When was "THE" moment you fell in love with WDW?

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

I can pinpoint exactly when I fell in love with WDW and it became a part of my life forever.

I had just gone through and ugly divorce, my ex made absolutely nothing easy and I swear fought everything just for the sake of fighting. After 2 years of crazyness, my new boyfriend (now my DH!!) and I took the kids 4 and 7 (DS's) to Disney for the first time. Neither of the kids had adjusted well going through all of that... and I really tried to keep it away from them. My oldest was on a get mom and dad back together kick and my youngest followed suit, this was to be a bonding trip for the my bf and the kids. we were only there for 4 days... but each day things felt better and better. On our last night there we gathered to watch the Fireworks at the MK for the first time. The lights dimmed, the music started, Jiminy spoke, and then Tinkerbelle came right out of the castle and flew!! Both of my boys were so excited!! My youngest hugging my BF and jumping while yelling "Tink, Tink, Tink" and my oldest grabbing BF and my hand because he was in shock, "she really can fly!" We all watched those fireworks for the first time as a cohesive family... and I cried tears of elation through the whole thing!!

You have to know we have been extrodinarily happily married now for 10 years and the boys are doing fantastic!! We have gone to Disney every year since then with the kids and now we have a DD that is turning 3 this year... this summer will be her 3rd trip to WDW. All of us agree that we are happiest when we are together, no matter where that is, especially at Disney world. Last year, my daughter really saw Tink fly for the fist time (awake) and got as excited as her brothers did 10 years ago... The boys confessed to "choking" back the tears because they remembered. Me... I just bring a box of kleenex with me!! Cuz I can't even make it throught typing it now without crying.

So anyhow, that bonding of our family is the reason I love WDW... how bout you????

 

[Deedlbugg]

I know it sounds hokey, but honestly the first moment we drove up to the resort and saw the CM with the big Mickey hands directing us. it was so unexpected to me and it really made me laugh for some reason
I've been a goner ever since!

 

[Goobergal99]

I have been hooked on Disney since I was a little kid, so I can't pinpoint the exact moment. However, I know when I realized it would become an annual vacation.

The year after my DD was born, my then DBF (now DH) went for his first time ever, without DD (I know we are terrible, but really at one, she wouldn't have remembered anyway ) We would watch the old planning videos, my family home movies and we would play on the Disney World Explorer all the time, He was always really excited and curious about Disney. So, of course we were elated to be going and when we arrived on Disney's property and took that bus to the MK, The look on his face when he saw the castle was just like "WOW" it was so adorable. We had such a fantastic time that I knew it had to be repeatable.

 

[Dustmouse]

My moment came after obsessively planning our 2001 trip. I had read every map, itinerary, guide book, restaurant review, etc. I was totally prepared....until we drove up to the gate at the POFQ and the cast member said "Welcome Home!" I had missed hearing about that little detail and at that moment was instantly and completely in love with Disney!

 

[momrek06]

Growing up in the 60's and 70's in a LARGE family...going to WDW was not an option...(mainly because it wasn't even built yet) BUT DL was never ever happening.

When I got engaged(1979) it was my DH that suggested WDW. He said you will love it. He had been there on his spring break from college in 1976. I agreed.....

AND IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT WHEN I WALKED INTO THE MAGIC KINGDOM HEADING DOWN MAIN STREET TOWARD THE CASTLE!!!

I was in awe, simply amazed!! AND remember all we had in 1980 was the MK. We stayed one full week. We LOVED IT.

 

[Minniespal]

The first time we drove to the resort and then as we entered the MK and started up Main Street

 

[PoohGal05]

I think I started my fascination for Disney when we were actually at another park in another state, Sea World in San Antonio. When we were packing to come home from that trip, my mom asked me, 'Angi, do you know where should go next year?" I was thinking myself Disney World, but I hadn't said it outloud. The next words out of my mom's mouth was 'We should go to Disney World.' I was so excited when she said that! As soon as we got home, we called a local TA and booked a trip to Disney. Broke it down to how much I would have to pull out of each paycheck to afford the trip as well as how long we could stay and when we would go.

I started buying guidebooks, checking the Disney website. I even did an internet search and came upon this website completely by accident. This site just added to my already building excitement. I discovered character dinings and wondered if two adults would have as much fun as person with kids. I chose appropriately because I knew what my mom would and wouldn't eat. The first dining I made was Crystal Palace because of the buffet. I told my mom about this dining and told her who would be there. She asked me, 'Can we have a dining with Mickey Mouse?' I did more research for a buffet dining for Mickey Mouse. Found Chef Mickey's and called and made an ADR.

I think I first fell in love with Disney as we were walking down Main Street and looking up and seeing Cinderella Casle! I couldn't believe we were there!!

 

[carolfoy]

My first trip was totally unplanned, we arrived at some motel type place on maingate and asked after their courtesy shuttle bus service to MK, we were gutted to find it went at 10am and returned at 7pm ONLY!!! even though I'd not planned I knew the parks were open a lot longer than that. I was considering making a call back to the UK to arrange car hire when a lady approached me, she was a cast member and showed us which Lynx bus to catch and gave us time tables etc, she even accompanied us on our first visit and led us through the cast members only entrance and showed us where to go, what to do etc. THAT was the point where I realised that the Disney magic does live on, that she was doing EXACTLY what WAlt would have liked her to do.

 

[stemikger]

The first was when I was a kid.
I was walking around the magic kingdom with my mouth hanging open.
I was in awe.

The second time was for my first ten day trip on my honeymoon. My wife at the tender age of 29 years old was never at Disney. It was great to experience it with her like that.

The third was my first time at Pop Century for another 10 day trip. I was blown away by that resort and my daughter loved it as much as I did.

Disney will always remain a special place to me and I hope to continue to go for many years to come.

 

[belle and woody fans]

Our first family trip was offsite last June. We went to disneyworld everyday. My husband and I thought, okay, what's the big hoopla about this place anyway? Yeah, it's nice, but ... whatever, I'm not sure what we were expecting. Anyway, one day we went to eat at the crystal palace at 8:30 p.m. We watched the parade and the fireworks and I finally felt something. Since my son was 1 and daughter 6, we never stayed at the parks late. After that, we stayed late every night.
Now we are staying at the WL in august!

 

[Mandalou]

I fell in love TWICE with WDW. . .

Because I grew up in a household where money was pretty tight, we never visited WDW when I was a child -- though it was always my dream to. Then, when I was married, my DH and his parents (who had been to WDW a few times before) thought it would be great to go. I couldn't wait! Then, weeks before our trip my Dad suffered a heart attack and needed a quintuple by-pass. I did NOT want to go. . . but my Dad encouraged me, so, with great hesitation, we went. Once we were there, I fell in love with WDW. I felt like I was 8 years old! I couldn't stop saying things like "Look at this! Can you believe how wonderful this is?! My parents would absolutely LOVE this place!"

Our third day there, we called my Mom on that 6 ft tall white phone that used to be in the area off of Spaceship Earth. What we thought would be a "fun" phone call (how many people can say "Hey, I'm talking to you on a 6 ft tall phone?!), turned into a horrific moment. Over that huge, white phone, my Mom said I should get back immediately because my Dad took a turn for the worse and he wasn't expected to make it through the night. We left right away. Thankfully, Dad recovered completely and, even though I had the scare of my life while AT WDW, I still fell in love with it on that trip.

Fast forward three years. . . my Dad is fully recovered and my DH and I had our first DS (15 months old). We finally convinced my folks that we should all go to WDW together. From the moment they saw Cinderella's Castle, they loved it. . . and THEY acted like 8 year olds! It was an amazing experience to have our roles reversed -- they were the kids and I became the parent. I found myself telling them things like "Yes, Splash Mountain IS great, but you haven't even been on Pirates. . . Let's go!" and "Maybe you should eat lunch before you have another Mickey Ice Cream bar. . ."

Just a few years earlier, while at WDW, I thought I'd lose my Dad and that made me wonder if going back would be a little painful -- even though my Dad was with me. But when we were there all together, creating new, wonderful memories, I fell in love with WDW all over again.

Since then, my family and my folks go to WDW almost every year. . . and we get to create more, wonderful memories each time we go.

WDW is a very special place to us and what can I say???. . . WE LOVE DISNEY!

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

When we took our kids for the very first time in 1999. DD was 9 and DS was 5 and we stayed at our dream resort the Grand Floridian and had a lagoon view . . .without any discounts at all . . .so we always said that was going to be our one and only trip since it was sooooo expensive . . .we really lived it up and had a blast . . .

On our last day . . .we felt so sad that we had to leave . . .that vacation was just so magical and everyone got along and had a great time . . .it was then we knew we'd have to go back . . .the rest is history . . .we've gone back practically every year . . .its a very hard habit to break!

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

I fell in love with Disney World when I first heard about it.

 

[pamouselover]

I was in love with WDW before I even want there. As a child growing up watching the wonderful world of disney, I dreamed of doing there someday. My Aunt had been to WDW and had pictures that I would always ask to look at. I can still see those pictures in my head, of small world and the castle.
In 1982 My Aunt moved to FLA. and we want and visited her in June 1982 as a surprize she took me to the Magic Kingdom for the day. I still have my ticket stub! I still can feel still how excited I was to go.
Thank you Aunt Dee for giving me my love of Disney World and my first Mickey ice cream bar

 

[jaycns]

I feel in love at age 5. I remember clearly walking down mainstreet holding a balloon in one hand and my dad's hand in the other. I remember I was wearing a yellow sun dress and had little Mickey ears perched on my head. I remember thinking I must be the luckiest girl on earth to be at WDW...to this day, I remember that as one of the best childhood memories ever!

Fast forward to the year we took our sons (we had only two then...now we have three) and I took one look at the faces of my then 4 year old and 11 and 1/2 month old and we were HOOKED!! That was in 2000. We have been back 3 times since then and I think I may love it even more than the kids!! I hope that one day many years from now my boys are looking back on their trips to Disney as fondly as I remember my own childhood visits!

 

[byoung]

It was my second trip. After going Easter week we went in Nov( first week) The crowds where low. For instance during the Easter week waited almost 3 hours to get in the Bears Show, on the Nov trip got in the first show.

 

[lorrainesy]

This one is easy for me. It was the first time we took my nephew. He was 6 months old and we were watching the afternoon parade. The characters were dancing and bring kids out to dance with them. He was only a baby so we didn’t think about him being part of the parade. Well to our surprise Cinderella came over and asked his mother if she could hold him. We got great pictures of her holding him and then she took him out with the rest of the parade and danced with him!!! It brought tears to my moms eyes…it felt so magical.

Then later that day (or the next I can’t remember). We were waiting in line at the Judges tent to meet the characters and my nephew fell asleep when we got in the room Tiger sat down on the floor and held my nephew. Once an again we got great pictures.

Characters, pictures, my nephew….doesn’t take much to make me happy

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

Oh you guys!! I think I just fell in love with WDW again just reading your responses!! pamouselover, I had all of the records of IASW etc, I had that place memorized years before ever going there!!

When I was really little we lived down there, but could never ever afford to go it was 1974ish. So for fun we used to "drive by" and look at everything... at a really little age a knew I wanted to go and take my own children. So when I had finally been able to do that it was a full circle moment for me!!

 

[phantom728]

I can remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney and thinking that I would love MK. We went in 1979 when I was 5. We only visited for 1 day and I don't remember a lot from that trip, just being there.
When I was a sophomore in HS, our band was invited to march in one of the parades and we spent a week there. I got to hang with all my best friends and we really had a fantastic time...no parents! I think that was when I got my love for WDW.
When DH and I decided on WDW as our Honeymoon that was when I knew that this would always be the one place that would hold special memories for us. Although we've been to other places...WDW is still our favorite and can't wait to get back there. It's been tooooooooooo lllllooooonnnnngggg!

 

[bpmorley]

I'm not exactly sure. We had gone to WDW when I was little back in the 70's. The only thing there was MK and River Country. Never got back til 2000. My girlfriend(wife now) wanted to go. I was shocked at how much I remembered about MK. Happy and kind of sad at the same time. I remembered 20,000 leagues under the see(gone), Skyway to Tomorrowland(gone), Jungle Cruise(closed for refurbishment at the time). But Oh my God there was so much more. I think she was shocked when I still remembered the words in the Tiki Room and remembered my way around Tom Sawyer Island.

And now we are DVC members. We're going on our 4th trip in a year period on our annual passes. It's hard to pinpoint when I fell in love with DisneyWorld.

PS. We even got married and honeymooned down there.