Remember . . . WDW Resorts in 1983

[LuluLovesDisney]

Here I am reviewing a 1983 edition of "Steve Birnbaum Brings You the Best of Walt Disney World! (including new Epcot Center)"
Since I think it's fun, I thought I'd share!

Remember when . . .

You could choose from:

Contemporary Resort Hotel
($95 to 105 in Garden Wing, $115 in Tower w Bay Lake or MK view, $210 and $230 in Garden Wing Suites and $280 to $330 in Tower Suites)
Restaurants/Bars:
Terrace Buffeteria
Terrace Cafe
Pueblo Room
Outer Rim
Gulf Coast Room
Top of the World
Fiesta Fun Center
Dock Inn
Monorail Club Car
Coconino Cove
Top of the World Lounge
Sand Bar


Polynesian Village
($95 to 105 in Garden Wing, $115 in Tower w Bay Lake or MK view, $220- $250 in Bali Hai Longhouse Suites)
Restaurants/Bars:
South Seas Dining Room
Papeete Bay Verandah
Coral Isle Cafe
Tangaroa Terrace
Barefoot Snack Bar
Tangaroa Snack Isle
Barefoot Bar
Tambu Lounge
Captain Cook's Hideaway


Golf Resort Hotel
($95 with woodland view, $105 w view of pool or golf course, suites $210)
Bars/Restaurants:
Trophy Room
Sand Trap
The Player's Gallery


Walt Disney World Village Villas
(varied from $95 for a one bedroom Club Lake Villa to $475 for a three bedroom Grand Vista Suite)
No restaurants/bars but had convenient access of Lake Buena Vista Club and Gourmet Pantry at "Walt Disney World Shopping Village"

and

Fort Wilderness Campground Resort
($95)
Restaurants/Bars:
Trail's End
Campfire Snack Bar
The Beach Shack
Settlement Trading Post

plus hotels at WDW Village Hotel Plaza, which included Americana Dutch Resort Hotel, Travelodge Tower, Hotel Royal Plaza, Howard Johnson's Resort Hotel and Buena Vista Palace (all between $75 and $118 a night)

 

[Bride In The Attic]

Gosh those restaurants bring back a lot of memories....I used to love the Top of the World at the Contemporary - it's where CG is now. We used to go in the 70's and it reminded me of a Donny and Marie Osmand show!!

We always stayed at the Poly growing up - we were there w/in a few months of when it opened and my dad remembers it costing around $40/night. Of course, it's all relative - that was 1972!

What a fun post - thanks for the memories!

 

[vanyel]

I stayed at the villas in 1986 and loved it. We had a one bedroom and I think we paid $110 for it. We only stayed there 4 nights because that was all we could afford to splurge, then we went to a cheap place in Kissimee that a friend recommended. It was awful!

 

[escape]

I remember staying at the Treehouse villas. I wonder if they are still around or what name they are under if they still exist. Anyone know?

 

[legalslave]

We stayed at the Golf Resort in 1977 - first trip and with my kids when they WERE kids (14 and 9.5). It was $65/night plus tax. At the time $65/night was "expensive." Loved the resort - our room overlooked a golf course (I think it was Magnolia). You took a bus for a short trip to the Poly where you caught the monorail to MK (that's the only park there was then, except for River Country).

 

[Tinkaroo]

Gosh, those rates seem high for 22 years ago!

But don't you wish you could get those rates now!

Thanks for the memories!

 

[paras4ri]

I have that very same book and 1983 was my first trip as an "adult"....my GF & I stayed at the Holiday Inn on I-Drive on that trip. In 1986...our honeymoon....we upgraded to the Buena Vista Palace! At that time the GF was just being built!

 

[Furnacefighter]

When you think back the "83" WDW seems to be only two dimentional compared to the one we enjoy today!

 

[Aimeedyan]

How cool!

On my first trip, the year Epcot opened, we camped!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Whenever I see stuff like this...I get sad, cuz I feel a bit gypped! here I am...born and raised about 4 hours from WDW...and my parents RARELY took us, and if they did, we stayed offsite (the lone exception being CR when it first opened.) I am not familiar with any of those places mentioned. That is why I save a lot pf paperwork and info on WDW now, so that my DD6 can reminisce someday. It will be fun to look back 20 years from now!

Anyway, don't feel too bad for me...I have made it my life's mission to make up for lost time by going to WDW at least 2 or 3 times a year!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[BCV23]

1983 was the year of our first two on site stays. We stayed at FW in one of the homes in May/June and then at the Polynesian in November/December. What great memories. Our sons were just 3 and 1.

 

[DisFlan]

This is when we started staying in the Village villas and townhouses. Boy, were they great! We could stay in a 2 bd. townhouse for about $150. And rent a golf cart to buzz back and forth to the Village (pre-DTD) for $10 a day.

And the Village! Wow. Very peaceful. Nothing like now. No big corporation venues or ad signs. We weren't inundated with "buy me" junk. The trees all sparkled with light and music played everywhere. You could stroll around the peaceful areas in the evenings while kids played (safely) in the play area. Or we'd have a quiet drink outside Capt. Jack's while chatting with other guests and watching the sun set over the water. (Yes, people actually talked to each other!) Then we'd get back in our golf cart and buzz back to our villa with the evening breeze blowing our hair. People waved and chatted from cart to cart, and if you saw someone carrying packages back to their villa, you thought nothing of offering a ride.

The Gourmet Pantry would deliver food and stock the kitchen while we were in the parks for about 50 bucks. If we didn't feel like cooking or going out, we could order room service for very little more than the cost of a restaurant meal. A CM would show up in a special golf cart, bring the meal in and set it up on the dining table - with a white table cloth, china and a flower or two. And would NOT accept a tip.

Yes, there were only two parks back then, but WDW was a much cozier place, and it felt much more personalized. WDW still had its "White Glove" guest policy, no matter where you stayed. Service was paramount, no matter what. Would I trade two parks to have it that way again today? In a heartbeat.

DisFlan

 

[spiceycat]

oh yea!

anyway I think the CBR opened soon after?

the Treehouses still exist. but you can't rent them. they are in the 'protected area' so they might go in to SSR (and be tore down) - or not.

if wdw puts them in SSR then WDW has to come up with some other property for the 'protected areas'.

If SSR kepts selling like it is - then I would expect WDW to tear them down.

while now WDW can't touch this property. that is why the trees are left on them from the hurricanes.

Hey when OKW first opened DVC members got even better service. I mean it was great!!! the bus drivers gave us their schedules. I am constantly asked if I needed help and how could they (cm) help me. I was shy then and this constant attention to anything I wanted was so strange.... I was shown (not told) by the gardner where the ice machine was....

anyway sorry nothing could beat being a DVC member until 95 when DVC opened more resorts.