Trip Report It Began Here ~ Magic Kingdom, July 1972 *COMPLETED*

The title says it all....my love for Walt Disney World began with my very first visit a mere 9 months after the Magic Kingdom opened its gates. My grandparents had recently moved to Florida and we made the long drive from New England to spend a week with them. During that week we would get to spend one glorious day at the Most Magical Place On Earth.

I can still remember my excitement and anticipation. Naturally I wanted to see my grandparents, but this Disney World had captured my thoughts. What would it be like? The only castle I had ever seen was one made of sand. How beautiful a real castle must be! I counted the hours until our pre-dawn departure (it was a couple hours drive.) Once on the road I kept my eyes peeled for THE sign: Disney World, Next Exit.

One sign, one exit. No grand archway like there is now. No purple directional signs. No mouse ears. Nothing but a two lane road. A very long, straight and boring road! (Try to visualize World Drive with nothing to look at!) Where was this Magic Kingdom? Why is it taking so long to get there?

Finally....the Toll Plaza. But as you all know, you can't see the Magic Kingdom from the Toll Plaza!

Just a few minutes longer and we parked the car. Then we got to ride the coolest form of transportation ever.....the monorail!! Which deposited us here:

image.jpeg


Okay, I am getting a little ahead of myself. Let me explain the pictures. My dad had a 35mm camera from which he developed slides. Which, 35 years later, we scanned into his computer. So the quality of the photos is marginal at best. And film was expensive in 1972, so he didn't take many pictures (which we all regret now!)

Today I was at my parents' house to discuss their upcoming Disney vacation with my youngest brother's family. I decided to tag along when I saw the ridiculously low Southwest fares (SW got me too, @Doc Disney!) Mom was able to add me to their dining reservations and I was able to snag similar fastpass times (even for Frozen Ever After! :happy:) We ran across these old pictures that I thought would be fun to share with my WDWMagic friends.

So if you wouldn't mind being a little more patient for my July 2016 trip report (I'm looking at you, @TrolleyFollower91 ;)) I now give you this:

image.jpeg


Main Street, July 1972
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Found this from 1988. Does anyone else remember this beautiful painted mural with all the Disney characters? It was located in Town Hall (where the current Mickey meet and greet is) in the waiting area for The Walt Disney Story movie. We have a much better shot of the entire mural on VHS.

image.jpeg
 

ScarletBegonias

Well-Known Member
I loved this thread so much! While my first trip was in the early 90's, it's amazing to see MK when it was brand new.

One thing that took my breath away was one of the first pics of Main Street you posted. It looks exactly the same at a glance. Sure, some small things have changed, but I find it oddly comforting that it still looks a lot like it did from the very beginning.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
I loved this thread so much! While my first trip was in the early 90's, it's amazing to see MK when it was brand new.

One thing that took my breath away was one of the first pics of Main Street you posted. It looks exactly the same at a glance. Sure, some small things have changed, but I find it oddly comforting that it still looks a lot like it did from the very beginning.
Thanks for reading! I agree with your comforting comment. :happy:
 

DimpledDevil18

Well-Known Member
Loved looking at these old pictures! My first trip was 1987 and I was I think 3 or 4. I don't remember there being a lot of pictures, but I'll have to check to see if I can find any in our old photo albums. I unfortunately only have vague memories of that trip as well as some funny stories that my parents have shared. Maybe some day I'll try to do a retro trip report and share some of what I do remember.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Loved looking at these old pictures! My first trip was 1987 and I was I think 3 or 4. I don't remember there being a lot of pictures, but I'll have to check to see if I can find any in our old photo albums. I unfortunately only have vague memories of that trip as well as some funny stories that my parents have shared. Maybe some day I'll try to do a retro trip report and share some of what I do remember.
Thanks for reading. Hope you find your old pictures. :geek:
 

donaldtoo

Well-Known Member
For years we have given my dad grief over this photo. Was he really shooting the Market House or surreptitiously capturing the young lady in the tube top and hip huggers? ;)

View attachment 156258

Yep, nothing says comfort like touring a theme park in long pants...in central Florida...in July.

View attachment 156260

There she is.....Cinderella's real castle!!

View attachment 156261

Ahh, the spires of Tomorrowland!

View attachment 156259

Look Ma, no stage! And a curb!

View attachment 156262

image.jpeg


Found this, read the whole thing, and thanks for taking me on a great trip down your memory lane, even though I didn't get to WDW for the first time until our honeymoon in '88....!!!!! :happy:
Had been to Disneyland 4 times before that, with the first trip there being in '68 at the age of 6...!!! :)
Anyhoo, what the young lady in the pic is wearing is actually a halter top (my mom used to wear them back in the 70's, sans the hip huggers, of course!), not a tube top...and no, I'm not gonna' post the difference...!!!!! :hilarious: ;)
The thing that actually really struck me about this pic is the vast difference between the young lady's clothing and the elderly couple...talk about your generation gaps...!!!!! :oops: :joyfull: :hilarious: ;)
Again, thanks for these delightful bits of nostalgia...!!! :)
 

donaldtoo

Well-Known Member
Oh, and I forgot...
"Mannix"...!!!!!!! :joyfull::hilarious:
That was one of our favorite shows from back in the day, too...!!! :)
Our running family joke back then was that he had to get beat up at least once, be in at least one car chase, and at least one shootout (or multiples thereof ;)), or it wasn't a legit "Mannix" episode...!!!!! :D:hilarious:
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Anyhoo, what the young lady in the pic is wearing is actually a halter top (my mom used to wear them back in the 70's, sans the hip huggers, of course!), not a tube top...and no, I'm not gonna' post the difference...!!!!! :hilarious:;)
The thing that actually really struck me about this pic is the vast difference between the young lady's clothing and the elderly couple...talk about your generation gaps...!!!!! :oops::joyfull::hilarious:;)
I don't know what I was thinking when I typed tube top......you are absolutely correct that it is a halter top!......I blame senior brain. :joyfull:
I owned a couple halter tops and even wore a halter gown to a formal!

Oh, and I forgot...
"Mannix"...!!!!!!! :joyfull::hilarious:
That was one of our favorite shows from back in the day, too...!!! :)
Our running family joke back then was that he had to get beat up at least once, be in at least one car chase, and at least one shootout (or multiples thereof ;)), or it wasn't a legit "Mannix" episode...!!!!! :D:hilarious:
So true!!!!!
Little Bro liked Mannix because even after all the above happened, "he'll never die because he's the star of the show!"
Out of the mouths of babes.....
 

Janir

Well-Known Member
The title says it all....my love for Walt Disney World began with my very first visit a mere 9 months after the Magic Kingdom opened its gates. My grandparents had recently moved to Florida and we made the long drive from New England to spend a week with them. During that week we would get to spend one glorious day at the Most Magical Place On Earth.

I can still remember my excitement and anticipation. Naturally I wanted to see my grandparents, but this Disney World had captured my thoughts. What would it be like? The only castle I had ever seen was one made of sand. How beautiful a real castle must be! I counted the hours until our pre-dawn departure (it was a couple hours drive.) Once on the road I kept my eyes peeled for THE sign: Disney World, Next Exit.

One sign, one exit. No grand archway like there is now. No purple directional signs. No mouse ears. Nothing but a two lane road. A very long, straight and boring road! (Try to visualize World Drive with nothing to look at!) Where was this Magic Kingdom? Why is it taking so long to get there?

Finally....the Toll Plaza. But as you all know, you can't see the Magic Kingdom from the Toll Plaza!

Just a few minutes longer and we parked the car. Then we got to ride the coolest form of transportation ever.....the monorail!! Which deposited us here:

View attachment 156251

Okay, I am getting a little ahead of myself. Let me explain the pictures. My dad had a 35mm camera from which he developed slides. Which, 35 years later, we scanned into his computer. So the quality of the photos is marginal at best. And film was expensive in 1972, so he didn't take many pictures (which we all regret now!)

Today I was at my parents' house to discuss their upcoming Disney vacation with my youngest brother's family. I decided to tag along when I saw the ridiculously low Southwest fares (SW got me too, @Doc Disney!) Mom was able to add me to their dining reservations and I was able to snag similar fastpass times (even for Frozen Ever After! :happy:) We ran across these old pictures that I thought would be fun to share with my WDWMagic friends.

So if you wouldn't mind being a little more patient for my July 2016 trip report (I'm looking at you, @TrolleyFollower91 ;)) I now give you this:

View attachment 156257

Main Street, July 1972
A 1972 trip report! I'm on the this Tuvalu Train!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
The castle as seen from the Plaza Swan Boats (its official name) exit:

View attachment 156975

Can I tell you just how glad I am that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train now occupies the space of this former attraction?

View attachment 156977

For me, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a colossal disappointment. The outdoor queue was stifling hot in the July sun and we had to wait an hour in line. Once inside the submarine, there was only a tiny porthole to look out of from my seat. At my young age I believed the sub would actually submerge and I recognized the "mock submersion" instantly. :bored: There wasn't a whole lot to look at and when there was it seemed fake, not magical. Worst of all, the attraction ate up one of my coveted E tickets! My dad would have to shell out 90 cents (stop laughing!) for another E ticket for me and I was too afraid to ask him.

I did not ride 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea again until MK introduced the all-day Passport....and I still hated it.

Naturally we had to watch the 3 o'clock parade. Unfortunately, this is the only picture from it. But it's a fun one!

View attachment 156978
Goofy ridin' Herbie! :p
I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one who didn't like 20,000 Leagues. My mom really wanted to go on it, and I had no idea what it was. But we had to wait forever in the hot sun to get into a hot, stuffy cabin, where there was nothing to see. I remember asking my mom when the ride was going to start, and then we were disembarking back onto the land. I was confused.
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Oh, and I forgot...
"Mannix"...!!!!!!! :joyfull::hilarious:
That was one of our favorite shows from back in the day, too...!!! :)
Our running family joke back then was that he had to get beat up at least once, be in at least one car chase, and at least one shootout (or multiples thereof ;)), or it wasn't a legit "Mannix" episode...!!!!! :D:hilarious:

Mannix!! Love the theme song. There used to be some great music in some of those network shows. (Probably my favorite was the theme song from the original Hawaii Five-0, but I also liked Mannix as well as others.)

For your listening pleasure (Mannix fans) -- :)

 

donaldtoo

Well-Known Member
@epcotisbest, I found one from our 1983 trip. Do you remember this beautiful area on Main Street before it was enclosed and made part of the Emporium?

View attachment 157370

Forgot to chime in on this post too...!!! :facepalm:;)
That area was called West Center Street...!!! :)

 

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