What/who got u started w/your love for Disney?

[Tigger79]

For me it was my band directer. Our high school band went down during spring break 1994 to march in Spectro Magic. Since then our family has been there many times. I'm so thankful for Mr. Gray for introducing me to the Disney magic!

 

[marconat]

Wow, what an honor... I've always love Disney since I can remember, but we did not have the $$$ to go there... so my first trip (2003) was thank's to my sister and her husband that paid for a lot of the expenses for me and my 2 kids... since then we all went back (entire family) in 2004 and in 2005 again with my sister, BIL, Mom and my 2 kids went to see Disneyland... I must say that I'm very fortunate to go back with my husband and our 2 kids and my Sis, BIL again in Jan 2007.... I think it will be a long, long time before we will be returning so we are going all out this time around....

 

[d96j97]

I remember when we talked about where we would go on our honeymoon, he said "Disney World"! I thought...ARE YOU NUTS!! I had it in my mind that a tropical island or a cruise would be the best. I went with his choice and we stayed at the GF. OH MY GOODNESS...I've been thoroughly "hooked" ever since then. I can honestly say that WDW is my favorite place on earth. WDW did make our honeymoon quite special with wine, chocolate covered strawberries and a congrats card waiting for us upon arrival which made the honeymoon and week even more wonderful! I had never gone before our honeymoon and now I can't stay away.

 

[LadyOmega]

Marching band for me too!! We did (and that band still does) the afternoon parades at MK and MGM every 3rd or 4th year. It was such great fun, there's not another experience like it!! And that's how I met my husband too, so marching band has been an important thing in my life!

 

[shiregirl]

I don't exactly remember when it happened, but it was on of the Disneyland trips I went on when I was little. I loved that place so much, my stomache used to ache when I'd think about getting to go there. I decided I'd live there someday, either in the house on Main Street with the porch where people sit to watch the parade, or in the shack with the old man in the bayou. I ended up working there for 5 years, so I pretty much got my wish.

 

[Dznypal]

when went for out honeymoon when it was just the MK and the CR was $77!!!

we had a great time but the one that really got me going and going and going!!!

was in 1985 our kids were DS 3.5 and DD 18months!!!

DH was on second shift it was a week before plant shutdown and everyone was talking about their vacation plans and we didnt have anything planned since DD was so young

wellllll he called me from work and said how would you like to go to Disney
yeah like he had to ask twice!!!

so I waited up for him and we booked the train (he wouldnt fly at the time )

booked a Holiday Inn maingate the next day and alittle over a week we were on our way

my inlaws thought we were nuts taking a baby that was "so young"

she was just great--when she was tired she would just fall asleep and nothing bothered her!!

DH didnt know that he was creating a monster with that surprise trip!!

now I cant get enough of WDW!!!!

 

[TTFN]

In 1960 my folks took us (3 girls and 1 boy) to Disneyland. It was a surprise; we were driving from one Army assignment to another. My brother was the oldest, and he kept reading the signs and telling mom he thought we were lost, but actually we were on our way to my first Disney visit! I was 4, and I still remember a lot about that trip. I've been hooked every since!

 

[Max Rebo]

I'm with you, Tigger. It was a high school band trip that got me hooked. It helped that my band director, as well as some other key teachers/chaperones, had a deep appreciation for Disney.

I think the fact that I always wanted to go as a small child, but never got to, also played into this.

I always pledged that I would take my own kids to WDW as soon as they were old enough. Now, next June, with DD7 and DS4, I'm finally getting to make a lifelong dream a reality.

 

[CindyT]

The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s. I took ballet and tap dancing lessons so I could be a Mousketeer when I grew up.

 

[kittythepoohbear]

My Disney love can be blamed on my Aunt Linda who in 1981 decided to move to Orlando and thought it would be cute to take 4 y.o. Kat to Disney to see Mickey Mouse. Little did she know what she started! She can also be blamed for my love of staying on property. My family was once spoiled having her an hour away from WDW and we were very happy staying in her very nice home. Then one day in 2003, she surprised me and her mother with a weekend stay at CSR - "we don't have to drive and can take our time." HA! Now whenever I go to WDW, I have to stay on property. Sorry Linda, but an hour is just too far away!

 

[jennyl772003]

My DH. When we first started dating seriously, he wanted to take a vacation there with me. At the time, there was no way I could afford that, so we went to Vegas instead.

The following year, we were much more serious and living together. He still wanted to take me, so we went.

Following year got married on DCL and honeymooned at WDW. Been back every year since.

 

[SmileMom]

Definitely our honeymoon! Truly the best time of our lives (although the Disney Cruise in December '05 ranks a close second). We had the "Gold Plan", so we stayed at the Grand Floridian. We had a beautiful first-floor corner room on the lagoon, with a view of the castle. Room service every morning for breakfast, ate our way through the parks all day, then we raced back to our room every night to watch the fireworks from our porch (that was when they closed MK every night with fireworks) and a room service snack. I'm sure we each gained ten pounds, but it was worth it. And we had sooooo much fun! I will never forget riding the MK train to the front of the park on our last day. Tears were pouring down my face knowing it was coming to an end. (I still get teary-eyed thinking about it now.)

After we started a family, we took a week-long trip to the Jersey shore. That's the thing to do in Philly. When we started to plan another trip to the shore for the following summer, we quickly realized how much money it was costing us and how we could go to Disney for the same amount, or less. We rounded up the grandparents and planned a week-long stay at the Wilderness Lodge. The rest is history!

 

[Caitsmama]

For me, i went as a child to Disneyland, and always loved it..

But, then took a hiatus.. and got "reawoken" to the magic again for my honeymoon.. (Actually 8 yrs ago today we were married!!) We went in 1999 (our honeymoon was actually the yr. after we were married.) and stayed at Port Orleans. Loved it!! Been hooked ever since..

 

[Fitswimmer]

Back in the old days, Disney used to release these record albums that were basically the soundtracks of the animated movies. I had ALL of them, Bambi, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh..and I played them until the grooves wore out. They had glossy pages with scenes from the movies too. Between those and the Wonderful World of Disney on TV I was hooked! I wanted to go to Disneyland in the worst way, but California was just too far and we couldn't afford it. When Walt started doing shows about the Florida park, I started my campaign and we finally went when I was 12. We stayed at the CR and I've been in love ever since.

 

[antree]

It was my Aunt and Uncle, I think it was there 2nd trip to disney in 1997 and they bought in to DVC we couldn't figure out why they were even going there a 2nd time. When they came home they told us about DVC and showed us the video. They asked My whole family if we wanted to go with them Jan. 1998, they used their DVC to pay for 13 of us to go and at that time they were giving away free pass with the room. So we went for 6 days and 5 nights. We fell head over heels in Love with it, we have been to Disney at least 13 times since then and finally bought DVC 5 yrs ago. Thank You to my Aunt and Uncle for introducing one of the Best Vacation Spots we will ever go to.

 

[Groovee]

for me it was my love of pooh and hubs booking WDW for our honeymoon. I became obsessed.

Can't wait to go back next year but it costs so much to go as we have to fly form the UK.

 

[Bride2Be0705]

My parents got me hooked... My dad is from Florida & wanted to show us his 'place.' But what really hooked me is that despite a lot of yelling & things at home, my dad was always so happy at WDW. We could do whatever, didn't have to clean our rooms, we could get whatever we wanted, basically he was the total opposite of what he was like at home. And that's what I remember most, so going back is like going to my happy place. It's the place where there's no yelling & arguing, just happiness & magic.

I hadn't been in a few years when we went on our HM to WDW last year... And just walking into MK made me breathe a huge sigh of relief. After all the planning & stress, I was able to relax and introduce my husband to MY place. And now, he's hooked...

I can't wait to start a new family tradition with our son this year, and get him hooked. He'll only be 11 months old when we go, but hey, it's never too early, right?

 

[mill4023]

I grew up in Oregon and my parents had friends and family in California, so we made several trips to DL over the years. It was my favorite place in the whole world. I remember one trip with just me and my dad where we got there at 8am and stayed until 1am. I was about 7 or 8 and I remember thinking that I wasn't even tired and didn't want to leave.
Once I had kids of my own, I wanted to share the experience with them, so DW and I took them to DL several times.
I had always wanted to go to WDW, but never got a chance as a kid. So when DW and I could finally afford it, we made our first trip April, 2005. We had such an amazing time that we went on our second trip this past March. If I had the money, I'd want to go at least twice a year for at least 2 weeks each time.

 

[disneymama73]

My parents took me on my first WDW trip when I was 4 years old. We went just about every year after that, sometimes twice a year. My grandparents lived next door to me my entire life, and they usually joined us. Sometimes we would meet up with family friends there, and that was a lot of fun.

My DH and I honeymooned there (of course! ), had our first baby the next year and took her at 6 mos old. We bought into DVC in 2001 and including our honeymoon, we've now been to WDW 13 times together.

 

[clonetothebone]

DW had been a couple of times as a single young adult when she lived in the southeast with girlfriends and always talked foundly of going. When she said she wanted to take the kids and go I wasn't really that excited about it but went along for the ride. Well, she didn't know what she was getting into...I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!