When did you know you were hooked?

[helenm29]

Yup, we got hooked on our Honeymoon too! We went in 1981 and I had never been to such a HUGE place! I was 19, just gotten married and was in the Navy so I just HAD to be impressed. We couldn't afford to stay on property but we were at the MK every single day for a week and it was like we were kids again growing up together. We waited a few years to have kids (8 to be exact) and now have brought our kids three times. Wouldn't have passed it up for the world!

 

[disney_girl27]

It all started when my parents took me to WDW for the first time when i was just 6 months old (15 yrs ago). I don't remember everything but i do remember hugging mickey for the first time..i couldn't believe i was looking at mickey "in the real". My parent saw how much I loved it there so we returned practically every other year. I have over 100 disney movies (videos and dvds) lots of stuffed animals, collectibles, clothes. My friends call me a disney obsesionaire. My family says I have a severe case of disneyitis. I just say I'm a princes living in my disney world.

 

[icelady]

The first time I stepped on property.

 

[eeyore0062]

I honestly cannot pinpoint a time that I wasn't enamoured of all things Disney. I remember when I was little HAVING to have the Viewmaster discs of Disneyland... and of course, since it was in California, it was a pipedream... and of course, watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights just wasn't an option, it was MUST SEE TV!

I remember seeing the special on Wonderful World of Disney on the building and opening of WDW in Florida and hoping that since it was closer, and since we had relatives in Florida, one day my parents would be able to take us. They took us about 1 1/2 years after it opened when I was 11 and my brother was 6. It was quite the thrill!

We went a few times after that with my parents, never staying onsite. When I got married I wanted Mickey and Minnie on my cake, but at that time, you couldn't find the bride and groom cake toppers so that didn't happen. My dream was to have my honeymoon at WDW, but at the time, we just didn't have the money, so we scrimped and saved and made our dream trip 1 1/2 years later and finally, I got to stay onsite (Dixie Landings) and see WDW through the eyes of someone who had never had the opportunity to go as a child (my husband). I fell even harder for Disney at that point!

Fast forward a few years, after having our daughter, lucking into a job at the Disney Store, and now I am right where I have always wanted to be. Living within 30 minutes of WDW and having a part in the magic by working right in the middle of it.

 

[Mis4Mouse]

I realized I was hooked on Disney after deciding to "skip" Disney one year and take the kids to the mountains instead. We paid just about the same for that vacation as we did for the disney vacations, and suffered long boring nights, giant spiders, one to many s'mores, cold mountain mornings and poison ivy. The mountains are okay, the view was lovely, but give me a hot cup of coffee on an EE morning, or a late night swim after a long day at the parks anytime.

As a hard working mom and career woman, I can say that I love to vacation just about anywhere, but when I vacation with the kids, nothing beats a Disney Vacation.

just a few more weeks - I can hardly believe it!
Sue

 

[franw]

Ten years ago this October. We stayed at the CBR for 12 nights. It took a day or two to settle into it but I found myself entranced with Epcot at night, walking down Main St. at MK and wanting to linger on just a little while longer. We are all hooked now and are constantly in planning the next trip. The thrill of being there has never worn off and the excitement of a trip coming up is stronger than ever. Having lots of people around me that love it helps and spending time on the Boards lets me know that, if I am truly crazy, I am not alone.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says...................................Have been hooked forever, but then again most kids are.

Growing up dirt poor on the west coast, WDW never even entered my mind for many years. But DL called me for years. Come see us, come on.

We could never afford it until I graduated from high school, and mom surprised me with a special gift , a trip to DL! She had been saving for years to pull this off.

I remember running out of tickets, those were the A,B,C,D,E days.
Mom said we have to go we are out of tickets, and I whipped out a $20 and said I'll buy more tickets. And you got a bunch of tickets for $20, back in 1977.

Always wanted to see the golf ball, but when you grow up poor you tend to save what ever you can.

In 1996 I think my wife knocked some sense into me, when she said if you want to go to WDW then lets go, so we planned the trip for 1997.

I got to see the golf ball!

It was somewhere on the two hour trip from hotel to TTC, or the two hour trip to get to MK, that I caught the bug. Before the first ride I knew we had to come back!

Now we pay bills, save for retirement, and college, build a reserve, and spend the rest on travel.

Sometimes we have to do a dumb cruise around Hawaii,(like that is dumb!),but we will plan our fifth trip to WDW before too long!

 

[miko]

I was "hooked" around 1960, first trip to DL. I always watched MM Club and Sunday night was family night around tv to watch Disney. I went to school in Daytona Beach and frequently visited the WDW Vistor Center prior to grand opening. I went on second day of operation and have been returning ever since. I actually worked for WDW when they had a water ski show in the Sevens Seas Lagoon. We honeymooned at CR and Poly in 75 and frequently went back for anniversarry. I have no idea how many visits to DL and WDW I have made since for the last 15 years or so I have been "forced" to travel to Southern Cal and Orlando area on business trips. I am not sure but I think we only missed 2-3 years with vacation visits. I have 2 children (27/20) and Daughter still loves Disney, Son has been overloaded and lost all interest.
Can't wait for grandchildren to start a new generation of Disney lovers!

 

[ncbyrne]

I would have to say that I've enjoyed Disney vacations ever since Epcot opened! Then when they added Typhoon Lagoon...OH, now THAT's a vacation. But, I got hooked on WDW when I discovered the DIS! Meeting up with others wearing lime green ribbons is the best.

 

[Kimickey]

I realized I was hooked the moment I walked into a tattoo parlor in Texas with a bunch of friends in 1996. I was not intending on getting a tattoo but did it anyway. When the artist asked me what tattoo did I want, I blurted out I want a tatoo of Mickey Mouse. Everyone looked at me kind of funny but I have a tattoo of a heart with Mickey Mouses' head inside of it. Till this day, I have never once regretted getting my tattoo. I absolutely love it, and I love to show it off!

 

[zuzanne]

My Darling Hubby surprised me with a spur of the moment trip to Disneyland on New Years Eve several years ago. I just fell in love with the whole Disney thing. Last year he surprised me again by saying, We spent New Years Eve with the Mouse on the West Coast so I think you should spend New Years Eve with him on the East Coast. We loved every second of it. Even the rain washing out the fireworks could not dampen our spirits. Hubby was totally impressed with his dinner & kisses from Minnie at the Liberty Tree Tavern Character Dinner. We had dinner there prior to the Spectro Magic parade.

Suki

 

[Micca]

This is a great thread I'll try to keep this short, but it won't be...

After living all our lives in the midwest, DW and I moved to Miami in 1977. We had free tix to WDW and I hesitated to go because I thought it wouldn't live up to DL(which I had been to twice). When we got to WDW I was blown away I thought it was BETTER than DL. I loved how everything seemed to fit together in a theme(there was no Epcot, MGM, etc.) How did I know I was hooked? On several subsequent trips in the late 70's I would get so excited going to WDW for the weekends I couldn't sleep at night. Unfortunately, we ended up back in the midwest so far away from WDW. But we didn't stop going, it just costs a heck of a lot more than the drive from Miami did in the 70's.

The other facet of a WDW trip for me is that when I was nine my parents took me for a "once in a lifetime" trip to DL. It was all they could afford and it was literally the only time my parents and I travelled anywhere more than 200 miles. Fast forward to 2003 and to have been to DL and WDW dozens of times with DW , DD's, and now to visit my 20 yo DD who works there, is most rewarding every single time. From being the kid who would only get there once, to being the guy who can help newcomers find their way around the property has been an incredible experience.