What Is Your First Disney Parks Memory?

[sj&k]

My first trip was in the summer of 1976, and I was 5. Our travel party consisted of my mother and stepfather, my uncle and his girlfriend-now his wife, and my grandparents. My grandparents did not like rides so they saw shows and sat around for the most part people-watching. The story of the one ride they did get on, though, has been told a number of times over the years and is still funny to me and a fond memory of my grandfather, who passed away almost two years ago. While the rest of us went on Space Mountain, they went on the PeopleMover, thinking it was a nice way to relax and get out of the heat for a few minutes. At the part where the car passes through the Space Mountain building, though, they heard people screaming and thought they'd gotten on that by mistake, then started looking around for some seat belts to hold them in for what they thought was going to be a wild ride. My grandmother was upset and fussing at my grandfather because she was scared, and though he rarely cursed, my grandfather told her "you're the one who wanted to get on this **** thing." Once they passed through and realized they were safe, they had a good laugh, and I now say the same thing to my husband every time we're on the PeopleMover.

 

[bebelle]

My family took a trip to Disneyland and I have one single memory that stands out over any other. It was that I saw an Asian person for the very first time. It was 1971. I was very young, 7 or 8 and from a very small eastern U.S. town. I was so in awe of this beautiful exotic looking woman I just kept staring. I remember getting a lecture from my mom about staring at people.

 

[ibob52]

Disneyland 1957 ... the Dark Rides were very scary.

There were A-B-C-D-E tickets and ticket booths within the park that sold single tickets.

 

[ibob52]

 

[PrincessShmoo]

First trip 1957. 3 of us kids, we all bought Mickey Ears. The youngest lost hers on one of the dark rides in Fantasyland (don't recall which one). A cast member went in the ride and came out with it. The ears back then had a little pink foam "bow" stapled on the top (that is a pink foam rectangular piece about 2" long and 1/2" wide). The "lost" ears had lost its "bow".

 

[kjs1976]

I went for the first time in 1992 when I was 15 as part of a class trip. The first park we went to was MGM Studios and for the longest time it was my fav park for that reason. While MK has trumped the fav spot place in the last few years, "MGM", will always hold a special place in my heart!

 

[froggibabey]

My first trip to Disney World was 2013, and it was basically the best trip ever.

But my very first Disney memory has to be 1992, at Disneyland. Someone was signing my autograph book (maybe Peter Pan??), and Captain Hook came over, took it out of their hand and held it over the railing over the water and was taunting him.

Pretty sure I actually cried (hey, I was 8!), because I remember him looking over and hanging his head after.

Captain Hook was actually out at WDW and my daughters wanted his autograph, and I almost didn't let them. Obviously, I'm a bit scarred from my experience

 

[NewRVLady]

On our first trip in 1976 you could go on Horseback rides at Fort Wilderness (where we camped)
Also there was a short train ride at Fort Wilderness-maybe a steam engine?

But the funny thing was , with only one park-MK-, we went only 2 days! We had time to also go to Sea World AND drive to Tampa (day trip) to Busch Gardens too

 

[JoeA]

The only trip I took as a kid was when I was 12 (1990). My dad said we were staying at the Hampton Inn to save money. I was bummed because I wanted to stay at one of the big fancy resorts. As we drove to WDW from the airport, my dad started to turn into the Beach Club (which was brand new). I was so embarrassed (because I was a 12 yr old brat) that my dad wanted to look around in the lobby of a hotel that we were not staying at. Finally, inside the lobby, he tells me that this is where we were actually staying. For my family, this was a BIG DEAL! We rarely took vacations and certainly didn't stay at places like that. My dad still teases me about it to this day.

That's pretty cool!

 

[Mickey&Mouse]

My first trip was in 1985 to celebrate my younger brother's birthday. He was turning 4 during our trip and really wanted to see Mickey Mouse. I don't think at the time there was a specific place to go and meet characters, so it was hit-or-miss around the park. Anyway, we were having lunch on our last day at MK somewhere near or in Fantasyland, and the ever elusive Mickey Mouse happened to walk right by the window outside where we were eating. We all ran outside so that my brother could finally meet him- and it was his actual birthday that day! So we said it was birthday magic and Mickey had been looking all over him. It was quite special!

 

[Sparkly]

Riding the monorail through the Contemporary and being amazed at going through a hotel to get to the park.

I'll always associate MK with chocolate milk because I drank so much of it on our first trip. Shame I'm lactose intolerant because what I wouldn't give for a nice cold glass of milk after a hot morning in the park.

 

[FFMatt12]

I vaguely remember a trip to Disneyland when I was 5 or 6 (23 now). We primarily go to WDW now. I remember the Lion King parade in DL vividly (helped along with some home movies too). Main Street looks great on a 90's VHS tape

 

[MomofKatie]

My family went to Disneyland in 1971 when I was 5. I loved It's A Small World, screamed and cried through Pirates of the Caribbean, and worried that my big brother would be scared when he rode the Matterhorn, because it looked terrifying to me.

My first WDW trip was 2 years later in 1973. The most traumatic memory I have was my brother tricking me into going on Haunted Mansion. I actually climbed my daddy's legs in the Stretching Room and closed my eyes for most of the ride in the Doom Buggy. And when we were in the Tiki Room, I believed it was really raining outside.

 

[barkley]

might not be my first but it's one of my earliest (we had family in so cal so back when it was free entry and you just bought tickets for the rides we went every time we visited family even if was just to wander around). we went in 1969 when I was 8-haunted mansion had just opened. my cousin who was about 5 years older than me kept trying to convince me to ride it, I kept saying no. she finally forced me to go on it. we wait in line for an eternity and finally get on, and the elevator room starts stretching with me getting more and more scared until I wail out loud "I TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT TO RIDE THIS-I WANT MY DADDYYYYYYYYYYY". well ya know what? they can scrunch that room in the opposite direction which they did- and me and my cousin got kicked off the ride, and my cousin was told by the staff that under no circumstances was she to try and bring me back on again.

later that night my dad came to pick us up and I rode the ride with him-no problem(and I still have a book with a-e tickets from back in the day).

 

[bcla]

might not be my first but it's one of my earliest (we had family in so cal so back when it was free entry and you just bought tickets for the rides we went every time we visited family even if was just to wander around). we went in 1969 when I was 8-haunted mansion had just opened.

I don't believe it was ever free to get in. It wasn't much to get in (less than two rides maybe), and one could theoretically just buy an admission without going on any rides.

This ticket book is being sold as a "1969 Disneyland ticket book" and the front has a child admission ticket with a 75 cent face value. I believe there were all sorts of ticket books being sold, including ones with an admission ticket, ones without, and also tickets that could be purchased separately. I thought that cash could be collected direct at most rides.

The owner of this site is trying to compile historical ticket prices.

https://www.jansworld.net/DL_Tickets.html

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I have a few memories from my first trip in 1990. I was four years old. I don't remember the trip as a whole and I know that some memories are jumbled up with the various trips I took throughout my childhood growing up in the Tampa area. These things stand out though:
1- Contemporary lobby
2- Toiletries in the black boxes with Mickey on them
3- Sitting on my dad's shoulders as he walked through Fantasyland(I can kind of see the crowd from that view point in my mind's eye)

 

[crz4mm2]

I don't really remember much, except we had a tour guide. I was 5 or 6 I think. Early 60s.

 

[kimmar067]

....our first visit to WDW in 1992 and enjoying [ on our first morning] a character breakfast at the Empress Lily to celebrate my middle DS's 4th birthday before we headed to our very first park - Magic Kingdom! I remember how timid they were at meeting the characters...

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Coming down I-5 and seeing the Matterhorn. Back before they completely redid I-5. the Matterhorn was visible for quite a distance.

 

[barkley]

I don't believe it was ever free to get in. It wasn't much to get in (less than two rides maybe), and one could theoretically just buy an admission without going on any rides.

This ticket book is being sold as a "1969 Disneyland ticket book" and the front has a child admission ticket with a 75 cent face value. I believe there were all sorts of ticket books being sold, including ones with an admission ticket, ones without, and also tickets that could be purchased separately. I thought that cash could be collected direct at most rides.

The owner of this site is trying to compile historical ticket prices.

https://www.jansworld.net/DL_Tickets.html

you are correct-I remember it as being free because we had a close family friend who worked at the park and we never paid for entry-we had to go to the area to the far right of the (then) turnstiles (I think it was some kind of small office building) where he would leave our names on a list and they would let us enter (he usualy also was nice enough to have already sent us a few books of tickets as well).

even without the free entry it was still a great bargain-I had many family members who paid the low price of admission on summer evenings and during the holidays just to people watch, listen to the swing music on main street, and check out the decorations. I also had a cousin who was very fond of ordering food from the blue bayou restaurant (by phone) in which case the restaurant called the same little office building at the front of the park to let them know to let a person in to pickup and pay for their to-go meals.