Just curious where I stayed in 1973

[RobandLisa]

We stayed off-site in 1973. All I remember is the hotel had a Dutch theme going--bright tulip wallpaper in the rooms and a windmill-shaped pool. Does this ring a bell with anyone???

 

[Local_Girl]

I'm sure somebody knows for sure, but I think the Grosvenor Resort in the Downtown Disney area is what you're thinking of. I believe it used to be called the Dutch Inn and it's pool is shaped like a windmill.

 

[chloesmommi]

Yes, it was called the Dutch Inn. I stayed there in 1978. It is now the Grosvenor.

 

[baileybrad]

The subject of your thread is a classic--just curious where I stayed in 1973--that must have been one wild and crazy trip not to remember where you stayed on vacation . Glad someone else was able to confirm your wherabouts.

 

[RobandLisa]

Yeah, as wild and crazy as any 11 year old could get in the early 70s! Ok, I admit, a strange question but I was just reminiscing...

 

[zurgswife]

LOL!!!

 

[baileybrad]

Don't care how young or old you were or wild and crazy, we want to party with your family .

 

[wdwnutze]

This is actually a great thread. We went in 75 and stayed at a Days in Suite( I think in Kissimee) We were the envy of the neighborhood because we were the first to go to Disney. It seems like so long ago. There only was the MK at that time. We went with my brother and his family 8/01 and it was the 1st time he had been since 75. You should have seen the look on his face!

 

[RobandLisa]

Yeah, things sure have changed. I remember the "Dutch Inn" (thanks to all of you posters) was with a group of other hotels but otherwise in the middle of nowhere. No Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island in '73!

And I remember takng the monorail past/through the Polynesian and the Contemporary. No way could we afford those hotels--they were probably like $30 a night!!!

 

[chloesmommi]

In 1978, we spent the entire 7 days of our vacation in the Magic Kingdom. With the huge growth of WDW and Orlando in general, and how we pack so much more into a week's vacation now, it's almost hard to believe that we weren't bored.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I believe it was 1972, my first trip to Disney. I was 8 years old, and I remember staying at a tall Howard Johnson's. There was a full size bus leaving in the morning to Disney. That's about all I can remember...ah, the memories!

 

[Local_Girl]

my first trip in the summer of 1972. I was 11 and we were in Florida visiting relatives. We went to the Magic Kingdom on a tour bus--a "day trip"! I think we had a tour guide in the MK (she wore a short blue pleated skirt with a vest and a matching hat). I'm not sure if we actually stayed overnight in the Orlando area--or just caught the bus elsewhere!
At the time, I felt like the MK was very new and still under construction. I remember searching in vain for the Matterhorn . I still can't find it...

 

[sgtdisney]

Americana's Dutch Resort was the name of the resort years back, now it is the Grosvenor.. If you go there now you will still see remnants of the old 'Dutch' theme. The pool is shaped like a windmill or some such thing.. (I have never stayed there..) The tall Howard Johnsons that the other poster mentioned was probably where the Marriott Courtyard Downtown Disney is now. It was a Howard Johnson for years. Interestingly, the Hilton and the Hotel Royal Plaza are the only hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd that haven't had a name change since they first opened. The Lake Buena Vista resort was a travelodge for years and the Doubletree Suites started out as a Pickett Suites..

 

[Tiger Fan]

We too stayed at the Americana Dutch. My got a rate of like $18/per night and I remember thinking it was the most incredible hotel in the world. This was in the late 70's. Such fond memories.

Lisa

 

[Antonia]

We were there in the early 70's - I was a kid - and I remember my dad and brother taking of in a mouseboat from the Contemporary. I didn't get to ride - we couldn't afford two rides. We were in awe of the Contemporary - had lunch there and watched the monorail. Of course, we were weren't staying there. We were staying Daytona. How times have changed!

 

[MinnieGi]

Can I reminisce too?

Hotel Royal Plaza - first trip, 5 years old, '75
Rode in a car from DE with mom, dad, grandmother & grandfather and me stuck in between Mimi & Pop-pop in the back seat!!! Yikes, how did I survive!

I remember being in awe of the outside elevator at Hotel Royal Plaza, that is until I saw the monorail running through the CR!!!

I also remember how high up our rooms were and loved sitting out on the balcony. It was definetly the nicest hotel I had stayed in during my five years, of course I still had CR envy.

We spent a week exploring the Magic Kingdom and other Orlando area attractions. Now I'm cramming in four parks in 6 days!!!

Gi

 

[luv2nascar]

DH went in 79 at 10 yrs old and stayed in Orlando Regency
with a restaurant called the copper penny

Funny story -DH's families 2nd trip in 2000 - when we were looking at the old pictures after we got back FIL says I really like Circus World how come we didn't go to Circus World again???
Duh cause it's not there anymore
in 79 there was only MK no EPCOT or anything

 

[disneysteve]

My first trip was Memorial Day weekend 1978. 5 days and 4 nites at Disney's Golf Resort, later called the Sleep Inn and finally became Shades of Green. That was the cheapest of the 3 Disney hotels (yes, there were only 3). We spent probably 3 days at the Magic Kingdom and 1 day at Sea World. There wasn't much else to do then, but it was fantastic. I was already a huge Disney fan and knew everything about the resort ( I was 13 at the time). Finally getting to go in person was a dream come true.

Now 24 years later, I'm currently staying at the Days Suites on my 20-something visit to WDW. My 7 year old daughter is hhere for her 9th trip and I was 13 before I got here. How times have changed.

I'll post full trip reports on that board when I get home.

Steve

 

[BounceyOne]

luv2nascar, I thought I was the only one to remember circus world. When I mention it people tend to look at me like I have 3 heads.
Thanks for the memories.

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by disneysteve
My first trip was Memorial Day weekend 1978. 5 days and 4 nites at Disney's Golf Resort, later called the Sleep Inn and finally became Shades of Green.

Actually, after being named The Golf Resort, it was called The Disney Inn (and had a Snow White theme) for a while before becoming Shades of Green. Sleep Inns are low cost hotels and I think they are part of the Quality Chain.. Just as a funny aside, they decided to rename the resort The Disney Inn because they felt too many people were staying away from the hotel because they thought it was only a place Golfers would enjoy. I stayed there in the mid 70s and remember it as being very nice and it actually had the largest rooms of any Deluxe Hotel, in fact it still does have the largest standard rooms.