What do you remember about your first trip to WDW?

[Patrick IL.]

Of course assuming you have been there.
I remember our first trip to WDW like it was yesterday.
Being overwhelmed at the polynesian and everyone greeting us with Aloha

I remember our first monorail ride over to MK and laughing at the message

I remember entering MK and seeing the castle and smelling the wonderful smells of Main street

I remember how overwhelmed I was once we left MK at the size of all of the properties on site

I remember meeting my close friend SSB and spending the day with him at AK

I remember how surprised we were that our two kids...19 and 16 wanted to "hang" with us instead of being off on thier own

I think that was my fondest memory.
What are yours?

 

[lisajl]

I was 25 my first trip to the world.

Our DD was 2. The best thing was when she saw Mickey Mouse coming down the parade route.

We were late out a show and a nice man let us up front to watch the parade.
When our DD saw Mickey, she was so excited and kept saying, "Mickey Mouse".

Luckily I had my sunglasses on, because I was crying like a baby.
This was a place I had always wanted to go, but my parents could not afford it.

Here I was with a great husband and DD and fulfilling her dreams as well as mine.
I felt the same way when we took our boys 8 and 5 there this past December.

Excuse me, I need a tissue!

Lisajl

 

[julie_yet]

[color=3300ff]I don't remember my first trip 'cause I was only a year old. My first WDW memory though is of holding onto my dad's hand as we got off the monorail. I remember looking down and seeing light coming up through a slit between the monorail and the loading station and thinking how high up off the ground we were.
I don't recall anything about actually being at the MK.[/color]

 

[nativetxn]

I remember that I planned our trip in 1982 without any help from the DIS or the internet.

I remember that it was July and it was <b>hot</b>.

I remember our Character Breakfast on the Empress Lily, I believe. It was on a river boat. My niece who was 2 1/2 spent the entire next day asking for breakfast. We finally figured out she meant she wanted to go back to the character breakfast.

I remember Mission to Mars, I loved it.

I remember it was <b>really, really, really crowded</b>

 

[glo]

I was 11 years old when I went to WDW the first time. I remember being in total awe. I got all teary eyed and was just taken back. My brother was only 5 at the time, and it was so funny to see his reactions to everything. I was hooked....

 

[imgoingtodisney]

It was in the early 70s. Took train from MA to FL w/mother & 2 brothers.
Early 80s went with friend and stayed offsite
Late 80s went with DH
1996 was DSs first trip when he was 4 - All Star Music
2001 Wilderness Lodge, 2002 PO/FQ

It seemed for a while each time we went back there was a new park

 

[tinkerbee]

I was 8 on my first trip. I remember wanting to ride Space Mountain but the line was all the way to the castle and my mom would not stand in line. Riding the skyline and how neat it was that we were so far up. Going to the Haunted Mansion for the first time and the greeter scaring the pants off my sister. Falling in SFTH because I was to engaged in my candy and crying through Tiki Birds because I had scrapped up my knee so bad.

 

[WDWLVR]

My first trip to WDW was in 1976 at age 19 with my mom. As we walked up Main Street she started crying. She said when I was a baby and she was a single mom she would watch Disneyland on TV and wish she could take me and my brother there, but there was no money. So when she finally made it to Disney it brought her to tears. A very special memory for me and one of the reasons she has a brick over at the Poly - now she will always be at Disney.

 

[helenabear]

I was 5 years on my first trip to WDW and I remember so much of it!!!
I remember seeing that castle for the first time.

I remember my mom's special conversation with me inside by the mozaics... there she said to her own "Cinderellie" that this was 'her castle'!

I remember camping in Ft. Wilderness and searching for certain plants that were there.

I remember the old bus system that took us to River Country.

I remember riding the monorail around to Epcot and seeing Spaceship Earth as it was being finished.

I remember watching the MSEP and the fireworks at night.

I remember so much... and almost 21 years later I still love it just as much

 

[catsrule]

Being chased by Goofy when I first entered the park.

 

[MikeSquared]

My first trip to WDW was in the sumer of '76. I was 11 with a brother 7, sister 6, and younger brother 15 months. I remember riding Space Mountian with my dad, younger brother and I think my younger sister too. My mother rode the the TTA with my youngest brother. I also remember the Indy Speedway, I could hardly press the gas pedal and see to drive. Those cars sure seemed alot faster back then. I'm glad I was able to ride the Sky Way once in my life, didn't get back again untill 1999. One last thing I remember was a machine that made little plastic characters. You could watch as it was made from plastic pellets into your own little green (maybe it was blue) Mickey. It came out of the machine warm, I remember my brother couldn't wait to hold his and put a dent in the back of Mickey's head.

 

[MikeSquared]

Originally posted by nativetxn
I remember Mission to Mars, I loved it.

I remember that too!!! My younger sister screamed when the seat sunk at lift-off!!

 

[Disney845]

That sounds very nice Patrick!! I don't remember a thing about my first trip to WDW, I was very little. My first theme park memory was at about 3-4 years old. We were at Sea World with my cousins. They had a sort of Luau where they had women and children get up on the stage and dance. I remember doing that!! I also remember the old children's water play area, long before it was called Shamu's Happy Harbor, although I do not remember the original name of it...Captin Kidd's Playland or something maybe...I am sure someone on here remembers that!

 

[mskani]

August 2000. I was one month shy of turning 30. I went with my dh, dd and ds.

I remember...

* the sweet aroma of the Magic Kingdom.
* the delightful sights and sounds of the MSEP.
* the first time that I caught sight of the castle.
* the look on my ds's face when he asked Minnie Mouse to dance.
* the feeling of joy when my dd rode BTMR and Splash Mtn.
* my dh's face light up when he got picked to be in FOTLK show.
* my dh deciding that a WDW trip would be a MUST for our family from now on!!

 

[Marla Hellwig]

June 1985 - on my honeymoon - had to stay off site - spent one day at MK and one day at Epcot - passing out from the heat in Epcot

Figured out the other day my first visit to Disneyland was in 1964 or 65

 

[kinlaw6450]

Not a thing...I was 3 months old.

BUT my most favorite memory is my 5th birthday party in the Main Street Bakery. I had a white cake, with white icing and tiny angels on it.

At the Polynesian Luau I was taken up on stage to "perform" with the hula dancers. and they gave me a pineapple something with a birthday candle in it.

Now I'm 30 and with over 100 visits to remember that stands out the most...

Although the first time my children saw the castle brings tears to my eyes too!

 

[CindyKansas]

My first trip to WDW was in 1979, I was 19 and I went with my best friend Julie. We flew, first time either one of us had flown, and when we got to Orlando you did not pull up to the terminal, you got out of the plane and went down steps. I was in awe of the palm trees swaying in the wind. But I hadn't seen anything yet. I remember riding the boat over to the Magic Kingdom and seeing the train station and thinking "this isn't anything like Disneyland, this is huge". I remember that we ate over at the Poly for lunch one day and I told Julie that one day I would stay at this resort. (finally did in 1992) I remember not having to stand in line. And if I remember correctly we A,B,C,D & E tickets.

 

[ehagerty]

I worked full time since senior year in high school - so I was thrilled when the grocery store I worked for closed in March, 1976 - it was the first chance for a vacation before college graduation.

A couple of friends and I drove ourselves down, staying with relatives along the way. Having never been to DisneyWorld before, we didn't realize that waiting in line for 2 hours for Space Mountain was a long time. I remember being impressed with the "short line" (outside) - before I knew there was an internal "queue."

I couldn't get over how real (as in not-obviously-fake, not as in "the real world") everything looked - nostalgic, pristine.

I have pictures from the bicentennial parade. Loved everything about it. Didn't get to go again until March, 1980 - $450 included air, Polynesian, park and unlimited food for a week - when they still included alcohol!!! Shared room with 5 others family members.

Didn't go again until honeymoon - 1987. Realizing that being pregnant and having infants posed no limitations, we became annual regulars starting in 1989 - until we become Vacation Club members (11/92) and Annual Passholders (2000 - when VC free passes ended) - which made us truly serious addicts.

I have to say, though, the current AP prices next year may be out of my reach for the first time (son in non-public school). Am considering the unthinkable next year - taking a "by year"!!

 

[ead79]

I was 3 on my first trip to WDW (in 1982 or 1983, I'm not sure exactly what time of year we went), so I don't remember it. My next trip was when I was 8. I remember buying a big pinata in Mexico and making my Grandma carry it on all the rides so I didn't have to. I also remember loving Spaceship Earth once I discovered it wasn't a roller coaster (the beginning had us worried since the hill you go up is so steep).

 

[tallyfamily]

My first memories are from the late 70's when I was about 9 years old. The "buildings" were all so neat and unlike any I had seen before that I wanted to live in one. I remember loving the Eastern Airlines "If You Had Wings" ride (now Buzz Lightyear) because it was free- didn't have to have a ticket- and the air conditioning inside was ice cold.

Also during the 70's my husband was about 10 and he got to get up on stage and dance with Chubby Checker at the Contemporary. That is one of his first and most favorite memories of Disney.