What is your earliest Disney memory?

[RalphyBoy]

I was there in 1976, and I remember the bicentenial celebrations that were going on. The parade was very patriotic, and it seems like special events were happening at the Hall of Presidents. I also remember being in one of the Tomorrowland cars with my dad, and getting pretty frazzled because I couldn't keep the car from bumping back and forth on the guide rail. I was just back there this spring with my wife and kids, and discovered that I still cannot drive those stupid cars!

 

[Sooze]

My family went for my first time in 1978... I was only five, but I have some vivid memories:

I remember riding Dumbo with my dad and being scared to death that if he kept lifting the ride car with that little lever, that it would snap off and we would die. So I made him keep Dumbo down low the whole time!

I remember sitting on the grass at the contemporary watching speed boats and water skiers whiz past!

I remember the Main Street marching band coming towards us (it wasn't a parade, just a band moment) and I got caught in a face-to-face which-way-should-I-move-to-get-out-of-your-way tango with a tuba player!

Such a fun thread! Can't wait to hear more...

 

[auroralark]

Mine is of getting the crap scared out of me in Snow White's Scary Adventures when I was 5. This was in the late 80's. The evil queen turned around and became the witch and I was DONE. Refused to ride it for years after that. I still don't like that ride!

 

[MomofKatie]

More 1973 WDW memories...

We had the A, B, C, D, and E ticket books- we could barely get rid of the A tickets, and we kept running out of the Ds and Es. After my dad declared 'No more ticket books', we rode If You Had Wings over and over because it didn't require a ticket at all. I was really excited to get on our Eastern Airlines flight to Puerto Rico a few days after our WDW trip because Eastern was the "official carrier of Walt Disney World"!!

Riding the monorail through the Contemporary and past the Poly and thinking only really rich people got to stay there. We stayed at a Ramada near the Main gate, and we went swimming every night after we got back from the parks.

The Main Street buildings were great- the Penny Arcade, Theater with the Walt Disney movie playing on an endless loop, and the Magic Shop.

When we were there, they were building Space Mtn- my brother was so disappointed it wasn't finished yet.

 

[tinkerbell88865]

I was just thinking about when I took my kids to Disney for the first time. I know what I remember from the trip, and I started thinking about what they will remember in a few years. (They were 5 & 3 when we went.)

Then I started thinking about my trips to Disney when I was a kid and what my earliest memories were. I remember one trip when I was about 6 or 7. I was terrified of Space Mountain, but my Uncle convinced me to ride it with him. I remember screaming the whole ride while he sat behind me laughing. At the time it was awful, but now every time I ride Space Mountain I smile when I think about.

So...what is your earliest Disney memory?

I really felt like I was flying in that tiny Peter Pan ride. I remember the look on my mom's face and how magical it was. Thanks for the post.

 

[jcarter29]

I was 9 the first visit. My very first memory is actually of the building that used to be the checkin for the villas, etc. I remember that was how my sister (age 5) and I knew we were really there. Then we went to the villa which was MUCH bigger than our house. My first park memory is of riding the fairy across the lake and seeing the castle. It was exactly as I imagined. And I was hooked...forever more.
Kim

 

[TMcDwyer]

I was 9 the first visit. My very first memory is actually of the building that used to be the checkin for the villas, etc. I remember that was how my sister (age 5) and I knew we were really there. Then we went to the villa which was MUCH bigger than our house. My first park memory is of riding the fairy across the lake and seeing the castle. It was exactly as I imagined. And I was hooked...forever more.
Kim

I remember seeing the castle for the first time too. Still brings tears to my eyes.

 

[satorifound]

My earliest Disney memory is actually getting there. LOL A friend of my parents had a plane and was going to fly us down so we all got in the plane, the guy started it, and then it wouldn't lift off the ground. We had too many people. So, we decided to drive... well, a fan belt broke on the way down and we were stranded on the side of the road for hours while my step father went to get a new belt. When we finally got to Disney it was lunch time and we went to KFC. My mom forced me to eat the Cole Slaw and I threw it up. I haven't eaten Cole Slaw since. ICK.

So my main memories aren't of actually being at Disneyland. LOL

 

[timmac]

My earliest memory is probably from when I was about 3-4 years old. It was back when characters still roamed the parks freely. I was sitting in a stroller, and Goofy came up, motioned for me to get up, then sat down, and had me get on his lap. He then gestured for my parents to start pushing

 

[joanjett1976]

earliest wdw memories are of our stuck doom buggy in the haunt mansion, shich at the time seemed like eons. and my dad entering space mountain and thinking he was going to get sucked into some black hole. oh and waiting very patiently on the main street sidewalk for the awesome sights and sounds of the main street electrical parade.

 

[Zzizzy]

This one is easy for me. I had been an amusement park nut long before I ever went to a Disney park. My first visit to Disneyland was in 1977. I went with some friends and late in the day they took me back to Main Street because we had to get a good spot to watch the parade. The parade wasn't for another hour and I wondered (with disgust) why we were there so early and why we had to sit that long on the curb for just a parade.

A while later the lights went out, the music started and the Main Street Electrical Light Parade came down the street.

I don't really remember anything else about that first visit, but I think about that every time I sit to watch a nighttime parade.

 

[TMcDwyer]

I also remember my first character meal. It was on the Empress Lily in DTD. I wish they still did that one, I would have loved to take my kids.

 

[Sandi12404]

Until I was about 8 years old my grandparents lived in California and we went to visit them every year. I think I was 6 or 7 when we went to Disneyland and I remember being terrified of the snow white ride. To this day I won't even consider riding it.
We went to Disney World when I was 12 and MGM had just opened (wow, aging myself) and I remember being excited because the Teenage mutant ninja turtles were there, and the smell of the orange groves in Horizons.

 

[AllyGirl_79]

I went to Disneyland at age 5 for a day (with California relatives) but have no memory of it. And, as much as I loved Disney movies as a kid, I don't think I ever thought of them as "Disney" so much as just good stories.

My earliest, distinctly Disney memory is going to WDW for the first time at age 10. We flew to Orlando, checked into the Poly, and then my parents decided we were going to Magic Kingdom and using a day on the tickets even though it was early evening. My little brother, age 3 at the time, desperately wanted to go on the train as soon as he saw it, and we did that first. It was pretty crowded, and we sat in the front part of the car - where the two bench seats face each other - across from another family of 4. They told us it was their last night in Florida, and the train was their last ride before leaving. I can vividly remember being so sad for them. It was our first ride, I was so happy, and I couldn't imagine being forced to leave.

 

[gracer9977]

Until I was about 8 years old my grandparents lived in California and we went to visit them every year. I think I was 6 or 7 when we went to Disneyland and I remember being terrified of the snow white ride. To this day I won't even consider riding it.
We went to Disney World when I was 12 and MGM had just opened (wow, aging myself) and I remember being excited because the Teenage mutant ninja turtles were there, and the smell of the orange groves in Horizons.

As my sister said my grandparents lived in California and we went every year to visit them and every visit we went to Disneyland. The only things I remember about Disneyland is loving to watch the blown glass and either my mom or my grandparents buying us little glass figurines and somehow no matter how careful we were with them they always broke before we made it home to PA. I remember loving to watch the Electric Lights parade and those big suckers that are circles with all the rainbow colors that I could never finish and somehow got it all over me. I was 14 the first time we went to Disneyworld and I just remember loving everything about it. How big everything was. I rode Space Mountain for the first time and loved it. I do remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and how embarrased but secretly pleased I was when they started dancing with me. We are going back to Disney next month. Will be my 4th time going to Disneyworld and will be my daughters 2nd time, she is 6 and my son's first time, he is 3. Can't wait to live Disney through their eyes.

 

[baby1disney]

My earliest memory is when I went on my first trip at 26! Everyoe and everything was so bright and cheery and just amazing!!! When I first stepped on Main St..I started tearing up a little up. But I truly lost it when I watched my very first Wishes fireworks show!! That truly had let me know that I was at The Happiest Place On Earth!!!!

 

[choirboy501]

I remember watching The Wonderful World of Disney in the early 70s.

First Disney film I saw in the theater was The Apple Dumpling Gang in 1975.

I think 1975 was the year of the Space Mountain television special, that whetted my appetite for WDW. I didn't make it there until 1984. EPCOT Center was the coolest place ever!

I also remember seeing the theatrical re-release of The Jungle Book in 1978.

 

[ssuriano]

Though I don't remember it there are photos of my at Disneyland a few months old. I think the first time I remember going to the park I was in second (best guess) grade and I remember loving the Mickey waffles and the character breakfast. My trip in 4th grade sticks out like a sore thumb because I remember throwing a fit when my parents wanted me to ride Space Mountain.

 

[pklein09]

We went to visit friends of my parents in Tampa in 1979. It was my first plane ride, and we planned to see Magic Kingdom, Sea World, and Busch Gardens among other things that week.

We drove to Disney for the day, and I remember passing a partially constructed Space Ship Earth. We got into the parks and made a left at the hub into Adventure Land (DH and I still start our journey in the parks this way). My very first attraction was the Tiki Room. It's still a favorite even when it went "under new management." I'm bummed we missed the reopening by 10 days, but I can't wait to see it when we go next year.

We were only in Magic Kingdom for the day. My parents' friend took us commando-style through it and I think we saw pretty much everything, but it was pretty much a blur.

 

[kaligal]

Mommy, can we go to Disney World?

No.

But mom, I want -

I don't like amusement parks. You can go when you grow up.

(I did.)