So when did you get hooked on Disney?

[frayedend]

Was it something magical? Some pixie dust? Or just everything. Here's my story...

I'm now a 40 year old man that you wouldn't expect to be into Disney. We planned a trip when our kids were pretty small and bought non-expiring passes. Somehow our in-laws talked us into going on a cruise instead. That was back when a hurricane wreaked havoc in Florida and our cruise on Mariner of the Seas was delayed by 2 days. It was a nightmare. To top it off my wife lost her purse (or it was stolen, long story). The Disney passes were in that wallet because I suggested we bring them just in case the cruise didn't sail. Port Canaveral had been closed for days. Anyhow I called Disney and explained and they had me talk to security and said I was all set and to go to guest services when we did come to Disney.


Well we didn't go to Disney for like 2 years and I was really concerned they would not have record of our passes. At MK guest services we explained our story. The CM took what seemed a long time to say anything. I was getting worried and angry since I fully expected an, "I'm sorry I have nothing in your name."

Finally he says, "How many in your party?" Now I'm really angry as we just explained that we had 3 park passes that were lost and also one infant with us. He's like, "No, all together how many traveling with you?" So I say 7 because we had MIL, SIL, and Nephew with us. He then asks if we are coming to MK another day. I said yes but we hadn't picked a day yet. My wife immediately says, Wed. We will come back on Wed. He says, "Great! Here are your park passes. Here are 7 fast passes for today (I forget if they were good all day or for 4 rides or something but we used them a lot). And on Wed see a CM as you are in VIP seating for the parade."

I was in awe. Never had anything like that happen before and I was hooked on Disney.

 

[f15robyn]

I'm a 41 year old woman with no children who only really got hooked on Disney in the last two years. I'd been as a child. I'd been with a long-term boyfriend (who is now an ex-boyfriend ). I'd been twice for cheer events. And don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it.

But in Jan 2008, I went for the first time with my new husband (we'd been married for only 6 months and had only known each other for about a year and a half), who was on his first trip to Disney ever. We're big kids at heart, all the time. So I think it didn't take much kool-aid to get us hooked. It's our happy place.

 

[lblume91]

I went a few times as a kid (only to MK as my great-grandma lived in nearby Apopka so we stayed with her and spent one day each trip at MK). In '99 & '01 we took our oldest 2 DDs. We had fun but I wasn't all gung-ho about it. Then something came over me while planning our '06 trip & I've been obsessed ever since! We went back in '07, skipped '08 at DH's insistence, returned in '09 and do not have any definite plans to go back until summer '11. I just love the magic. Being DDP people, I like having the whole trip, except souveniers, paid for before I arrive. Each trip is a new experience. My DDs are total addicts with my oldest already talking about taking her children someday, in the very far, distant future. They can't imagine the misfortune of kids who haven't been. They all three like to brag about how many times they've gone. They're the next generation of DIS'ers! WDW, to me, is one of those places you either get it or you don't. DIS'ers, we get it! We have friends & family who shake their heads at us & ask why we keep going back. I can't really answer that other than to say we just love it.

 

[justcantwait]

I had been to Disney probably 8 or 10 times before I was hooked. The trip that did it for me was my 2nd trip with my kids. Why the second? Because my first trip with the kids was also with extended family, who drove me absolutely bonkers! It was all about them, even though we were there for my parents' 40th anniversary (they paid for all of us to go with them ). We decided to go back with the kids about a year and half after that, just me, DH, DS5 and DD2 at the time. Just seeing the World through their eyes changed everything, and DH and I have been addicted ever since! This year will be the 5th trip for my kids, and about my 14th (I think) and it just keeps getting better!

Kathy

 

[Doc CW]

When I was younger like, 10 I remember going to WDW and sometime during that trip I remember feeling just a sense of inner peace and I am only able to get that feeling when I'm at WDW whether its riding TTA or hammocking at the Poly or just being with family I am only able to get that real inner-peace at WDW.

I think that I already have my little sister (3) hooked on WDW cause she keeps asking to go back.

 

[steph73]

Uhh... birth?

Actually, I was lucky to be able to visit WDW (well, it was just the MK back then) several times as a young child. The last time I went as a kid was while Epcot was being built. DH went frequently as a child, too. So we already shared a love for Disney even before we went together.

But I have to say, I think I fell IN LOVE with Disney when I was still in the planning stages of our first family trip back in 2001. That trip was truly magical!

 

[elizflynn]

I have been to Disney consistently every Thanksgiving from age 4 to 13 yrs old....then we had to cut back as a family and didn't go and had no plans of going back anytime soon....years and years passed and then I grew older (now 22 yrs old) and was trying to plan a fun trip for myself and my DBF...he had never been before and I remembered all the amazing childhood memories I shared with my family there so I told him that is where we must go!....I thought going back at the age of 21 I would feel awkward because it's a "little kid place" but boy was I ever wrong....just the planning sent me into this happy frenzy and from the morning we left NY and arrived at MCO I was in tears I was soo happy..just the rush of memories comming back and the new memories I was looking forward to making with my DBF! Well our trip in Sept 09 was amazinggggggg, we had so much fun and I fell in love with Disney all over again and he's slowly becomming as much in love with it as me...(boys always take longer to admit it!) .....we've discussed buying DVC as we get older and about how we will take our children there very often!

 

[OldsDr]

Went twice as child ages 5 1981 and 12 1987.

But I really got hooked in either 1993 or 1994 I can not remember (it was 6 months after WL opened) My sister had been in a very bad car accident a few years prior. As a thankyou for taking care of here whie she was laid up she sent us all to WDW for a week. She let us pick any resort we wanted( and would not let us look at the prices). we chose WL. I remeber driving up and walking into the lobby (we were previously econo lodge vacationers) and being in awe. That was a wonderful trip and I think that is why to this day I love WDW and WL.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

This thread isn't really discussing theme parks attractions and strategies, so I've moved it to the Theme Parks Community board.

 

[beachgirl2000]

Great Posts and glad to see I am not alone!

I didn't get "hooked" (or obsessed) with Disney until a few years ago -- The first time I took my son, he was 4 and we stayed offsite -- we did the parks but I don't think we knew how to do the parks the right way -- we got there late and it was crowded and we weren't sure about how to use the Fastpasses, etc. - so I was so aggravated and said I was done with Disney!

Then, 3 years later, my husband and I decided to book another Disney trip but this time stay onsite (and by now, my son was 7 and could "hang" a whole lot better) -- well, from the time we stepped onto the Magical Express and walked into Pop Century we were hooked (mind you, I found the Dis Boards too and read all kinds of tips on what to do and how to do it) -- We had a ball -- we saw Fantasmic and used our dining plan and knew how to work the EMH and Fast pass -- We loved it so much that we went back again last year and stayed at AKL -- which we loved even more. We are going again this year to celebrate by 40th birthday with our entire extended family but are staying offsite this time. But we do have our brand new Disney Rewards Visa card and are building it up to use again in 2011! We are hoping to stay at the Boardwalk or Polynesian if the price and the deals are right!

 

[DisGirl23]

When I was little, my father always put Disney records on for me. I could listen to them all day and all night.
I went twice as a child and didn't really remember much.
When I went back in 1993 for the first time, in a really long time, it was like being home. I remembered listening to those records and watching the original Mickey Mouse Club repeats on the Disney Channel. All the pieces just fell into place and I was hooked. Everything Disney just makes me melt.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

The first time I saw the spires of the Castle come into view I was hooked, that was in September 2002 and I've never been the same since.

I never got to go to Disney as a kid and there were some movies out in my day and some TV shows (loved Ducktails), but for the most part as a kid we didn't sit in front of the TV all day so I wasn't that hooked on cartoons and such (nowadays is a different story), so my Disney conversion was totally as an adult and a direct result of my first visit to WDW.

 

[Artoo]

I've been hooked on Disney pretty much all my life.
I wanted to be an animator, so I watched Disney films and short cartoons like crazy when I was a kid. When I was 7, my parents took my brother and I on our first WDW trip. Needless to say, I was completely won over!!!

 

[PrincessTeresa]

My parents always took me to Disney World when I was growing up - It was our family vacation every year - Back then, there was just the Magic Kingdom- Then they added Epcot - then (and I'm sorry, but it will always be)MGM (to me) - My DH and I took our DD (then 7) for the first time- It had been 11 years since I had been. I remember watching the opening show at the MK and tears just rolling down my face. It was the happiest feeling I've ever had (aside from giving birth to my beautiful daughter - and my wedding day)

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Our first family trip w/ the kids, ages 4 and 10 at the time, was when DH and I were hooked....the kids loved the characters...the rides...all of their favorite movie and story book characters came to life for them and DH and I just loved watching them as they had so much fun! DD age 4 was (still is) a big princess fan and she got to meet Cinderella and dance w. the prince at the 1900 Park Fare dinner....it was one of hte coolest things EVER! i suspect she will always remember that...ahhh...tears just thinking of it!!! We have pics of our 10 yr old DS who was taller than Mickey giving him a big ole' hug....so sweet...it was so nice to just escape from reality that week. We never left Disney property. We wnet the whole 9 yards and bought our DVC membership then...first trip! LOL! But, we never regretted it!!! now, Im consider myslef a crazy Disney Freak! LOL!

 

[plutotek]

Okay, not completely from birth, but close. I remember watching Wonderful World of Disney as a child, which always made me think of my grandmother, because she lived a short distance from Disneyland. A trip to visit her meant a trip to the park, and even if we didn't get to do ALL the rides (ticket books being 'expensive' at the time), we would get to see the characters and parades. Those were great memories, and they actually 'soured' me on other parks (ie; Great America, Six Flags, etc) not because of the attractions, but because of the atmosphere.

DL was also the site of my first major solo vacation w/my now-wife, because she enjoyed it as much as I did. While we weren't greatly enamored of WDW on our first visit (just MK/Epcot at time), we have changed our opinion and look forward to every visit. Our next will be the first time we've been to WDW in December, celebrating both our birthdays.

 

[BelleChick]

As a kid... Mom would tell me all about her favorite rides and how wonderful it was...then I finally got there and it was even better than I imagined!