Things you thought about Disneyworld as a child

[TikiGoddess]

I went for the first time in the 70s when I was about 4. I think it was 1975. I remember thinking...wow when I grow up the world will really be like Tomorrowland. Hmm, not so much. I also remember Space Mountain and calling it a "neck breaker". My mom kind of fudged the facts to get me to ride it and I screamed the whole time "you said it wasn't a neck breaker!" That still comes up in conversation.

I also remember the tickets for the rides. I had a game at home where you had to use the tickets as well. That was so weird. Now it would be a total pain to do the ticket thing.

Oh, one other memory...character ambush. They didn't used to have the lines. You just ran up and mobbed the characters wherever you happened to spot them. It was really hard to get a good picture.

 

[Tidoublegrr]

We first went when I was nine. I could hardly wait to go in Cinderella Castle which had been built up to epic proportions in my mind. I guess I was expecting to be able to go all over the castle and see all kinds of cool fairy tale things. Boy was I disappointed! I can still remember that feeling when I walk through the castle now even though I think it's beautiful inside and out.

 

[liamsaunt]

First trip, age eight, I think. I was convinced that the PeopleMover hooked on to the track to Space Mountain! I could see the cars going in to the mountain and really thought that once it got in there, the PeopleMover turned into a roller coaster. My uncle finally dragged me on the PeopleMover, and once it went inside Space Mountain, I started SCREAMING at the top of my lungs! I just kept waiting for the roller coaster part to start. When it exited SM, I was just like...oh.

Both Space Mountain and People Mover (fine, Tomorrowland Transit Authority!)are some of my MK favorites now.

 

[alfredromero1975]

I remember a long line for 20K and riding the Speedway cars. That was fun and was my big memory.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I thought that the cannons in PoC were real and that a cannonball would hit our boat. I remember ducking down into the boat every time we rode that ride. I was in my teens when I finally realized that the cannons would not hurt me.

 

[PrincessJasmine1972]

When I was really little I did think that DL and WDW were the same place until my gramma explained to me that DL was in CA and WDW was in FL. I never got to go as a child, but I always wished I could go and would watch the movies and any specials that were taped at either place. I am finally going to have my wish come true next September as my DH is going to take me to WDW.. I cannot wait!

 

[nyfinfan]

I thought that only rich people went to Disney. We never went First time was when I was 21. Now, 35 years later, I'm taking my kids AND my folks!

 

[Evil Genius]

I thought there were only 5 rides in all of MK. It's all my dad allowed me to ride and then we left.

 

[MomofKatie]

I thought that the cannons in PoC were real and that a cannonball would hit our boat. I remember ducking down into the boat every time we rode that ride. I was in my teens when I finally realized that the cannons would not hurt me.

ME, TOO!! MY poor mom had to practically gag me during the ride- I screamed bloody murder the whole time the "cannons" were shooting at us. I think she was just mortified, thinking that I was ruining the ride for the rest of the boatload of folks!

 

[ggeorgiagirl]

Do y'all remember the Sky Buckets? I LOOOVED those! I have a packet of the tickets from the 70's! AND I REMEMBER THE FUN HOUSE, too (where ever that was in Orlando??!!). It had a disco floor and a really small room!

I also thought only rich people stayed onsite. Actually, that was kind of true (before the Value and Mod resorts were built). We couldn't even afford to park our camper at WDW...we always stayed at cheesy campgrounds!

 

[cocoswife]

I used to think that the witch in Snow White was real...LOL

 

[stitchgal]

Not really about Disney World, but I remember when I found out Walt Disney was a real person (maybe I was 8 or (?) ) I always heard Walt Disney but never associated it with a real person.

 

[poohs_hunny]

Not really about Disney World, but I remember when I found out Walt Disney was a real person (maybe I was 8 or (?) ) I always heard Walt Disney but never associated it with a real person.

Yesterday I was playing Brain Quest with my third graders and one of the questions was "Who was the creator of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and all their friends?" One student (who I know is a WDW fan ) answered, "Walt Disney." Another child responded, "But I thought the question meant what person?" When I answered that Walt Disney was a person, the look on his face was priceless!

 

[QueenT]

The title says "...about Disneyworld" but it didn't exist when I was a child.

I used to aways wish the books were filled with nothing but E-Tickets. The Main Street shooting gallery was lame, but loved the Stamina Challenge (read electric shock machine). I don't remember the name of it.

Oh, those E-tickets! We lived in New Jersey when I was young, but took a long car trip to Aberdeen WA every 3 or 4 years, and we went to Disney for the first time when I was 7, for 1 day only! This back in 1968, with me, my 2 younger sisters, and my brother who was an infant. My parents had an adventuresome spirit, but no money.

My dad made sure we used every ticket in those books! I remember riding the trolley from the main gate to right in front of the castle. I thought the castle was a REAL CASTLE with rooms and princesses and everything. I could not get enough of it. We went on the Carousel and Pirates and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I loved that ride! My dad was in the navy and he was telling me about it.

We also went in Small World, loved it, loved the song, it was AMAZING. We went on Autopia, driving a car was so cool, I had never been on anything like that!

We went on the Matterhorn too, although I can't remember if it was on that trip, I thought it was so fast & scary! (so maybe it was that trip). We waited in line 2 hours. We rode the People Mover, the Train, and the Astro Orbiter.

My best memory though is the Electric Light Parade, I love that song! We stood on a small hill (?) and watched it, it was great. I don't remember any fireworks though.

I do remember thinking how crowded it all was. I don't think they had trams in the parking lots, I think we walked in. This was actually the first amusement park (if you can call Disney that) that I ever went to.

When I was 14, we went again, for 1 day. When I was 15, we moved to CA, then went every year, almost, for a few years. I did not get to WDW until 2000, but fell in love with it when we did. I still have a soft spot in my heart for DL though. I could frankly happily live permanently in WDW and not get bored.

 

[MomtoGKC]

The one thing I really remember thinking when I was little was that the Electric Water Parade was in the middle of thie night. Years later, like not that long ago, this came up in a conversation with my mom. It turns out she would just put me to bed at her normal time - probably 8 - and then wake me up for the parade - probably 10. So I always thought it was in the middle of the night - some secret thing Disney did!!

 

[dizprincess717]

I was 5 years old the first time I went, and we stayed at Fort Wilderness. On some night's we'd hear this weird music, and on our last night there we tried to follow the music - only to see the EWP on the beach. I thought that my family and I were the only ones to know about it.

The little Spectro Men also scared (and still do scare, I'll admit it!) the bejesus outta me!!!!!!

 

[annej]

My uncle worked for Disney when it opened and I was 6 years old. He got us tickets so we could go for a day. I remember thinking there was no way we would ever be rich enough to go back and certainly never rich enough to stay in a Disney hotel. I also remember being disappointed in the castle as a child. I thought you could go through it!

 

[trypnotic]

Yesterday I was playing Brain Quest with my third graders and one of the questions was "Who was the creator of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and all their friends?" One student (who I know is a WDW fan ) answered, "Walt Disney." Another child responded, "But I thought the question meant what person?" When I answered that Walt Disney was a person, the look on his face was priceless!

Hah! I remember the first time I found out that Walt Disney was a person and not just part of a name of a place I've heard about. My reaction was simliar! I recall reading a biography of Walt Disney and Walt himself coming to terms with his name becoming more recognized as a brand than a person.

 

[suzij13]

Bump Bump

 

[3daughters]

I didn't go until I was 23 so I used to hear all the kids at school talk about how they went and how great it was, so one year I was in 2nd grade and we had to write an essay on our vacation, we NEVER went on vacation, so I wrote how I went to WDW, and since I heard all the kids talking about it all the time I just put an essay together, basically it was like this.

I saw Mickey and the castle, it was huge and beautiful, I rode all sorts of rides and ate lots of candy. It was the most beautiful and fun place in the world. Every time I go I love it more and more...

Well I finally went at 23, and my words finally came true... maybe I really wasn't actually fibbing when I wrote it!