25th Anniversary of 1st Trip

[disneysteve]

This isn't exactly a traditional trip report but I figured this was the best place to post it. This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of my first trip to WDW.

I was 13. I went with my mother, father, uncle and cousin. We flew Eastern airlines, the official airline of WDW. We spent 5 days/4 nights at Disney's Golf Resort (later renamed Disney Inn and still later became Shades of Green). That was one of the 3 original Disney hotels. Of course, in 1978 there was just one theme park, the Magic Kingdom. Numerous current attractions didn't exist yet - Splash Mtn, Big Thunder Mtn, Alien Encounter, Buzz Lightyear, Pooh, etc. But, there were also many attractions then that we longer have - Mickey Mouse Revue, If You Had Wings, Canoe rides, Monsanto Circle-Vision, Mission to Mars, Main Street Penny Arcade, Walt Disney Story.

Admission was with ticket books A, B, C, D, and E. We had had "18 Adventure Eastern Vacation Book" that included 3 days admission to MK and a selection of 18 attractions. Price was $19.50 for adults 18 and over, $16.50 for junior 12 to 17. Examples of B ticket attractions were Swiss Family Treehouse, Frontierland Shootin' Gallery (with real guns), Mike Fink Keel Boats and Dumbo. D tickets were good for Tiki Birds, Tom Sawyer's Island, Skyway, Mickey Mouse Revue or Mission To Mars. The only things you could do without a ticket was the A rides - horse drawn carriage, fire engine on Main Street which you could board for 10 cents if you didn't have an A ticket. There were also 2 free attractions - The Walt Disney Story and If You Had Wings (sponsored by Eastern).

I recall the weather as being hot and steamy. While watching the afternoon parade on Main Street (theme was Mickey's 50th Birthday!), my father was joking (I think he was joking) that the soles of his shoes were melting. I also remember stepping out of the hotel each morning and immediately having my glasses fog up. Since the Golf Resort was located right on the golf course, when we looked out our window, we saw an endless line of golf carts ready to go for the day.

Another interesting thing about the daily parade - there were not nearly so many Disney characters in the parade. So many now classic movies didn't exist yet so there were many more generic characters - cowboys, Victorian ladies, etc., to fill the show.

What is now Downtown Disney was much smaller and known as Walt Disney World Village. Pretty much all of the original shops are gone or changed. The shops used to be more independent and less Disney. There was the Disney character shop and a Christmas shop, but the clothing stores and toy store were non-Disney. Pleasure Island and West Side were yet to be built.

Since there wasn't nearly enough to keep folks busy for 5 days (imagine that), we spent one day at Sea World back when it was just a basic marine park - no fancy attractions or rides. We did also see the Luau show at the Polynesian.

So much has changed over the years, which is why we keep going back. There is always something new to experience. If anyone else has long ago memories, please share them.

Steve

 

[kfs]

You've brought back many memories of my first trip to WDW. My first was in 1976 and we stayed at the Contemporary. I believe this hotel was fairly new at the time and we were in awe of the monorail traveling right through the hotel! I remember that there was a first floor arcade for kids. Back in '76, we had never seen an arcade before. I remember going to the arcade with my older brother and sister and playing pinball and air-hockey while my parents went up to the top of the resort to hear Gladys Knight and the Pips sing!

Another difference back then was the ability to travel to other resorts' pools. We traveled over to the Polynesian and swam in their pool. I can remember thinking way back then that when I returned to WDW, I'd want to stay at the Polynesian and swim in that pool again. My next trip to WDW was to the Polynesian, but sadly, I had to wait 21 years for the next trip!

I remember those little coupon books. The "E" tickets were the best rides. My favorites back then were The Haunted Mansion and the trip to Mars ride. We stayed for 3 nights just in the Magic Kingdom. Another interesting memory- I remember going to Tomorrow Land and seeing visions of what our futures held. Here they had the typical household of the future where people spoke on phones while being able to see whom them were speaking to. The also showed family members using computers to shop. They had a mother and daughter looking at sweaters on the computer- I remember thinking that was funny; nobody would ever be able to shop from home!!! How things have changed.

 

[Marla Hellwig]

Remembering using the ticket coupons at Disneyland - one time found my aunt's 'stash' that didn't get used - thanks for the walk down memory lane

 

[WDW4us2003]

Hey, disneysteve, are you a mind reader??!

I have been reading these boards for a couple of weeks now trying to plan my family's trip to WDW this summer, and in doing so, I am also remembering my first trip to the much smaller "world" in 1976. I was 8, and my family and I camped at Fort Wilderness, and then spent two nights at the Contemporary. I clearly recall roasting marshmallows with Chip and Dale, and my Dad letting me drive the golf cart around the camp ground. How about River Country? That was my very first experience with a water park, and I must have gone down that inner tube slide fifty times in a row, as it dumped you right into Bay Lake. I remember thinking that the Contemporary was the most fantastic building in the world, and every time I heard the monorail coming, I ran to the balcony to watch it. And that arcade! My brother and I also played air hockey and pinball, and the hamburgers they served there were just terrible!

I have many of the very same memories as you do, particularly of the old rides that are now gone - I just loved "If you had wings", I felt like I was really flying - and can still sing that song! How about riding the "Wedway People Mover"? I also remember shopping with my Mom at the Disney Village, which seemed so far away from the MK at the time, and my Mom buying me a Minnie Mouse wallet at the character shop (I still have it). I can still remember the feel of carrying my ride ticket on a string tied to my wrist, and walking around in that heat sipping on an ice-cold "real Florida orange juice" that came in a plastic container shaped like an orange with a green leaf and straw. We had dinner one night at the Crystal Palace, where we had spaghetti that my Dad said tasted "right out of the can". Back then Disney was not known for its cuisine!

We also made day trips to Sea World, Busch Gardens, and the Kennedy Space Center. I remember thinking that that was the most boring place on Earth! And yes, we also saw the luau show, and I truly felt like I had been transported to a tropical island in the Pacific!

Like you, I remember when WDW was much less about characters, and more about a place in time that I knew little about, but wished that I lived in. I remember when Main Street USA was a big attraction, and not just something you glanced at on your way to the "Big Rides" on the other side of the park. Of course I wanted to see Mickey and Goofy and the other few characters that were there, and I wore my ears proudly day and night, but they weren't the only things that made me happy about being in WDW, even at that young of an age.

 

[LovesThumper]

What wonderful memories. Our first trip was in 1978 also- our kids were 11, 12 and 14 and they felt they were the last people in our town to go to Disney. We stayed off site at the High Q a circular hotel- so small we had to crawl over each other when going to bed at night. Our first glimpse of the Magic Kingdom was from the front of the ferry boat from the TTC.- we were overwhelmed. Remembering our first ride on Space Mountain, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, (which was down for renovation if I remember ) Haunted Mansion, -the kids nodding off in the Hall of Presidents. My favorite entertainment was "The Kids of the Kingdom". I think we saw every show they did on the stage in front of the castle. River Country was $3.75 for kids under 12 and $4.75 for the rest. We still remember parking our rental car in "Chip and Dale 6-10." Off site we went to the Gatorland Zoo for our first glimpse of Alligators and Croc's. and Wet and Wild one of first water parks- it was across from our hotel. Thanks for sharing -

 

[Magic2000]

Every time we go to Disney, my DH and I always talk about the "If You Had Wings" ride at Magic Kingdom. Then, we always say - You do have wings, you can do all these things...

What a cute little ride. Ah, such memories!!

 

[momsmall]

Disneysteve, a walk down memory lane is an understatement! As I read your post many fond memories were relived. My first Disney trip was in 1980 when I went, on Eastern, from Pittsburgh to Orlando. My first plane trip! I went with our high school band that had been invited to march in the afternoon parade. WE were without our parents, chaperones were obviously along but none were parents of my group of friends! I vividly remember staying at an off property hotel and we practiced in the parking lot and how hot it was. Western Pennsylvania never seemed to get that hot! We all thought we were something else, no parents teenagers and for as far as we were concerned on our own!!! I remember the letter tickets and just last year my dh and I were cleaning out our basement and I found my scrapbook with a couple of extra tickets in it. If I remember correctly Thunder Mountain railroad was just being built at that time. My group of 7 friends all bought those big clown sunglasses and our first set of Mickey ears. My first trip was at 15 but at the ages of 10 and 7 my dd and ds are about to make their 4th trip to the world this October. Never in a million years did I think that I would return to the world with my dh and kids so many times when I made that first visit so many years ago. Thanks for your post.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by momsmall
My first trip was at 15 but at the ages of 10 and 7 my dd and ds are about to make their 4th trip to the world this October. Never in a million years did I think that I would return to the world with my dh and kids so many times when I made that first visit so many years ago. Thanks for your post.

My first trip was at age 12. My DD is 7 and has been to WDW 9 times! My wife's first trip was with me in June 1990 and she has already logged 14 visits.

Steve

 

[Minniespal]

Thanks for sharing!!!!