Did you go to Disney as a kid?

[gracelrm]

I never went as a child - we usually took beach vacations where my dad could get some rest or "history-filled" vacations where we could learn something! DH's family vacationed very little due to limited resources. DH took his first trip between high school and college when he marched at the MK with a drum corps. After he marched, he boarded the monorail and proceded to the Poly where he got blistered in the bar and didn't even enjoy the park. His second trip and my first was after our wedding in '99 and we only went to Epcot (still trying to remember why we did that!) Next trip was taking my husband's high school band to march in a parade at the MK in '97 That was a wonderful trip, as our daughter went along and turned 4 while we were there. The night we watched the parade, with DD on my DH shoulders - we were hooked! She was absolutely enchanted by the parade and DH cried while watching her! Went back in '99 stayed at CB - first time on-site. Joined DVC in '01 while staying at WL and have been back twice since then! Ready to share the fun with DH's extended family in June!

 

[dianeschlicht]

WE went to Disneyland when I was about 13 (1960). Our first time to WDW was when our kids were young. We have been going pretty regularily since 1980.

 

[rocketriter]

Yes, there was life on earth before DVC. In fact, there was even life before WDW!

I went to the original Disneyland the year after it opened. I remember Uncle Walt promoting the parks every week on the black-and-white Disneyland TV show (the precursor to Wonderful World of Disney, for those of you less ancient than me). I was the first kid in our school (6th grade) to actually visit the park. When I got back, the principal made me give a speech about it to every grade!

My father hired a helicopter to fly us from LAX to the front yard of the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim. At that time there was nothing much around the park except farms and a couple of motels. Unbelievably, there was a monorail (one rail!) that actually went in a circle from the entrance of the hotel to the entrance to the park. What's more, the parking lot was so big that it took 7 trams, named after the 7 dwarfs, to bring people from their cars to the entrance.

WDW has altered my sense of scale a bit since then...

 

[lck33]

Never really went as a kid, my parents took us camping for vacations as there were 9 of us, so we really couldn't afford much. My first trip was with my then boyfriend and was only to magic kingdom for the day, was extremely rushed and very hot, did not enjoy it or even see much of it. Went back when I was 21 and had the time of my life. But since joining DVC have gone twice a year since. The greatest value that I have received from being a DVC member was taking my youngest Brother and his family to WDW last november. The look on my brother's face was priceless!! For that experience alone, I will be forever hooked!!!

My DD is only three and has been to WDW three times and my DH just loves the fact the Disney makes me happy. Looking forward to many, many more trips

 

[kgforce]

My brother and I never got to go as kids -- though I always wanted to! I remember thinking how cool I thought the Contemporary looked with a monorail running through it! High tech stuff! We were probably too poor to go.

I made my first trip with some buddies of mine in 1989 when I was 23 and was blown away. We stayed somewhere in Kissimmee, and we also got to see a space shuttle launch one day. Three of the guys I went with worked for NASA, so that made it extra interesting.

After going to WDW, I can never go back to a Six Flags Park without thinking how lame they are in comparison.

In the last 6 or 7 years, my wife and I have caught up with a vengeance. We go once or twice a year and finally bought into DVC about 1 1/2 years ago. Our 3 1/2 year old daughter has been four times, and our 2 year old son has been three times already!

 

[OneMoreTry]

First heard rumors in about '65 or '66 that Disney was building a Disneyland in Florida. I was 6 years old, lived in Miami and ecstatic. I wanted to go to Disneyland SOO bad but knew we'd never go to CA -- we didn't have much money. Then I heard Walt died and was heartbroken. I thought for sure the Florida Disneyland would be cancelled. BUT IT WASN'T!!!

We first went in fall of '73 when my parents got absolutely sick of the begging. Just before I turned 13. We camped at Jellystone campground. It was freezing!! I think the highs were around 50, which is very cold for Floridians. No Space Mtn. No Pirates.

AFter that I went about 5 times a year with family or friends or church or school groups for the next ten years. Never spent more than a day. We did many one day trips leaving at 6am and returning at 4am the next day. We always stayed til after the fireworks. STayed on site only once in about '75 at the Polynesian for $50 which was a budget-breaker for us. We put six in a room.

I have many great memories which I think is the main reason I like WDW so much.


I was living in GAinesville when EPCOT opened. We went the second weekend. AFter that I went to WDW only three times until about 2001. Now we go every year.

 

[disgirl]

I just had to respond again. Nick, you crack me up !! Too funny. I am supposed to be cleaning out my son's closet while he is camping with Boy Scouts and decided to take a Dis break. Thanks for the laugh and thanks to the OP for helping me remember many happy vacations with my family and how my parents sacrificed so much for us to have these vacations together.

 

[Deemarch]

There was no WDW when I was a kid, but my first taste of Disney Imagineering was at the NY World's Fair '64 - 65. That's where I fell in love with Carousel of Progress...I still can't get the old song out of my head...

Then in 1978 I went for the first time, staying in Polynesian (and the next three times stayed there, too). I had just found out that I was pregant with my second child, DS now 25 and we were off!! Went back when he was 2 1/5 & DD was 5 and the rest is history.

After 25 years of marriage, we divorced. And new DH had not been exposed to WDW...Well guess what! He loves it too and it was after our second trip last year that we decided to become DVC members...Sight unseen!! We never went to see the models. We took the advice of friends who are Disney Nuts and that's our story.

Sounds crazy unless you're one of us! The outsiders don't understand...

 

[colleen costello]

These are great! I am sitting here with a big smile on my face reading all these great memories! It also makes me appreciate how lucky I was to get to go a lot as a kid. We had a trailer and camping at Ft. Wilderness was "cheap" according to my parents. They swear it wasn't as expensive as today. I also think my Dad should be up for sainthood. My Mom was the Disney nut and she dragged that man down #95 from Jersey with no A/C in the car virtually every summer. We'd stay for over a week with nothing but the MK, and my Mom would have us on the FIRST boat from Ft. Wilderness every morning! We would see the attractions over and over... I think we'd go on Small World 8 or 10 times each visit. HOW DID HE STAND IT? There was no pastpass we'd wait in those lines... Yikes! Many summers when we got home, my Dad would get sick. We swam in the lakes then, and he'd have an ear infection (live and learn!) Looking back, though, I guess he was also EXHAUSTED!

 

[Ms. WDW]

Walt Disney World wasn't in existance when I was a kid!

Then, after my very first trip, I was hooked! End of story....my most favorite place in the world to be on vacation.

 

[slp87]

Our first trip was the year I finished kindergarten. Our family of 4 traveled with my grandparents, aunt and 2 cousins. We camped out off site. My grandparents didn't like it and didn't care if they ever came back. My parents took my DB and me back a 2nd day and we were hooked. We stayed off site our next visit, then at what was then the Howard Johnson's in the village. I can remember driving by Epcot as it was being built. Our next trip was at the Contemporary and that was a dream come true! The best was in '00 when our family of 4 plus my DH & DD came back and we sat on Main Street in almost the exact spot we had sat over 20 years before and watched the Main Street Electrical Parade. We just got back last Sunday, my DD's 5th trip, and I could go back tomorrow!

 

[KaylaKristen]

My First trip was in 1976 Bi-Centennial Year. The Parada at MK where very Patriot. My Family and I sayed at the Dutch Girl Inn. Does any one know where this was located?
My sister and I can not remember. We were 10years old.
Now 30 years later DH and I and two DD have bought DVC at SSR. can't wait , out first trip home is in October.

 

[jbwolffiv]

My first trip was when I was 5 in 75. Have been back 8 times since and more the later years. Hoping to become a DVC member next month, if my wife does not get squeezed out of a job due to butdget problems.

 

[CWO4DVC]

1974
Mother took the three boys. We stayed at the Holiday Inn outside the main gate. How life progresses. Now an owner of SSR.

 

[Candace]

Traveled to DL in '63 and '65 with parents, brother and grandparents. Wow was it something!! And not crowded at all! We actually had a college student who was an escort for us. She took us through the park, explaining each ride, etc. I am from a farming family in Tennessee, and my grandfather and father were fascinated with the horticulture and cleanliness of the park. Daddy also talked about how you never saw the "backs" of the buildings. LOL! I visited WDW in '73 for the first time while I was visiting my college friend over spring break. She lived in Daytona so we drove over for the day. I enjoyed it, but I was not overwhelmed. Didn't go back until 1989 with husband and two boys who were 9 and 4. It was July 4th, unbelievably crowded, and hot, hot, hot. My husband, who does not like vacations anyway was miserable, and pretty much made me miserable. LOL! But, I loved being there and knew I would return. Since then, my boys and I have been back about two dozen times. I bought into DVC at OKW (the only one at the time) in 1994. I didn't tell DH until 1999. LOL! He has been three times with me now and loves staying in the villas. He still doesn't *get* Disney, but he sees why I love the accomodations. I think DVC is the best money I ever spent.

 

[WDWLVR]

I was 19 when I first went to WDW in 76 and 20 something the first time I made it to Disneyland. We really couldn't afford vacations when I was a child as my mom was a single parent.

We've been blessed to not only to be able to vacation at Disney a lot since then but also to be able to afford DVC. Some of my happiest memories of my mom were when we went to Disney. We were able to afford DVC because of money she left us when she died. i would have loved to be able to share DVC and DCL with her.

 

[Margie J]

My childhood visits were to Disneyland from the time I was a baby. I grew up in LA. I didn't visit WDW until I was in my 20's.

Disney has always been a part of my life - as a young visitor, a stockholder and a DVC owner.

 

[MrsG]

1978

DH and I were only married a year when we drove down, staying at South of the Border, SC overnight and continuing to Orlando. We stayed in a Days Inn on International Drive. We decided we would never stay offsite again. When DD was 9 and DS was 5 we again went down and stayed at the CB. We did this every 3-4 years as they were growning up. We finally became BCV members in 2002 and will have our first trip home this July.

When I think back on our "lean years" we always managed to make that trip to WDW, even if it meant making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in our hotel froom for lunch to save some money. We'd scrimp and save just to go, and we don't regret doing that for one second. Now our children and their fiances are going down with us in July. They couldn't imagine us going without them! (even though DH and I had other plans!)

 

[lenshanem]

I was born a couple months before WDW opened. Living in south Georgia at the time I was taken often as a child. My Dad has worked for Holiday Inn since then and I recall many trips where he'd come home Friday afternoon and my Mom would ask him if he could call and get us a room and off we would go. Lots of spur of the moment trips. I don't even know how many times we went.

I have memories of my Dad buying the ticket books, some great pics from those trips I still actually have on my fridge. My Mom looking like quite a hippie! My two favs are one of my Mom and I in front of those totems by the Jungle Cruise and then a pic of me with my Mom and then baby brother in front of a flower cart on Main Street. I am sporting my Sean Cassidy T-shirt! YIKES!!! LOL

I actually remember vividly Pluto walking up to me as a very small child in front of baby services and being SCARED to death. Although, I've become Disney character adjusted since then, I still get nervous when I see a clown! LOL

Mom would always tell me I would throw up if I rode Space Mountain so I also have many memories of waiting for my Dad to get back from riding it and I always thought he was so brave! LOL

As I got older we went less and I became the tortured teenager who was too cool to go on vacation with the folks. They even went without me and took my brother once! Can you imagine I went for that?!?

After a couple of trips later, one with school and then another with an old boyfriend, I met my hubby. Our first vacation together was at Port Orleans. I was hooked after that! After having always staying offsite at a Holiday Inn I could never go back! Since then I've always stayed onsite, except for maybe the first night and I've even talked my Dad into a couple onsite trips. I think I spoiled my Mom, she'll never go back to offsite. LOL

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Shannon
I used to look forward to your posts(spelling mistakes).............now you are a "pro" typing.