What's your earliest WDW memory?

[horsegirl]

Mine is going to the sales building and looking at a model of the resort on a table! I was just a little girl (around age 9) and my parents took my brothers and I to the future site where they had a sales and information building. The next winter we stayed at the Contemporary. I can still remember how amazing it was having the monorail come right into the hotel. It seemed so space age and modern. I was really blown away as a 10 year old! And the mural was so beautiful and huge. I will never forget that trip or the next 3 or 4 when we also stayed at the Poly. I miss the skyway! My parents really knew how to do it right and it is so fun to now be able to share this experience with our own children. I hope I can figure out a way to stay at both original hotels again someday!!

 

[pooh2001]

I do not rember what it was called - in MK the overhead buckets that went between two lands. The buckets looked like small ski gondola's. I remember looking down and being amazed at the rides. I think the year was around 1972.

 

[horsegirl]

That was the skyway!!!! Wasn't it great? I wonder if anyone knows when they removed it?

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Wow, how wonderful to have been apart of WDW inception, Horsegirl!

Pooh2001, I remember those sky buckets, too!

Earliest memory:


My first visit to WDW we stayed at the Grand Floridian. I remember going w/ Mears and we were the last to be dropped off, and when we pulled up, the driver said, "And the Grandest of them all, the Grand Floridian!"

It was decorated for Christmas and I immediately knew I loved the place by the white lights around the rooftops, life-sized reindeers ornaments, and the grand Victorian theme that was everywhere upon entering the lobby. It was pouring rain but I was so excited to be there, it could have been a blizzard and I wouldn't have minded. We had to run to our room in Big Pine Key and were soaked by the time we got to the room, just exhilarated and happy. Then the room was so beautiful and comfortable, and I remember just loving that it was themed Alice in Wonderland (my favorite as a child) all the way down to the shampoo! I remember going to Gasparilla's around dinnertime and sitting inside the window, when suddenly the fireworks started over the castle. Had no idea about the fireworks show and certainly wasn't expecting that to happen over our grilled cheese dinners! Then around bedtime, I remember just getting into these snuggly, incredibly soft and comfortable beds and suddenly hearing loud music outside. We quickly dressed and ran outside toward where the music was coming from, and were shocked by the arrival of the electric parade! Another surprise we had no idea was going to happen. By the time we finally went to bed, I was wondering what was going to shock us next!

Ahhhh, wonderful memories

 

[Ladyhawke10]

That was the skyway!!!! Wasn't it great? I wonder if anyone knows when they removed it?

They were deemed too dangerous because of items being dropped on people walking below.

 

[horsegirl]

Loved your story Ladyhawke. never had a chance yet to stay at GF yet! I thought maybe the skyway didn't carry enough people fast enough - never considered the safety issue. Thanks, do you know when they closed it down?

 

[scanne]

Oh my gosh - you are all going to laugh at this one!

My mom took me to the MK. This was in 1979-80. I was only about 6. It was right around Thanksgiving and it was a cold, overcast and dreary day. I remember the white boats in the canals by Tomorrowland and meeting Tweedledee and Tweedledum. I got a chalk portrait done in the canopy in Liberty Square. I also remember my mom asking me what I wanted for lunch and I just couldn't decide. She was getting impatient with me so I settled on pizza. Well, I didn't like the sauce. But I was too scared to say anything to her because I had taken so long to decide in the first place. There is even a picture of me eating that pizza and I was "oversmiling" to compensate for the guilt I felt.

Well, when my DH and I stayed at the GF in 2000, I ordered pizza from Gasparilla's. It was the SAME sauce and I didn't like it at all! I HAD to tell my mom about the whole thing when we got home. It's now a running joke between me and my mom - and I will NEVER order pizza at WDW again.

 

[horsegirl]

What a cute story! You should share this story with WDW staff, if there is a suggestion box somewhere. If after all that time they did not improve the pizza, they need to find a new recipe!

 

[firemanx]

i remember being around 4 or 5 and staying @ the Poly with my family from NY and riding the slide all day between park visits.

 

[Philadisney]

my first trip was in the late 80's for my 6th birthday. i remember a few things - eating at the brown derby at MGM, taking a photo of the Walt Disney World road sign on the highway, my mother writing Winnie The Pooh's name in my autograph when I was looking - she thought I would forget that I hadn't actually met him yeah mom, way to not even try to disguise your handwriting! i also remember running up to Goofy, the first character i met in WDW, and being extremely shocked that he could not talk to me.

 

[*Fantasia*]

That was the skyway!!!! Wasn't it great? I wonder if anyone knows when they removed it?

I only read a few.. All I know was this was still there Dec 1994. We were there for our honeymoon and i have a pix of my husband riding it and the background was Cinderella's Castle.

 

[maya44]

Going with my now DH to WDW when we were kids with our families!

Yes, DH and I went together with our families the year WDW opened! We were 9 and 10.

Now we are taking our two DD's and we are going back to the Poly where we stayed then!

 

[FutureAshleyDukes]

Going with my parents when I was 8. I had the flu, but we were going on an all expense paid vacation from my dad's company so my parents made sure I was there. I remember throwing up in line for Splash Mountain, throwing up at the Market Place, and throwing up at two of the world showcases. We stayed at the Swan, and I ate french toast every morning... needless to say after the trip I still can't stand to even look at french toast.

 

[sarah4770]

I remember the ticket books.(A, B, C, D,E) Anyone remember them? I remember my dad buying ticket books and deciding what ride to go on with what ticket.
ON our first trip, we used one of them to go on 20,000 leagues, and I remember also going to tom sawyer island on the boat.
I also remember there used to be a lot of topiaries in front of the magic kingdom....you don't see as many these days.

 

[kizmac]

That was the skyway!!!! Wasn't it great? I wonder if anyone knows when they removed it?

I miss the skyway too! They removed it somewhere around 2001 I believe. I'd have to look back at photos to be sure. I have some pics taken from it on one of our trips and the following year it was gone.

 

[Bride In The Attic]

I remember the ticket books.(A, B, C, D,E) Anyone remember them? I remember my dad buying ticket books and deciding what ride to go on with what ticket.
ON our first trip, we used one of them to go on 20,000 leagues, and I remember also going to tom sawyer island on the boat.
I also remember there used to be a lot of topiaries in front of the magic kingdom....you don't see as many these days.

Yes! I remember the ticket books....my first trip was in January of 1972 - I was 5. We stayed in a lagoon view room at the Poly and I remember the big map of the MK they had on the wall next to the bed. There were hardly any trees on the island in the middle of Seven Seas Lagoon so you had a really clear view of the castle - it seemed so much bigger to me back then!

Back to those ticket books - remember the valuable E tickets!! Then a few trips later they went to what would become the tickets of today. You could pay one price and you could go on any ride you wanted without individual tickets - at the time that was just the coolest thing! I remember my ticket was a huge white piece of heavy ticket stock and you would buy a pin and pin it on your shirt so the CM's would let you on an attraction w/o having to have an indidual ticket from the ticket book....we felt so special!

 

[mtdevine615]

Columbus Day weekend in 1971 right after the MK opened. We lived in Tampa at the time and went over for the day. Now that I think back there were so many rides that were not even open or even on the drawing board yet. No mountains at all, no buzz, but there were a few that have since departed also, like 20,000 leagues, skyway, Mr. Toads wild ride. As much as I miss some of the old rides it sure is nice to have the new ones. That's one of the best things about Disney, they keep making it new. Maine

 

[nliedel]

I went with my family the first year they opened (curiously, years later my husband and I compared family trips and we were there the same day. Did not know eachother at all). My Dad, well he is not into kids. We "saw" the entire Magic Kingdom in one afternoon and I was not allowed to go on any rides except that my Mom put her foot down and I did get to ride 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. My Dad thought the whole place was stupid. Because of that and a strong desire to ride the Teacups that was unfufilled I ride the Teacups at least three times a visit today. I will not be doing the same thing with my kids.

 

[LorieR]

My first trip was with my DH in 1976 Were were married about 6 months! Had a wonderful time and could not wait until we had kids so we could bring them with us!! Now our kids are grown up and we (I) and more in love with WDW than ever!! Will be celebrating our 30th anniversary there in three weeks!!

Lorie

 

[speakupjc]

Seeing the Presentation table with my parents before it was ever built.
Riding the monerail with my cousin while my parents hung out in the bar or the room.
The night the MK got flooded.