Your First Time Ever to Disney.

[Csaks]

Sitting around on an Easter Sunday thinking how in the world I be came a Disney nut.
I remember going in the early 80's when there was only the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We stayed in Fort Wilderness in our big Winnebago Chieftain for about 10 days with my mom, dad and sister. It was not very busy, my sister and I rode Space Mountain over and over again to the point the just let us stay in the coaster and not have to get out. I also remember going to Epcot one day and having a stranger say you folks must be from Canada. It was cool, locals in long shirts and pants and us in shorts and T-shirts . I asked my dad how he knew and he just laughed. Hell it was warm for us.

One of the strongest memories was riding the Monorail in the front, through the Contemperary. That was the coolest thing I ever saw in my life to that point. The other was the fun we had as a family on that trip, I don't think it was ever duplicated on any other trip we had.

Amy never could understand why I was never a fan of CW here in Toronto. We went to WDW in 2001 for our honeymoon and she now understands. There is just a feeling in the air you get walking through the gates and seeing the castle for the first time. I have never been anywhere that can come close.

As an adult it's a place to escape from the real world for awhile.

So how about you guys and gals when and what was your first time like???

 

[mtmbyck]

Thanks for this thread. Disney to me is not the rides and the charatcers. It's the nostalgia that it has for me and my family. I was raised going every year. We stayed at the Contemporary Resort which I believe back in the early 70's might have been the only resort there. I recall growing up, my Dad would drive by the construction at EPCOT and say that we'd be able to go there the next time we came. When I knew it stood for Environmental Prototype Community of Tomorrow and the original plan was to have families live there, I couldn't understand why we couldn't just buy a home there and live there all year long!

I have photos of me at about 6 (I am 42 now), walking down the street with a character holding his hand (it is the tall bear from Country Bear Jamboree) and there is noone on the street along side us. How this has changed given that now you can line up for an hour just to get a hug and an autograph!

The one story my father always told in circles was this....

We took the ferry over to the MK and upon disembarking I (about 5) accidently knocked my brother's (7) little velcro Mickey wallet in the lagoon. We fought and made such a fuss it got the attention of the captain. He spoke to my father who assured him the wallet had about $20 in it and it was no great loss. The captain asked if we could spare 10 minutes as he believed he could retreive the wallet from the bottom of the lagoon. He got on his radio, made a call and a boat with a person in scuba gear showed up, dove down and retreived the wallet! No Kidding! Clearly this sort of thing had happened before with other valuables and Disney knew just how to handle it. But it was certainly a level of service we had never experienced!

So at 42, I am so lucky to say I have about 35 visits under my belt (many with family, the with fiance, then honeymoon, then pregnant, then babies....the last being this past Monday) and while my father has passed and my mother was not with us, I take my DD's and DH and I spend the best quality time with them laughing, being silly, and loving the people and the place I am in. It truly is the most magical place on earth!!

 

[Csaks]

Nobody else???

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Can I say my first time and my BEST time(s)?

First time was early 90's and it was magical. However, the best time I ever had was a tie between going in early December for the Christmas party and going in October for the awesome Halloween party. (I know the parties are extra $ but there is something I can't explain that makes it worth every cent and more.)

Each time I go to WDW, I feel as if I know more and enjoy it more. When I went my first time it was fun but almost overwhelming, now I can relax more.

Not very eloquent but overall for me it is the resort that is magic, going to each park for early mornings, then the party is my 'best of all' thing, including staying until the very end, walking backwards so you can see the castle 'just one more time til next time'. It's true love. (To borrow from Giselle in Enchanted, 'That's how you know'.)

 

[bigredsfan]

I am 39 now, and my first trip to Disney was about 35 years ago, and I am pretty sure there was only Magic Kingdom. All I remember about that trip was we stayed at a HoJo somewhere, and there was lightening every night, lol The other thing I remember is that my parents made me go on Space Mountain and now I am chicken poop scared to go on any other coaster, lol. We took our 2 daughters there a month ago, and the 6 year old had a trip to remember. For me, it will also be memorable as the look on my eldests face when she met and hugged Cinderella in the castle was PRICELESS Even my 8 month old loved the character interaction.

 

[minnie56]

Wow, it was a long time ago. We were there on opening day...we were staying in FLL and took a bus trip to Disney that had us overnight outside the Park somewhere. I was smitten right away. Did not want to leave and nothing much has changed since either.I still get that sinking feeling on that last day.

From there...we went at least once a year, once I married, at least 2x a year...and when DD was born in 84, that became 3 times a year! We bought a condo on St Pete's Beach...it became 4-5x a year, pretty sick reallly lol.
One might say an obsession?

My memories are so many and so dear. I still have a Gold Mickey that my Mum, now gone, bought me at the 'Keys of the Kingdom' Jewelry store in the Contemporary Resort. I remember her wishing we could stay there, but it was "$40 a night"! And we could not. Since then--have stayed more times than I can count and I always think of her and that wish. Just never happened...so sadly

Now, my DD24 --that same one we took at 5 months first time, well she carries the 'torch' with us! She was a CM there 2 yrs ago and now she MUST get back there every year at LEAST once to have her fix! She is graduating University this May and I just sat and ordered her Grad photos. The ones that stand out are those ones taken with her beloved tassled Mickey ears on her head. Given to her when she graduated the Disney ICP and now hold a permanent place in her forever pictures. It's come full circle for me now.

That Mouse is always very 'near and dear' in our house.

 

[drag n' fly]

My first trip to Disney was in 1982. I honestly believe my best trip to Disney is in 15 days. It will be like a second honeymoon for dh and I

 

[yxe dad]

double post

 

[yxe dad]

My first Disney trip was in 1984, but to Disneyland not WDW.

I was 10 and remember it very well as my parents had recently split up. My Mom took my 2 brothers and I before the Xmas break to meet up with my Grandma and my Aunt and Uncle. We stayed across the street from the main gates at the Carousel Inn and I thought the pool was awesome because it was on the roof. It was an amazing trip and still remember going on the Jungle Cruise with my Grandma, it was her favourite attraction (I often thing how much she would've loved KS @ the AK). We went to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Seaworld, San Diego Zoo, and Knotts Berry Farm over a fun filled 2 week trip. My Grandma went on every ride "her boys" went on, including the corkscrew rollercoaster at Knott's. Although my brothers enjoyed the other parks and their bigger thrills, I loved Disneyland and the feeling you get when you walk through it (you know what I'm talking about, right).

My Mom took us again as kids a few years later and I enjoyed it even more but my brothers didn't. To this day, they both have yet to step foot in a Disney park again. I would buys books about Disneyland and WDW and my Mom had a few business trips to WDW and would bring me back wall maps, park maps, and other souveniers that would keep my Disney fix in check. It wasn't until 14 years after my 1st trip to Disneyland that I finally make it to WDW after a family cruise.

It was fun and different then DL, but it still felt the same. Since then I've made so many found memories at WDW/DL with my the boys. Memories like getting their Grandma to go on all the rides with them, the boys getting very excited to see there favourite characters, sharing a churro/popcorn watching wishes, and letting them fall asleep in your arms on the way back to the resort (they are to big for that now).

I think Disney would be fun with friends, but for me Disney means a great family vacation.

Shayne

 

[yxe dad]

triple post

 

[yxe dad]

***, I only posted it once I swear!

 

[minnie56]

That was SOME trip YXE DAD!

Surely did bear repeating lol!

 

[KNovacovschi]

My family and I first went August 2007...I know that wasn't that long ago and I was 29 but all I can say is that it was the most exciting trip I have ever been on...sure I've been to Niagara Falls and Canadas Wonderland over and over again but nothing compares to WDW...I went to Niagara Falls at New Years, like we do every year, and watched the fireworks and thought nothing compares to the fireworks at WDW...I don't know but that one trip has got me hooked...all I do is think, talk and dream about WDW...I think I have a little obsession...

 

[mtmbyck]

minnie56 - what is that Haunted Mansion employee doing? Is she feeding the haunted horse?? Too funny. I love your story. I will freak out if my DD's want to and get the chance to work there! The eldest is only 12 so a ways to go but.....I'm crossing my fingers. She's been 9 times in 12 years so it's begun!

 

[MegaWoman]

When I was a child I had a collection of Disney read-along books (with a record!) that someone passed on to me. And one Christmas my Aunt gave me a little red Kenmore record player that folded up to carry around (Wow I was cool!)

Anyway, you read along with the story and Tinkerbell would tinkle when it was time to turn the page. I had a bunch, but my absolute favourite was "it's a small world". It was the story of riding the Disneyland version of the ride.

I also religiously watched repeats of "The Mickey Mouse Club" when I was three years old or so, wearing Mickey Ears that someone had given me. I would jump up from the table as soon as supper was over, plop on my ears and sit on the couch! I even have a picture of me sitting there with my bib still on!

Many of my friends went to WDW when I was in Elementary school, and the coolest kids came home with an EPCOT t-shirt.

Flash forward to 2007, my DH travels all the time, and sometimes his cell phone doesn't work, so the only way he can keep in contact is through MSN. So we had yet another snow storm and I had a rant on MSN with him, about how we needed a vacation. So we thought about it and decided on WDW, because we could drive there (we planned to leave in three weeks, so flying wasn't an option)

The first "ride" we went on was the Swiss Family Treehouse, which is one of my family's favourite movies. But the one that made me cry was it's a small world. It was just like the book! My kids told me they had never seen me smile so much! So we went to Toontown, bought some ears, had my name stiched on, and that was it. We went twice in 2007, and we're going back this December.

Oh, and the ears prevented us from getting a speeding ticket just before the border crossing at Champlain, NY heading to Montreal. The trooper noticed (as he was pulling us over) that I was wearing ears in the car, and told us that he wouldn't ruin such a magical vacation with a ticket, but warned us to take it slow, that that there was a three hour wait at the main border crossing ( I knew of a much smaller one, that we didn't even wait at, saved us three hours) Now that's Disney Magic

 

[DisneyFreak06]

My first time was only 2 years ago! I had wanted to go to DisneyWorld, probably since Full House went in the early 90s because that was probably the first time I'd ever heard of WDW. I had been looking into it for about five years and talking about it all the time with my (now ex) boyfriend.

2 years ago we were on a break, I was trying to figure stuff out after nearly 6 years of dating. I am a teacher and just wanted to go somewhere for my March Break. I looked into the cost of going for about 6 days (only 4 in the parks, and really 2 days travelling) and I found a reasonable price out of Halifax. I decided that I really couldn't do it as I had not saved up or planned for it, and it was a week before March Break. (The VISA didn't have enough credit!) So my Dad took money out of his line of credit so that I'd have enough and told me to have a good time.

I had troubles getting there, with flight cancellations and then having an overnight layover in Boston because of it. Finally got to WDW at noon, and ended up having only 3.5 days there! I loved every minute of it, and cried a bunch of times, or at least welled up. It was an amazing solo first trip and I keep wanting to go back.

 

[disneynovic]

I went for the first time when I was 15. There was no way we could afford to stay IN WDW, especially since we flew for the first time ANYWHERE, so we had a real dingy hotel that 5 of us crammed into. I remember not being too impressed with Epcot, but loved MK, even as a teenager. That was 25 years ago. I've taken my kids twice over the last 5 years and we are heading back this Nov. with my parents as well.

 

[briarberry]

I remember when I was about 7 years old my grandma went to California to visit her brother. She went to Disneyland (one of my great uncles actually help build Disneyland, he was a crane operator) and brought me back a Tinkerbell t-shirt with a "real" diamond in her wand. I loved that t-shirt and I think it started my love for Disney. I went to Disney World the first time in the early 80's while I was attending university. I went back again with friends a few more times. But the best times at WDW have been in recent years when I have been lucky enough to go with my DD. We have been 3 times and are planning another trip this August. We just love going and getting away. We have learned to take our time and just enjoy our time together.
Disney is truly a magical place for us!

 

[pta-mom]

Everybody I know outside the Dis-Boards think I'm absolutely crazy!! What was supposed to be our "once in a lifetime, never to be repeated" trip to DW took place in April 2006. We (I) loved it so much that since than, we returned in Sept 2007 & now am booked again for Aug 2008. I've stopped telling people because all I get is, "You're going again? Weren't you just there?"

There has been nothing in my life that compared to the fun of Disney!! Though I never got to go as a kid, I did at age 39 & felt like a kid all over again!!

 

[tigger2on]

and I remember that my family stayed in Clearwater for the 1st 5 days and were to spend the last 5 in Kissimee, Fl and visit WDW. My mom had to cut her trip short and fly to the UK as my grandpa died while we were at the beach. I was devastated because he was my fav. relative and my mom wouldn't take me.
My dad took me and my twin brother and the only things I remember was riding POC like a million times in a row and dragging my dad onto Space Mountain and him nearly killing me afterwards. To this day, I am not allowed to mention it.
He gave us half the $$ to buy into our DVC points for his grandchildren to go every year so I guess it wasn't that bad after all.
My DD1's 1st trip was age 4, DD 2 was 10 months, and DS was 4 months. They started to feel the magic a lot sooner than I did... and I'm glad. I have traveled 1/2 the world and still haven't found a more magical place!