Best Childhood memories at WDW

[BarbWB]

We're heading to WDW on Friday!!!! We've been 2x (one very short visit), but I never went as a child. My husband did, so he and his siblings have very fond memories of certain things that I would NEVER appreciate as an adult experiencing it for the first time (eg, they ALL LOVE Carousel of Progress ... )

Kids have different perspectives and I'm always surprised at the detailed memories they will have from an attraction (my dd5 rode Tower of Terror 1x and she can tell you the whole story line and who all of the ghost characters are, etc!)

So, in building memories for my kids, I'd like to know what lifetime Dis'ers remember about the parks so fondly from childhood? Looking forward to your answers!!!

 

[BelleBeautyandtheBeast]

I only went once as a child (6 yo). The things I remember are the invisible dog on a leash. I really thought those people all had invisble dogs LOL.
I remember climbing through the Swiss Family Treehouse.
I remember my grandparents buying me an autograph book although I got no autographs
The only ride I remember is the Haunted Mansion. It freaked me out and I thought the ghosts were real.
Then I remember the long walk through the MK parking lot looking for the RV. My dad carrying my little brother and me whining how tired I was .
They took NO pictures and those are the only memories I have. I asked my mom last year what she remembered. She said it was hot, crowded and miserable. I remember it being fun and I always wanted to go back but couldn't til I was old enough to pay for it. I begged my mom to come with us in 2004 but she refused. My dad has gone back a few times without my mom, he loves WDW too.

My oldest 2 kiddos (7 & 6) have gone 3 times already and have lots of memories. I love when they start talking "Remember when ..." about WDW. The youngest (3) has only been once and doesn't remember much.

 

[Syrreal]

I have a lot of memories from going to Disney when I was a kid because we went fairly regularly but here are a few things that stick out in my head right now.

- our car overheating on the drive up to WDW on the FL Turnpike. It had a little fire and my dad put it out with a pillow. We were able to get it fixed and went on vacation after all.

-riding the TTA (the WPM) with my family.

-riding the HM with my fave cousin, who is 10 yrs older than I am, on our first "kids only" trip (we got to go to WDW a few hours before our parents were driving up and got to play all day by ourselves)

-possibly causing a worldwide epidemic of the chicken pox in 10th grade when my famiy went before we knew I had them but after I had been exposed.

 

[MPLsDad]

When I was five (30 years ago) I remember:

Riding the Swan boats in front of the castle with my mom (and thinking they only existed in my head for many years until finding more about them on the internet).

Riding on my dad's shoulders walking through the parking lot looking for our car. It started to rain and I was really upset because my new Mickey Mouse t-shirt was getting wet.

Watching cartoons in the Main Street Cinema.

 

[Tinkerbell10403]

Even though I am 20...I will always be a big kid at heart. I remember the first time our family went to WDW...riding the tram from the parking lot, riding the monorail and thinking how cool it is, taking pictures with characters, getting autographs...and being sad when it was time to leave. We have been back many times since then, and DBF and I have even ventured there on our own twice...soon to be three times since we began dating. It seems that since I have grown older..the big kid in me seems to keep coming out more and more. Every time I hear WDW music, or see a commercial about it....it just gives me this warm fuzzy feeling inside and a HUGE smile comes across my face. I wear my mouse ears to parks...along with Pal Mickey...and I love every minute of it. Disney World is an amazing place where people of any age can go and just play around in a world of fantasy that is not our every day life. Its my reality escape. What gets me through my semesters in college is just looking forward to my next trip. When I think of WDW...I think of all the amazing and truley magical memories I have had there, and the many that I look forward to making in the future. I have become some what of a pro at vacation planning, and planned an entire week trip that my family and I took about a month ago. Everything from staying at the GF, to our dining ressies, park tickets, dining plan, etc...I planned out. It put a smile on my face and my heart when I saw the look on my familie's face...they had so much fun doing the things that I had planned...eating at the restaurants I had suggested...and doing other fun things we had not done before. They loved it so much, they even became members of DVC on that trip! I love WDW....and the big kid that's inside of me can't wait to go back!