When was your first trip to WDW?

[tomchris]

In late September of 1973 I surprised my DW with a 2 week trip to Florida. We remember landing at the airport and while waiting for the steps to be brought to the aircraft we were introduced to the infamous love bugs flying outside.
We booked through a travel agency for a hotel that had yet been completed. After a few frantic phone calls to the agency we were placed in I believe was a Hilton hotel.
I remember our first attraction was the horse drawn cable car down main street and remember using special tickets from a book we bought. I think we had to use them for the various attractions.

 

[disneykidatheart]

The "E" ticket rides were the best!

 

[diz8297]

April 1982. I was 14 and marched with my high school band. I had always wanted to go-my father would never take us. We all went by train and stayed at Davis Motor Lodge on International Drive. I remember taking the monorail from the ttc and seeing the castle for the first time. I sat there with tears rolling down my face, I was so happy. I thought staying on property was impossible. A year later, my mother, brother, and sister went on a trip with me and we never looked back.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

1972, and for several years after as a kid, I stayed with my parents at a tall Howard Johnson's about 15 minutes from property.

I remember looking in awe from the monorail at the Contemporary and the Poly.
I also remember the Swan Boats, and Space Mountain being built a few years afterwards.

Ahhh, the memories...

MG

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

November 1971 !

My Dad took us along for some kind of business trip to Central Florida, and along the way somebody said "Have you heard about the new Disney park?" Anyway, I was 2 1/2 and don't remember the trip.

We went back in August of '73. We stayed at Jellystone campground and watched a film about making salt. My sisters rode pedal boats. I got lost somewhere around the Country Bears.

Fastforward to Honeymoon - Spring 1992. Hubby suggested Panama City! (What?) I said "The only way you're going to get me to Florida is to take me to Disney World!" So...off the WDW! It was Hubby's 1st trip and my 1st trip since I was 4!

We are now planning Hubby's 5th trip and my 7th! Both of my sisters and their families are going with us. It will be my sister Lisa's 1st trip since she was 7. I hope she doesn't tell anybody its her 3rd trip.

 

[donmil723]

What a fun thread!

DH went in 1973 with his older DB and a couple of his friends. My first time was on our honeymoon in 1978. I was only 18 and DH was 21. I had always wanted to go to Disneyland since watching the Wonderful World of Disney on tv since I was a little girl. I am amazed looking back at how clueless I was then about WDW. I didn't know there was anything there but the Magic Kingdom. I didn't know about the Contemporary or the Polynesian until I saw them that day. I remember reading about River Country as we left that night and thought how fun it would be to go there but we didn't have time. We only had a week and there were so many things we wanted to see and do in Florida. Plus, we drove to and from Missouri.

Once I started writing this, I simply had to go and find my honeymoon memorabilia. I had the prices for the ticket books--a 2-day 16 ticket adventure book was only $16 for Adults, $14 for juniors (ages 12-17) and children (ages 3-11) $12. This also included RT transportation to the Walt Disney World Village. An 8 adventure ticket book was only $8.50 for adults and a 12 adventure ticket book was $10. Transportation and MK admission was $6.50 for adults. We still have a couple of tickets left in our ticket books. I can't believe we didn't use them all!!!! What were we thinking....oh, that's right, it was our honeymoon!!!

I also had kept the receipt from the hotel we stayed at in Kissimmee. It was the Colonial Motor Lodge at 1815 West Vine Street. With tax our room was only $25.44 per night.

I do remember the Jungle Cruise, it's a small world, Space Mountain, and the Main Street Electrical Parade from that trip. To this day, the Main Street Electrical Parade is my favorite and I still miss it!!!!!

Our next trip was in 1989 with our 2 children, ages 7 1/2 and 4 1/2. That time I knew a little more and we stayed at CBR for 5 nights. We drove then too and went to the beach in Destin and Daytona, St. Augustine, and the Kennedy Space Center. I remember thinking that this was probably the one and only time we would take our kids to WDW. Was I ever wrong!!!!!!! Since then we have been 25 more times--many of them with one or both of our kids!

Sorry this post got so long. I just got all caught up in reminiscing!!!!!!!

Donna

 

[BCV23]

My first trip was in November of 1980. My husband had taken his youngest four siblings ona trip before we were married but this was the first trip for our eldest son and me. Our son was just 8 mos and we stayed at a Days Inn that was on 192.

Next trips weren't until 1983. That year we stayed in FW cabins and on a second trip, the Polynesian. That did it, we were hooked!

 

[PinkTink63]

I went to visit my friend who moved to St. Augustine and we went there for the day! We had to choose one park, so we chose EPCOT. I remember they were having extremely hot humid weather, even for June. When we were walking out of the park at closing, it started to rain. 1-2-3 drops and then it was like a huge bucket of warm water was poured on us! I had never been in rain like that before! And believe me, I live where it rains a lot! My socks actually came down over my shoes!
Still I had to find a way to get back there. Didn't get back until 2001!

 

[DVC-Don]

April 1990 and the wife and I only visited Epcot for 6 hours. That's it no other parks. We did not visit the whole "world" till February 1995.

 

[druidia]

I think my first trip was in 1975 when I was under 2 years old. I first remember my 1977 trip, though, when I was almost 4. I remember waiting in line to see Pluto and he was signing autographs. He accidentally (I assume) got ink all over my dress with his signing pen!

My parents took me every year from 1975 on, but they went before I was born. The MK opened on my dad's 18th birthday. My mom still has a ticket book in her keepsakes somewhere. I vaguely recall them. My parents took me almost every year when I was a child, and then took my brother too when he came along. My brother was born the week Epcot opened! Our last big trip as a family before I graduated was at MGM when it opened.

My parents said that they could not imagine me wanting to get married anywhere else. Good thing my DH passed the "must love Disney" test when we met!