When was your first visit to the World?

[wdwrich]

DW and I were discussing past WDW visits last evening and the subject of our very first visit came up. It was in the summer of 1979 and was the only time we stayed off-site. MK was the only theme park (EPCOT was in early construction), and River Country was the one and only water park. DTD was called the "Disney Village Marketplace", and if I recall correctly, the only resorts were the Poly, Contemporary, Golf Resort (later the Disney Inn and now Shades of Green) and the Fort Wilderness campground.

Our first visit to DLR was in 1984 when we moved to SoCal.

When was your first visit?

 

[surferdave]

By my best ciphering I think it was 1974.

 

[sephorachick]

I was born in CA & went to DL as a baby many times until we moved when I was 6

I didnt get to WDW until I was 15! I ended up interning there though so I've been back MANY MANY MANY Times

 

[Reddog1134]

I know it was in the early 80's and stayed off site. Beyond that, my memory is fuzzy. I went twice back then. I thought my first trip was pre-Epcot because we only went to MK, but later I realized that would have meant we used ticket books (which we did not).

The only thing I knew about WDW was Magic Kingdom, the Poly, the Contemporary, the campground and the monorail. And apparently I didn't learn about Epcot until my 2nd trip a couple of years later.

My first trip to DLR was 2010 for my Honeymoon.

 

[bcrook]

1973 - I was 5 years old. We spent 1 day in the Magic Kingdom (which I called Disney World and still refer to DisneyWorld when speaking about the Magic Kingdom - my kids hate that). But that one day seems like a week in my mind. The thing I remember most was the Disney Characters just wandering the streets, and we never knew who we would see next.

I liked the Skyway, the Race Track, and Snow White. I was not a big fan of the Haunted Mansion.

 

[ravendas]

1984...I think...I was in high school. I remember that we rode Amtrak down to Orlando and everyone thought we were nuts because it was during the time when Amtrak had a bunch of wrecks. We stayed off-site in a hotel that was....not great, and rode to Disney in a beat-up old bus where we were about the only non-Cuban/Hispanics on it. But we still had a great time! It was not long after Epcot had been built and, since I was a Trekkie/sci-fi nut, I absolutely loved it! The only thing I liked about MK was Space Mountain....my dad and I rode it probably a dozen times while we were there while my mom and everyone else was watching the fireworks and parade.

 

[Aliceacc]

A few weeks after high school graduation in 1976.

Two of my friends and I saved for a few years for the trip. We stayed in one of the Garden WIng rooms at the Contemporary, and got warned by the lifeguard that we needed sunscreen. (All three of us are blonde/redheads with freckles.)

We had a fabulous time!!

 

[karenklo]

1979 too! The pre-EPCOT days! It was our only off-site stay too!

 

[wdwrich]

1979 too! The pre-EPCOT days! It was our only off-site stay too!

Do you remember where you stayed? We stayed in a Days Lodge a couple of miles east of the main WDW entrance. The room rate included a cheesy breakfast buffet.

Our 2nd visit was in 1982 about 5 weeks after EPCOT opened. We stayed at the Poly in a lagoon view room for about $105 per night. EPCOT became (and still is) my favorite theme park, probably because it reminded me of the 1964/65 World's Fair that I went to as a kid.

 

[W.E.D.]

WDW: 1976 I still have numerous slides (that's right kids, I said slides, of the trip--Google it). They're from a 5 year old's perspective which is kind of neat, IMHO. The Bi-centenial parade was really neat with all the characters in their 1776 outfits. I think I still have my Davy Crocket pop-gun.

DLR: 1984 I know I loved it, but I don't really remember a lot. Really need to get back there.

 

[richmo]

Summer 1972

 

[paintnolish]

DLR: 1975, in utero. Haha.

WDW: 1977, and many, many times since (30+). It's my mom's fault I'm like this.

 

[bdcp]

1989 with our boys who were 3.5 and 5.5 and it was also my first visit to FL. We stayed in the brand new CBR. My parents never took us, but both my sisters went in the 70's. One sister went with the HS marching band (I was a cheerleader and we never went out of state LOL) and youngest sister went with her best friend/neighbor because she was an only child and they wanted someone for her to hang with.

 

[MYD714]

1982, prior to Epcot opening (possibly May). I was 6 years old. I've been obsessed ever since.

 

[wdwrich]

I've been obsessed ever since.

Welcome to the club!

 

[angierae]

2010. I was 34. (Vacations when I was growing up were driving down to TN to stay with my grandparents for a week or two. We only did it twice.)

 

[Simba's Mom]

Our first vist was in 1987. I remember that it was during the 15th anniversary celebration of the Magic Kingdom. I also remember sitting on thje monorail, hearing the speil over and over about the building of the Grand Floridian. My only regret from that trip is that I didn't bother taking any construction pictures of the resort.

 

[pepe of ohio]

1977....49 trips ago!

 

[Meriweather]

1990............DD was in Junior Olympics in St. Petersburg, so we added on a trip to WDW....she was 8 and DS was 11

Now DL.......1957!! I was 3.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

2007. We didn't have family vacations as a kid--not at all. On our first trip, my boys were 5 and 7 (perfect ages, in my opinion!) and I was 42! I started reading about all you crazy people who are obsessed with Disney and just couldn't understand it at all!

As soon as I got there, I became one of you!!! Couldn't wait to start planning our next trip and I'd be happy to go back every year!!! But I also think it's important for us to take the boys to other places and do other things as well, so we haven't been back every year. But we are making trip #4 next year!