Remembering that first "once in a lifetime" trip.

[wideeyes]

Great photo

Our first trip was less than 2 years ago- we couldn't afford to go when I was at school, my DD will have loads of Disney memories to look back on when she is grown up though, don't think she realises how lucky she is.

 

[Jets fan]

My first trip was about 25 years ago and the thing that I remember the most was the Weather Channel and how accurately they predicted rain. It was like from 2pm - 3pm there would be heavy downpours in the Orlando area and sure enough there was. I had never seen a weather channel before and didn't even know that they existed, let alone be so accurate. I was also staggered by the size of their storm drains on the kerbs, they were huge.

Tina

 

[CustardTart]

Lovely photo, Tony and what a fab story...

Our first time was in June 1992 when DD Sophie was 9 and DS Matthew was almost 7. They were ecstatic to be missing two weeks from school (no problem back then ) tho' DH and I were less than happy to be going as he was made redundant about two weeks before the trip...

Anyway, I remember we booked with brand spanking new VH as I loved their brochure and we obviously flew VA which seemed brilliant at the time. The children kept their backpacks, baseball caps and sunglasses for ages after and I recall Sophie reading her free book and asking the flight attendant if there were others she could swap with - bless...

We upgraded at the Dollar desk to a Chrysler Lebaron convertible (I have no idea why - it barely held our luggage!!!) and stayed in Kissimmee on the 192 at a Ramada hotel - we actually found it when we were in WDW this April. We spent a day at each park, including Seaworld, but went to Universal instead of MGM - the Back to the Future ride was the big hit of the holiday... We spent a week in Orlando, then drove up to the Panhandle for another week at a different Ramada hotel... We had a great time but Richard was really anxious about being out of work so it wasn't the best trip ever and it took us till 1998 to return. Then we stayed onsite at the Grand Floridian for Christmas/Sophie's 16th birthday and had such an incredibly wonderful time that we were really hooked!!!

But here are some pics I found of that first trip...

...also remember loving ghostbusters at universal, I really miss it.

My kids do too! I'm sure I have a photo somewhere - I'll have to have a look for it...

...DH and I had both always dreamed of visiting WDW one day (I think it was all those years of watching Disney Time on Bank Holidays)...

Absolutely!!! Tho' I really wanted to go to Disneyland - I didn't even know WDW existed until my parents went in the late 1980's...

Our first trip to the World was in 1996 and dd was 4. We had planned for 12 months and 2 days before daughter got chickenpox so had to leave 9 days later and then dh got them whilst we were away....

That's a familiar story. Also in 1996, we tried to go to WDW when the kids and I met up with DH in New York where he was on business. The plan was to spend a few days in NYC then fly down to Orlando and surprise the kids with a week at the Contemporary!!! Great plan!!! Unfortunately Samuel (then aged 3) developed chicken pox so we ended up cutting the trip short and flying back home... We didn't tell the children about this failed attempt for years!!!

 

[tony64]

They did indeed Tone, I think I was two weeks past 21 when we went

Perfect timing.

 

[tony64]

We seem to have a lot of similar stories.
We booked two years in advance with Style Holidays, it was so slow counting it down but OH so exciting when the day finally arrived.

 

[gemmybear83]

Just to add here is a photo from my first trip...we got this taken at MGM Studios - check out my cool red nose day hat

 

[Tinks1984]

Great thread! We have some pictures from our first trip in 1993 too, I'll post them when I get chance to scan them in

Some memories though...

As Florida was our first ever trip abroad as children (I was 9 and my brother was 6) I really remember the PALM TREES! I don't think I'd ever seen a real one before then! And the little lizzards that would scurry about the Marriot International Drive, we were both amazed by them.

I also fondly remember Burger King on I-Drive, we visited quite a few times that trip and they had a 'fish bowl' (minus the fish!) on the counter, filled up with water and a tiny pot in the centre of it. You dropped in a quarter and if it landed in the pot, then you got a free burger - goodness knows how many quarter's my Mum and Dad passed us to have a go We did win one a couple of times too!

Other memories are of my brother being braver than me and my Mum and doing the shark swim at TL with my Dad! My Mum and I both chickened out and watched them from the submarine!

I also remember queuing up for AGES for Space Mountain (with my Dad), only to get right to the cart and jumping out the other side too scared to ride Thankfully I conquered that fear on the trip last year, which then made me feel REALLY silly, as there's nothing to it!

My Dad's just mentioned his favourite memory is riding the TTA each evening we were in the MK, just to chill out in the breeze and relax! My Mum's just mentioned also that she was amazed how clean and tidy everything was too! My brother, well, he was just a little too young and doesn't recall much - he will next year though DBF's just chipped in also (his 1st trip was last April!) and he says his favourite part was that everything was really cheap (Granted it was $2 to the £1 when we went!)

Oh one more thing...Pirates Cove and Chuck-e-Cheese! We spent tons in there winning prizes!

That's just some of my more non-obvious ones, there's many more, but those are the ones people tend to mention less when talking about '1st times'

 

[tony64]

We were also reminded of how noisey the cricket are and how different the grass is.

 

[Tinks1984]

We were also reminded of how noisey the cricket are and how different the grass is.

Ahhh the grass - I forgot about that! That's another fab one!

 

[Goofysmate]

Isn't it funny how alot of us have thought it was going to be a once off trip of a life time & we all keep going back time & time again

 

[tony64]

Isn't it funny how alot of us have thought it was going to be a once off trip of a life time & we all keep going back time & time again

I think we must have all been bitten by the Disney Bug.

 

[Goofysmate]

Hope no one find a cure tony

 

[MrGLWatson]

Our first trip was in May 1983 for our Honeymoon. We had 3 weeks in Florida, but only 4 days in WDW.
At that time there was only MK and Epcot.
We stayed at the Polynesian Village which was fantastic.
Didn't go back again until 2005 - boy have things changed since 1983.

 

[tony64]

Our first trip was in May 1983 for our Honeymoon. We had 3 weeks in Florida, but only 4 days in WDW.
At that time there was only MK and Epcot.
We stayed at the Polynesian Village which was fantastic.
Didn't go back again until 2005 - boy have things changed since 1983.

Welcome to the dis Gary

Hopefully the things that have changed meet with your approval?

DW is not so happy with the demise of the orange groves that used to border Disney property. I guess the increase in the land values made that a no brainer.

 

[MrGLWatson]

Welcome to the dis Gary

Hopefully the things that have changed meet with your approval?

DW is not so happy with the demise of the orange groves that used to border Disney property. I guess the increase in the land values made that a no brainer.

Thanks for the welcome
Yes the place is really great, I'd holiday there every year if I could afford it.

In 2005 we discovered Travel City Direct and found out that the prices were not as bad as we thought. Pity they have gone out of business (yes I know Virgin has reserected the name). Virgin (and the new TCD) are so much more expensive.

I was planning to go again this year, but with the current climate I holding back spending the £6K it costs to take the family again, see how things are next year.

 

[tony64]

Thanks for the welcome
Yes the place is really great, I'd holiday there every year if I could afford it.

In 2005 we discovered Travel City Direct and found out that the prices were not as bad as we thought. Pity they have gone out of business (yes I know Virgin has reserected the name). Virgin (and the new TCD) are so much more expensive.

I was planning to go again this year, but with the current climate I holding back spending the £6K it costs to take the family again, see how things are next year.

If you're on a tight budget try Monarch, as out of season as you can get away with, and you may be in for a pleasant surprise,
They are budget with a capital B but at leasat they will get you back to the magic and that's what is the most important.

 

[Nix]

My first trip was in 1992 with my parents at the grand old age of ...5 XD We've gone almost every year since, but my next trip will be my first "alone" without them to do the planning. Thankfully my Mum has plenty of experience in planning for a Florida trip so I have an excellent teacher.

The reason we decided to go? We had a really crap holiday in Scarborough and my Mum and Dad swore we would never holiday in the UK again, lol.

 

[MrGLWatson]

If you're on a tight budget try Monarch, as out of season as you can get away with, and you may be in for a pleasant surprise,
They are budget with a capital B but at leasat they will get you back to the magic and that's what is the most important.

My wife works in education, so we have to holiday during peak times

 

[tony64]

My wife works in education, so we have to holiday during peak times

You could become a politician and claim it on expenses.

 

[Pinky166]

Great stories everyone.

Well I'll start mine with a little background....when I was 7 years old (27 years ago) my Dad had a stroke aged 36, he was left registered disabled and told he would never be able to work again, he was lucky to have survived - this obviously had a huge impact on my whole family and to cut a long story short it mean't that we were not able to go on holidays (not even in the UK which is all we had done before he was ill) as dad needed to sleep several times a day & still does almost 30 years on. Anyway my Aunt and Uncle used to come and visit (a few times each year as they lived quite far away) and they would tell me about a 'Magical place' and would often say that when I was a bit older they would take me to Disney World in Florida! At that age I didn't even know where Florida was or that a place called 'Disney World' even existed...but I knew Disney I had always loved all things Disney from as far back as I can remember. I used to dream about this 'Magical place' all the time but unfortunately for whatever reason they never took me.

Fast forward a bit, I never stopped dreaming about that 'place' and when I left school and started work I always knew that one day I would go there. After about 8 years together my then Fiance (now DH) & I decided to go on holiday abroad, I had never been abroad or even on a plane but knew that I wanted to take the plunge and go 9.5 hours to the 'Magical place' so with that we got a couple of guide books & booked the hotel (Sheraton on I drive, near Seaworld) and waited about 10 months until departure day - September 2000! I was unbearable with excitement (nothing changes )but also very nervous about the flight. Well I loved it from the minute the plane took off to the minute it landed back in England 2 weeks later and with that another Disney Freak was born!

The things that really stick out from that first trip was firstly the wall of heat that hits you when you step off the plane & the smell of the air. Then we went through to immigration & me being the organised person I am had torn the bottom section off of the visa waiver forms to be helpful - BIG mistake, the officer with his large gun had a right go at me & kicked me out of the line to fill in more forms. Funny now but that was my first experience of an American - I wanted to cry & get back on the plane & go home. I was also amazed at the cleanliness, how friendly everyone was (except that guy), then also things like the portion sizes in MacDonalds , the size of the roads, the thick grass, the lush palm tree's....Everything really.

I will have to scan some pics.