Who went to DW in the 70's - old memories?

[Tinky Winks]

My first trip to WDW was in the early 70's (72? 73?) My grandmother and grandfather took all of the grandchildren. I was in 1st or 2nd grade and very excited. A few of my classmates had been, but I hadn't. It was also my first airplane ride (from Newark airport!).

When I go to Magic Kingdom now (and sometimes I still slip up and call it Disneyworld - because they used to be one and the same!) I can remember being there when I was little.

I remember my sister buying a necklace with Winnie the Pooh hanging off of a balloon.

I remember eating cafeteria-style at the Crystal Palace.

I remember LOVING the Haunted Mansion (although I can't convince my kids to enjoy it!).

I remember the sky tram from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland. Every time I go to Fantasyland and see that "stroller parking" area I think of that.

I remember fretting over how quickly my E-ride tickets were disappearing.

I remember going to a Luau at the Polynesian and feeling very grown up being out so late.

I remember going to the Hall of Presidents and someone "boo-ing" President Nixon (!).

Thank you for starting this thread. It is so fun to look back on that time. My husband's first trip to WDW was in 1989 for our wedding, so he doesn't really understand...

 

[RobInBigKC]

The good old days! Click on this link and just look at the 1970 ticket prices!

http://allearsnet.com/tix/tixpix70.htm

Adult admission $3.50! OMG!

Remember that this was for admission to the park only. Once inside, you could shop, eat, play in the arcades, see "The Walt Disney Story" for free and do two or three other corporate-sponsored low-key attractions for free but that was about it.

So, figure $3.50 to get in plus another $6 - $9 for ride tickets and it gets up to around $10 or more per person, about triple the cost of admission only.

And, of course, you always ended up with "A" and sometimes "B" ride tickets at the end of the day and the "E" ride tickets all used up hours earlier.

-- Rob

 

[MaybeFall]

We lived about 3 hours from Orlando back then. My grandparents started taking me to WDW in 1973. We would go every Easter break. I was always allowed to bring a friend. Amazing how many friends I would get when it was time to plan the vacation. LOL.

I see the crowds now at Spring Break and wonder how we managed to survive going every year back then. Guess it just wasn't as popular then. Just the thought of going now at Spring Break almost brings out hives.

I went every year up to and including Grad Night in 1978. I have watched WDW grow and even though I no longer live in Florida, I still try to go at least every other year.

I think the first roller coaster I ever rode was Space Mountain. It is still my favorite. I would hate to think of how many E tickets I had to buy back then.

Tina C.

www.richardfrankz.com
Check out My Guy - I think he's awesome, but am just a little biased. LOL

 

[o'malleyalleycat]

OH YEAH. First visit '71 -'72 aprox, stayed at Polynesian , remember Luau
Show with puppets doing a "Put the Lime in the Coconuts and Drink it All Up"
number.

Mentioned in another thread of my own ,THE PENNY ARCADE.
LOVED doing the routine of visiting The Magic Shop, especially fond of the styrofoam pieces painted to look like rocks. Right through to the arcade,the baseball games ,the test of strength, the helicopter game, the b/w films.
Then across the Street to the Cinema.
Anyone else remember the film they showed in there starring a Talking SoundWave that would teach you about the sounds of musical instruments?

Like others have mentioned doing IF YOU HAD WINGS again and again and
again,especially at end of day when you had run out of tickets.

Remember the hand puppets made of cloth that had the rubber head of your favorite character on it?

Of Course the Classic Donald Duck Beak Cap. Every kid loved it.

Simple things too like the garbage cans decorated to fit into the decor of the land they were in.

Bringing home and listening to the Soundtrack Albums of Haunted Mansion and Enchanted Tiki Room, Alice in Wonderland. LOVE the swing number TWAS BRILLIG on that album.

Falling asleep during HALL OF PRESIDENTS.ALWAYS. Even to this day.(kidding)

LOVED RCA'S Home of Tomorrow after Space Mountain ride.

On a side note -have always found It's A Small World's Hawaiian section the most rhythmic interpretation of the song ,nice percussion island drum beat.
Feels like it would be a great theme to hear as you land on the runway to your Hawaiian destination.

OH YES Almost forgot. Frontierland coonskin caps and bottlecap rifles.
Pirates of Caribbean bottlecap handguns as well.

Bicentennial Parade of '76. Dad took A TON of pictures.

 

[Lissete]

Classic Donald Duck Beak Cap. Every kid loved it.

My brother got one of these on our first visit! He was 4, and I remember him honking the thing constantly!

Frontierland coonskin caps and bottlecap rifles.

He got these also, on our 2nd visit.

Falling asleep during HALL OF PRESIDENTS.ALWAYS. Even to this day.(kidding)

I'm not kidding! A/C & a nice nap!

Someone mentioned a ride on swans around the castle. That I don't remember. I have to ask my mom about that.

Keep 'em coming!

 

[islandbeachnut]

I was 8 for our first visit to WDW in '76 and I remember having those ticket books with the A, B, C, D, and E tickets in them. We only got 1 book each, so we had to choose which ride we wanted to use them on very carefully! Needless to say we went on "If You Had Wings" alot

I also remember taking the trams back to the parking lot & it seemed we always parked in the "Grumpy" lot. Good (though vague) memories.

 

[FluffyPooh]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane this morning. What a way to start my day!

 

[iluvdisney]

I went down for the first time in 1973 - dh and I drove down for a one day honeymoon at WDW! We were big campers back then and packed up the car after our wedding ceremony and drove for what seemed like forever to find the Ft Wilderness campground full so we stayed off property that time at a little orange grove down the road.
I was amazed when the monorail went thru the Contemporary and the sight of the castle brought "tears of joy" to my eyes!
I remember the ticket books for the rides and we filmed the old characters out and about mingling with the crowds.
The MK set a new record that day for attendance.

 

[o'malleyalleycat]

Lissete- if were ever in MK at same time look forward to napping with you
at H of P.

 

[rileyroosmom]

My parents took us in March of 1973. I was 8 and my sister was 3. My memory is getting off the tram and Chip and Dale were standing there. They were shaking a garbage can and a janitor came over and yelled at them. My sister started to cry and went running to them and hugged them.
I remember being amazed by the monorail, especially when we went through the Contemporary. I also remember my parents commenting on how CHEAP the food was! My father still talks about how cheap that vacation was!
A few months ago I was looking at the 'slides' from that trip and we were laughing about how bad the character costumes were. You could see how the head went on! We were also amazed how there were no crowds in the picture. Just 2 or 3 kids standing around a character.

 

[Lissete]

I just found this, the picture is not the best since it was taken with my 110 pocket camera in the 70's. This was, in my opinion, the best Pooh ever!

 

[KatiebugsMom]

My grandfather, grandmother and mother took me the Summer of 1977 (6 years old) in conjunction with grandpa's WWII army reunion. I remember the anticipation of going to Walt Disney World. I loved Disney from watching Walt Disney World presents or something on Sunday nights. And wanted so much to see the castle.....

I really remember my grandfather deciding to do the tour guide group thing and walking around the park in a group with others and being guided by a nice young woman in a uniform, blue plaid skirt and jockey looking hat (yes this was WDW not DL, never been to DL). As a group we rode 20,000 Leagues and Haunted Mansion. That started my love of Darkrides and still remember the image of my grandfather and I sitting in our doombuggy and a ghost sitting in my lap (sorry I am getting verklempt..sniff) and wondering how they did that.

I remember handing tickets to the ride operators. I still can remember the rides, Mr. Toads, seeing all the beautiful dolls in ISAW, Peter Pan's Flight and my first look at the Witch in Snow White. She was scary. I also remember Pirates and the Tiki birds.

I remember going to the Polynesian and my grandma buying some kind of Hawaiian moomoo (sp?). She had that thing for years.

My last memory of that trip was buying a large Minnie Mouse in a orange and white polka dot dress and carrying her in my arms as grandpa carried my out of the park and I looked back to the Castle.

Well now I almost 35 and in less then 2 weeks I will be carrying my 1 year old daughter into and out of the MK just like grandpa did for me and hope to be creating her own WDW memories..........

 

[MomofCKJ]

I first went when I was 3 years old and it was October 1972. I was with my Mom, Grandma, and a few aunts. I don't remember much I am afraid but have seen old old movies of me dancing in front of the castle with The Three Little Pigs. And I also remember being too afraid to go on the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

I went again for my 5th birthday in October 1974 with just my Mom. We stayed at the Contemporary. We had a great trip and I remember buying an invisible dog at a shop on Main St. It was just this long leash with a harness on the end. I took it home on the plane and the stewardesses (that is what they were called way back when) thought it was really cute.

Oh the memories! We are taking our 3 kids for their first trip to WDW in December and it is a suprise! I can't wait to see their faces when we tell them we leave the next day!

Allyson

 

[java]

Now my memories kind of blur together Disneyland and Disneyworld....but I know I was there in 1971. Probably right when it opened. Because pictures I have are of my Mom very pregnant with my brother(born in October of 71) And I remember loving 20,000 leagues under the sea. Just loving it. At that time I was an only child so my Dad was slightly more generous with those E tickets.(after my brother came along- forget it.) And funny thing is I remember the Contemporary Hotel clearly. And the big thrill for me growing up was renting those water sprites!(I think I was barely 7 when they first let me drive one LOL! ah the days before lawsuits)
The magic shop was great and I also liked watching those penny movies. I guess it was the free ride that showed you shrinking in the beginning? it looked like the ships were shrinking in size? I can't remember the name of that one but that was another favorite and I was amazed that they could shrink me!
How about your favorite souvenier? I still remember talking my Dad into a Giant Marie stuffed animal. (It was about the size of me) And we had flown down! Too funny to remember my Dad flying back to NY with that white cat with the beautiful rhinestone collar on his lap.
Since my Mom was so pregnant that first trip all I do remember about her is chowing down on those frozen bananas LOL (although again I may be blurring memories here)

 

[lck]

Someone earlier mentioned the stage coming up at the restaurant in Tomorrowland and a band playing. When we were there the band was called "The Crickets" and I was so sure they were going to be famous one day. I kept waiting to hear about them but never did.

It's funny what we remember. I was so young (9 or 10)and remember the band's name but I don't recall the tickets at all. I guess that's why I rode "If you had wings" so much. I didn't remember the best rides required tickets.

I know one thing for sure, after that first trip I was hooked. I still am and now my kids are too! My 12 yo daughter just told me that she remembers being around 6 and packing up her stuff and telling her younger sister that they were going to Disney World. She said they never left the garage because they didn't know how to get there.

 

[AllNamesTaken]

Stayed at the Poly as a kid in the 70's.

Memories:
1.Building a castle on the sand at the Poly beach,
2.the slide at the hotel pool,
3.at Hoop Dee Doo performer sang "You Are My Sunshine" right to me with the spotlight and everything,
4.also remember a cute boy I met in the Poly game room!!

Can't say I actually remember the Magic Kingdom!!!

 

[LYNSUE]

My first visit was not until March 1982, but I still wanted to respond to this thread. It was just DH and I. And only the Magic Kingdom. I think Epcot opened later that year. I love to think about how young and innocent DH and I were back then. We have come a long way and so has WDW.

 

[pntrdoc]

this brings back many memories, started going to wdw in 76 and have been there at least once or twice a year since

 

[Alice Sr.]

Spring break 1972, my Aunt and Uncle had a house in Melbourne. Those are the best memories. My parents sold their lot without ever building on it, I wish we still had it.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Well I'm a "souvenier" from my parents' '76 trip to Disney so I guess that was my first trip But we went ever year when I was a kid- sadly, my memories are really vague of those trips. Although I'm really glad to know that 20000 Leagues under the sea wasn't a figment of my imagination!