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

[aDVCguy]

My Dad took our family to L.A. on vacation and part of the
trip was to "Disneyland"...I remember that day like it was only
an hour ago...walking down Main Street U.S.A....WOW!!!
I was HOOKED!!!
Something interesting happened while walking up to the statue
of Walt & Mickey...although I was taken in by it all, I could hear
my Dad say,"I could have had a job here!"
It wasn't until his death that while at his wake my aunt(Dad's Sis)
and his cousin both told me that he was asked by Disney Studios
to work as an artist there!
WOW! Then it all started to come back of what he'd said
to me on that unbelievable day @ Disneyland...
Dad was quite an artist as all of his family knew...he had a FULL
scholarship to Cooper Union in N.Y.C.!, it all made sense then...
I had to buy into DVC!
Since then I bought one share of stock had it framed &
dedicated to the man who introduced me to the "Mouse!"
God Bless His Soul!

 

[WI_DisneyFan]

Thinktinknpixiedust -- what a wonderful story! I am very glad everything worked out for you and your family. It's nice to think that the Disney Magic helped bring your BF and your kids closer together.

Anyway, I have two memories that really stick with me when thinking of WDW. The first one, I don't remember how old I was. But I was probably 5 or 6. And I remember riding on a ferry with my parents and brother approaching Magic Kingdom. I remember being young, and everything seeming so new and incredible. Everything after that is sort of a blur.

And the trip that reinforced my love of WDW was in 1992, when our high school band took a trip to Orlando. We rode Space Mountain 17 times in a row (I'd never been so happy for rain!). I made a couple friends on that trip that are still my closest friends to this day.

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

I love love LOVE hearing everyones story... it's nice to know that so many other people get the "warm mushies" when they think of Disney... it certainly has a way of weaving itself through our lives and making them even more beautiful. Thank so much for sharing!

 

[mikesdisneymom]

I fell in love with Disneyland before I was even born, my parents had there first date on grad night at Disneyland, and that is where they sent there honeymoon, and I went while my mom was pregent. My parents were the first to realize I was addicted when I would ball when I had to leave.

My first trip to DWD was in 2005, and I fell in love as soon as I saw the words Walt Disney World on the welcome sign.

My son also fell in love with WDW and as waiting for the ME bus he started crying because he did not want to leave, that is when I realized he was in love with the MAGIC too.

 

[j-ariel]

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!

your story brought tears to my eyes. I'm so glad so many people love disney/disney world. i know i'm not the only crazy one in the world

 

[LISAMWDW]

I'd say it is a tie between the first time I walked up main street toward the castle with my daughter and felt like twirling around like kid. Oh, and I did.

Or it's the same trip, our first trip just the two of us, when I was sitting on the hot concrete walkway in Epcot watching the Tapestry of Nations parade. I think it was 120 degrees or something crazy like that and I was watching my then 4 year old and I just was so entirely and completely happy!

 

[Muziqal]

I'd say it was on the plane ride home from WDW after my first time being there. The feeling hit that I had just been somewhere that nothing else compared to. And I was leaving! I knew, from that point on, that it would be a place I would always be dreaming and scheming about how to get back.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

We had always wanted to go there for years before we finally made it there in August of 1982. Our kids were small then and really into the excitment of all the Disney characters and everything in the parks. The looks on their faces the first time they walked on Main Street and saw the Castle. We fell in love with it then as a family and are still in love with it today. Our kids are both married now and have families of their own and still feel the same way. As soon as we step foot on Main Street USA, it really is magic.

Michele

 

[Jrabbit910]

Great stories everyone.. Thinktink, you made me want to cry!! I am so happy for you...

I think my first time falling in love w/ the mouse was when I was a little kid and my family just got cable. I remember waking up in the morning to watch The Mouseketters and I always thought it would be great to be one. My family didnt have much money so our family trips consisted of packing the car and driving down to the beach for picnics, which I loved, but I knew we were never going to make it to Florida. When I was 18, I had a full time job and saved enough money to go for myself, and I did. I saw the castle and at the time it was the cake. I loved it but had to go back to see it in its original way and I did...
Disney reminds me of being a kid and then it reminds me of becoming an independent "adult" and doing things for myself. Till this day, my mom has never been there and I plan on taking her for her first time for her 50th!
Hoping to make it her first family trip.. her and her 5 kids.

My dad gave me a card once that said "life isnt about the breaths we take its about the moments that take our breath away" and thats what Disney does for me.

 

[2giddy4wdw]

I actually have 2 moments. The first was in Feb 1995, my first trip to Disney along with Dsister, DNiece, DNephew, DS8, DD2, (and my first husband ). Walking down Main St, and seeing Cinderella's Castle...WOW, my dream had come true. I had been dreaming of this since I was a child. And coming from a big family, it wasn't a place we could afford to go. But here I was as an adult bringing my kids there for OUR first trip. It was the greatest feeling ever. Memories that will last a life time. Fast forward, (went through a rough marriage) second time was Nov 2000, (had met the man of my dreams, my knight in shining armour, a man who loved me for who I was not who he wanted me to be)and he had never been to Disney. Well the kids and I decided to show him what we were always talking about. Watching DH (boyfriend at the time) try to take everything in, and the expressions on his face during the fireworks, Illuminations, just everything, Priceless. (hey we could make one of those commercials for master card!!!!) Needless to say DH is also a Disney addict. That first trip to Disney, we had to buy extra luggage to bring home all the stuff that he had bought.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

Great stories everyone.. Thinktink, you made me want to cry!! I am so happy for you...

I think my first time falling in love w/ the mouse was when I was a little kid and my family just got cable. I remember waking up in the morning to watch The Mouseketters and I always thought it would be great to be one. My family didnt have much money so our family trips consisted of packing the car and driving down to the beach for picnics, which I loved, but I knew we were never going to make it to Florida. When I was 18, I had a full time job and saved enough money to go for myself, and I did. I saw the castle and at the time it was the cake. I loved it but had to go back to see it in its original way and I did...
Disney reminds me of being a kid and then it reminds me of becoming an independent "adult" and doing things for myself. Till this day, my mom has never been there and I plan on taking her for her first time for her 50th!
Hoping to make it her first family trip.. her and her 5 kids.

My dad gave me a card once that said "life isnt about the breaths we take its about the moments that take our breath away" and thats what Disney does for me.

Now you made me cry. You are so right, It still takes my breath away and probably always will. We also took my Mom for the first time when she was 77. We were all there, our kids and their kids (ours Grandchildren and her Great Grandchildren). She really loved it. It was also the first time she had ever been that far away from home. What a family trip that was. It was really nice to see her enjoying herself as much as she did. She's no longer with me now, so the memories of that trip are very special to me and we have great pics of it.

Michele

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

I love that quote... "it's not about how many breaths you take but the moments that take our breath away". I seriously need to find the kleenex now!! I really can relate to that feeling about becoming an adult and taking yourself there!!

 

[PolyFish]

My brother and I havn't been that cloe and we've just been moving apart and saying that we hate each other. We never laugh at the same things AND WE NEVER HUG OR SAY I LOVE YOU to each other.

It was 2000 and I was 8 and my brother was 11. It was our first trip to WDW and it was perfect. We went to MK and me and my brother rode Space Mountain. I was scared and crying because it was a fast ride. My brother grabbed my hand and told me that it was going to be alright. And than it happened... HE HUGGED ME. I told him I love him and he told me that back.

That was the only moment that we said those words now they've been inverted to "I hate you"

 

[katytrott]

I was brought up in Malaysia. The Far East are potty about Disney, and back then, Disney was the only western thing i could understand. I can remember the only english thing on tv was once a week a half hour slot of disney cartoons (interupted half way through for prayers), hence my passion for the classic cartoons.
Everything in my life there was disney, so I dont really know a time when i wasnt in love with it. I also remember my second trip to disneyland was also a surprise to see my big sister all the way from england. All these things make me feel quite choked up and realise just how blessed i am.

 

[Kimmielee]

I'm going to date myself a bit here... but I fell in love with Disney on a Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. when I first saw "The Wonderful World of Disney". Seeing Walt introduce each movie - the castle with Tink flying around... it was love at first sight....

Growing up, my parents were "older" (I put that in quotations because they weren't OLD - but they acted much older than they were) and I was the last child born. We did family vacations to KY to see my Dad's parents. Disney was never even discussed. I thought it only existed on TV.

Then.... in 10th grade, after corresponding with my very first best friend from elementary school that had moved to FL - she invited me down. I was excited to be on a plane! I had no idea what was in store for me. Her parents surprised me with a day trip to WDW in 1977. Wow..... the castle DID exist!!!

At that time I was a Jiminy Cricket fan and bought a stuffed Jiminy that I'd DIE to have now.

Just this past trip in April - I saw Jiminy on a float with Donald and Minnie and it was right back to being a kid. I was jumping up and down and waving like he was ELVIS or something.... Oh what a wonderful feeling to be a kid again and again and again.....