So how did it start...

[NHMickey]

How did you get the Disney Bug? What makes you want to keep going back? What makes you think Disney? Was it a Trip or a Pieace of Disneyana or a combo of both or something else all together??? Share your story here....

 

[WillyJ]

Cool topic Nat!!

I was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. and grew up going to Disneyland. . . we moved to the midwest in '76 and i haven't been back since, but I have made WDW at least once a year since my first trip in '81. . . (stayed at the Poly for $49 a night!! )


Going to Disney themeparks has just always been a part of my life and I suspect it always will be. .

 

[nativetxn]

When I was 6 years old, my daddy took me to Disneyland. It was only the second summer it was opened. My parents were divorced and he had to get special permission from the court to take me and my sister to California. There were no interstates then.

It was just the most <b>magical</b> trip and the most <b>magical</b> place to me. I've loved Disney ever since 1956


(Yes, I'm very old)

 

[thepoohbear]

We were bumped from our flight back from Puerto Rico one Easter vacation. We had planned to go back but didn't know about "blackout dates." We called to book our flight flight around Christmas but it seemed like anywhere we had thought about going was blacked out. We would lose our tickets if we didn't use them so finally we just said, "Look, where exactly CAN we go during Christmas week?" She said, "Orlando" and we were off the see the mouse. We were newlyweds, flat broke, and stayed at a $29 a night flea bag motel. Free food during happy hour which served as dinner every night. We had enough money for one day at the parks and went to a time share presentation (I still have nightmares) for another day. MK had snow on Main Street and a parade like I had never seen. (We live in a small town. Our parades consist of the mayor in a car and a line of fire engines which I grew up to believe was exciting!) We went back one year later-- brought our moms who had also never been. Then back again the next year, staying on sight for the first time and that pretty much did it. We joined DVC that time and have been back at least twice, usually more, every year. We just think WDW is as perfect as a place can get and really is the happiest place on earth. Each trip is better than the last!

 

[PandyPaws]

I was always fascinated by the Disney Classic cartoons as a child. My mom made sure to bring me to every release....however, it was the 64-65 NY World's Fair that bit me with the bug when I experienced IASW and COP, and saw all those characters roaming around the area for the very first time. I was all of 4 1/2 years old and I remember it like it was yesterday! It did take me until I was 15 to get to Disneyland....but I've been enjoying the parks ever since

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Let's see.. I grew up with the Mickey Mouse Show. I guess it started there wishing I was Annette and also watching Walt on TV on Sunday nights.. the Wonderful World of Disney.. I went to Disneyland when I was 15..I will never forget it.. we drove from Boston, MA. to CA and stayed with my Aunt in LA.. I loved CA and loved Disneyland.

I did not get to WDW until I was like 35.. I was determined to get there.. I was afraid to fly so I took the train with my youngest and my other two flew a day later with their Dad.. We knew nothing and stayed outside the park, it was the Sheraton World and trammed it into the parks.. Once I started making my own ressies.. I never stayed outside again.. My children are grown, they think their Mom and Dad are crazy to go back.. but we love it.. We could do that commercial with the older couple in WDW and the grown up children saying they must be hating it without us.. NOT..

 

[BeautyLLM]

According to my mother (the knower of ALL things and the one who is NEVER wrong), she is responsible for my love of Disney. She and my father took me to DL, in utero , late in 1956. She insists that she "took me" on It's a Small World (which was introduced at the New York World's Fair in 1964 as far as I know) and that's what infected me with the Disney Bug. Personally, I think I looked out through her belly button, saw the castle and fell in love!

 

[Wilma Flintstone]

As a child, sitting in front of the TV, watching Disneyland unfold before my eyes. I wanted to be racing to the Matterhorn ride, checking out the House of the Future and shrinking to the size of a molecule! Then, in 1977, at the tender age of 25, I stepped off the WDW monorail and saw, for the first time, Cinderella's Castle gleaming in the sun. That's what started this life-long crush on all things Disney--but especially the parks and resort hotels. EPCOT is fast becoming my favorite park along with MK. The WL, Poly, OKW and Yacht Club are favorite hotels. My wish is to stay at every (well-almost every) hotel on Disney property. I still need to stay at: Beach Club, Boardwalk Inn, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, CSR, POR and POFQ. I would pass on the All-Star resorts and Ft. Wilderness.I also need to stay at: Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian, Disneyland Paris Hotel, and MiraCosta Hotel in Tokyo DisneySea. Whhhewww--I'm pooped just thinking about it all .
All the best, Wilma

 

[Grog]

It happened to me the Summer between my Junior and Senior years in High School. Myself and a friend flew out to LA for a couple of weeks to stay with some friends of ours who used to live here. The trip wasn't going that great (very long story, won't go into it). After a few days one of our hosts suggested going to DL (this was to be my second visit to DL). We got there when the park opened at 9 AM and stayed until 1 AM the following morning (when the parks had hours like that). We got home, slept about six hours, got back to the park at 9 AM again and stayed until 1 AM for a second straight day. In a 48 hour period we were in DL for 36 hours. Also, it was DL's 25th Anniversary year, so that made it even more magical. I guess I absorbed a love for Disney on those two days

 

[snowwhitemom]

When I was a small child I would sit in my Daddy's lap and watch the wonderful world of Disney each Saturday night, one night I made a comment that "WoW, Could we ever go there???? Please keep in mind that my father would take his two week vacation during hunting season each year just to hunt. Well a short while after my comment I found myself in WDW, I still have my first Mickey and Minnie that he bought me. He bought my sister a bear from the bear jam. The parks closed early because of Hurricane David and we left it was a down pour and my Daddy put all 3 of our big stuff animals under his raincoat ( I can even remember that it was yellow with M&M on the left front. Much nicer in my mind than todays ponco. My Moma rode space mountain with me while Daddy waited outside. I have been addicted ever since, Ever time I put a new treasure in my Disney cabinet I look at old M&M and have to smile.....another favorite is a WDW bank my mom bought for me at K-mart that was filled with candy...on a recent trip to MGM I saw it in a store with other WDW antiques that were not for sell, so in my opion that makes it priceless....Even though mine already is. :Thanks for a great Thread, I needed a pick me up!!!

 

[browneyes]

Not sure. I know on Sunday nightss we'd watch The Wonderful World of Disney. In the 8th grade I went to WDW with the marching band, fell in love with it. Then, when I was in high school I bought a red Mickey shirt, and all my friends decided I was a Disney nut. I didn't want to disappoint them, so I've been a Disney nut ever since.

 

[bsnyder]

I first went to the Magic Kingdom the first week it opened. I think I was in 7th grade. I went a few more times in high school, just for day trips, but one in particular stands out in my mind.

My senior year, my boyfriend and I drove over and spent the day at MK, just the two of us. I was very much in love, and I remember dreaming of the day we would get married and stay at either the Polynesian or the Contemporary Hotel. It seemed so glamourous to me, and I couldn't wait to be all grown up!

The boyfriend and I broke up a few years later, but I was hopelessly hooked on Disney from then on.

22 years later, I finally got to stay on site for the first time, at the Contemporary Resort!

 

[we3luvdisney]

When my father was stationed in California (Naval Postgraduate School) during the early 60's they took us to Disneyland multiple times. During the 70's, while stationed in Charleston, SC, our Christmas gifts were trips to WDW. Our parents asked us, "Do you want a conventional Christmas, or a trip to WDW?" What do you think four (4) boys said?

My DW grew up right down the road from Disneyland and spent many trips there. She said that her parents use to take them there for their birthdays.

We met each other at work (Arizona) and found out that are parents are from the same small town in Pennsylvania. During firther discussions, we found out that we both love the Mouse! We have been raising our DD to love the mouse too. We even took her to Disneyland for her second birthday.

 

[supercarrie]

My first trip to DL was when I was 1 year old, I think. I remember going once a year, every year, until I was 7. I looked forward to those trips so much - waiting all year for them. Then we got APs and now go many times a year. But when I was a baby, I watched Disney movies, had Disney toys, just grew up surrounded by Disney. The fascination was there with me from the time I was born, practically. Then with more trips to DL, more Disney movies, I became more and more interested and in love with everything Disney.

What keeps me going back to DL is that it really is my 2nd home now. I spend so much time there. My family goes there often, and my friends all have APs, so we spend lots of our free time there just people watching and going on the occasional attraction.

What keeps me going back to WDW and Disney resorts is that I can completely relax in a fun, safe atmosphere, with some similar things from my 2nd home (DL), as well.

 

[Mickey527]

Me, newly divorced with 3 kids. took them to Washington DC for a learning trip. They were bored and I was scared. That town is worse than the worst areas of NY City.
Then the next year we went to Disneyworld. We went cheap, one of those $29 rooms thepoohbear stayed at. We drove down, ate alot of Peanut butter, but we had tickets and who needs to eat when there are rides to go on. Did you know that way back when my boys were little Taco Bell had Tacos for $.29 each, and free soda refills?
Well here we are in WDW and I never felt safer. Everyone there was happy, and my boys were with me and having fun. I know there are "bad guys" everywhere but we stayed together and had so much fun.
We went to WDW every year from that point on. And when I graduated from Nursing School we were able to finally spend some money and have a better time. In 1991 we stayed at the Polynesian Resort using the Grand Plan. They stopped that plan almost right after our stay. My sons ate 3 big meals a day, Sean had Steak and Eggs every day at breakfast for 8 days. We took the water sprites out 2 hours a day, we went horseback riding and they all took classes at MGM for drawing and at Discovery Island. I took the Epcot planting classes too. The Grand plan covered all the dinner shows too, so we enjoyed Hoop Dee Doo, and the Poly Luau. We got our monies worth plus.
Unfortunately now they have had enough of disney and I have to twist their arms to go with me, but everytime I see that castle and smell the smells of WDW it takes me back to when my babies were little and we had tons of fun.
This May I am bringing my 4 year old niece and 2 year old nephew to WDW for their first trip. Can't wait for the grandchildren. Peggie

 

[Jeff in BigD]

I was born in Anaheim...'nuff said!

 

[cleo]

My mother took us to Magic Kingdom for a day trip while visiting friends in Florida. It was the year Disney opened and the monorail wasn't quite finished yet. I remember looking at the track and thinking "How can a train stay up on a track like that? It'll never work!"

They had tickets at that time, A-E, and you had to choose which attractions from each letter catagory you wanted to see. POTC was an E-ticket. I think Haunted Mansion may have been as well. We paid less than $5 for a child's admission.

I didn't go back until 1989 or so, and Epcot was the first park I saw that year. I couldn't believe how it took me away from the real world and put me into those fantasy settings. No detail had been overlooked, there was a surprise around every corner, and the CM's seemed as if they'd been waiting all day just for you to arrive. It was truly the most astonishing place, and I was hooked from that day forward.

 

[JudithM]

I grew up watching Walt on Sunday evenings. My dad had business trips to Southern California & brought us a few Disney books (which I recently found) & souvenirs. After I got married we took my first trip to Florida when a friend bought us two five day passes for WDW. And the rest is history ...

Originally posted by Mickey527
took them to Washington DC for a learning trip. They were bored and I was scared. That town is worse than the worst areas of NY City.

Peggie, it is definitely all relative because I get nervous just thinking about being anywhere near NYC. Now D.C. I love!

 

[goofyforwdw]

I grew up pretty poor and we did not have a tv till I was in 9th grade so I didn't watch the wonderful world of Disney growing up.I don't remember the opening of WDW at all but for some reason my DH and I decided to go there for our honeymoon. Well we had to postpone our wedding by one week because of the blizzard of 78 here in Boston. We drove down and were going to camp in our van (oh young minds)when we arrived it was frezzing in Florida and my first inpression walking down Main St was that the flowers were fake at the flower cart (now gone)I was so disappointed but understood. We had to find a hotel because it was way to cold to camp (this from Bostontian). On our last day it finally waarm up some.We did not make it back again till 3 kids and 11 yrs later. The flowers were real this time and watching my kids enjoy everything was awesome. We started going every other year. then we were going every year and now we go about 4 times a year often without the kids as they have to go to school. I would say the mouse kind of grew on me and no has me totally hooked. We have so many wonderful memories of our trips together. Our 25th is in Feb and we are taking both of our familys to the world so we can make more meories.
Brenda

 

[Tina]

I met my DH online way back in the early days of the internet (1994). I was living in Michigan and he was living in Anaheim. I finally went out there on vacation to meet him in person in May 1995 and he took me to Disneyland for a day. He'd always been a fan of Disney and while growing up in Philly, he always dreamed of living close enough to Disneyland to see the fireworks from his apartment every night (which he did!). Anyhoo... I moved out to Cali a few months later and, as a "Welcome" gift, he bought me an annual pass ($99!). That was the start of it all. Every Sunday afternoon, we would eat a little dinner at our apartment (in Placentia, not Anaheim - less crime) and then go to Disneyland. We would get chocolate frozen yogurt at Carnation on Main street and just wander around, people watching. When everyone lined up for the parade, we would head over to BTM or SM and ride over and over again. Sometimes we would just hop on the railroad and ride around and around. It was SO great. We did this for a year - until we moved to Virginia for a new job. Now I try to get us to WDW at least once a year for our Disney fix. Every year when I start my obsessive planning, my DH says "What did I do?!? I created a monster!!"

He did!!