Do You Remember Your FIRST Experience With Disney???

[goofyernmost]

Ahh....Yes!!! Annette, sighhhhh!

I feel so sad that she is so sick now. I was in love with her then and I am in love with her now. The day I read that she was getting married my heart broke. I just always thought that some how, some way we would meet by chance and live happily ever after.

M I C (see you real soon) K E Y (why, because we like you) M O U S E!

 

[djm99]

You know I don't remember liking anything Disney when I was a little girl. I liked Annie (it still remains a favorite of mine and my 3 year old daughter), Pipi Longstocking, ALL of the Superheros (Wonder Women was my Favorite - I had at least 3 years worth of Halloween Costumes of her), and the Wizard of Oz. Strangely nothing Disney, but.....

I do remember the first time going to Disney Land (I actually went twice) and hated it both times (I was about 12 and 14/15 years old when I went). I LOVED Universal Studios in LA both times (not too impressed by US in Orlando).

When I was like 16 I went to Disneyworld for the first time (they were building MGM - I think, we missed the opening by a few weeks). I thought it was better than Disney Land, but still I wasn't impressed.

Then last April my 3 year old saw a commercial on the Disney Channel and said she wanted to go to Disney world. My husband couldn't turn down her beautifully innocent face and said he'd take her during the summer. I was excited but not so much about Disneyworld (because I wasn' t too impressed as a teen).

Well, I spent April - August watching every Disney movie available(Blockbusters had summer deal where you pay a very small fee (like $4 or $5) and you get a new family movie every day. I purchased a few disney movies off ebay and between my daughter, husband and I we've seen EVERY DISNEY MOVIE AT LEAST TWICE. Her favorites were Aladdan, the little mermaid, and Nemo (we went to see it 3 times). Her least favorite was Snow White (she hates the witch). So, lets just say that we were "up" on the Disney characters and prepared to meet, greet, and get autographs of them all.

August 2003 finally came and it was like walking into WDW for the first time. The street that lead to the castle was almost breath taking (I don't remember seeing it as a teen). The crowds, the shops, the rides, the characters, and the "pixie dust" was everywhere. Who would be our first character meet, you guess it, ALL of the Aladdin characters (princess jasmine, aladdin, and my fav the genie). She was frightened of Jafar and told him to his face, "You are a bad man". It was too funny.

The shows were outstanding, and the Spectromagic Parade can not be described in words, I could believe how beautiful it was. I think I shed tears.

We didn't meet the Lion King characters, none of Winnie the Poohs friends or Cinderella, but my autogragh book (oops, my daughters book) is really nice. This is why we MUST GO BACK, that's right Dis'ners - we'll be headed back this August. I'm more excited than my daughter.

I think I enjoyed myself sooooo much because I wasn't expecting anything. I figured I'd be just as bored as I was when I was a teen. I was wrong. Now here I am, just as obsessed with Disney as some of you. I can't go 1 full day without checking this board, I cut and paste valuable information, and plan to re-read everybit of it before my department (just in case I forget between now and the many days remaining on my countdown), and according to so many of my friends I drink, think, and eat disney. Do you think that qualifies as obsessed?

Well, although I went to Disneyland twice and WDW once, I'd have to say my first time SEEING disney was this summer. What a wonderful experience. I can't wait to "feel" that again!!!!!

 

[kevind65]

DJM99: I know the feeling! BTW: howdy, looks like we're neighbors.
I had the exact same experience with disney. I went twice as a young teen(13&14yrs Old) and didn't really think it was all that. It wasn't until 1995 when I took my wife and daughter for the first time for dd's 5th birthday that the magic hit us. we have been back every year since and have averaged about 35 days per year in the world...wow....
Disneyworld has become a family tradition...my daughter even included it a family crest she designed for an art project...can't wait for the next trip in june....

 

[joshsmom]

DJM99--

You brought TEARS to my eyes!!! Thanks so much for sharing! BTW, Hi neighbor! I'm right across "the river" and kevind65 is just up 270!! Midwest rules!!!!!

 

[eleanor]

Well my first Disney experience was seeing Snow White at the picture show. THat was the first time around too. They didn't call them theatres then. I was hooked for all time.

 

[mickeyschickie]

my first memory was also my first trip in March 1981...I don't remember anything but
the fact that every time I saw Minnie she was running away from me...so sad to a 3 yr old
and I can't believe that I vividly remember that...my other memory was riding through the
Contemporary and seeing the characters eating breakfast with the guests and thinking
that it was a shopping mall or something like that...

 

[snwarf]

I was too young to remember my first visit to WDW.

However, I still have the pictures from the visit: my mother "forgot" to shield me very well from the sun and I had a windbreaker on with a hood (it was fall). That night when she took my hood off all she saw was a round circle on my face (from where the hood was tied around my face) that was BEET RED!!!! (She still hasn't lived that down.....)

 

[nativetxn]

I loved Disney films always. I loved the "Wonderful World of Disney" on television. My first trip was 1956--Disneyland--I'll never forget it. I've been hooked ever since

 

[TheTexasKid]

Yes, but as I thought one meant Walt Disney World, I'll start there.

1984. After several trips to Disneyland, my sister and I made our first trip to Walt Disney World, where we stayed at the Contemporary. Actually, I have more memories of the resort, then I do any of the theme parks, except, I think that was the year that Morocco opened at World Showcase in EPCOT, so we ate dinner there one night.

195? My first memory of Disneyland is the trip the family never made. The family had two choices: Disneyland or Jungleland. I wanted to go to Disneyland, but we went to Jungleland instead, as it was closer. Which really worked out for the best. Disneyland is still there, but Jungleland is gone.

195? Though, my first memory of Disney is watching "Bambi." The first movie I can remember seeing. My father didn't want to go, because it was playing in an unsavory part of town, and he was afraid someone would steal the hubcaps off of the car. Which fortunately didn't happen.