Share how your love for Disney World started.....

[Hollywoodsign]

I have just listened to the 15 anniversary podcast. All the talk about how The Dis started got me thinking. Describing Disney Worlds magic is a hard thing to explain to 'non - disser' Id love to hear how everyone's LOVE for Disney World started.

Heres my story:

I was very luck to go to Disney World 4 times as a child (first time as a 2 year old, flying from England - brave parents! ) I think the last time we went as a family was when I was about 9 or 10. Things changed at home and the money was no longer available to go on these amazing Orlando trip and more.
Anyway, time passed and I grew up. I had memory's of Disney World but never really thought about it much. In 2008 I dated a guy whos parents happened to Live in Tamp. They arranged for us to fly over at Christmas so I could meet them. I was very excited to be visiting Orlando again. Little did I know we were going straight from the airport to the GRAND FLORIDIAN HOTEL and spending 4 night in Disney World!!!
The only way I can think of the feeling of going back into the Magic Kingdom as an 'adult' is like Id had a Disney World seed planted in me as a child that I grew up, and forgot all about. As soon as I saw that castle the magic truly sparked! As I was walking round the parks there was SO MANY forgotten memory's re ignited!

Now planning my 8th trip (this October!) I cant ever Imagen loosing my love for Disney World! I have a house full of Disney memorabilia, a movie collection of Disney films and a book case full of Disney related books (im also very interested in the history of Disney World)

So how do you think your love for Disney World started....???

 

[pepe of ohio]

We started in 1977.....my Dad worked for US Steel in Youngstown Ohio and they made the steel for the Contemporary and the company got the option of belonging to The Magic Kingdom Club.....well, my Dad always enjoyed amusement parks and took us to every one in the area so he decided that we all (my mom and dad, my wife and me and our 5 years old son) to take a rode trip to WDW to see what all the hype was about.....

We were blown away, even though there was only one park, and the 3 resorts...naturally we stayed at the CR and were so in awe, we stayed an extra night (originally was 4 nights)...since it was awesome...just the resort alone blew us away (it was the huge game room and fun center).....we went in June right after school was out and after that trip....we had to come back and soon....we all went again that October......

Now thru the years, and many many trips....my parents have passed but what they started for us was mindnumbing.....46 trips and still counting..we have gone just about every year and some years more that once or twice....Our daughter did the College Program (moving from Ohio to Florida) was agony for us but we got to go to WDW 3 times that period just to visit her (and the cast member discount is something to take advantage about)..

We can look back on all our trips, thru my parents, our children growing up and having a fondness for WDW and now thru our golden years and seeing Disney thru our grandchildrens eyes....the magic is there...aways has been and it will continue to be a part of our lives as long as we are healthy and able......

 

[Butterbunkins]

My mom and dad took their first trip to WDW together about year after they married. My mom had been to DLand many times, but my dad had never been to either. It was 1977 and there wasn’t much to WDW at that point, but they loved it. They stayed in the now gone garden wing of the Cont. and had the time of their lives. And during this trip my mom discovered, after a few months of trying, that she was pregnant with me. So I think it was engraved into me from the womb.

My “next” trip was when I was 8. It immediately became one of my favorite places in the world.

 

[Yellosno]

I had been several times when I was a young kid (middle school or before) and really en joyed it but never really cared outside of the world then after 2 years of just going to Universal my mom asked If i was interested in going to Disney World again. As a sophomore in high school I was like ehh i guess so but I did research on it for some odd reason I cant remember why. In my study of Disney World I fell in love with it like i was 3 again and now Im a rising senior in high school and going back to the world on my 18th birthday and couldnt be more excited!

 

[Dismom55]

For me it is quite different, I was born in May of 1955 so all my life all I ever heard about was Disneyland and as I grew I learned that Disneyland was Born (my term) in July of 1955, sooo in my warped Disney mind we share a birth year. I also grew up with the original Mickey Mouse Club and watching that on TV with all the original cast members, and I can remember Sunday nights watching Walt announce the show for the night and not having a concept of time sitting on the floor praying that bedtime would not come before the show was over and I remember being mesmorized as Tink did her thing over the Castle. Always relieved when to my amazement bedtime was not announced until after Walt said goodnight. Being from a famiy with limited financial resouces I dreamed of going to Disneyland but knowing it would never happen. Then to my sheer joy the announcement came that another park was being built in Florida, I just knew that as an adult I would save the money to go to Florida some day. I was in High School by then or nearly. Then the park opened in 1971 and I married in Dec of 1972, dreamed of going to Disney World for our honeymoon, but that was not to be and for some many more years as being a young family we did not have the funds. But we finally did make it the first year that Epcot opened and then again in 2000 and then in 2007 we went back to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. Thankful that we were to celebrate that year as my husband passed away last year and I have all those wonderful memories now to add to my Disney memories that I would not have had we postponed that trip.

Basically, I just know I was always mesmorized by anything Disney on TV, at the movies or anything Disney related all my life. Now that I can afford the occasional trip to WDW I am the adult kid who did not get to go as a kid. As soon as I enter the park, I am no longer a mom, an adult with adult responsibilities, I leave all that behind and enjoy the moment.

 

[melissabryant]

My love/obsession with all things Disney started back in the 80's. My grandfather used to take me to the movies on Saturdays. Just the 2 of us. The very first one he took me to see was Oliver and Company. I was hooked. From then on he continued to take me. My grandfather passed away in '94 just a few weeks before Lion King premiered. my mom said it was the first time my uncle cried at a disney movie. In '96, it was our first trip to WDW (and only trip as a child). Despite the fact that the castle was Pepto Bismol Pink, i fell in love with WDW. Not only was a hooked, the obsession took on a life of its own. I was only 14 and I knew that i had to be there and work in the parks. I actually got my degree in Hotel Restaurant Management. After about 8 years, 2 interviews and the guts to finally move to FL, I became a CM @ WDW in the reservation center. This former CM now lives in FL after being there 1 time as a child (PO FQ), 1 time as a 19 year old (off site) and 1 time as a travel agent (all star movies/AKL) and Disneyland (Paradise Pier and the Grand Califonian). I miss being a CM, I miss seeing a parade at least once a week. And having my nights end with fireworks. What I miss the most though is the magic that WDW envokes in kids of all ages and now that I am a mother, I cant wait to take my son as well as my husband (he is a WDW Virgin.) Our delayed honeymoon is planned for 2014 after he comes home from being overseas.

 

[Nomad70]

I grew up in San Diego, so going to Disneyland was at least an annual if not bi-annual treat for our family. I still remember having to use "tickets" for the rides! lol When I was 19 (in '89) I moved to Orlando with a friend of mine to work at Disney World. My first time there. I worked there for almost two years before returning to California and ultimately joining the Army. Anyway, from the day I began working at DW I was in awe of the whole thing. The Swan and Dolphin Resorts were still under construction at that time too. Anyway, having taken our older two kids to Disneyland a few times over the years (we lived in California) we really wanted to take them to DW. When we were living in Tennessee we finally made it to DW for the first time as a family. It's funny because my husband (a career army officer) was NOT thrilled with the thought spending 10 days at DW, let alone with three kids, 9, 6, and 1 at the time. lol BUT, it quickly changed on the first day there. He and I both fell in love with it. It was amazing how EVERYONE got along, no fights, fun was the order of every day! So, that began our annual DW vacation. We have only missed 2 Fall vacations, 2010 because we were moving to Alaska for year and 2011 because we were moving to Alabama. This year, it's just the hubby and I going solo! We are planning our Family Disney Trip for 2013 though.

 

[PrincessCastMember]

Although I don't remember the exact year when we first went, I did have the great fortune of going to Walt Disney World several times as a little girl. The first Disney hotel we stayed at was the Polynesian and I remember how amazed I was that were able to see Cinderella's Castle from the beach! I also remember being really impressed with the Luau.

I remember being impressed with the little things, like think it was so neat that there were Cast Members from all around the world working there and I loved looking at their name tags and wishing that I could some day work there too. (I actually write a blog all about the little things at Disney World that make it special: http://disneylittlethings.blogspot.com/)

That dream came true in 2003 when I worked as a College Program student for a summer and then again when I returned as a Full-Time Cast Member in 2006.

Disney will always have a special place in my heart. I am truly a Disney Lover for Life.

 

[ToddyLu]

DH had been in 1976 with his family for his July 4th Birthday and to celebrate the bicentennial. They stayed a the CR through his father's work. They had a wonderful time and always planned to return but built a small camp near a local river and did future vacations there. My brother and I always wanted to go but my prents did not have the money. We spent many wonderful summers in Panama City camping. So WDW was an unrealized dream for us and so many Sunday nights were spent in front of the TV in the 70's watching Walt and his movies.

DH promised to take me for a Honeymoon, which had been delayed due to stating a new job the year we married, 1994. It took him 8 years to take me for our 8th anniversary. I bought a PassPorter and read it front to back. It was 2002, I was 34. I fell in love instantly. I could not see the castle from the gate and they way you have to wind around the depot on to Main street is meant to give you that "Ahhhh" moment. I think DH had bruises on his arms for a week, from me yanking it, screaming "It's the castle, the real castle". All he could do was smile at me. So I was hooked from that moment, the realization of a childhood dream.

We have since gone every year and now own DVC, APs, TIW card, etc. We have taken his Mom and my parents several times.

I can tell you had I been as a child...I would not be living in MS working as a nurse. I would have enrolled in the CP and now be a CM with 20 years with the company. I would be the perfect face character for Ursula, have the short blonde/white hair, round face and chunky body...maybe for MNSSHP this year

 

[christianweecare]

Being born in the 1950's all DH & I knew of Disney was what we had grown up with on TV. (DH was in love with Davy Crockett!) We Disneymooned in 1975 at the Polynesian and have been hooked ever since! Our kids grew up going to WDW. Now we are taking our grandkids! We became DVC members in 2005 but wish we would have taken the plunge years earlier. We try to cruise DCL every other year. I am the family travel agent and tour guide!

 

[Nigel8600]

My love for Disney is pretty simple. When we were kids pretty much the only tv we were allowed to watch was Disney on Sunday nights.

How could Disney be bad if we got to watch it on tv?

 

[Ninnygunk]

I was lucky enough to go to WDW a few times as a child. Also stopped by Magic Kingdom on our way to a cruise right out of college. Always had fun at WDW. It wasn't until I walked through the gates with my son that I was actually overcome with Disney magic. Seeing WDW through his eyes was the best pixie dust I ever had! And now we're "Disney people" as my friends & family call us. They never ask us to go on vacation with them because they know we'll be at WDW!

 

[AJ1983]

From a very young age, I loved everything Disney. I watched Disney movies since I was a toddler, and Mickey Mouse cartoons. When I was 3, my grandparents took a trip to Florida and they brought me back a photo of Minnie Mouse signed by Minnie herself! At this point I thought whoa whoa wait a minute...there is a place where you can actually go MEET Minnie and Mickey and Donald and Pluto and Chip and Dale???? My grandmother informed me that all the Disney Characters like Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland,etc were jsut walking around the park all day. I couldn't believe it. I had to see this for myself!

When I was 8, we finally took a family vacation to Florida, and I'll never forget the feeling of walking through the gates of the Magic Kingdom and seeing the castle straight ahead. I went to Disneyland Parc (Paris) when I was 21, and Magic Kingdom again on my 23rd birthday, and each time I had the same feeling. It just really is the happiest place on earth. This might sound corny, but I also like that everyone is still treated equally there. Everyone stands in line to meet the princesses, you can't buy different "levels" of passes so get access to more rides/shows than everyone else-its nice that everyone pays the same price and gets the same experience.

I am going back in May 2013 and bringing my boyfriend, who has NEVER been to Disney, and I told him that he will never see a bigger, goofier grin on my face than when we enter the Magic Kingdom

 

[veritas]

in 1973 my parents packed us all up in a green chrysler station wagon (the kind with the rear facing back seat that folded down into the cargo space) and drove us from Upstate to New York to WDW (then just one park). It started there. We grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights (as well as Mutual fo Omaha Wild Kingdom). Fast forward to September 2000 and the better Half and I took a trip to WDW with ehr parents. It was one of the best rips we have ever taken. As a result we have dropped in to see Mickey 19 times (including a ftrip top DL in Anaheim). What pushed us intot eh realm of "Disney-ites" is that we always manage to forget the rest of the world exists while at WDW.

 

[callicourt]

My love for Disney World began when my Dad shipped us all down to Orlando for a business trip. He was much too busy to bother with theme parks, so my mother loaded up a triple stroller with snacks and drinks in JULY and carted two five year olds and a two year old around the Magic Kingdom from 9 a.m. until midnight. What a trooper! Though my baby brother was much too young to remember the trip, I can still remember the sights, sounds, and smells of Main Street, U.S.A.

 

[carrie1626]

I swear it's the things you do as a child that stay with you as an adult. Of course it means the FUN things you did. For me, that meant camping, going to Chicago on the train, taking vacations every year, going to DisneyWorld in 1973 and 1978 as a preteen/teen.

When I became a parent I was obsessed with getting back to DisneyWorld. I entered every contest/sweepstakes I could find trying to win a vacation (long before the WEB/INTERNET). My kids have been lucky enough to go multiple times. My DD22 definetly has the Disney bug, my Ds19, Not so sure about him but that could easily change when he becomes a parent someday.


Now on the otherhand, my husband did next to nothing as a child and simply does not have that "act and have fun" like a kid gene. After 2 nights away from home he's done and anything we've ever done as a family has been MY IDEA most of the time. Yes, he's had a good time but it is EXHAUSTING to be the planner all the time.

 

[jimmy339]

The first time I went with my mum n dad In 1997 for my 7th bday and tbh I don't remember much from that trip, I then went again in the mellinium which was a great year to go. Then for Christmas and new year 2002/03 also great but it wasn't until my last family trip in 2006 that really ignited my love for all things Disney especially the Walt Disney world resort. Like you after that trip my families circumstances changed and we could no longer afford the great holidays to Disney and other places. After that I made it a goal to save up n get back there, I love it there, troubles really do melt away and your a kid again. I finally convinced my partner to go and we got there September last year! He does not have the love bug for disney like I do but he is now a big fan.

In 2006 I appreciated everything so much more and I cannot really explain how my love for Disney came about but it's here to stay n I'm proud to say I'm a HUGE Disney geek!

 

[Butler_chic07]

Wow... my love for Disney World. It actually just started with a love for Disney.

I had some family problems when I was a child, parents divorced, father remarried, etc. And as a young child I would escape all of the difficulties of life by watching Disney movies. That made me fall in love with Disney so obviously the next step was Disney World.

My first trip I don't remember, and honestly I'm probably glad I don't remember... I went with my father, who is anti-Disney... so I'm guessing he sucked all the fun out.

I then got to go to Disneyland with my mom, and fell in love with the magic, but at that time we did ALL of Disneyland.

Then I got to compete in a dance competition at Disney World and fell in love and realized there was no way I would get to see it all... And that started my obsession. We plan to go every year for many many years to come!

 

[momjeeps]

I grew up in Southern CA, so my love stems from Disneyland. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of Disneyland.

My mom went as a little girl the first year or so that they were opened. I have a picture from her visit that shows the castle with ladies in their heels and dresses!

We didn't go a ton of times as kids, but a handful of times. Then when I was a teen I went with friends tons of times. My brother's high school band played in a competition there. I went to three different Grad Nights there - My own and two different friends.

Later I married and my husband's family were even bigger Mouse fans than mine. His family lived in North-Central CA and we lived in So CA. We joked because when they would say they were coming to visit, they'd end up and Disneyland and tell us to just meet them up there. Thus came the Annual Passes! And my teasing DH and saying that I thought his parents loved Mickey more than him. They would visit his "house", but not ours.

As Annual Passholders we were able to be some of the first to visit DCA when it opened.

Then we moved away from So CA in 2000 and have only made two trips back since.

Our last was Spring of 2011 with all 4 of our kids, one day at DL, one day at DCA. Can I just say WORLD OF COLOR!!! Awesome!

We actually live closer to WDW now. So our next Disney trip will be to WDW. We are really excited. But it is still too far off!!! Sept 2013 as plans stand now.

 

[LovesTimone]

Thanks for asking this question..

I can remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday night sitting in my PJ's ready to go, my whole family watched it. .. Great memories.

But for me the love affair started in 1971 when the Magic Kingdom open, I was 10 years old, I rememeber being so excitied that we were going, that I could hardly sleep the night before. I remember riding the tram to the ticket station, and then riding the paddle wheel boat across the 7 seas lagoon. I remember walking hand in hand with my mom under the railway station on to main street. It was magic.. I was hooked right then.

I have more than 100 trips under my belt.. Trips with my parents and grandparents, as child, tweener and teen, with church youth groups, as a young adult and as a single parent walking under the railway station with my DD at 3 years old was amazing it brought me to tears,With the man of my dreams on our honeymoon and lots of trips with our blended family, being team mom and chaperon... and now looking forward to walking under that railway station with my grand kids.. but I still get the same feeling when I walk under the railway station and out onto main street Magic... I still get so excitied the night before we leave to head to the WDW I can't sleep...

Disney is a part of my life, always has and always will be.