While it’s fun to chat with strangers when I’m on vacation, I don’t form any real friendships. I might tell a mom that her kids are cute or exchange idle chatter on the monorail, but I guess I’m not exactly the friendliest person at the happiest place on earth. I’m spending time with Lauren and want to use the time to catch up with her - and I never really gave it any thought.

Until my Mother-in-law came with us to WDW.

My Mother-in-law is an extremely friendly person, but I never really understood the extent of her outgoing personality until we were there one June.

Our first evening there I’d made reservations at the Hoop-dee-doo- Revue and we were taking the boat over to Wilderness Campground. There were no seats together so we just sat where we could, and I saw Joyce talking and laughing with the couple beside her. I didn’t think anything of it until we disembarked.

As we walked to catch up with her we noticed that the couple was still with her. “This is Joanne and Paul! They’re from Milwaukee - well, they lived there for 30 years but just recently moved to Secaucus to be near their daughter.”

Lauren and I shook hands with Joanne and Paul and chatted for a few minutes, and then Joyce gave each of them a warm embrace and reminded them, “Call me!”

When they were out of earshot, Joyce finished the story of Joanne and Paul, “Poor things! Their daughter is having a lot of problems and they really didn’t want to move to Secaucus, but they just needed to get that girl into rehab! But Joanne’s mother hasn’t been well and she’s still in Wisconsin - Jo’s brother really isn’t much of a help in that regard...”

Lauren and I stood dumbfounded. She gotten all that (and more) in the 10 minute boat ride to the campground?

It was the same thing all week. She became BFF to a sad woman going through a divorce back at the resort, and spent every afternoon consoling her at the pool.  And by the end of the week, we couldn’t pass the bar without all the bartenders crying out, “Heyyyyyy.....Joycey!!!!”

I want to be more like Joyce. I resolve to be more like Joyce.

I’m going to be really friendly and I’m getting myself a BFF next time I go to WDW.