What ignited your Disney love??

[lllGurulll]

I can't really call it a love of Disney but more a love of watching my kids have fun at Disney. If I didn't have children, I probably wouldn't even be going. The Mrs and I enjoy the all inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Mexico much more.

 

[andiraye]

It started with a day in Disneyland in 1978. I was two and we were en route to Australia from the east coast. It's literally my first memory.

It was cemented over the years by family trips to Disney World, with my parents acting like big, excited kids the whole time. Their enthusiasm and wonder stayed with me.

When I woke up from a bad dream as a kid my mom would tell me, "just think about Disney World." Now I tell my kids the same thing.

None of us wil retire to orlando or anything, but it's a very happy place for us.

 

[ilovebassets]

The first time my husband an I stayed on site. We had done a couple long weekends together in college staying off site and I had stayed off site a couple of times as a kid. I always remember seeing all the signs for the different resorts and seeing the Swan and a Dolphin from the road and thinking how lucky those people were and how amazing that must be. We finally bit the bullet and paid about a $1000 to stay for six nights at POR when I was a medical intern and he was in grad school. That was A LOT of money for us at the time, but it was like fulfilling a lifelong dream. We walked into that resort and we're just blown away.

 

[myrtleturtle]

When I was 3 my Pop Pop passed away. My Grandma didn't want us to be sad at Christmas, so she took all of us to Disney World. This was 1984. Do I remember it? Not at all. Did it imprint in my soul? Absolutely.

Fast forward to 2013, I am now a married mom with twin infants and a husband deployed to the Middle East. It is our ritual that when my husband deploys, we celebrate his return at WDW. I only survived that deployment by looking forward to Disney. The kids were 10 months old when we went and I cried like a baby in Chef Mickey's when the Mouse came over. Seeing my kids with Mickey, laughing at him, hugging him. It was magic.

 

[JosieMouse]

I fell in love with the idea of going to Disney after seeing the commercial with Mickey standing on Spaceship Earth. I'm a MICKEY MOUSE FANATIC.

 

[puffinp51]

My Dad was in the Air Force and stationed in the south bay area in the late 1960's. Once a year my Mom would pull me out of elementary school for the day and play "hooky" at Disneyland. Such special, magical days! Sadly, my Mom passed away a few years later when I was 13 years old. So for me Disney brings back wonderful memories of the times my Mom and I spent together. And now I have introduced my DH and DD's, now in their 20's, to the magic!

 

[Ozzygirl]

Watching Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights back in the 70's. Dad worked like a dog driving a truck and we went every 2 years starting in 1976. I'll never forget that trip. It was just magical. I went for my HS graduation trip, then every year me and Mom for her birthday (she got a job at a travel agency!). 3 of my brothers went to WDW for their honeymoons. DH and I just went this past Oct for our 10th anniversary. We're a Disney family for sure. Dad passed away December 20th and me, Mom and my niece are making a trip down Tuesday in his honor. I'm sure there'll be some tears but it's our happy place for sure

 

[lauradis]

I was born in calf. So my aunt took me to DL several times. Dont remember those trips.

Then when I was 3 my grandparents moved from calf to clearwater, fl.

My parents moved to the southern east coast. when I was 5. They dropped me off at my grandparents for the summer when I was 5.

I do remember parts of that first trip to wdw in the summer of 1976.

My grandmother would steal me every time she could get and we always end up at the Magic Kingdom.

My mother hates it, my dad loves it, Me and my sister are all Disney crazy, because of our grandmother.

 

[rangerxenos]

Sunday Night Wonderful of Disney Intros!

OMG, thank you so much for this! Never ever thought to look online for it! We grew up Disney kids in the 60s, going to the theater to see the movies (Jungle Book was my favorite when I was little), and watching The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights. (along with Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom!)

My Uncle and his wife brought my sister and I down to the Magic Kingdom for the first time when we were kids, as there was no money in our house for family vacations. Back then, there was only the Magic Kingdom. I still have fond memories of that trip. Went back in the early 80s with that same uncle to babysit for his daughter while they went to a family wedding, EPCOT had just opened, and I fell in love with that park, it's probably still my favorite.

Then I went 20 years or so without going back, until 2005, when I convinced my husband to go to Florida. Then my stepfather and my grandmother died in the same week in 2006. My Mom lost her husband and her mom. I told her I was taking her to Disney to get away from everything that year. It was her first time on a plane, ever. I've been going pretty much every year since, either with Mom, my husband (who tolerates my Disney obsession!), or friends. In 2012 I traveled with friends and stayed on property for the first time, and became a convert to staying on Disney.

I love it, and never get tired of going.

 

[mavlax20]

I do remember going to WDW in the late 90's with my parents twice, I had only seen the castle cake. I did have a great time, but after that, I got older (I was in middle school when we went) and just became 'too cool' for Disney. Needless to say, I still enjoyed the movie Mary Poppins and some others, but never bought them or anything. Well, I met my wife and she had a few pictures of her at Disney, and we had that in common, and she sort of 're-ignited' the Disney Fever in me. We had a trip for 2013 which I was going to propose to her at (ended up proposing earlier because I was too worried about the ring getting through airport security, her seeing it accidentally, and many other variables). We had a blast planning the trip and it got the flame burning in me for Disney again. I have started buying the animated classics, because of memories from watching them when I was younger and to have for whenever my wife and I have kids. I am planning a surprise trip for my wife and I, but we have also agreed on a trip in 2021 for WDW's 50th anniversary celebration, which we will hopefully have our first child with us.

 

[Polynesianmonorailstop]

Love all the replies! I first went in 1997 (I'm 23 years old) we stayed at Caribbean Beach. Next was 2000 we stayed at Dixie Landings. We went in 2005 and stayed at the Poly, unbeknownst to us this would be my grandpas last visit (he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer later that fall and we lost him a mere 6 weeks later.) He was the one who really started it all for my mom because he worked as an engineer for Us Steel and they supplied all the steel for the Contemporary and he had to go to check it out. He told my mom and grandma "we have to go to this disney world place all the big shots in the company are going on and on about it." So they went to check it out in the 70's and that's when my mom, grandma, and grandpa all got hooked. We stayed again in 2007, 2008, and ,2009 at the Poly. 2008, and 2009 were magical gatherings with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. (We got them hooked.) 2010, 2011, and 2014 were also at the Poly. 2010 was the last trip we had with my grandma she lost her battle with cancer as well. It's never the same going without my grandma and grandpa but I know they're happy we are continuing on the tradition of going!

 

[Eolyn]

I grew up during the "Disney Renaissance" so I think it was almost a given. But what cemented it was that I live in GA so my parent's favorite vacation spot was Florida, and each trip included a WDW world visit. I associate it with some of the best times I had growing up and a kind of cheesy unconditional happiness.

 

[draybook]

I grew up going to Disneyland. The last time I went was 1992. From 92 until 2008 I never stepped into a Disney park. By then I was living in Mississippi. One day, I was watching television and a commercial for Visit California came on. When it got to the part where Vanessa Williams and standing on the drawbridge with Mickey and Minnie, a light flashed in my head. I told my wife that we had to go to Disney, whether it be California or Florida. We then took our first family trip to WDW in September of 2008 to celebrate our anniversary. The kids were 8 and 7, so it worked out perfectly. My wife had been once as a 2 year old but had almost no recollection of it so it was a new experience for all of us. We've been hooked ever since and we've been back every year since then except 2010. As a matter of fact, We went last September, this February and we just got back this past Thursday and we go back this September. We bought APs for the first time in September and we'll be renewing again this year. We're now on a "mission" to eventually stay at every resort on property at least once. We've been to Pop, ASMusic, AsSports, and POFQ. This September we will be staying at AKL and next Jan/Feb will be ASMovies.

 

[Xennia]

Okay! So, what/ who sparked everyone's love for Disney World. Mine was my mom. She used to put on the CD's Disney sold in the parks of the ride music, parade music, and movie songs. Plus always taking us there helped out too.

1979. Grandma and grandpa drove from Maryland to Daytona beach Florida to pick me and my sister up and take us to Disney. Hooked ever since. They made me addicts, and they don't even live here. My hubby makes sure I relive it every single year.

 

[goofyernmost]

I was 36 years old and took my wife and daughters on a trip to WDW. I had heard about it, but, had never been there or for that matter, ever really thought about it. I just felt that it might be a good place to take the family. I was hooked when I drove on the property from Rte 192. When I tuned in the radio and listened to instructions about what turns to take and where how to get to MK or EPCOT. EPCOT was brand new then. It had opened in Oct. 1982 and we went to WDW in Feb. 1983. MK was impressive, but, EPCOT was a mess. Many things were still not open. The magical way that Disney moved people around in MK was sadly lacking in EPCOT, at the time.

The technology is what brought me into the fold. I was amazed at how those rides, shows and whatever worked. They, of course, didn't divulge that information and I had to take a backstage tour many years later to fully appreciate the inner workings of WDW. Anyway, the trip was so successful that I have gone back year after year, just because of the memories that the first trip gave me. It still never fails to bring the kid out in me and makes me smile at the memories I have of the very first trip there.

Here is a picture of me and my girls having lunch. The oldest is now 41 and the youngest is now 39. They have both taken their children to WDW numerous times.

 

[tinkerpea]

We did disney every yr from when I was two, however every stay was offsite as it was 28years ago and was way cheaper and believe it or not we did 4-6wk trips! And would then go down to st Peter beach, for another 3wks.
Disney became like a second home, I was adopted by my adopted mum's parents ( so my adoptive grandparents)after my mum got cancer,my bio dad is actually American,and so those weeks at disney was also spent seeing some of my bio family,my parents they had 18 grand kids and took everyone of them and their parents to disney too,just as they had taken their own children from just after disney opened,as my dad loved it so much,and believed every child should go.
My dad always wanted me to work at disney as I was a dancer and to have a fairytale wedding there, sadly he passed away when I was 15 and had done my first yr in the royal ballet,
I went on to work at disney as a dancer in the shows and then a friend of tinkerbell and Alice, when I took my children for the first time,I cried knowing how much my dad would have loved to be with us, ( I took my mum on every trip we did) I was able to stay onsite and it was every bit as magical as I hoped it would be,
Later on I married at disney world in the wedding pavilion, so I did everything my dad hoped I would achieve.including finding my own prince charming.
We've since manged to take the kids back every yr just as my parents did with me, and we've been lucky enough to do 3wk stays at Ssr pop Akl Aoa I love having a trip to plan, it not only excites me for future plans,it brings back overwhelming magical memories of the past.
My dad started and sealed my love for DW and he got just as excited even at 70 before a trip as I did.

 

[Mouse of Mystery]

My parents started taking me to WDW at such an early age that it's hard to say what "Ignited" my love for Disney. But I can tell you what solidified it:

The Wonderful World of Disney

Being a child of the late 60's-70's, there were no DVDs or VHS tapes to allow me to immerse myself in Disney. I glued my face to the television every Sunday night for a decade, taking in everything that I could. I had a collection of Disney records, but WWoD was the only way I could hope to catch a glimpse of Disney animation outside of the rare theater re-release.

I still get the chills when I hear that theme song.

 

[Minniesgal]

I'm a real worrier and when we were young I couldn't drop my worries and wind down on holiday.

In 1998 when my daughter was 2 and I was pregnant with my son we decided to go to WDW for a once in a lifetime trip before we had to pay for any kids. I dropped my troubles at the door and picked them back up as we left. First time ever. So i was hooked.

Now 18 years later we are DVC members and it is still the place where I relax best of all.

 

[mummabear]

It's kind of funny that I don't really know when it happened, just slowly became more and more part of our fabric. I went a couple of times as a kid, both short visits. I definitely grew up in Disney's golden time (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and Lion King-I remember going to the movies to see them all, I remember getting Fantasmic on VHS for Christmas).
My DH had never been so when we were going through LA as part of our honeymoon he wanted to go just to tick it off his list, well we went 4 times in 5 years.
Before we had kids I remember desperately thinking I hope we can take them twice, once when they are about 3 and they believe in everything and once when they are 8-10 and they are tall enough to ride everything. Well my oldest is 5 and she has already been twice to WDW and twice to DL, even our 1 year old has been to DL (and another one they don't yet know about).
Each trip has just added more and more magical memories.

 

[Disney Mom 7272]

I always loved Disney movies growing up but I had never went to Disney World even as a child. My first time ever going was 2013 and that was with my husband and 2 daughters. Now my family is obsessed with it. We are getting ready to go for our third year in a row and already planning 2016 trip!!