When was your first trip?-ours was 15yrs ago today!

[scarletlancer]

My first time was August 1982. We flew Air Florida to Miami, suffering horrendous delays at Gatwick, 16 hours I think. We were delayed for 2 hours on the Tarmac during which time I apparently fell asleep and on waking up asked my mum if we were nearly there yet, only to be told that we still hadn't left the ground! We spent a week in Miami at the Fountain Blue Hilton (my dad worked for Hilton) and then drove up to Orlando. I vividly remember us driving to the TTC mid afternoon and my dad telling us that we were just going to get our tickets for the next day but once we got there he was as excited as we were and we ended up getting on the ferry and going in. I was simply in awe of the place (and still am I suppose) and was amazed by every ride that we went on. For some reason I have a strong memory of them selling something called a handwich in tomorrowland which was like an ice cream cone made out of bread with a savoury filling. The funny thing was that, unlike now, there didn't seem to be that many people that I knew who had been so going back to school as the only kid in your class who had actually seen Disney World sort of made you a star for a little while, with everybody asking what it was really like.

 

[Tink2312]

Mine was at Easter in 1992 - I was 6
We stayed for one week at the Holiday Inn on I-Drive opposite wet and wild. We then spent 2 weeks at St Petes beach.
Everything is so different now. We ate at Ponderosa and Arby's and brought packed lunches into WDW which I can remember hiding from CM as they walked past as my parents were afraid of being thrown out!
My parents have since told me that holiday should have been to Cyprus but they decided when they went to travel agents to book WDW instead- my dad always says he'd have saved a lot of money if they'd stuck to Cyprus as we've been back over a dozen times since

 

[Old Swan]

1981. 11 years old. Very Very exciting. We got out there courtesy of a work trip by my Father and dear old Freddie Laker. I was the first kid in my year to go to Disney. I had to do a talk and slide show about it when we got back!

On Disney side there was "only" the Magic Kingdom. We had four day tickets I think (we were there for 3 weeks). The tickets were like a luggage label. It was incredible. I dragged my mother onto Space Mountain much against her will. She hated it! Back in 08 when I took my kids for the first time - one of them shouted at the end of their first ride "I can see why Grandma hated it". I also remember us being gobsmacked about all the character topiary, the Contemporary resort (we tried to stay for one night but were priced out at $100 for a night), the monorail, dam it everything!

We stayed on I drive opposite Wet n Wild and spent a lot of time in there. Other visits were to Seaworld, Kennedy Space Center and mine and my sisters favourite The Wizards Mystery Fun House, a veritable paradise through kids eyes. My parents were not so keen - I wonder why? We also loved non stop cartoons on Saturday morning TV. Completley unheard of in 3 channel Britain at that time.

My overriding memory of Disney was our last night there. Due to his work commitments tt was my fathers only visit and we were desperate to take him on thunder mountain. After an age in line, the ride went down and after a lengthy delay we abandoned the line to leave. we were gutted! When I went back for my 2nd trip in 2001 (and was absolutley blown away by how everything had changed) the first ride I went on in MK - was Thunder Mountain. It was worth the wait!

Ive been lucky enough to go to Diesny as a child, single adult and a father. All different but truly fantastic holidays. Roll on the next one!

 

[Marks281172]

My first trip was at the ripe old age of 23 back in 1995.

Had just beat realsed by her maj's armed forces because of injury and my parents kindly paid for it to cheer me up so went with a friend of mine.

No planning had no idea what to expect and had pizza for most meals and spent more days shopping than we did in the parks.

We went to Seaworld, Disney MGM studios (it will always be that to me), Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and KSC just the once and i spent far too much money only Calvin Klein boxer shorts, Levis 501s and Timberland gear ... hey it was the 90s, it was all about the labels back then..


..i get my Clothes from Sainsburys these days.. or Next if they have a sale on

 

[igk]

For some reason I have a strong memory of them selling something called a handwich in tomorrowland which was like an ice cream cone made out of bread with a savoury filling.

I remember the handwich! They must have still been selling them in 1987 because my strong memory is of buying one in Epcot in The Land pavilion in I suppose what has become Sunshine Seasons.

 

[Mermaid2sea]

Ours was May/June 1998 AK had just opened. I remember it being v. humid and not be able to handle it too well. Was amazed by the shopping outlets. Been back another 4 time since!!

 

[Lilliput]

Our first trip was in August 1992 with our daughters' who were 6 & 8yrs old at the time (we told them that we were going to Devon & only told them where we were really going just before we left for the airport, the photos of their faces when we told them still brings a tear to my eye all these years on) we stayed in the Catalina Inn on McLeod Road which was pretty good as it meant we could bypass International Drive in the mornings & head to a better Ponderosa for breakfast!

Our girls are all grown up now and we never had the opportunity to go back until now so we're going with our 16yr old son (his first visit) and we can't wait Tho we've heard that the Ponderosa isn't what it used to be.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

The funny thing was that, unlike now, there didn't seem to be that many people that I knew who had been so going back to school as the only kid in your class who had actually seen Disney World sort of made you a star for a little while, with everybody asking what it was really like.

That made me chuckle!! I had the same... children used to refer to me as 'the one that goes to Florida all the time!!' - It was only once a year but back then, other people didn't really seem to travel (at least not in my school!!) - some used to ask me if we were rich and I used to go to great lengths relaying what my mum and dad told me about how we didn't spend money on other things but had holidays instead!!!! - I think I will be saying that to my children soon - holidays to Florida still take priority over things like decorating, buying expensive clothers etc for me!!!

 

[wideeyes]

My first trip was 2007 with my 5 year old & my mum so not that long ago compared to a lot here.

 

[Julia Ann]

My first trip was at the ripe old age of 23 back in 1995.

Calvin Klein boxer shorts, Levis 501s and Timberland gear ... hey it was the 90s, it was all about the labels back then..


..i get my Clothes from Sainsburys these days.. or Next if they have a sale on

yeah i remember buying Calvin Klein jeans and a Guess T-Shirt, and Nike's ....my clothes shopping has also changed a bit too

 

[disneydaft]

I first went to Florida in 2004 we stayed at the Econolodge Maingate West it was a bit of a dump to be honest. It was cheap though. We flew with Icelandair from Heaathrow.

My first trip to a Disney park was in 1993 when I was 15. We went to Disneyland, Universal and Seaworld as part of a 3 week trip to California and Vegas.

 

[paulh]

our once in a lifetime trip was in 1992, this year is the first time we haven't been
fells strange but back on track next year
Paul

 

[jen_uk]

My first ever trip was in 1999 with my first husband when I was 20, we stayed at ASMO for 14 nights. My first ever trip with Alex my 2nd husband was in 2005 and we also stayed for 14 nights at ASMO!

 

[Sapper383]

OOoooo what a great thread......

My 1st trip was in 2002, we stayed at Ramada, maingate.....I don't even think it's there now......my husband wasn't too keen on going....now he's a disney nut

I would love to see photos from everyones first trip

 

[Ware Bears]

My first visit was in 2004 so not that long ago.

My great-uncle worked for Pan Am and went to Disneyland in the 60s ~ he loved to tell the tale of how he left all his dollars in a bag on a Main Street bus and yes, it was all handed in.

I'd love to see a thread containing photos of people's first visits, especially the ones from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

 

[pigby]

My first trip was in 1990 before meeting DH - Universal Studios had only just opened and Disney's MGM had only been opened a year - also the first (and only) time stayed off site.

Next time was ten years later when we went back as a family (DD was 6)

 

[Tinks1984]

May 1993 was my first trip. I was 9. And it was a 'once in a lifetime' trip paid for by my parents and grand-parents (See trips that followed!)

We stayed at the Marriott (now the Wyndham) on International Drive. We stayed for 2 weeks and flew with Britannia Airways.

I clearly remember the scramble for character photo's and autographs, as you never had to queue then, the characters were just mobbed by people. It was horrible, as we weren't pushy children, so half the time we had others in our photo's!

We did one character breakfast at the Poly, where we met Pooh and friends and then my parents took us to the Magic Kingdom early that morning.

Magic Kingdom still had 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Mr. Toad!

We did Universal, Islands of Adventure wasn't there and Back to the Future was still riding.

How crazy that things change so much, there's so many more I could sit and think of I guess too - great thread!

 

[paulh]

My first ever trip was in 1999 with my first husband when I was 20, we stayed at ASMO for 14 nights. My first ever trip with Alex my 2nd husband was in 2005 and we also stayed for 14 nights at ASMO!

do you want to take a 3rd husband
Paul

 

[igk]

I would love to see photos from everyones first trip

I'd love to see a thread containing photos of people's first visits, especially the ones from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

No pics from 1979 unfortunately, but found this one from 1987 taken from the now defunct Skyway To Tomorrowland

 

[Sapper383]

Great photo....its great to see rides that no longer exist