Remember the moment...

[Dana49]

Do you remember your very first trip to Walt Disney World? To me, it seems like only yesterday. I read every page, a jillion times, in the only Disney guide available at the time, Birnbaum's. I imagined everyday what it was going to be like. My wife and I had decided to ask her parents if they wanted to go with us. It was going to be their 50th Wedding Anniversary and they had never taken a "real" vacation in all of those years. They were as thrilled to go as we were to have them. So, off we headed to Florida on Delta Airlines (the Official Airlines of Walt Disney World).

We chose to stay at the Polynesian. Back then, the choices were either the Polynesian or the Contemporary. The Grand Floridian was just starting construction. Our first evening there, as my wife was getting the kids to bed, I remember standing by myself on the beach and staring at Cinderella's Castle. I couldn't believe we were there. All of those Birnbaum pictures had come to life. The trip ended up being one of the most memorable vacations of our life. It was so much fun that my mother-in-law cried when we left, and thanked us for asking them to come along.

Today, both of my in-laws have passed away and the kids have grown up, but still, everytime my wife and I return to Walt Disney World, I can't forget that first trip and how fantastic it was.

 

[twinz]

We were 7 and I remember afew things from the trip. I remember "driving" on the speedway cars and my older cousin telling me I was going to go off of the road. In line for the ride our aunt told some teenager to stop spitting chewing tabacco. I remember getting an ear infection, going to Cocoa Beach. That is all I remember 21 years later!
Twinz

 

[Pat_Elliott]

I was eighteen, and on my senior class trip. I found it amazing that there could be sun and driving rain at the same time. There was nothing but MK at the time. The crowds were enormous. We waited an hour and fifteen minutes for the Haunted Mansion. In retrospect, that hooked me for life.

None-the-less, being one of the few in my class over eighteen when that was still the FL drinking age, all I could think about was how to sneak past the moderators that night. Isn't that sad?

Pat

 

[CarolA]

I went with my Mom and my brother just after Space Mt opened. I remember my Mom being TERRIFIED on Space Mt, but she went on it for me.

We stayed at what I "think" was a Hilton in Kissimmee. My grandad was with Delta and he got us a free room. It turned out to be a two story suite with mirrors on the ceiling of the main bedroom and a leopard rug. There was a screened porch with a LARGE BATHTUB in it. The room still brings back laughter in my family! The decor was something I can just not explain except to think early 70s at it's finest!

 

[Ecdubfan]

I was 7 and went with my grandparents. I remember being convinced that Space Mountain went upside down. They were building Big Thunder and I couldn't wait to get back to ride it. 10 years later, I got the opportunity. It was that trip that set me as a Dis fan for life.

 

[disneyluvers]

I was 31 before I went on my first trip. My parents had never taken me because mom is still really petrified of flying and our cars were always on their last legs. It wasn't until I met my DH that I thought the Dream could come true. As soon as our oldest DS was 5 he booked our trip. I'll never forget touching the castle for the first time (it was sooo cute as a birthday cake...). I would put this experience up there with my wedding day and the birth of my two boys.

 

[DanceBabe16]

The first time I went, I was in the fourth grade (only seven years ago - wow) and I looked forward to it so much. My parents told my brother, sister, and I almost a year in advance, so there was PLENTY of waiting time (almost too much if you ask me!). When the time finally came, it was seriously the most (as cliche as this sounds) magical experience of my life. We were there seven wonderful days and it ended entirely too soon. As much as I LOVE returning year after year, there's just nothing like your first time to experience everything WDW has to offer - the sights, the characters, the food, the music, the laughter, the entire atmosphere is amazing.
One of the souvenirs I brought home from that trip was a "Music of the Park" CD - it had this one song on it that makes me tear up every time I hear it, even today. (I'm sounding so cheeseball-ish! I'm sorry!) It's called "Remember the Magic" and I think it was WDW's theme song for their 25th anniversary (when we went). Anyway, I just had to share. Ever since that first trip in '96, I've been hooked - lol. My parents thought I'd "grow out" of my obsessive Disney phase in time but it just got worse with my teenage years In fact, my dream is to have my wedding in the Wedding Pavilion adjacent to the Grand Floridian...after watching that "Unwrapped" special Sunday night, I'm more anxious than ever! lol...all I have to say is my future husband better be willing to arrive at our wedding on horseback because I'm definitely going to be riding in that horse-drawn carriage!!

 

[Virgo10]

I was 38! the first time I went. What do I remember most? Walking on to Main Street USA and thinking OMG! It's adult size. Riding Space Mtn. my first (and only) time and being scared out of my mind. Going on the UoE and having the seats start to move. Going on the CoP again. The last time I was 15 and at the World's Fair in NY. Loving the rides like SE, World of Motion and Horizons.

We stayed off site on International Dr. That was our first and last off site stay. We also went to Busch Gardens.

The biggest thing I remember about our first trip is the stuff I don't remember. I have never crammed so much into 5 days. When I returned for my second trip 4 years later, it was like doing it for the first time all over again.

Roberta

 

[RickinNYC]

It was 1980 and I was 13 years old. We just moved to Orange Park, FL from Japan after a 6 year stint at Yokosuka Naval Base (Dad was career Navy). My brothers and I were hugely disoriented to the point that we had never been to a shopping mall ever, had never heard of Wendy's, never stepped foot in a multiplex movie theater, and more. We were truly fish out of water. Three military brats without a clue.

I think my Dad realized this because one Saturday morning, he packed the family ostensibly to go on a road trip. He had a habit of doing that so it didn't come as a surprise. We just never knew where we'd end up.

Well, to our shock, we pulled into the Magic Kingdom parking lot! I can't describe the sheer excitement and true joy! As wee little ones, my folks always took us to Disneyland but hadn't been there since I was about 7.

We were flabbergasted at Dad and Mom! We rode the rides, enjoyed the park for all it was worth! What a great, great day. I always look back at that surprise with a little smile on my face.

We went back a few times over the years and when my friends and I became the ripe old age of 16 and were driving, we were fortunate enough to have parents who allowed us to drive the three hours to go for our own day trips. I was hooked!

As an adult, my partner and I now go about once a year (although he says that we tend to go once every 10-11 months, but who's counting?).

 

[barbeml]

I was about 22. Since we were not wealthy, we did not get to go to WDW until we could pay our own way. My parents were divorcing, and my Dad took me and my two brothers.

The airport had just started running its monorail, which seemed very cool, but there was virtually nothing between the airport and WDW. We stayed at one of the WDW Plaza Hotels--then the Viscount, I think. (No magic there--yuck!).

It was not overly crowded, and I remember being in awe of how clean and beautiful everything was. My Dad had tons of business contacts and knew most of the Epcot company sponsors, so we got "backstage" and "line jumping" opportunities for Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy, World of Motion and Horizons. I think GM got us comp park tickets for one day. Sure wish we could get those perks now! Wonders of Life and Living Seas were not open yet.

Epcot was my favorite from the start. I remember there was no Disney character presence and all the merchandise was exclusively Epcot. We saw Figment and Dreamfinder walking around--loved the original Imagination. We dined in Mexico, England and France--I felt odd eating in an elegant French restaurant in my sloppy park clothes! Norway was not there yet, Morocco had just opened. Pre-Innoventions there was Communicore and that is where we made our PS.

IN MK, 20,000 Leagues was drained, of course, I HATED Space Mountain (I'm a big ride chicken) and loved "If You Had Wings"--I can still hear that song. We had lunch in the Castle--King Stefan's Banquet Hall--and enjoyed our pewter tankards of soda and cauldrons of soup.

Thanks for starting this thread--I hadn't thought about that first trip much in years!

 

[jjarman]

I was 11 and it was the 2nd year the park was open so it was only MK. I don't remember alot but I do remember If You Had Wings (I think that is the name). I loved this ride. HM was not that scary, Peter Pan was wonderful and it looked like you really flew. Jungle Cruise was probably my favorite ride. I also remember you had tickets then so we didn't get to ride as much as we wanted.

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

I was 17 on my senior trip ... May of 1972 ... the first year that WDW was open. I've been back many, many times over the years since then.

On that first visit - absolutely nothing in the way of hotels/restaurants in Orlando or Kissimmie. It was really very much the "Old Florida" type of town with the buffet restaurants and cheesy motels. I think that is what I think about the most when I visit ... how much the Orlando/Kissimmie area has grown!!!

 

[DebbieB]

It was 1994, I was in my 30's. A friend loaned me the video tapes she made on her trips. One scene she did was going all the way around on the resort monorail. We stayed at GF and the first thing we did was get on the monorail to the TTC to go to Epcot, I had the weird feeling that I had been there before!

 

[tc]

I had been to Disneyland many times as a kid, but never WDW. The first time I went to WDW was 93 or 94. My husband's grandma had inherited money, and "shared the wealth". She told us to spend it on fun, not important stuff. She knew Stephen was a frugal, responsible guy. I suggested seeing if we could go to WDW. The girls were 10 and 12 at the time. First we bought a new refrigerator, then we planned our trip. We went for 5 days (thinking that was more than enough time) and stayed at Dixie Landings. It was magical. We planned for months and went in late August. Got back the day before school started. We realized we could have used a few more days. This was before fastpass and we stood in line a lot. Kimmi was 10 and way into Goofy. She bought a Goofy hat the first day and wore it the whole trip. Every outfit had something Goofy. She gets so embarrassed now looking at the pics with her in Goofy boxers, t-shirt, hair tye, socks and hat. I thought she was so cute. That re-ignited my passion for Disney, and I've been 6 times since then.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

My first night in PI,first time to be hit on(but it was cute and in good fun),and my roller coaster junkie side having a field day

 

[BethC1952]

Our first visit was July 4, 1978 (what was I thinking?) We were on a road-trip through Florida, and assumed that this would be our one-and-only Florida trip ever, so we had to see Disney World at least once in our lives. My son was three years old. We stayed overnight in a Ramada Inn in Orlando, and it was awful...dirty, smelly, hot. We complained and they gave us a free night at any Ramada in the US, so two nights later we were in Fort Myers...same story. Never stayed at a Ramada Inn again. Also, never stayed off-site again. We returned in October of that year with an 8x10 foot tent and a reservation at Fort Wilderness, which cost us approx. $20/night. We had never camped before! This was in the days of ticket books, and only the Magic Kingdom. We had a great time, and returned with 22 more times to Fort Wilderness over the years between 1978 and 1985. By then it was $29.00/night and we had a travel trailer, and there was Epcot and "World Passport" tickets that you wore on your clothing. The last price I can remember was around $40.00/pp for an adult pass for five days!

Then real life interfered, and we didn't return to WDW until May, 2001 (without our son). It's changed a bit since our first visit! We were there in December, 2002, again without our son, but he and his family will be joining us--with my three year old granddaughter! I can't wait to hear what my son has to say, and to see Shannan's (the granddaughter) reaction to everything!

Beth

 

[dmonroe]

My first trip was in July of 1976. My mom still talks about how hot it was, but I was 6--I didn't care! I do remember those ticket books with the a, b, c, d, e tickets! I also remember riding If You Had Wings about a million times because it was cool in there and it must not have taken a ticket. I also remembered how we marveled at the COP (still one of my favorites) My mom lost her sunglasses on SM--she hasn't ridden since! I remember HATING sitting through the Hall of Presidents--I was 6! I remember how my dad would NOT quit singing that Tiki Birds song!

All in all it must have been a pretty good trip because we went back every year (in October after that 1 very hot trip!) until I was about 15. We were even there on the day Epcot opened, with my mom 6 mos pg with my little brother! After I was 15, I didn't get back until I was 19! Dh and I went for our honeymoon when we were 23, and we've been back 5 times since--3 of those with our ds!

WDW is like a home away from home for us. My dad passed away in November of '98. We were all pretty depressed when Christmas rolled around, so we decided to get away from it all and go to WDW for the holiday. That was the best thing we could have done--we all needed a temporary escape from reality, and that's what WDW provides us! i LOVE WDW!

 

[donna in Oz]

1st time to Disneyland was in 1973; we went to California on our honeymoon so I could meet my new in-laws, and my FIL suggested we visit Disneyland. I was WOW'd, especially since I was a small-town Kansas girl who had never been out of the Midwest.

That feeling of awe never left me and we first visited WDW in 1980. Although I had thought it would be about the same as DL (only the MK open at that time), I was hooked.

I've since gotten rid of the hubby, but have kept my affection for Disney. Guess my priorities are in order!!

 

[Hnymoon@Dixie]

I remember just starring @ the castle thinking it was the most beautiful thing in the world. I must have taken 10 pic's of it! I was 7, back in 1980.

 

[Bill From PA]

When was MK's 25th, 1996? I was 40 something, cynical, jaded, a 'been-there-done-that' sort who went along with the family because Grandma was treating the crew to WDW and besides, it got me out of another brutal Pa. winter for a while. Crossing the Lagoon, I was transformed. Somehow I sensed that this was not a 'normal' place and this would not be a regular vacation. I had no expectations, yet DisneyWorld exceeded them, if that makes any sense. Now I'm the family loon who starts planning the next trip before the suitcases make the attic. I've had our room ressies for next March since this Feb. The 7 of us are going to Myrtle Beach for a week in a few days and I'm here searching for airfare bargains and 7 Day Hoppers. I'm glad to hear my near obsession is not unique.

Bill From PA