30th anniversary of my first Disney trip

[disneysteve]

My first visit to Walt Disney World was Memorial Day weekend of 1978. We went for 5 days/4 nights and stayed at the Golf Resort (remember that). There was 1 park, the Magic Kingdom, and 3 hotels plus Fort Wilderness. They still had the lettered ticket booklets for the attractions and you could pay a dime to ride the Main Street transportation like the fire truck or the horse-drawn trolley. Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear and many other things didn't exist yet. Of course, the Mickey Mouse Revue, If You Had Wings, the Walt Disney Story and several other extinct attractions DID exist.

I wonder if we had any clue what an obsession Disney would become in my life. I've now logged 26 visits, my wife (whose first visit wasn't until 1990) has been 18 times and our 12-year-old daughter has been 14 times. We have a large collection of Disney memorabilia that totally occupies one room in our house with pieces scattered throughout the house, as well. And I became a collectibles dealer in 1986 selling almost exclusively Disney items for the first 14 years before expanding to other things.

Thanks to Disney, I've met many wonderful people - fellow Disney fans, customers and other dealers at toy and collectible shows, the folks here at DISboards, members of my NFFC chapter, many cast members, etc. That first visit wasn't the start of my Disney obsession, but it certainly accelerated it.

 

[isyt]

I am with you Steve !!! My first trip was in 1975. I was 5 yrs old and remember well the tkt books they used to have. Growing up we only went 3 times until I graduated high school. One year I finanlly convinced my boyfriend (now hubby) to go to DIsney after we visited my grandmother in Miami. That was his first trip and he loved it. I feel in love with Disney all over again.

A few years ago I became so obsessed that I am now a ta that 95% of what I book is Disney. I am lovin' it. So I have to thank Disney for helping me make money but then just spending there anyway !!!!

 

[Matt'sMom]

Wow. I hadn't thought about it, but my first WDW vacation was also 30 years ago. Attended the Valentine's Day party at MK, as a teenager, back in 1978. Things certainly have changed a lot since then (both at WDW, and in general)!

 

[donac]

My first trip to Dl was 30 years ago this Aug on our honeymoon. We will be celebrating our 30th in DW this year.

 

[DisFlan]

Last year was our 30th WDW anniversary, too. I can't believe how much it's grown since 1977. We thought the ferry to the MK was a BIG deal back then. And the monorail was a ride in itself. We had a hard time imagining it could get any better than just the MK. Then Epcot came along - with its own monorail...wow!

We're now DVC members and our DS and DIL both work for Disney. When I sometimes find myself taking the whole place for granted or grumbling about occassional glitches, I like to think back to those early days and remember what a truly phenomenal place it's become.

DisFlan

 

[DiznEeyore]

I was just telling my husband this morning that this year's trip will mark 10 years of family trips to WDW and 30 years since my first trip.

We went when it was Mickey's 50th birthday, and he turns 80 this year!

 

[Hedy]

Happy 30th anniversary!

 

[disneysteve]

We went when it was Mickey's 50th birthday

True. The afternoon parade at MK was themed for his birthday. I remember it well.

 

[Andrea_loves_Disney]

That is awesome Steve! I feel SO deprived that my parents didn't take me to WDW when I was a kid! I am 46 and my mom just turned 82..I have wanted to corner her (just kidding) and demand to know WHY they didn't take us ...my first trip was when I was 25! Now I have been there about 12 times and to DL 5 times. Both of MY kids (DD12 and DS8) have been to either WDW or DL almost every year since they were born! We are raising them RIGHT!!

 

[PatriciaH]

30 years here too. First trip was in January 1978.

 

[mom2alix]

Another 30th anniversary here! I had just fininshed kindergarten and went to MK with my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother. A four-generation trip. I mainly remember the Sky Cab ride, the Swiss Family Treehouse, and the Tiki Room.

In 2 weeks, almost exactly to the day 30 years after my first trip, I'll be heading back to WDW with my own 6 year old little girl who finishes kindergarten next week. Lucky girl that she is, this isn't her first trip by a long shot!

 

[disneysteve]

Looks like 1978 was a popular year for first visits.

Do any of you ever look back at your pictures from that first trip. One thing that always stands out to me is how uncrowded the park was, even at peak times like during the afternoon parade. Another thing is the parade itself. Most of the floats and performers were not Disney movie characters. They were generic things like cowboys and cowgirls, skaters, bikers, Victorian couples, etc. So many of the now-classic Disney characters didn't exist yet.

 

[imsayin]

One thing that always stands out to me is how uncrowded the park was, even at peak times like during the afternoon parade.

That's because many of us couldn't afford it. It was a luxury, not a given.

I didn't go to WDW until I was an adult & paid my own way. I would have loved to have gone as a kid. My kids have gone several times in their young lives, and we always have to jockey for position at the parades.

 

[DiznEeyore]

Do any of you ever look back at your pictures from that first trip. One thing that always stands out to me is how uncrowded the park was, even at peak times like during the afternoon parade. Another thing is the parade itself. Most of the floats and performers were not Disney movie characters. They were generic things like cowboys and cowgirls, skaters, bikers, Victorian couples, etc. So many of the now-classic Disney characters didn't exist yet.

We only spent one day at the MK on our trip (I was 8 and my brother was 6) and my mom only took about 4 photos! There's one of my dad and brother on Dumbo, a couple from the Jungle Cruise, and one of my brother and me taken at a funny angle. I wish we had more, but I guess it wasn't a priority for my parents.