What Is Your First Disney Parks Memory?

[undertheradar]

During our first family trip to Disneyland, our then 4 year-old DD had one question when she was going through the park: "Who shrunk my castle?"

 

[kimmar067]

....our first visit to WDW in 1992 and enjoying [ on our first morning] a character breakfast at the Empress Lily to celebrate my middle DS's 4th birthday before we headed to our very first park - Magic Kingdom! I remember how timid they were at meeting the characters...

....OMG, how could I have forgotten???!?!? We went through the attraction 'Imagination with Figment' and all week long, my DSs kept singing, "Imagination! Imagination!
A dream
Can be
A dream come true
With just that spark
From me and you...."

...drove me batty!

 

[LBIJim]

I don't believe it was ever free to get in. It wasn't much to get in (less than two rides maybe), and one could theoretically just buy an admission without going on any rides.

This ticket book is being sold as a "1969 Disneyland ticket book" and the front has a child admission ticket with a 75 cent face value. I believe there were all sorts of ticket books being sold, including ones with an admission ticket, ones without, and also tickets that could be purchased separately. I thought that cash could be collected direct at most rides.

The owner of this site is trying to compile historical ticket prices.

https://www.jansworld.net/DL_Tickets.html

Correct, it was never free for the general public. But there were comp admissions in some situations, like the PP experienced. And actually, for the times, the admission price was relatively high. Walt intentionally did so to deter the "undesirables" that frequented free amusement places from visiting: groups of teenagers, young adult troublemakers, and others unwilling to spend money.

 

[bcla]

Correct, it was never free for the general public. But there were comp admissions in some situations, like the PP experienced. And actually, for the times, the admission price was relatively high. Walt intentionally did so to deter the "undesirables" that frequented free amusement places from visiting: groups of teenagers, young adult troublemakers, and others unwilling to spend money.

I think it was about the cost of a county fair admission. I saw the 75 cent face value of the admission-only ticket, which wasn't a huge bar, even in 1969. It was less than the price of two rides, I think. The prices have gone up exponentially even if you consider that rides are included.

 

[LBIJim]

I think it was about the cost of a county fair admission. I saw the 75 cent face value of the admission-only ticket, which wasn't a huge bar, even in 1969. It was less than the price of two rides, I think. The prices have gone up exponentially even if you consider that rides are included.

I was really referring to 1955 when Disneyland opened. The price back then was relatively high, perhaps 50 cents for grounds admission. Enough to deter those who just wanted to hang out and not spend any additional money. Walt didn't want the so-called Coney Island crowd, or whatever the west coast version was. (Long Beach? Ocean Park? Santa Cruz?)
75 cents for a child in 1969 seems fair.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

My parents took my sister and I to WDW in 1976 or 1977. I vaguely remember the Fairy Godmother in a show, and I definitely remember the late 70s MSEP! I was very disappointed at not being able to "tour" the castle, hah. My mom also got us little straw bags in Adventureland and put some change in them for us. My sister then went around to people watching the parade, holding up her purse, and asking "Want to see me moneys?"

Some people gave her change. My mother is still mortified by this.

 

[bcla]

I was really referring to 1955 when Disneyland opened. The price back then was relatively high, perhaps 50 cents for grounds admission. Enough to deter those who just wanted to hang out and not spend any additional money. Walt didn't want the so-called Coney Island crowd, or whatever the west coast version was. (Long Beach? Ocean Park? Santa Cruz?)
75 cents for a child in 1969 seems fair.

Probably Santa Monica Pier. Even so, it wasn't anything that deterred families from visiting, and Walt set it be reasonable for parents who didn't go on many rides, or people who had ticket books who just wanted to use a few one day and save the rest for a l get day of rides.

That 75 cent admission is the equivalent of $5 today.

 

[pjlla]

First visit, WDW, first week of December 1974 (first trip out of New England, first plane ride, first hotel stay).... I remember riding the Skyway and seeing the nearly completed Space Mountain with a sign reading "Opening soon, January 1975" and being bitterly disappointed to be missing out on riding it.... and assuming (correctly) that it would be many, many years before I got there again (if ever!). I FINALLY got to ride it in 1983! I also remember meeting Mickey and being a bit surprised at how short he was! Lots of great memories from that trip (plus home movies, thanks to my Dad being willing to carry the movie camera everywhere!)...........P

 

[Happy Snowman]

Pleasure Island....I was 30 on my first Disney trip.

 

[BUDDYBEAR]

being with family and friends

 

[kimmar067]

Pleasure Island....I was 30 on my first Disney trip.

....I'm guessing that your memories were, shall we say, a bit 'different'.....

 

[Happy Snowman]

....I'm guessing that your memories were, shall we say, a bit 'different'.....

Actually, it was a work trip and we had to behave. I remember one guy that would ask you what kind of flavors you liked and would mix a drink. Still one of the best drinks I've had but I have no idea what was in it. We scored primo seats at Rose and Crown on that same trip for the fireworks because the group that reserved them didn't show up and they let us sit there.

 

[yeahdisney]

I remember at the Christmas holidays we could not get into a park, it had reached its limit. I do no remember if we went to a different park or just went back to my grandparents in Okeechobee. I remember going into Epcot for a soft opening. I also remember just barely being tall enough to ride space Mountain and my mom went through the line and kept asking if it was a roller coaster and when she found out it was a roller coaster she freaked out climbed over the fence and left us in line with my father. And I remember those paper tickets that you had to turn in. I do not remember which one was my first memory though.

 

[gemini2727]

I remember at my second visit, Famous Amos was in the park for some reason, and he sang to me while playing his ukulele!That memory stands out the most for me.

 

[gemini2727]

On the same visit, Space Mountain broke down, and they stopped us mid ride and turned on the lights so we were able to see the tracks. That amazed me as a kid!

 

[IndyRnRfan]

My honeymoon and our first Disney pic in DHS in front of the big hat.

 

[crazymama]

Probably around 1969... looking out the motel window across to the park and being so worked up that I vomited!!! Bahaha!

 

[StitchBuddy]

My first memory is going to Disneyland when I was 6yrs old in 1968. We rode Pirates of the Carribean. Scared me to death! We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and it was amazing to me. We had or own patio. I remember thinking this must be how movi stars live. LOL! My mom bought m some of those colorful magic growing rocks. I couldwait to ge hom and use them. What a magical vacation for me and my mom.

 

[kimmar067]

Actually, it was a work trip and we had to behave. I remember one guy that would ask you what kind of flavors you liked and would mix a drink. Still one of the best drinks I've had but I have no idea what was in it. We scored primo seats at Rose and Crown on that same trip for the fireworks because the group that reserved them didn't show up and they let us sit there.

...sah-WEEEET!

 

[Footnotegirl]

It was either 78 or 79, I was 7 years old, and my aunt took my (much older, she must have been almost 20) sister and I. I have two memories of the trip, though I don't remember which one was 'earlier'. I have suffered migraines since I was a tiny kid, and I remember having one in the middle of the day, lying down in our hotel room (the Contemporary, I think) staring at a little clear plastic box of lemonheads wishing the pain would go away so that we could go back to the park. The other memory is of the Haunted Mansion, standing just outside the doors and having one of the 'maids' stop us and saying in a very spooky voice that there was no room for any more bodies. it freaked me out so badly that once the ride started I slid under my sisters legs in the doom buggy, covered my eyes with my fingers and shoved my thumbs in my ears and had to be dragged physically out of the thing when the ride ended because I was paralyzed with fear.
When I went back to WDW, I was 34 and the FIRST RIDE I went on was the Haunted Mansion, because I wanted to see what I had missed!