have such a need to be part of other people's vacations.

I wouldn't really ever call security, but as I said before, depending on what my child was doing to make them seem like the "perfect child" for 'pixie dust' the person fulfilling their Pixie Dust Fairy fantasy may also not get a completely polite no thank you.

 

[BigAlsGal]

My daughter was once the recipient of "pixie dust" in the form of a rather unique used toy (a porcelain doll) from a stranger. We accepted it politely even though I found the situation to be strange. 15ish months later, a post like this popped up on the DIS. I read through it and discovered that our pixie duster was on the DIS and had posted about her experience with spreading joy at Disney. As it turns out, according to what she posted, she targeted us because we looked poor to her and she thought we couldn't afford to buy any souvenirs.

You can see how that turned out here:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/pixie-dusting-adults.3277421/page-4#post-51443139

Just be polite to other guests. Don't take your used stuff to give away at Disney. There are other ways to teach your children compassion.

Omg I just read through that whole thread. What a hoot!!

Couldn't afford those expensive Disney gizmos.....pfft. People crack me up.

I had something similar happen. (Not at Disney). Years ago our area got hit by a terrible tornado. We got up early and headed out to get breakfast and we drove by a portion of the devistation. Afterwards we went into Cracker Barrel and ate. After we were seated a lady walked up to us and asked "Are you one of the displaced families?" in a most concerned tone. (In her defense I was wearing my pajama bottoms and my 3 year old was wearing his house shoes).

I looked at my DH perplexed because I had no idea what she was talking about. He smiled and explained "Oh no we live on the other side of town."

It was then I realized she thought our frickin house was destroyed by a tornado because of the way we looked!!!!!

We laughed so hard for days!! To this day it is one of my favorite stories.

Displaced families.....bahaha!!!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Instead of giving out toys and clothes at WDW, you should donate them to a shelter either in your own area or in Orlando. Volunteering at Give Kids the World Village would be an awesome way to spread pixie dust.

 

[MouseLovingMom]

I am a child therapist and I usually try to stay away from too much "hippie-dippy therapisty" stuff with my kids, but I have noticed that our trips become more magical and positive when we go out of our way to be positive and spread some kindness...I engage my children (and DH) in coming up with original ideas about how to brighten someone's day in the parks and it has become a ritualized part of our trip(s). We have even taken to "special" acts of kindness (like collecting out grown but "new" looking Disney hoodie's and T-shirts, a light up toy no longer used, a Disney plush no longer cherished, etc and searching for the "perfect" kid to give it to). We save these "special" gestures for when we are tired or cranky or have encountered a "not-so-magical" moment (like line cutters, screaming parents, not getting "picked" for a show, or the rare unfriendly cast-member). It always perks every one up. And just in general throughout the day/night- it has become part of the fun to randomly pass out stickers, glow sticks, or silly bands. To give out random compliments (not in a creepy-stalker way, but in a "You have the coolest T-shirt" or "I heard you singing, you have a great voice" kind of way). We always buy at least one small surprise a day (light up toy, a balloon, etc) and give it away as well. My DD's always save up their spending money and allocate at least $10 for their "kindness fund". They get excited deciding what to buy and who to give it to.

Anyway, this may sound cheesy, but it is so easy to become negative, overwhelmed, overstimulated, self-involved, etc when at Disney (or anywhere I guess), that I like to encourage my kids to think of others and learn how good that makes them feel.

So... anyone else have other ideas to add to the pile? We would love to hear new ideas about how to spread kindness (and make ourselves happier in the bargain). Thanks!

UNLIKE some of the people who chimed in I think ALL your ideas are great ones including gifting Disney inspired gently used clothing. A gift from the the heart is a wonderful thing if its a Disney hoodie that was worn on your previous adventures I would be honored! Just sayin... Lots of great creative ideas. Love it!

 

[Magpie]

Does anyone else here regularly shop at thrift shops/Goodwill/Sally Ann?

Or is it just me?

Because that may be impacting our individual perspectives on the value and desirability of 'gently used' items, somewhat.

To quote the bard:

Limited edition, let's do some simple addition

Fifty dollars for a T-shirt - that's just some ..

I call that getting swindled ...

I call that getting tricked by a business

That shirt's hella dough

And having the same one as six other people in this club is a hella don't



(I'm wearing a cool retro batman tee I found in a thrift shop right this very minute.)

 

[hiroMYhero]

Because that may be impacting our individual perspectives on the value and desirability of 'gently used' items, somewhat.

Bingo, Magpie!

Some frequent Thrift Shops in the hope of finding a gently used treasure to emulate Macklemore. That is their choice to do so.

Visitors in an expensive theme park don't have hopes of coming home with a gently used item given to them by a stranger who wants to enrich her own vacation experience.

Pretty much what has driven this thread by oh, the third post!

 

[MouseLovingMom]

Love thrift shopping! Also shop new and also make things for example my DD's dress pictured on my profile pic here.

 

[Magpie]

Bingo, Magpie!

Some frequent Thrift Shops in the hope of finding a gently used treasure to emulate Macklemore. That is their choice to do so.

Visitors in an expensive theme park don't have hopes of coming home with a gently used item given to them by a stranger who wants to enrich her own vacation experience.

Pretty much what has driven this thread by oh, the third post!

Hey, I wouldn't mind! I don't go hoping for anything other than a good time, but you're welcome to enrich my vacation experience, vis a vis enriching your own. I really don't spend much time second guessing people's motives. There's plenty of magic to go around.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I love thrift store shopping but that's my choice. Heck I might even check out a thrift store in Florida when I am there. There is a huge difference between me choosing to go to a thrift store and some lady walking up to me because my autistic child is having a rough moment and her giving him a used hoodie because she's having a rough day and needs to intrude on someone else to make her feel better.

 

[Smile4Me]

Isn't that just common courtesy, the kind that most people use daily? Should that be reserved for Disney, or called out special for Disney or something? I'm not understanding why visiting Disney requires more than the norm.

It should be common courtesy. Nothing wrong with going out of your way to do a little extra more is there? I think that sometimes people get caught up in their day to day and forget. Nothing wrong with that either. Whether it be at Disney or not. We don't reserve acts of extra kindness for vacation. We do them all year round. Disney simply provides a different environment for it. But I can see where people might be more mindful on vacation- since they are out of their daily routine. Plus Disney creates an atmosphere and environment of magic and happiness that also can inspire others to do extra as well. Nothing wrong with that either. To each their own.

 

[jmccoy18]

We always take our own glow sticks and will hand out any leftover ones to familes around us while waiting for fireworks. I would never take anything extra just to give away, but sharing what we do have with others at the park is an easy thing to do!

 

[cabanafrau]

It should be common courtesy. Nothing wrong with going out of your way to do a little extra more is there? I think that sometimes people get caught up in their day to day and forget. Nothing wrong with that either. Whether it be at Disney or not. We don't reserve acts of extra kindness for vacation. We do them all year round. Disney simply provides a different environment for it. But I can see where people might be more mindful on vacation- since they are out of their daily routine. Plus Disney creates an atmosphere and environment of magic and happiness that also can inspire others to do extra as well. Nothing wrong with that either. To each their own.

I raised this in the poll thread, but I think it merits a mention here as well. I wouldn't enjoy being approached this way, and I think both threads reveal ample evidence that I'm not alone in those feelings. If I were I would hope to have it happen on the move so I could politely decline and keep moving, rather than being stuck in a queue with someone I just had to say, thanks, but no thanks to. IMO it's going to be awkward and leave both parties feeling not so good. I'm certain there will be a response that I should just accept, but why should I have to? I wouldn't enjoy it.

It's not a case of to each his own, it's quite liable to be one sided. Not cool IMO. I think it's far kinder to have guests go about enjoying their days with common courtesy to their fellow guests and the CM's and leave the pixie dusting of tangible forms to the CM's. If the motivation to spread pixie dust is so strong, apply to be a CM.

 

[Smile4Me]

I raised this in the poll thread, but I think it merits a mention here as well. I wouldn't enjoy being approached this way, and I think both threads reveal ample evidence that I'm not alone in those feelings. If I were I would hope to have it happen on the move so I could politely decline and keep moving, rather than being stuck in a queue with someone I just had to say, thanks, but no thanks to. IMO it's going to be awkward and leave both parties feeling not so good. I'm certain there will be a response that I should just accept, but why should I have to? I wouldn't enjoy it.

It's not a case of to each his own, it's quite liable to be one sided. Not cool IMO. I think it's far kinder to have guests go about enjoying their days with common courtesy to their fellow guests and the CM's and leave the pixie dusting of tangible forms to the CM's. If the motivation to spread pixie dust is so strong, apply to be a CM.

We don't just approach random people. It evolves out of a conversation. Don't talk to people and you won't have to worry. You shouldn't feel awkward about saying no thank you. I wouldn't be offended if someone politely declined. You are welcome to your opinion and others are welcome to theirs. No harm, no foul.