Happy New Year - Making Your Own Magic

This article appeared in the
January 1, 2008 Issue #432 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)

Editor's Note: As I sat down to write the January 1st feature, an email came in from Jean and Steve Eldredge. I thought the story and its message would make the perfect start to the New Year!

My husband and I went to Disney from December 4th - 12th. We have always stayed off property and this time we went with NO children and stayed on.

One thing we did was something we read on your site.

We brought 103 bottles of Maple Syrup, little nip/jug size and my husband made beautiful tags that said " Happy Holidays from New Hampshire". At first I was like, hmmmm, almost $400 for Maple Syrup. I was being selfish but went along with him. We packaged them in Post Office boxes. Just in case they questioned it in our checked luggage we had a way to send it back to our home.

I will tell you I had the most joy giving out the little Maple Syrups. It blew the Cast Members away!

We had servers sitting down with us telling us half their life story.

In Japan, the server made us origami after we gave her one.

But the one that brought tears to my eyes, was a custodian Cast Member in Epcot. We had just come off Soarin and used the bathroom. An older woman was cleaning and whistling and smiling. I gotta say that bathroom was spotless!

I thanked her for making me smile and doing a wonderful job. I then handed her the Maple Syrup.

She followed me out of the bathroom and caught up with my husband and I, she was in tears.

She took off her 20 years of employment pin and gave it to us. I told her NO, you earned that, I can't take it!

She said a guest has never given her anything.

That's when I started crying. It was quite the emotional moment.

She then asked if she could hug us. It was like, of course. Then I actually saw my husband getting a little teary as well.

I could write a book on the stories of the Maple Syrup, but, I have gone on and on as it is.

Happy New Year One and All!