the times of change

[miler1600]

I thought it would be interesting to hear peoples experiences as their family has grown up going to Disney world. What was it like when your kids were just tots and how did that change as they got older. How is it now? Oh the memories.

My kids are still young and we just got back from our first trip. It was so amazing and we have memories that we will never forget.

Here is one - Mickey's Philharmagic - Our twin son and daughter kept grabbing at the things flying around their heads and then would take off their glasses to see and would laugh hysterically. We laughed so hard.

Another - The talking foutain at Universal - The twins loved the water and could turn from grumpy to so excited in an instant. The fountain said my son was the happiest baby he has ever seen.

And for me - oh did I love spectromagic. There is nothing in the world like it.

 

[LindaR]

It's just me and my daughter (now 18). Her first trip was when she was 9. We had been going to DL since she was 4.

On our first trip to WDW, I chose to go to Epcot on our first day (my fav). My daughter was just totally in awe! That became a tradition. She will look at me like I've grown another head (I recognize that look) if I ask her if she wants to start out at another park. The first couple of trips, I did all the planning. Then she started making suggestions, then I would give her a couple of choices and she started making the decisions. Our last trip was totally planned by her (I only had to pay for it!).

I have to say that there is a special bond to WDW. A sense of freedom, throwing away of the rules (let's have ice cream for BREAKFAST!) and thru the past 10 years my daughter may have grown up, but she forgets to act like it when we return! She will still grab my hand to hold it, give her best cheesy grin for photos, not be mortified because I start conversations with strangers, ask for totally stupid souvenirs............SHE has physically changed over the years.......but now the trips are for HER as much as they have always been for ME!!

 

[miler1600]

Thank you so much for sharing - that is a great way to start.

 

[MinnieSummer]

This may turn into several posts. Let me start at the beginning. My DD is adopted and on the day that we went before the Judge to make it final we drove to WDW to meet my family and celebrate. That tradition, of celebrating Adoption Day at WDW, has been a very important part of our family. She was then 6 months old and is now 9 year old but each year the only place that we would consider being on Adoption Day is WDW. It is a celebration of our becoming a family, of Dreams Come True, and (hopefully) happily ever after.

We've been over 80 times since then. Mostly for quick weekend trips but we have annual ones as well. All of my DD's birthdays are celebrated there, every Mother's Day is celebrated there, and every Christmas is celebrated there. We were there the weekend after 9-11 (DD's birthday) and the place was desolate. I walked around thinking that the terrorists had even managed to take away some of WDW's magic. But then I realized that the magic still existed -- my DD thought she was in heaven as Minnie was able to play with her and only her for over an hour. The pictures of that day are wonderful, pictures that to my DD show how great Minnie really is, but to me show that even with a tragedy as large as 9-11 there is still goodness in the world.

My DD has measured her growth not in inches but by the next ride that she would be tall enough for. When she finally was able to ride RnRC she actually cried when the CM let her through. It is still her favorite ride.

She still believes in Minnie and Mickey. Although she has started to question how they can be everywhere in all the Disney Parks throughout the world. Her solution to that problem was that it was the Magic of WD himself.

She's outgrown Toon Town but absolutely loves HSM Pep Rally in MGM. She only wants to see Minnie when we are there so we don't have to stand in as many lines as we used to which is wonderful. She also really likes to ride by herself so I can sit at the exit of each ride while she stands in the lines. She's made many friends in those lines, she even acted as a tour guide for one family from England that was a little confused about where things were. She has become as familiar with the parks as most CM's.

OK, I'm done for now I will try and post more later or on Monday. If you want me to that is.

 

[miler1600]

Of course we want more - a little jeoulous of living so close to Disney.

 

[MickeyMike]

MinnieSummer, yes we would like more please.

 

[Pakey]

Our 3 children are DS31, DS28 and DS26. The first trip was offsite because back then there was Contemporary and Polynesian and nothing else--kids were 9, 6 and 4. The biggest draw for them was those little cars at MK where they think they are driving (haven't been on it in years so can't remember the name). And I recall the fear of the oldest son on Thunder Mountain. Younger two were fine but oldest was scared out of his mind.

Fast forward to now. We have added DDIL 31 and DDIL 28. We've been to the World 4 times since the addition of these two young women to our family. The trips have changed quite a bit as they became adults. More time is spent at Epcot, drinking around the world and at Pleasure Island. Instead of the kids going to be early it's mom and dad who are first to hit the pillows!!! There are more out-of-the-park activities like parasailing and golf. MK went from being favorite park to least favorite!! And instead of character meals, we get to enjoy Victoria & Albert's.

However, it's still just as magical. We can all be together for a week, no drama or problems, just enjoying being a family. I still make all of the arrangements and ADR's, print out the itineraries for everyone and tell them where to be at what time!!! Because I'm picking up the tab, I never hear any complaints!!! However, the days of matching shirts are gone and I wouldn't even dare suggest it now.

Next family trip where we all go together is Jan09 where will we take our only grandchild who will be 3 1/2 by then (trust me, it has killed me to put off this trip until he was old enough--we've all went since he's been born but he stayed home with other grandma each time). Now, alll of us are going together to celebrate his first WDW trip, including his other grandma/grandpa!!!! So we begin the cycle again where MK will reemerge as the favorite.

I keep adding DVC points as the family expands so that we can continue this tradition. I don't think any of the "kids" love Disney the same way I do but I am happy that they are still willing to go with mom and dad anywhere!!!!

 

[sportears]

Guess what! You've just been hooked. Boy, they've reeled you in, and they've got you. We took our daughter when she was 2 1/2 and we were hooked with a very similar experience. We've been going back almost every year since and love every bit of it.

 

[sparklemom]

I'm just at the beginning of the circle because my children will experience WDW for the first time in January. My middle daughter will be the same age (almost 4) that I was on my first trip in 1973. Many people say that she won't remember it later, but I still have very clear memories of the MK through a small child's eyes. When I went back in 1994, I was astonished to see that Dumbo was not in fact 5 stories tall, nor was it a mile walk from Peter Pan to the Haunted House. (I still wonder if they've moved the Country Bears Jamboree, because I remembered that auditorium being HUGE!)

Unfortunately, my mother's health prevents her from coming with us on this next trip, but I snuck a peek at our old photo albums and will recreate what pictures I can with our kids while we're at the MK. I think it will mean a lot to her to experience, even remotely, the joy of our new generation as they're touched by the magic for the first time.

 

[Laren]

My father had reservations for WDW before they opened; he booked after seeing the plans on the Wonderful World of Disney. WDW was established in 1971 and so was I LOL. I was born that year.

I have distinct memories of asking for my bottle on It's a Small World- my first visit I was 9 mos old- the visit I remember asking for my bottle I was about 2 1/2. It's my earliest, clear childhood memory, and it's of being in the boat on IASW with my grandparents on either side of me.

My grandparents bought me an Alice dress in 1977- back when they first started selling character dresses at WDW. I have pictures of me in it standing in front of the old metallic planters at the CR lobby.

I have been monorail obsessed since childhood and I remember when all that was on the monorail loop was the MK, the CR and the Poly.

I remember losing a loose tooth in front of the candy store at the Marketplace and being overjoyed cause I could go in and get candy afterward LOL.

I remember when they were building the Rocky Mountains for the Canada pavillion for this new "EPCOT Center" behind the Vacation Villas in Lake Buena Vista.

I could go on for literally hours. I remember the Main Street Electrical Parade- Michael Iceberg at the Tomorrowland Terrace. I remember when MGM studios opened and I got to show my Cast Member ID from working at the Disney Stores (company owned at the time and brand spanking new) to get my passes at Central Casting. One of the proudest moments of my life there LOL

This past trip we just took- I got to sing with the Dapper Dans on Main Street. We were eating in the bakery first thing in the AM, and they came out in their costumes all shiny and bright. As the walked past our table, I told them how great they looked and how much I wanted to try 'working on a number with them someday." one of the Dans says to me, "Well how about today?" I started singing A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes- they all fell into harmony with me- and I held it together until we got to the line "No matter how your heart is grieving". Then I just lost it.

They don't know- I'm going to try to write them to tell them- but they don't know the reason I was crying was because I lost my grandmother right before our last trip to WDW before this one- 10 days before actually- and this was the first time I'd been back since then. She'd always love the Dapper Dans and stopped to hear them sing when I wanted to get to rides, etc LOL as a child. And here, now I was singing with them.

That was why I lost it.

They were so sweet and gave me an honorary dapper dan card- and later on in the trip we ran into them again and I said "Boy I wish I could get a do over" and they said "Well come on!" I got out of my wheelchair and stood with my crutch and we sang not only that song- but two other numbers too.

Somehow, I know my grandparents were watching and were very pleased by that!

Memories?

Getting married off property and taking our guests to the MK for the day for my second wedding and then finishing off the day with dessert and fireworks at the Castle.

Teaching my daughter to swim at the GF pool.

Watching my daughter fence with none other than Captain Jack Sparrow.

People ask, why go to Disney again and again? Those things, all of that- that is why.

Tons more memories, but don't want to bore you all. Thanks for the great thread, so much I'd forgotten, that I'm remembering thanks to this.

hugs
Laren

 

[elastigirlfan]

Oh Laren -- I was practically in tears after reading your post. I'm so glad you have such wonderful memories and shared them with us. They were truly touching and yes, I believe your grandparents did see you that day you sang with Dapper Dans and that they were happy and proud. Sending you hugs!!

 

[Laren]

*blush* thank you so much for saying that elastigirlfan. Somehow when I'm in Disney World I never feel that far away from my grandparents- who are the parents of my heart as they did most of the emotional parenting for me when I was little, until Grandpa died when I was 11- and I got to have Grandma with me until I was 33.

I don't mean to take over the thread (I want to read everybody's memories!) but one more about my Grandma-

Besides Main Street, her absolute favorite place in WDW was the "Shopping Village" which is now the DTD Marketplace.

We used to stay in the "Vacation Villas" there and she would cook our meals at the Villa (we'd eat out maybe one or two dinners a trip and snacks in the parks) My dad and Grandpa would rent a golf cart for the whole time we stayed and we'd use it like a little car to get back and forth to the Village to shop.

Random memory- the first vehicle I ever drove was a disney golf cart- and my older sister- who was 16 at the time- almost drove us out onto highway 4. But I digress. After that I drove the golf cart. I was 11. LOL

Anyway- she loved the Village with the twinkly lights in the trees and the Empress Lily riverboat. She could just sit for hours while we all shopped and all and take in the music and the sounds (she was probably tired I realize now from taking us to the pool all day then cooking for everybody too! some vacation!)

We had to reschedule our 2004 trip due to the hurricanes. We rescheduled it- and my grandmother passed away ten days before we left. I was in no condition to go- but we'd already moved it once and were traveling with other family- I carried on.

The trip is a blur to me- except for one distinct thing that happened.

We went shopping at DTD- and it was twilight (my favorite time of the day) we walked down to where it kind of meets up toward West Side- and they pipe in the music you know? The pop music. Well, I asked my husband to take my daughter for a walk and let me sit by the water a few minutes, to think about Grandma and remember all our good times here.

I had not been sitting there two minutes- when suddenly the pop music was replaced by regular disney soundtrack music.

As the sun was setting and the stars were coming out- and I was sitting there thinking of Grandma- Circle of Life came on.

I must've scared several passing tourists because I just sobbed. My husband came back and saw I was crying, checked on me then left me to watch the sunset and think of Grandma while the song played out. I felt as if she was telling me that she really wasn't far away and anytime I came to this place that was so special to both of us, she'd be there.

Okay where is the Kleenex? It's been three years and it still makes me cry!

When I talked to my mom the next day- she was going through my grandmother's room and she found a WDW ID card with my grandma's name on it. Maybe might not seem unusual- we took a lot of trips. But we only took ONE trip where I got to go with my grandparents alone- no siblings. That was the ID card she found, with a bunch of pictures of me that my grandma had.

I have it- with the card my Grandfather had for that trip, which he carried in his wallet until the day he died- together in my collection now.

Anyone else have special memories like this of family when they go back to WDW?

Thanks for listening. . .

hugs to all the special people here on Dis!

Laren

 

[miler1600]

All I have to say is WOW - thank you so much for sharing such special memories. Disney definately holds a special place in your heart. May God Bless you.

 

[sparklemom]

Laren, I'm all teared up, too. Thank you for sharing.

 

[magical4us4]

Laren, I too am all teared up. Thank you for sharing! My son also learned how to swim in the GF pool 11 years ago!! Ahhh... the memories are priceless.

The memories that we have made year after year, for 11 years now have been the best times of my life!!

My children were only 1 and 3 when we started going. Now they are 12 and 14 and they can't wait to get back every year.

I feel that I have captured their childhood to last forever because of our family trips and they will always be my little babies because of our memories we have shared and will keep sharing for as long as we can.

 

[nittanyliongirl02]

Laren...I'm so glad I had the tissues nearby! I, too, lost my grandma just about 3 years ago. She was with us for all of our Disney vacations as well. I can still hear her (although I hated it at the time), saying "go ahead, go up and see Mickey".

Like you, I'm glad that I had my grandma there for all that time. And now I get to look forward to the days when I'll have kids, and we'll take my mom and dad to share in their memories!

Thanks so much for your stories, it does make me a little sad, but happy too to remember her, and think back in my mind of our Disney times as well!

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Going back to when I was a child, my grandmother was a snowbird down in Tampa, and my mom and I came down (we lived in Toronto at the time) to visit her for 2 weeks. This was about 1977ish and WDW was the Magic Kingdom. I remember as a treat we stayed at the Contempory for ONE night and my mom was so proud because she saved up for it - it was $100 for one night. Back then that was a LOT of money!

In Jan 2000 my daughter had her first trip. She was 3. I had been showing her the planning videos and photos and I thought she fully understood where she was going. After a grueling 15 hour day previously with cancelled flights and bad weather, we got into the resort at 1am and fell into bed. She was asleep before we even got to the room. We were suppossed to arrive around 4pm, and everything was so messed up.
The next morning I had to drag myself out of bed at 630am to ensure we made our 8am CRT ressie I had for the first day. I dragged her out of bed after I showered and opened the curtains (we were at BWV with an epcot view). I said "We are in Disney World!" and she was still tired and seemed a little underwhelmed by it all. I thought she would be jumping up and down. Inside I was disappointed I didn't get that 'big reaction'.
I dragged hubby out of bed (Im single now...) and he was saying 'cant we skip this breakfast?'. NOoooooooooooooooooo way - I was on the phone at 4am for that ressie!
We got on the bus to MK by 7:15 and all felt so dead tired. I said lets go have breakfast, do a couple rides and come back to sleep some more.

We walked into MK and DD still seemed very underwhelmed. I had the video camera in my hand, but not on. We walked to the first part of Main St where you can see the castle. DD was in her stroller (not belted in) and I paused to get a photo and all of a sudded DD SCREAMED. She screamed so loud that everyone just stopped in their tracks and turned around to see what was wrong. She had finally clued into where she was. She got out of her stroller and started RUNNING DOWN MAINSTREET as fast as she could. I quickly turned on the camcorder - had to get this on tape and hubby ran after her with the empty stroller. I was running full tilt to try and catch her too and the tape is pretty funny. Everyone was stopping and laughing at DD and she was SCREAMING 'CINDERELLA, BELLE, SWEEPING BEAUTY IM COMING FOR BREAKFAST IN YOUR CASTLE' (yes sweeping...not sleeping!). Hubby finally caught up to her when she got to the end. He grabbed her and people were laughing so hard. I caught up and we walked to the castle and she took off again. Screaming 'IM COMING CINDERELLA IM COMING BELLE'.
It was just the cutest and most magical moment we will ever have!

 

[Laren]

'CINDERELLA, BELLE, SWEEPING BEAUTY IM COMING FOR BREAKFAST IN YOUR CASTLE'

That is perfect!!! I love it!!! Please keep the stories coming this is such a great thread and to everyone who has said such kind words to me. I miss Grandma so much but I swear, somehow going to WDW feels like 'visiting' her somehow.

Okay so who's next? I think this thread is so cool! Thanks so much to the OP for starting it

 

[miler1600]

These are great. Anyone else have stories?

 

[MinnieSummer]

OK. The weekend is over and I'm back to share more stories. But first I've just got to say that if the PR people at Disney ever wanted to really promote the "Year of a Million Dreams Come True" or whatever it is, they should read this thread. I don't think they truly realize just what WDW means to so many people.
I was at WDW in 1972 with my DF, DM and DS. We spent three days at the MK and had a wonderful trip but two things stand out. One, my DF fell in love with IASW. I think we rode it 10 times. And then, of course, he sang it the rest of the trip. Fast forward to now. When my DD was sstill a baby I used to sing IASW to her to put her to sleep and I always thought of that trip. Three Christmases ago, my parents joined us for our Christmas Trip to WDW and my DD got to ride IASM with my DF. He sang the song the entire ride and my DD loved it. I lost my DF last year and I am so thankful that my DD got a chance to ride IASW with him so she will have that memory as I have. The second thing that stands out is that trip we discovered I was allergic to seafood. I ended up in the emergency room with my face so swollen the skin was cracking. I had no nose or eyes and I looked awful. I avoid seafood but on occasion will have something that I really like -- like Lobster Bisque soup. Unfortunately, this past April, I went to Coral Reef for dinner and got the soup. About half way through the main course I realized that my throat was starting to swell up and I was having difficulty breathing. In my infinite wisdom I decided to walk over to the first aid station. I got to the middle of the park, where the pin trading is, and started to panic. I couldn't remember where the First Aid was and I couldn't breath and then I had a full blown panic attack. Thankfully a CM walked up to me and escorted my to the CS bldg. then called the paramedics. The really bad thing is that I had left the table and only my DH knew what was going on as I didn't want my DM or DD to panic. The paramedics took me to the first aid station in a wheelchair then notified the Coral Reef who told my DH and the next thing I know my entire family comes trooping in.

Anyway, those two trips to WDW taught me to NEVER EAT SEAFOOD AGAIN.