When we were young and broke

[epcotisbest]

We were there early fall just as the leaves were beginning to change, nowhere near peak. I have heard winters are brutal, then mud season is a mess.
Here, we have actually closed schools at the forecast of snow, a couple of times when the front passed and there was not a single flake in the air the school officials were embarrassed, but you know, better safe than sorry. Last year we got caught and people wound up spending the night in their cars when the roads froze over and everybody tried to all go home at the same time, right around lunch time. There were abandoned cars along the roadway for a week. Anyway, I have only seen the idealized, Chamber of Commerce version of Vermont.

 

[jbird327]

Nice...that 23 window is awesome, and valuable. I hope you still have it.

Well,...I sold it in 1973 for $400 (it cost us about $200). No heat, 6 volts, top speed of 50 with a tailwind, back of headlights as a footrest and the 'optional' deluxe push-to-start all helped to make it not so fun as a daily vehicle.
We had some memorable moments - climbing the continental divide in first gear, being unable to maintain the minimum speed on interstates, spending a day traveling about 50 miles because we had a strong headwind, cancelling our Canadian route because we were freezing...
but lots of great times in a once in a lifetime trip. We did resolve the push to start issue after meeting a bus fanatic in Watkins Glen. It involved running a wire from the battery to the starter, and then touching it to the battery to start - it worked like a charm.

 

[Freshee61]

I was a single mom when I started to go in 2003 and would buy my annual pass with my income tax and it would also pay for the hotels at the values. All my money was Mickey money. I was a pass holder for 9 straight years. I sometimes got good deals because a Cousin was a cast member. I wish back then I had more money because sometimes the moderates were $85 a night!
These last two years were the dark ages for me but they're now over and I'm a pass holder again.
I miss the early 2000s when slow seasons were actually slow, actually a value and pass holders were valued.

 

[Phonedave]

When I was a kid I never got to go. But I do remember when I was little my daddy could only afford to buy those big old used and abused land yacht cars that were already wore out. He would drive one till it died then try to find another. It seems they all had these big, huge areas behind the back seat under the rear window. I used to like to lie up there when we went anywhere, which was not often. Could you imagine...a person would get arrested today for letting a kid ride like that.
Oh, bet your van trip was a blast. Those meals in the parking lot might not be fancy, but filling and fun.

Every so often my brother and I mention to our parents the 400 mile ride to Canada the two of us made in December, in the unheated back of a pick up truck (it had a cap), with a bunch of luggage and supplies for the cabin. I think we were 10 and 14 at the time.

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

I moved to N. Carolina a little over 3 years ago and I can honestly say that I don't miss the place at all. In my work I spent a lot of the winter up in the parking lot of the Base Lodge at Mt. Mansfield directing buses. It gets old really, really fast. The summer is nice, fall is spectacular, winter is barren and spring is nothing but mud.

I have had relatives in Vermont for over 40 years. My parents just retired TO Vermont - full time. And not southern or western "tourist" VT. They are up in the Northeast Kingdom, on the Connecticut River.

This will be their first winter there full time (they sold their house here in NJ). We are waiting to see how they do.


-dave

 

[Disnee4Me]

Being alone is not always a joy either, to be honest! Money isn't everything... appreciate what you have. You've been able to take a chance again... I have not had the courage to reach out again!

Speaking of which (not being lonely), here's a great idea ... a Disney dating website ... like match.com, Christianmingle, OurTime, eHarmony .... why not DisneyDating.com ... "find the Disney mate for you"!!

 

[DVCOwner]

My first few trips to Walt Disney World 70s and 80s where one day trips. Stay at relatives home in the pan handle of Florida. Got up really early and was at the park for opening. Stay all day and drove back after the park closed. Would look at the Hotels and say to myself, I hope I can stay at Walt Disney World someday. Now I am a DVC member and go several times a year.

 

[LAKid53]

Resisted going to WDW for years until I became a parent, a very poor parent. Finally visited on my way back from a business trip driving around Florida - no way I was going to drive from Miami all the way home to North Florida with a tired 10 year old without stopping somewhere overnight. Ah, Disney's half way! So stopped at some large Disney outlet place somewhere on I-75 heading to Tampa - you could purchase both tickets and reserve a room - for a two night stay and a one day ticket. Only interested in the Magic Kingdom. After concluding my business in Miami in the early afternoon, we jumped in the car and headed for Orlando. This was in August, so it was a tad warm. Had a problem finding the entrance to WDW - there was construction on I-4 or 192 or whatever road we were on and by the time we finally got to our resort, it was well after dark and BOTH of us were cranky. And hungry. So next morning up early to take advantage of the early admission - back in those days if you were staying at a resort, you could get in at 8:00AM on Thursdays. Both of us were excited but didn't pay attention to the August heat in Orlando, which was brutal. We waited in line for Space Mountain - all my DD wanted to do was ride Space Mountain and see Mickey- for probably close to an hour and when we got to the cars, I was surprised to find out that Space Mountain in WDW is one person per car, unlike Space Mountain in DL. As we look off, my DD sitting behind me started screaming - and for the entire ride - that she was going to fall out. Needless to say, after that, we rode Dumbo, the Tea Party, the People Mover - she refused to ride anything that left the ground- and was going to ride a boat around Tom Sawyer's Island, but it started to pour so we went back to the motel - was staying in one of the All Stars - and took a nap. Didn't go back in the evening to see the fireworks or anything. Wandered over to the food court, bought a very expensive pizza and sat in our room for the rest of the evening until we fell asleep. Got up the next morning, ate breakfast - I had brought a cooler and stuff for breakfast on our week drive around Florida - packed up the car and headed home. And didn't go back for 14 years. Now I'm an AP, DVC member and visit every 2-3 months.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I have had relatives in Vermont for over 40 years. My parents just retired TO Vermont - full time. And not southern or western "tourist" VT. They are up in the Northeast Kingdom, on the Connecticut River.

This will be their first winter there full time (they sold their house here in NJ). We are waiting to see how they do.


-dave

Even Vermonters don't go to the Northeast Kingdom in the winter unless at gunpoint. I hope they like cold and snow. If they do, they will be very happy.