Unfortunately, I do not have any photos from my trips. I have been bugging my dad to dig out his negatives and slides so I can get copies but he has developed his ignoring techniques over 51 years, so well that he pretends I haven't asked him about 50 times each time I mention it. My nagging skills aren't quite up to par.
Our first trip was during April Vacation, 1988. I was in kindergarten. Awww. I was a cutie if I do say so myself.
My favorite picture from this trip is one that my dad took the day we left. It was taken of my brother and I, he would turn three during this trip, in front of our blue ford escort wagon. I am hugging my teddy bear, Gumdrops, and the two of us just look so excited. It's adorable.
I am going to interrupt to tell you all about Gumdrops. My Dad has worked for the same company for 32 years. Nuts, huh? I think so. When my mom was pregnant with me, the ladies at work threw my dad a "baby shower" basically they give him this white teddy bear for his baby. I believe the story goes that the white teddy bear came with the name Gumdrops. In one of the very first pictures of me in the hospital, Gumdrops is sitting there next to me in the little crib. Gumdrops went everywhere with me as a child and my mom was hesitant about letting me bring him to Florida but LL prevailed and he came. Gumdrops had many "surgeries" in his day, our kitten liked to claw up his nose, his tail was almost amputated, and my brother liked to play tug of war with him and his arms. I still have Gumdrops to this day. He was in the car with me when I took my driver's test, he has gone on every Florida trip, he was even in the car when I had to go to court for my divorce. Why am I tell you all this? Because I actually have a picture of him! I took it so we could at least have one picture.
The black mark you are seeing on his face was his most traumatic accident to date. I had recently moved in with my now ex, and he was still in the trunk of my car. My car was hit from behind while I was parked, the car was totaled and the trunk crushed Gumdrops. Literally. We couldn't get him out. I had to follow the tow truck driver to his garage, watching Gumdrops' legs flapping in the wind while his head was trapped. The nice tow truck driver got him out for me, luckily. I have washed him numerous times but the black just won't come out.
Back on Topic, but it was topic, because he came and he's a part of the story. Moving on.
Besides, my family (mom, dad, brother), my grandma and grandpa came and my Uncle Dave. I wouldn't find this out until we were preparing for our next WDW trip in 1995 that the reason we did this trip was because my Grandfather and Dad wanted to go to the NRA convention in Orlando.
If you knew my Father, you would understand why this cracks me up so. I give my mom kudos, because I am sure she was the driving force behind the WDW activities.
The grownups rented a Winnebago and we drove down. I have found memories of eating breakfast at the table, and watching my mom turn into a bed at night. Of my dad and grandfather bickering about the directions. Being awoken in the middle of the night when my grandfather crawled into the sofa bed with me when he just finished driving. Playing dolls with my grandmother. Wow. It's hard typing these memories, I am getting a little misty eyed. We stopped in North Carolina to visit my Aunt. I think we just stayed for a few hours, but I am not sure.
We stayed at the campground that has Yogi Bear on the sign. I think it was called Jellystone campground or something. I loved the kiddie pool and the machine in the arcade that was a bird, you put in a quarter, the bird squawked, said something and "laid an egg" and you got a little toy in the egg. I remember it vividly. I came across one of those bird machines when I was in College and I must have sunk in about $2 in it reliving the memories.
I also remember my brother and I crying when my dad made us pose on the ranger leg on the Jellystone campground sign. It was hot, it hurt our legs, we whined and my brother cried, my mom had joined up with us and went over to the Ranger and yelled at my dad when she realized how hot it was.
My brother still talks about the cruel and unusual punishment!
I am not sure what we did about transportation, maybe the campground had a shuttle. I dunno. I would ask my parents but they are in Niagara Falls right now and probably wouldn't appreciate the interruption. I do remember being in a large Van of some sort, so maybe they called a taxi or maybe they rented a van. We went to that restaurant that has alligators all over the walls, it's still there or so my mother tells me. I remember going and being afraid to eat because my grandfather was telling us it was all alligator meat. I think I ate french fries. I do remember on the way home from the restaurant that night, a very special memory. I was seated near the window and I was hugging Gumdrops and there were stars out, and I made a wish on the star. The whole deal, "wish I may, wish I might..." I don't remember the exact wish but I know it was about being happy with my family forever and never leaving. I also always wished that Gumdrops would come alive every time I made a wish when I was little. I remember feeling a huge sense of happiness and not wanting to grow up. Little LL was a sentimental sap!
We went to Seaworld. I remember Shamu with great fondness, Shamu was a huge deal back then. We got a Shamu puppet for a souvenir, it had a squeaky thing in it's mouth. It was great fun, we had it for years and years until I was in High School at least. My grandparents didn't go to the parks with us. My grandmother was not the healthiest person, in fact the next year she would have quadruple bypass. I am assuming my grandfather was at the convention. I remember my dad at Seaworld and WDW, but I do remember he was missing from WDW one day, convention I presume.
Ahhh...time for the Disney memories. I remember having an autograph book that is still at my mother's. I remember Donald, Pluto's and Goofy's autographs. Sadly we missed both Mickey & Minnie. Tim(my brother) & I both had the Mouse ears, and we had our names on them too. I remember eating an ice cream while staring at the Mary Poppins Topiary. I remember 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Bear Country Jamboree. In fact, my mom developed an obsession with them and still adores them to this day. She bought a tshirt with them on it. I remember Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I do NOT remember going on Dumbo, in fact I think I remember wanting too but not being able too, I will have to hash that out with my parents when they get home. I also remember the :::shudder::: teacups. I think I have told this story before but I will hash it out again. My mom, dad and brother went in one teacup and I went in one with my Uncle Dave. I remember my Uncle spinning and spinning and spinning, so bad that my head lolled back and my mom swears to this day, all she could see were the whites of my eyes, no eyeballs. I vaguely remember hearing my mom yelling at my Uncle to stop it, but he didn't. I have been on teacups ONCE since this incident. As an adult at Storyland in NH when I was with my ex, we took his daughters. My mom was with us and told everyone about how wimpy I am so I had to prove her wrong. I went in the cup with her and a step daughter and held the wheel so we couldn't spin. Ha!
About halfway through our time at Disney, little LL got itchy. Very itchy. The chicken pox itchy. Yep, I had the chicken pox while at WDW. Oh the humanity! I still think this is why I have developed the insatiable need for WDW. I was deprived on my very first trip. One of my lovely classmates, who lived near me, who swam in my kiddie pool while she was contagious gave them to me. I remember staying with my grandma, she kept taking me to the campground showers so I could keep cool and less itchy. My mom went off to my brother to WDW though she insists she didn't, I
KNOW she did. I believe they stayed for fireworks too. I still haven't seen fireworks at WDW. Grrr.
I don't remember much about the trip home. The only picture they have of me on the way home, is curled up in a chair, hugging Gumpdrops and my pink blanky (which also went everywhere with me)
As you can see, it was very loved. So loved that by this time my mom wouldn't let me sleep with it anymore, she feared I would be strangled by it.
There you have it. LL's first trip, April 1988.
