DVC Members Challenge [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

DizneyNutz

06-14-2005, 08:12 PM

Hey all my fellow DVC Members! :flower: I have a question for ALL of you---do you remember your first trip to WDW---you know, the one that took your breath away and made you a fan for life? I have read so many posts, and replied to some, without actually submitting because I didn't want the backlash---so, I am posting my own thread....

I have read the posts where Members are so unhappy with everything from parking to towel service! To me, it's sad. If you ARE a MEMBER and have been blessed to be able to BE A MEMBER (it's not cheap folks) then you should REALIZE what a gift it is!

No, the pools aren't always going to be out your back door---the parking lots aren't always going to be exactly what you want AND neither are the rooms! Some folks complain ALL the time---for instance, my toilet bowl was not scrubbed next to the wall, HELLO---how well do you do that at home? I get so tired of reading all the negative, maybe I do prefer to see the positive in any given situation, but regradless of that, it costs ME AND DH JUST AS MUCH to be members! You can take it or leave it, love it or hate it, but by golly, don't portray yourself as a "privileged" person that should have EVERYTHING at your disposal just because you are a DVC Member----it gives us all a bad rep.

Just my opinion---but hey, that's what these boards are all about---sign me disgusted at some of the things I've been reading---especially the post that starts out "GOOD NEWS TO SSR FANS" and then proceeds to tell you how AWFUL her experience was----if there are any NEW SSR Members out there, like myself, I am sure this kind of attitude makes you feel great---let's see, you've just spent 13,000.00 or so to be in this "exclusive" club and you read stuff like that---could it be that our expectations have grown to proportions that are TOTALLY unreasonable????

I am sure that I am going to take a beating here and that's ok---I can take it. I guess I am still so new to the WDW Game that I see no wrong---sure, things aren't ALWAYS as you'd planned or hoped they'd be....but the Disney Stars will always be shining in our eyes---because, let's face it, if you didn't LOVE WDW you wouldn't spend these kind of dollars to own a piece of the magic!

I love it, will always love it, and will look forward to AND enjoy EVERY second I am blessed to be a DVC Member and a WDW Fan! No, it won't always be perfect, but nothing is---if you want TOTAL perfection at every turn, then good luck in finding it...... :sunny:

nezy

06-14-2005, 08:23 PM

:rotfl2: You won't hear me complaining!

I have just come back from a trip to a very expensive resort in Puerto Rico, w/ a great reputation. While everything was great, it just didn't have that little extra that I always expect and seem to get from any DVC resort. :wizard: I think you are right in a way that DVC has raised the bar on our expectations.
I have never had a reason to complain. Not that everything is perfect-but I am forgiving of human error and can overlook any so called problems. I have had to clean a room upon my arrival. I can deal w/ that.

I do however understand that people pay alot and therefore expect alot. there is nothing wrong with that. Just as I can overlook any little problems or inconveniences, I too can overlook those who constantly bash the DVC resorts. :rolleyes1

Granny

06-14-2005, 08:32 PM

Our first trip to WDW, we had to cancel about 30 days in advance with our booking at CBR. Then circumstances changed and we were able to go after all but the only on-site resort available was Wilderness Lodge.

It was fate...that's all I can say. Because the first time we drove up the driveway and saw the immense entryway, and walked through those doors into the lobby....we were hooked! This was before we ever stepped foot in a park! :)

We got a room in the resort with bunk beds...the kids were in heaven. The maids posed the kids stuffed animals each day as if they were doing things while we were at the parks. Whispering Canyon was a hoot...literally!

So for us, we knew two things right away. We would always stay on-site at WDW, and Wilderness Lodge would always be our home.

J and R's mom

06-14-2005, 10:47 PM

To answer the first part of your question (" I have a question for ALL of you---do you remember your first trip to WDW---you know, the one that took your breath away and made you a fan for life?") :

I was 11 when we took our first trip to WDW. We stayed in the villas that were torn down so that SSR could be built (at least I think those were the ones....they were next to DTD). That trip AWED me. So when my parents asked me where I wanted to go for my HS graduation trip I said WDW. When it came time to get married, I picked WDW. What got me hooked was the magic of the place, the ability to escape reality--even if just for awhile.

Cruelladeville

06-14-2005, 11:01 PM

Hey, it's a free world, and if people want to whine, go ahead, maybe they will feel better afterward. Disney does not do everything correctly, sometimes they mess up, so people should have the freedom to whine and receive comfort from other members, if that's what they need. Give them some slack, please. Maybe one day, it will be your turn to whine and receive comfort. There are times when we all need that. :sunny:

gjw007

06-15-2005, 01:11 AM

mamaprincess

06-15-2005, 02:16 AM

:listen: :listen: Ahhhh this is more like it :cloud9: I think I'll stay here for a while. It's been rough out there. :sad2:
Anyhoo, I discovered the power of WDW before I ever went. I was pregnant, housebound and bedridden in the 1st trimester with my now 22mos old princess.Ooooohhh the misery. I was extremely nauseas, I couldn't eat or drink without some serious unpleasantness and there was nothing to be done about it except have the ocassionale miserable stay at the hospital. :sick: That got old and I decided to just do the rest of my time on the family room couch. It was at this fabulous (cough cough) point in my pregnancy that my sister Pam decided to obsess about the girls, (my oldest), going to Disney by the time they became 5. She's from the school of thought that says early endoctrination is crucial to the magic taking hold at the core level. So she sends me a Disney Vacation planning video, you know that highly addictive thing that we watch again and again and again... until we can get our next fix
of the magic. Needless to say I was hooked from the beginning. The twins and I sat down on my misery sofa and watched the tape and laughed and dreamed and planned and longed for that first life altering glimpse of Cindy's Castle. Turned out that the tape was my only salvation. :sunny:

My obsessive travel planning gene was activated by the tape thus causing me to call several travel agents and also search my entertainment book for anything Disney. To my infinite delight there was something called the Disney vacation club in my entertainment book. Of course I called immediately...DOH! :crazy: It was no longer in operation, :crazy: but as I ranted and darn near cried and begged for some sort of... well... anything that they may have along the lines of this (discount) club, I was mercifully and fatefully given the number of the DVC. Granted, I didn't have the faintest clue as to what this was but if it had anything to do with Disney I was all in. I was able to leave a message in a voice that I'm sure had a very thinly veiled desperation. Got a call Back from Betty Prickle. Own a piece of the magic... :love: Can you picture the spirals going round and around in my eyes from that point on.

Fastforward to April of 2004 and after many, many days in The Wife and Children Tactical Brainwashing and Disneyfying Camp my Dh finally broke and gave in to our demands... we closed on saratoga and made our 1st sweet pilgrimage home. :love1: :earsboy: :earsgirl: princess: princess: princess:

When dreams comes true, enjoy them :cloud9: but if by some chance someone should rain on your parade, we'll be here to give you one of these :grouphug: and these :listen:

newholidayx2

06-15-2005, 05:35 AM

walking into the Wilderness Lodge lobby did it for us

JimC

06-15-2005, 05:54 AM

Hey all my fellow DVC Members! :flower: I have a question for ALL of you---do you remember your first trip to WDW---you know, the one that took your breath away and made you a fan for life? ...... :sunny:

Sure do -- 1978 our honeymoon. :cool1: Contemporary tower room overlooking the MK. The era before garden wings and convention center. One park and the old ride ticket system. Still have some of those in a scrapbook. Rates were about $35 - $55 per night back then (very extravagant to us at the time).

disney junky

06-15-2005, 06:14 AM

The year was 1971. I was a junior in high school. Fifteen years old. My older siblings were in college but my younger sister was a pesky 9 year old. My parents took us out of school for a couple of days and we flew to Orlando to see this new Walt Disney World thing--only the second time I had ever flown in a commercial jet. We arrived at our hotel, the Contemporary Resort and I remember being amazed as we approached the hotel at a bridge where the road passed under a lake. I watched in awe as these things called monorails traveled in and out of our hotel lobby. The view from the hotel was amazing. I could see perfectly shaped trees, shrubs formed into the shape of Disney characters, things I could never have imagined. I recall Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, the ride sponsored by one of the airlines, maybe Eastern, where at the end they leaned you back and blew a breeze across you to make it seem really fast as you raced down a slalom with skiers on both sides, Small World (which I had seen at the 1963 NY World's Fair), Hall of Presidents (which I thought was amazing), 20,000 leagues, Jungle Cruise, and so much more. We had little booklets of tickets, certain tickets for certain rides. The one night, we ate at The Top of the World, which was the restaurant at the top of the Contemporary. I ate twin petite filets. After dinner, Johnie Ray performed. I didn't know who he was, but my parents were pretty excited. Apparently back in the 40's he had a hit call "Cry" or something like that. He worked the room and literally shook each hand in the audience as he performed. I remember seeing the light show on Bay Lake; who ever imagined this stuff in the 70's. We took the ferry from the hotel to MK, again, something so out of the ordinary for a rural Pennsylvania boy. We checked out the Polynesian Resort; I beat my dad in tennis for the first time ever; everything was just amazing.
Maybe it was the time of my life, maybe it was the time in history-Viet Nam, campus unrest, but Disney became a sort of Utopia for me. I don't talk about it much because when I do, I tend to get excited and ramble a bit, sort of like I did here, and then people just stare at me.... :earseek:

WDWLVR

06-15-2005, 06:35 AM

First time at Disney was in 1976. It was only the Magic Kingdom back then and we stayed at the Howard Johnson in the Village (now Downtown Disney area). It was wonderful. I was 19 and was with my mom. It was our first real vacation. She cried when she saw the castle for the first time. We were hooked!

Years later when DH and I got married we honeymooned at Disney and that's when he was hooked.

We lost my mom to lung cancer in 1997 and after settling her estate took my in-laws on a land/sea vacation with DCL to thank them for all their help when she was sick. On the cruise portion we met a DVC member and talked to them. We then called to look into DVC.

We made up our minds and made an appointment to tour and took a long weekend in January of 2000. We were staying at All Stars (since it was a spur of the moment trip didn't want to spend too much). The tour of the DVC unit did it for us. The separate bedroom with king size bed, jacuzzi tub, washer/dryer, full kitchen. We knew the one bedroom was for us and we bought enough points so that we could stay in that.

Over the years we've done mostly one bedrooms, but also a two bedroom (when we had my in-laws with us), and studios (for quick trips - usually before or after a cruise).

We've been let down a few times but nothing that I wouldn't expect could happen anywhere else on property. Most of the time we have been very very pleased with our accomodations and are very happy that we are members.

DVC truly is our home away from home and DH and I love it!

dianeschlicht

06-15-2005, 06:37 AM

My first trip to WDW was about a year after Epcot opened. We were blown away by the details of the landscaping all over WDW and the cleanliness and attention to themeing details of everything in the parks and resorts. It was like a magnet drawing us back again and again. Finally, in 1994, we checked out DVC, but didn't purchase until 1997. I have never been a complainer, and I also have never had a DVC room that had any problems worth complaining about. I am always impressed with how well they are maintained when you consider the amount of people going through those places!

BEACHCLUBVILLAS

06-15-2005, 06:41 AM

I have a question for ALL of you---do you remember your first trip to WDW---you know, the one that took your breath away and made you a fan for life?

It was 1975 and my high school senior class organized a trip for $249pp including airfare for 4 nights at what is now, I think, the Travel Lodge in Lake Buena Vista. Only the Magic Kingdom was open. We had a blast.

Then, fast forward to 1982 when my husband and I stayed at the Poly for our honeymoon. EPCOT opened while we there. As resort guests, we got to try EPCOT a day before grand opening (Oct. 1) to help Disney make sure everything was in good working order. WOW! That was my impression.

Then, every other year we visited and it's the only place my state trooper husband can really relax without thinking about how to solve crimes. So here we are, DVC members, and visiting more than once a year. Yet, everytime I go I remember my firsts and it makes me relax and enjoy my pina colada in the Florida sun by the pool all the more.

tlotgg

06-15-2005, 06:44 AM

My first trip to WDW was 1991. My in laws had just moved to FL. and we were planning a "vacation" to visit them. I love my in laws but this was not my idea of a "vacation". So my wife suggested we take our then 6 and 8 yo daughters and go to WDW for a few days as a more typical vacation activity. Now I'm a fairly patient man and the one thing that I don't tollerate well is waiting in line. My wife explained that the line waits weren't "too long", so off we went. Being total WDW novices I did not expect the bazillion cars in the parking lot, not thinking to remember what parking lot we were in, the bazillion people on the trams all racing at once to get to the monorail, the half bazillion people in front of me to puchase admission media, the bazillion people again at the gates of the MK and to top it off, not long after entering the MK all three females announce they have to go to the bathroom! I'm left standing under a small tree by the carousel just past the castle thinking what a horrible mistake this junket was, getting more annoyed by the second, looking at the size of those ride lines and it happened!! I felt a small "sensation " on my shoulder. I looked to my left and bird had just "made a deposit" on my left shoulder. It was one of those defining moments where I was going to either start screaming and trash everything in sight or admit defeat. I looked upwards and said to myself OK, I get the message. I just burst out laughing as my family was returning from their rest stop. Needless to say it was my introduction to my love affair with WDW.

Holly

06-15-2005, 07:10 AM

My first WDW trip was in 1988. My parents had scrimped & saved for YEARS to be able to take me and my two siblings to Disney. We drove from Connecticut and camped at Fort Wilderness. I was 12, and I remember being so awed by Fort Wilderness and thinking it was a park!

On the first night there was severe rain and our campsite flooded. We all had to squish into the van and sleep there for the night.

Since then, whenever I feel a bit annoyed about something like not getting my exact room request, I think back on that flooded campsite and smile.

Good thread, DizneyNutz. :)

TR Denise

06-15-2005, 07:34 AM

My first trip was 1977 it was our honeymoon. Everything was just so magical. Growing up we didnt have a lot of money so our only vacations were camping ones (we loved them) so the first time I stayed in a hotel it was the Contempary . My DH just said last week (as we were planning our Oct visit) how did two young kids who didnt know what they were doing find this great place that we love together. I think what really led us to DVC was staying with my parents in the fairways and clubhouse villas. With 3 kids how do you go back to a hotel room. My kids have great vacation memories that they cant wait to share when they have children

Nanajo1

06-15-2005, 07:46 AM

Our first trip was back in 1978. We stayed at a local HI in Kissamee. We really didn't plan very well and although the 4 kids ages 2-8 had a good time it wasn't "magical". I planned better in 1985 and we stayed at CR it was more fun. The kids enjoyed MK and Epcot. It wasn't until we joined DVC and had our first stay that the Magic kicked in. In 1999 DH and I went by ourselves to check out the BWV and OKW. We had bought sight unseen. We had a BWV PV studio and we thought we were in Heaven. Everything about it was great. I had become mobility impaired by then and I had found a place that I was free and independent! There were very few places I could not go on my ECV. When we saw the 2BR at OKW we knew we had found a home away from home! Now we take our ever growing family(up to 19) every other T'giving and the Magic continues. However, Heaven in a studio has been replaced with Heaven in a 1BR when it is just DH and me. :rotfl:

tigger002

06-15-2005, 08:13 AM

My first and second visit was 1973 and 1975. I was 16 and 18 years old traveling with my family. It was at Xmas and Easter and very crowded and did not get to go on my rides. We had to wait in line with our cars for hours just to get in. It was just okay. Went once while in college, not much again and a couple more times before the kids were born and never stayed at Disney hotels. We went again when my two boys were 3 and 5 and stayed at then Dixie Landing. Wow I think the hotel did it. We have taken the kids, now 3 of them 17, 15, 11, every year (sometimes twice) and bought DVC in 1998 and have been Disney Nuts ever since. Well I am probably more the Disney nut but the rest do like it very much. I really think staying on Disney property completes the Magically feeling.

wtpclc

06-15-2005, 08:38 AM

September 1996, pulling into the Boardwalk at about 2 am for our honeymoon. My dh had been to wdw several times with his family, but always Fort Wilderness campgrpund. The lights at the back entrance made me feel like I was entering a Hollywood set. My very frugal dh just kept saying, "Are you sure we already paid for this???" His way of saying that it had to be more than we could ever afford.

Arriving at the MK the next day was even more magical. I had to take pictures with teh circus elephant topiaries as soon as I got off the bus. That picture says it all. I had arrived and I was enomared.

FYI - Our next 2 trips were at mods. Very nice, but not the same. There wasn't the freedom to walk to a park or even the night life on the BW. DVC means we always get delux. SSR means the freedom to walk to DTD.

OK. I want to go home!!!! ;)

geffric

06-15-2005, 01:24 PM

My parents went to WDW when we were kids and came back talking about Epcot and in great detail described the Land Boat ride. it sounded so MAgicla to us. When I got an opportunity to go to a conference in Orlando ( mid 80's), i knew that i have to go to Epcot. One month after DH and i got married, he mother moved in with us to spent her last days. She died of cancer on April 6th 1990. We both were very depressed and decided to get away for a long weekend. We went to WDW and stayed off site but found a place to forget your troubles, so the Magic began. In 1993, when the kids were 2 years and 4 months respectively, we took our first vacation as a family and went to WDW. We stayed offsite in a horrible hotel. So we were ready to discover the Magic. My SIL had told us to check out OKW while we were there. And we did and bought that day.

We have gone every year for 2 weeks since then.

dvc guy

06-15-2005, 03:52 PM

The magic trip for us was about 7 years ago. My MIL had just died and BIL decided to send FIL. DW and DD then 6 to OKW for 3 days in a 2 bedroom. Well you can imange my face when I see this fantastic place before me. I spent the first 2 days in the room sick, but was thrilled that I could watch videos and eat small bites and ginger ale from my full size kitchen.
That was it I was hooked, never took a tour called DVC and said sign me up. Best decision we ever made kids love disney, we own in Boardwalk & Vero.

ton80

06-15-2005, 08:26 PM

Ohh The day.
I remember all too well because i was still drunk from my wedding night :crazy: when the plane landed that early morning of 9/12/98 at MCO. It was the most quiet bus ride to the resort seemed as if everyone or almost everyone on the bus had gotten married the previous day.and were in no mood for talking. After fighting with the bride to be saying I wanted to go to
Tahiti or some other exotic place like that i finally gave in and said ok
but i will not be happy at WDW as i thought is was going to be like a big
6 flags with kids running around all over the place. BUT i was wrong after
the 1st stroll down Main streek in the MK i was hooked and have been ever since.
PS on our honeymoon we actullay saw Michael Jackson walking in PI only about 5 feet away. I though I was going to get Sick after looking at him .. :earboy2:

Dix Landings 9/98
All star 9/99
Off site 5/01
BWV 11/04
AKL 03/05
SSR 1st trip home 11/05 with DW,DS(3) :hourglass

hope this story has brought tears to your eyes..

lol :banana:

FOTM_Ring_Bearer

06-15-2005, 09:17 PM

My first trip to WDW was in 1976. I was 18 and we stayed at the Polynesian Village. There was the only the MK and DTD was the Disney Village, a quiet little shopping village. We started going every other year, then every year. I think it's addicting, because there's a special feeling when you walk in the MK and head for the castle. You just feel the magic.

I remember before they added a lot of the resorts, you had to book your room pretty far in advance to stay on propery. Of course the earliest I ever booked was for NYE 1999. I booked the GF in 1993 for that trip. But it was worth it. Very cool! :cool1:

We bought into DVC in 2003 at the BW. We actually took the DVC tour during the 1999-2000 trip. My DH thought we should do it, but I had reservations. Okay, he was right. :rolleyes:

Happy Birthday Cat

06-15-2005, 09:25 PM

Sure do -- 1978 our honeymoon. :cool1: Contemporary tower room overlooking the MK. The era before garden wings and convention center. One park and the old ride ticket system. Still have some of those in a scrapbook. Rates were about $35 - $55 per night back then (very extravagant to us at the time).

Our honeymoon too but in 1979 at the Contemporary, but we couldn't afford the Towers so we stayed in the Garden Wing. It saved us I think about $20.00 per night back then. We weren't as extravagent as JimC was.

HBC

CharlesTD

06-15-2005, 09:27 PM

My most memorable trip to WDW was in 96 when my Dw's parents took me with them we weren't married yet that didn't happen till 98 LOL. It was the first time I had been back since 78 I was 9 then and man did it blow me away. From that point on I was hooked and we have been going back and sharing it with our kids ever since. We joined DVC in Oct of 01 and have had many great trips since then and have had nothing to complain about at all with the rooms or CM's etc. I think people sometimes go in expecting way to much as Disney tends to deliver that expectation and when they fall short people like to complain about it no matter how big or small the issue they like to make it seem huge. I personally could care less I see it this way we are not at work we are at our favourite place in the world and no matter what the problem I know we can overlook it well minus a flood in our room but again that is not something Disney can predict so if it did happen we would deal with it and move on.

erikthewise

06-16-2005, 11:53 AM

Hey all my fellow DVC Members! :flower: I have a question for ALL of you---do you remember your first trip to WDW---you know, the one that took your breath away and made you a fan for life?

I remember my first trip (1980), and I remember the one that took my breath away (1992), and I remember the one that made me a fan for life (2001). But they were three different trips!

The first trip was the honeymoon for my doomed first marriage. I don't remember as much as I'd like, but I remember riding the skyway and visiting Discovery Island. DW(#2) doesn't even know about this trip...

The second trip DW(#2) and I stayed at the Polynesian for 5 nights. But except for a short conference in 94 we didn't come back until 2001, when we stayed four nights at the Polynesian and took a 3-day cruise with our two boys. We joined DVC 6 months later and have come back every year since.

chimera

06-16-2005, 12:12 PM

Hey all my fellow DVC Members! :flower: I have a question for ALL of you---do you remember your first trip to WDW---you know, the one that took your breath away and made you a fan for life? I

Nope...it was 1972 and I was 4. I remember sleeping in the car on the way up there. I think I remember Pinocchio, but that may just be because we have a photo with him. WDW was always our family vacation, so we went yearly for a LOOOONG time.

The magical trip I remember was DD12's first trip when she was 3. I hadn't been to WDW since before she was born. She was pretty heavy into the princess movies at that age...all the Disney movies, actually. I'll never forget the look on her face when we walked onto Main Street and she saw the castle for the first time! It's truly magical to see a place that you know so well through someone else's eyes for the first time! :wizard:
We spent several years getting to know Fantasyland again, until she was big enough for the roller coasters. That was magical. :wizard:

Now I feel bad that DD2 won't have that magical moment. Her first trip to WDW was at 9 weeks. The interesting thing with her is discovering new rides and places she can go as she gets older.

And hey...with DVC...we'll be able to do this with the grandchildren someday :earseek:

DisFlan

06-16-2005, 12:48 PM

Our first trip was April, 1977. We knew we were hooked during the initial ferry ride to the MK. The lobby of the Poly didn't hurt, either.

We've watched as WDW has grown over the years, and we could hardly wait to go back and try new parks and new hotels. The second biggest WOW we had was when we checked into the GF the first time. WHAT a lobby!

Then we discovered DVC and, well, you can probably fill in the rest. We're still coming back. And back...

DisFlan

new_yawka

06-16-2005, 01:00 PM

Like Chimera, I do not have many memories of my first trip to WDW. It was December 1971 and I was 2 years old...I had the mumps...

Well. It was the beginning of a life long "relationship."

Throughout my childhood, we drove down to Florida twice per year. To see my grandparents, but ALSO to visit Mickey...

The moment that truly cemented my life long love of WDW happened when I was (I believe) 8 years old. It was the moment I stepped up to the height check at the WDW Speedway (now "Indy Speedway") and...AND.....

I'M BIG ENOUGH

I screamed out at the top of my lungs. Several people came over to make sure I was ok and congratulated me when they realized I had just attained one of my childhood dreams....to drive the speedway car BY MYSELF!

This rush of adrenaline...throwing in the goose bumps...the smiles and the slight tear in my eye...is now the feeling I have every time I pass through the WDW Resort Gates. :earsboy:

It has been 34 years since that first trip... I have been there almost every year since the opening. In a real sense, I equate my development into adulthood with the Development of WDW (It was around my 13th Birthday that EPCOT was opened...marking...WDW's move to adolescence)...

So...I cannot say that I remember my first trip...But I have a lifetime of joy and magical memories to call upon every time WDW is mentioned.

As for DVC...It was a natural purchase. Although we sat with our guide for hours understanding all the program had to offer, there was never a question that my DW and I would purchase. WDW has been a second home since my childhood...but now someone lets me know as I walk in the door...

"Welcome Home"

You'll find no DVC bashing here...I qualify as a true believer! :)

Greysword

06-16-2005, 01:40 PM

I first went in 1975, as well. I don't remember most of it, as I was only 6, however I do have images to draw upon. I remember the Country Bears, and loving Its a Small World (what was I thinking???). Dumbo was a great ride, and the Tiki Birds were kind of boring hehe. I remember riding the ferry instead of the monorail, and just how great the place was.

Mostly, I remember what we didn't do! LOL. We didn't ride the Skyway, nor did we do the Speedway. Being from St Petersburg, FL we did not stay on site, but made it a day trip instead. I didn't ride the monorail due to the lines, and didn't stay in Tomoorow Land very long, as we went to the left as we entered instead of the right.

I also remeber later visiting Epcot right after the release of Captain Eo (sp?). Figment was great, and the coutries great! I was in high school by this time, and I loved to learn. I also remember my hurting when we left due to being full of new knowledge! Again, it was a day trip.

Right after MGM opened, I made my third visit to WDW. MGM was pretty boring, with lost of stores and such, as it was a very active film and television production company. Not much room and not a great amount to see. My greatest WDW memory of all, however happened here. The family was walking along, and we took a corner to reveal the AT-AT in front of Star Tours! :hyper: No, no, you don't understand....Star Wars is the greatest of all things! (er...second to my family, of course :p). My parents will tell you it was like I saw Santa for the first time...that big gray thing....anyway, the attraction was being tested before it's grand opening. I rode it five times (til my family was sick of it). Star Wars AND Mickey?! How cool is that!?! :banana:

My new bride and I went back this past January for our honeymoon (she is a DL fan!). despite getting violently bedridden ill for the second day of the three day land portion of the Disney honeymoon (we also took the DCL), the trip was awesome!

I DEMANDED that we stay on property (the Swan was our hotel), and was so happy that she brought up the idea of touring the DVC (those propaganda films on the cruise did it for her). Now when we go, no day trips and no off-site bargains...Disney 1st Class all the way!!! :wizard: :cool1:

Oh, and I finally got to ride the Monorail and Speedway on this last trip with a crazy man at the helm! (My best friends crashed the honeymoon, stationed in Italy, and I swear their son tried to jump the track and kill us both :rotfl2: ). To get to DVC at SSR early early in the morning, we cut through Epcot from the Swan to catch the bus...cut through a Disney park...at $50+ normal admission...yep, welcome to the Park Hopper Pass! How cool is it to be able to say that!! hehehe

In summary (I can hear the sighs of relief now), no matter what the situation, just remember the Disney magic and it will all be worth it...especially for those of us who can latch onto the WDW we remember as kids.

WOW

06-16-2005, 04:39 PM

Remember it well......the year was 1986....the kids were 6 & 7, we stayed at the Poly and we instantly fell in love with WDW...went back every other year (always at the Poly) at first and then it became a yearly vacation (we could afford it better at this point). The kids were getting bigger (1 daughter and 1 son) and we would soon be needing 2 rooms........Then we went to DD in 1993 and Hubby went to the DVC kiosk and it has been a great ride for us.....we bought and go back at least 2 times per year and sometimes more.......No complaints here, just very happy that we are so fortunate to be able to afford DVC.....Kids are now 26 & 27 and they also love Disney. Not as much as Mom and Dad, but they always have fun......

chimera

06-16-2005, 04:45 PM

The moment that truly cemented my life long love of WDW happened when I was (I believe) 8 years old. It was the moment I stepped up to the height check at the WDW Speedway (now "Indy Speedway") and...AND.....

I'M BIG ENOUGH

I had just attained one of my childhood dreams....to drive the speedway car BY MYSELF!

:rotfl: :rotfl:

I actually remember that too. It was soooo cool to be able to DRIVE a car all by myself...even though I didn't have a license. :cool1:

Of course, once I started driving...I didn't go on the Speedway until DD12 was about 8.

MinnieMe67

06-16-2005, 05:02 PM

My first trip was offsite with my parents and younger brother in 1985, when I was 18. My first time in an airplane! I remember being overwhelmed by the magic of Disney, and thinking that someday I would love to stay onsite. College and life ensued, with a few offsite trips with family and friends in between, when finally 13 years later, I convinced my skeptical fiance that we should spend our honeymoon at DisneyWorld and stay onsite! We had the most wonderful, magical honeymoon at the Yacht Club! Needless to say, he was hooked. We bought DVC at the BCV in 2002 and I am now blessed enough to be able to go every year and share the magic with my kids! Cmon, how lucky are we all??? :love: