When did you fall in love with Disney???

[mickey&minniealways]

It was February 1976. Our first trip to the world. I was 15. DB was 8. We had just pulled up the the poly. DD was checking us in curbside. DSis and I were sitting on the same suitcase waiting. She was 6. DB was also sitting on a suitcase but with chin in his hands looking bored. Well all of a sudden Pluto comes walking up to DB . Plants himself infront of him and and becons DB to follow. DM, DSis and I are watching this unfold and not saying a word. DB is not budging. Well Pluto slings an arm around his neck and start walking away with him. As soon as they stop for a second DB runs back to the suitcases. Pluto follows. They went back and forth like this about 5 or six times. Finally Pluto gives up walking away with his hands up in the air shaking his head. When we walk into the lobby a cm greats us with a flower lei for all. When she tries to put one on DB. To girly for him. So he is backing up and who does he back into but Donald Duck himself. Well Donald turns around and gives him a scolding like only Donald can. The next morning we ate breakfast in Ohana they had a truley wonderful buffet back then. They were constantley refilling things so as not to let anything get cold. So we enjoyed our breakfast looking out over the water with Cinderellas Castle in the distance. Then off to the monorail and the MK. It was the only park at the time. When we walked through that main gate we all just stood there in awe on main street with the castle infront of us. We all fell in love right then and there. DD loved the pirates of the caribean ride he patterned a bar room back in our home after it. We went back every 2 years after that until DD died in 91. I get teary eyed everytime we go back and I ride pirates. My kids don't understand that.

 

[Disneypirate85]

My First trip was at Christmas time 1997 to WDW! Was an ok trip but no planning, more commando, so was exhausting with little ones. Went back with my future wife in 2005 didn't tell her we were going till right before we left she just knew we were going somewhere. Took it slow and just enjoyed being with her and knew then this was DEFINATELY something I wanted to repeat! Our 2nd trip together in 2006 I knew this was definately the women for me and Mickey helped me out....Bought into DVC in 2008 and have never looked back.......
Will be enjoying Food and Wine in 2 weeks............Shawn

 

[mouseaider]

Great thread !

I actually wrote an article about this and it has been published on another site.

It's titled, "The Trials and Tribulations of a “DVC” decision" but it talks about my love for Disney and how it all happened.

It is on their home page right now. I won't mention the site by name, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

 

[FindTheMickeys]

June, 1978. Senior grad trip with 5 high school friends. We actually spent 10 days at Daytona Beach and decided to drive home through Orlando because a priest who had been at our home parish was now at a parish in Orlando. Father Bob decided we had to go to WDW. That was back in the days of the ticket books and we ran so much to get from ride to ride that the only ride I remember is the Haunted Mansion. Which, by the way is my favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom. If you look at my signature, my trips were pretty well spread out, until 2005 when I bought DVC and have been every year since!!!

 

[nickspace]

Growing up I really enjoyed watching The Wonderful World of Disney on TV. I had always wanted to go to Disney but Mom and Dad were not vacationers so we never got to go. We did alot of day trips but hotels stays were as rare as hen's teeth.

When I became a young adult all of a sudden I was a little anti Disney as a result of some negative words I heard. Disney was not real life and Cinderella's Castle was figuratively empty on the inside. Still down deep I wanted to go but I guess money was an issue so I convinced myself that Disney was not a place I wanted to go.

However, one day I told my wife that we were going to take our young family of 4 to Disney World and her reaction was, "We Can't Afford That?" That didn't stop me I made the reservations, bought the plane tickets and a 4 day pass and we saw all 4 parks like true commandos. We stayed at All Star Sports and had a blast. To this day when I see pictures of the pool with Goofy shooting water it hits a soft spot as I remember holding my 2 little toddlers to get sprayed on by Goofy. We had an awesome time. One of the great memories I have of that trip is sharing the bus with a large group of special needs tourists sitting next to a very amicable young man with Down Syndrome. We had the best conversation and he really embodied the Disney joy.

So after a couple more trips, one again at All Star Sports and another at Port Orleans the die was cast. Now we are a family of 5 and we are proud owners at SSR and HHI with a plan to add on in the future when we have more free time. I don't want to wish away the present but in the future my wife and I plan on spending a couple month a year enjoying the warm weather and Disney environment. It will be awesome to wake up in the morning and say, "Honey What Do You Want To Do Today?" with Disney World as our back yard.

 

[arthur06]

Awesome stories!

 

[csharpwv]

We Honeymooned at WDW in 2006 - it was absolutely AMAZING!

Our Wedding was in Mid-October so we were expecting HORRIBLE weather - BUT - a cold front moved in the morning after we arrived - and STAYED all week with us!

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge - and had just told the travel agent we wanted a 'nice room'. So when she said that the Wilderness had 'Club Level' available - we said "OK" having no idea what it was - what it entailed - or what to expect.

When the CM at check in didn't give us room keys and a packet - but told us that she would be 'right back' we were like - "OH GREAT! They LOST our reservation!"

Well when the manager came out with our packet, and greeted us - and then proceeded to escort us to our room - we were looking at each other like we had just won the lottery!!!

That week of our life was SO amazing - we are still waiting for a WDW vacation to surpass that experience! It was INCREDIBLE!

From that point on we have been totally hooked.

Before that I had only been to WDW once - and that was in 1987 - so MGM/Hollywood Studios - and Animal Kingdom weren't even there!

So it was an incredible experience!

 

[robertdangelo]

When I first visited the Magic Kingdom in 1972... I was 5 years old & we took a guided tour.

 

[Ln42]

The first time I fell in love with WDW was the first day I took my son and saw the look on his face when he spotted the Magic Kingdom. He grabbed my hand in anticipation of the fun we were about to have. My husband snapped the picture on the camera and every time I see it, I can feel the awe of the moment.

 

[jelwallace]

I have always enjoyed going to Disney but didn't love it until 5 years ago. We had just adopted my then 2 year old daughter. Disney was our first trip as a family. I was holding my daughter and we were on mainstreet watching the fireworks and my daughter (who could barely speak English at the time) put her hand on my cheeks and turned my head so I could look right into her eyes and she said "Momma I lova you". That is Disney magic.

 

[javamom]

put her hand on my cheeks and turned my head so I could look right into her eyes and she said "Momma I lova you". That is Disney magic.

 

[tgropp]

The year 1973, abunch of teenagers refused to go to WDW as we all thought that it was cooler to hang out at Fort Lauderdale
Fast forward to 1980, my wife decided to take my mother to Florida (my father was to go also but he died 2 months earlier) and stopped off at WDW. I was amazed and it brought back so many memories of the Walt Disney Sunday show that I was hooked. We took our children down (once again with my mother) many times, are DVC owners and looking forward to take our expected grandchildren down someday. Two things stick out. That first visit in 1980 and our first Christmas vacation in 1994 with just my family. Never forget walking into Wildernes Lodge on Christmas eve.

 

[walkdmc]

I don't know why but I visited WDW 2x before I was truly in love. Matter of fact, the second time I went, it was an unwelcome vacation. I didn't even want to go. I thought DS was too young (3yo), it would be too hot, and I was too pregnant (7.5 months). And, I was right on all counts.

However, I got some crazy bug last August when I booked our Nov. '09 trip to the Poly. I had an awesome Small World Travel Agent who booked everything and gave suggestions on restaurants. Our trip came with free dining which she convinced us to upgrade to DDX. I think the interest in planning meals, and talking to her (she is a disney nut) got me psyched. Then, we arrived at our MK view Poly room and I was HOOKED. I went back 6 months later and am returning 6 mo. after that, and again next June 2011.

I've finally settled down a bit but it seemed like an overwhelming, all-consuming interest I had developed in Disney. I was DIS'ing multiple times a day, obsessing over DVC, which we ended up buying to the tune of 310 points. Now, I'm DIS'ing a couple times a week and stopped thinking much about DVC. Maybe I'm over the honeymoon phase?

 

[minpin3]

Our very first Disney experience was the Disney Magic...need I say more?
My husband had decided he was done with riding dirt bikes and sold the bike for a great price. We decided that we were going to do something we had never done before and take a cruise. So off to the travel agency we go, with two kids in tow, and he talked us into a Disney cruise. I will never forget the looks only my girls faces that minute we boarded the bus to the cruise terminal to walking onto the ship to their very first encounter/picture with Mickey. It is a memory I will hold with me for the rest of my life as I know it will be theirs too. After that we were hooked!! Met up with a family who were DVC members and they convinced us we had to join too and guess what...we did!
Disney is my "happy place". From participating on the boards to listening to Disney theme park music via Live365 to making Disney recipes to decorating for the holidays..it's all about the Mouse in my house!

 

[Uncleromulus]

Our first visit in September 1975. We stayed offsite that one time, but had dinner at the Poly the first night. Just seeing that resort, the Castle and the water parade was enough to hook us.
Of course the MK was nice to visit also--but it had fewer attractions then. And Epcot, The Studios, Animal Kingdom, the entire Boardwalk area--didn't even exisit. Nor did the Grand Floridian for the matter!!
So we had 2 full days to explore every corner of the MK and 2 great dinners at Papeete Bay.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

I fell in love with WDW when it was first being built. We would drive out to the visitor center to see what was in store for us. We could not wait for th MK to open. We did not get to visit on opening day but we did make it for the 2nd day. From that day on we were hooked. Now all these years later I still get goosebumps when we exit the bus for the first time at the MK. We also own part of WDW now since we bought into the DVC several years ago.

 

[disneymom8589]

When I was a young girl my dad bought us a Disney record from a gas station. I loved that record and it fueled the start of my love of Disney. Several years later in 1974 we took our 1st vacation to Disneyland and I was definitely hooked! I didn't return (surprisingly!) until my DH and I took our son and daughter in 1997 and the magic was still there! We have taken several family vacations to DLR, WDW as well as a family Disney cruise over the years. Our now adult kids have dubbed us "Derds" - Disney Nerds!

We now have a new little one to introduce to Disney - our grandson Kai who was born on August 4th! Hopefully he, too, will turn into a "Derd"!! (He is the baby in the Mickey ears in my avatar picture!)

 

[Coach81]

I "liked" Disney as a child.. but I fell in love.. when my oldest son also fell in love with Disney... been hooked ever since!!!

 

[Coach81]

I don't know why but I visited WDW 2x before I was truly in love. Matter of fact, the second time I went, it was an unwelcome vacation. I didn't even want to go. I thought DS was too young (3yo), it would be too hot, and I was too pregnant (7.5 months). And, I was right on all counts.

However, I got some crazy bug last August when I booked our Nov. '09 trip to the Poly. I had an awesome Small World Travel Agent who booked everything and gave suggestions on restaurants. Our trip came with free dining which she convinced us to upgrade to DDX. I think the interest in planning meals, and talking to her (she is a disney nut) got me psyched. Then, we arrived at our MK view Poly room and I was HOOKED. I went back 6 months later and am returning 6 mo. after that, and again next June 2011.

I've finally settled down a bit but it seemed like an overwhelming, all-consuming interest I had developed in Disney. I was DIS'ing multiple times a day, obsessing over DVC, which we ended up buying to the tune of 310 points. Now, I'm DIS'ing a couple times a week and stopped thinking much about DVC. Maybe I'm over the honeymoon phase?

Nah.. it'll come back.. trust me

 

[Cee]

I guess the first time I visited WDW was in 1972 with some girlfriends. We drove down to Daytona Beach for Spring Break when we were in high school. I know, can you imagine parents allowing a group of 16-17 year old girls driving from Maryland to Florida these days!? But we did just fine and took a little side trip to Disney. There was only the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary at that time, I believe. What an awesome place. I've been going every since.