who has been coming to DISNEY WORLD since it opened in 1971?

[bjlc57]

SO I noticed that we have a few old timers like me here, who are in their 50's or 60s'.

so who, besides me, has been coming to Disney world since the park opened in 1971?

I want to know if there is anyone else here, out there..

thanks.. no ripping , no personal shots please..

 

[draybook]

SO I noticed that we have a few old timers like me here, who are in their 50's or 60s'.

so who, besides me, has been coming to Disney world since the park opened in 1971?

I want to know if there is anyone else here, out there..

thanks.. no ripping , no personal shots please..

Can't say I'm not jealous. I'd love to come every year. We only started coming in 2008 but we went in 08, 09 and twice this year(right now and September).

 

[forevermickey]

I was born in 1971, my first visit was about 5 or 6 years old and I have been coming as often as possible. about 20 times so far.

How about you give us your highlights over the years!!??

 

[hth1917]

Pretty close--my first visit was in January of 1972 (my second birthday).

 

[The Duck]

My first Diz trip was in 1975. One memory that I have is that the MK opened it's gates shortly before 9:00am and the crowd was filling up Main St all the way to the Hub in front of the castle. At the stroke of nine, a voice came over the loud speakers announcing, "Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls!. The Walt Disney Characters!". :sohappy: A fanfare trumpeted and music played as Mickey and the rest came skipping out of the castle to meet a wall of pure pandemonium. My family quickly and quietly sneaked over to the Crystal Palace and then towards Adventureland. Better to ride the Jungle Cruise in peace than to be crushed to death by hundreds of Mouse fans! I'm so glad that they use the Main St. Welcome Show now.

 

[Krack]

Since 1976 (age 6 months)

 

[Bonemachine]

I'd love to come every year. We only started coming in 2008

I have been coming as often as possible.

It's "going." You're both making it sound like you're stars.

"Coming" is the future tense. It's a very important distinction, especially verbally.

 

[drp4video]

I was there for high school spring break in 1972...although I was at Disneyland in 1956 when I was three.

 

[NYwdwfan]

1976 - almost 4 years old. It's weird - I remember bits and pieces but not much of the excitement of seeing specific things for the first time. My parents remember how excited we were - and since I took my kids at 2.5 and 4.5 years I guess they won't remember specifics either - but my husband and I will !

 

[drp4video]

Ok, senior moment, lol, I WAS there in Dec 1971. Drove down to Miami from Michigan with a girlfriend for winter break and stopped for the day at the MK on the way down...

 

[MissM]

I wasn't born until '77 (and made my first trip in '84) but Love went for his first visit when he was two in 1972. (Pics)

...and we're heading there tomorrow. (Well, today since it's after midnight.) It's good to be a local!

 

[lbrad]

I wasn't born until '77 (and made my first trip in '84) but Love went for his first visit when he was two in 1972. (Pics)

...and we're heading there tomorrow. (Well, today since it's after midnight.) It's good to be a local!

Such adorable pics...thanks for sharing!!!
Made my first trip to the World in 1974 (If my memory serves me right .
Can't find pics...but I know they exist. I've been back 16+ times & we are headed there twice this year :sohappy:

 

[gullyf]

Can't say that I've been yearly, but I was there as a high school clarinet player in the opening day 1,076 (+/-) piece band, and get back as often as I can. And I still can't walk down Main Street without hearing "When You Wish Upon a Star" as played and sung by thousands, and seeing in my minds eye the thousands of balloons floating into the clear blue sky above Cinderella's Castle...

 

[pixiesteno]

Well, not quite 1971 but February of '72 when I was nine for the first trip, 1976 - everything was red,white, and blue for the bicentennial, 1980 than way too long of a gap - see signature line. And it finally took from 1972 until 2010 to get to stay at the campground! Now, I wonder how much longer on a stay at the poly, hmmm

 

[forevermickey]

I wasn't born until '77 (and made my first trip in '84) but Love went for his first visit when he was two in 1972. (Pics)

...and we're heading there tomorrow. (Well, today since it's after midnight.) It's good to be a local!

great pics! Love your husband's MNSSHP COP outfit!

 

[bjlc57]

very, very glad to hear of anyone else who has come from the start.. anyone remember the "tin lizzy" that would bang down main street.. and the banging was caused by a piece of metal revolving on the drive shaft...


I remember the Mission to Mars.. sponsored by Eastern Airlines.. the official Airlines of Walt Disney World.. back then..

or Kodak was all over the park..

there used to be black and white Cartoons played in a movie theater on Main street as well.

plus a "plan" of future things to come..

including this Future city of Epcot..

many things weren't open when I went..

but the things that were.. THe COUNTRY BEARS Jamboree, was a big deal.. so was the Tiki Birds..

and you could canoe... to Tom Sawyer island.. No way was my dad ever going to canoe.. NEVER..

and I don't know that Pirates were opened on my first trip.. I am going to say that they were not...

and again.. every thing cost a ticket.. like a carnival.. and I as a kid, felt guilty if I wanted to spend money to ride another E TICKET.. because back then when gas was 24.9 cents a gallon.. a $2 or $3 e ticket was a ton of money for just ONE RIDE..

my folks went.. but they went on the cheap..

as kids, we "weren't behaved enough" to stay on base.. meaning that as kids throughout the year, because of "our grades" or being bad" we couldn't stay on base.. However there only the contemporary hotel was open and The Poly may have been opened but I dont' know that for a fact.. but the monorail drove passed it..

usually we hoteled in St. Pete's beach and drove in for the day..


Orlando was a shell of what it later became.. it was a nice quiet place.. and the seedy stuff wasn't around like it is today..

and it was an easy trip all the way across Florida to go to NASA..

on a few of our trips, it was Cypress gardens, Sliver springs, and a day at Disney..

who could afford more then a day.. with a family of four? or five?

plus the , well you weren't that good , ticket was always played..


I litereally shocked my wife, when I insisted on staying , not only at the gulf , but in the exact hotel that my folks took me to as a kid..

She was "convinced" that the gulf, couldn't be that much different then Daytona in March.. boy did she learn a lot in about 30 seconds..


many, many things have changed since the park opened.. some for the better , some not.. 20,000 leagues for example.. I think the presentations lasted longer.. but its hard to judge.. I know that food wasn't too expensive.. for hot dogs.. Casey's or what ever it was called back then was the busy place..

I do like the sight lines.. now.. but the trees gave the park, especially at dusk a really hometown feel to it.. that you were in your neighborhood and that you were safe...

you have to remember that Dutch Elm desease was just starting to spread. it wiped out millions of trees back in the late 60's and early 70's..


it was a different time.. but one thing remains.. I have never had a bad day in the park in my whole life..

and its a special place..

 

[Juliaz3]

Well, not quite 1971 but February of '72 when I was nine for the first trip, 1976 - everything was red,white, and blue for the bicentennial, 1980 than way too long of a gap - see signature line. And it finally took from 1972 until 2010 to get to stay at the campground! Now, I wonder how much longer on a stay at the poly, hmmm

Pixie, I was also 9 during my family's first visit in February 1972! Maybe we passed each other at some point. My strongest memories are the Monorail, especially that it went THROUGH the Contemporary; the Magic Shop and eating Sara Lee danish at the Bakery on Main Street; the Skyway; and the architecture of Tomorrowland.

After that we visited a few more times during the 70's (Space Mountain!); I was there for my high school's senior trip and Grad Night in 1980; and my family (including my 85-year-old aunt!) made the trip for my college spring break in 1983 (first Epcot visit -- I loved it!). We made another trip for Independence Day somewhere in the '80s and loved the fireworks. After that there was a break of several years, and then my family went again a couple of times in the late '90s, and a boyfriend and I were there in 1998 (disappointed that Test Track was opening a week after our visit, and stunned to see alcohol shots sold on the streets of Pleasure Island!).

Finally, my now-husband and I made our first trip in 2007, then 2008 and 2010!

I've stayed at the Buena Vista hotels, the Polynesian, the Wilderness Lodge, and both the Swan and the Dolphin. Still want to stay at the Contemporary, even for one night. Many, many happy memories.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

and I don't know that Pirates were opened on my first trip.. I am going to say that they were not...

If your first trip was in 1971, they weren't open. Disney originally felt like the Caribbean was too close to Florida to be "exotic" enough for an attraction. Incessant guest demand for the pirates changed their minds.

 

[gleddo]

As a 10 year old my family and I went in March 1972 and stayed at the Contemporary. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I went for a day trip in 1980. We didn't go again until 1987 when we stayed at a Motel 6, never again! In 1989 we went with our 13 month old daughter and have gone every year ever since. We bought into DVC in 1996. Starting in 1998 we now go at least twice a year. Our daughter was a CP in 2006 and our son is a CP right now.

 

[Juliaz3]

I remember the Mission to Mars.. sponsored by Eastern Airlines.. the official Airlines of Walt Disney World.. back then..

or Kodak was all over the park..

there used to be black and white Cartoons played in a movie theater on Main street as well.

plus a "plan" of future things to come..

including this Future city of Epcot..

many things weren't open when I went..

but the things that were.. THe COUNTRY BEARS Jamboree, was a big deal.. so was the Tiki Birds..

Oh yes, all of this brings back the memories! "You Can Fly" was sponsored by Eastern Airlines, right? And you got a set of wings when you exited the ride?There was some attraction sponsored by Monsanto as well. The original Tiki birds, the Country Bears, the b&w cartoons on Main Street. You can still see a mockup of the Future City of Epcot when you ride the Wedway PeopleMover (now the TTA, although I hear they have added PeopleMover back to the name).

Besides the sense of wonder I felt as a child, and sometimes still feel, especially when walking in Tomorrowland at twilight, the best thing about the Magic Kingdom in those early years was that the pace was slower and even if it was crowded, you took your time and walked around looking at things, and didn't spend as much time rushing or taking photos as people do today. Even if the lines were long, there was so much to look at and then a fabulous ride to enjoy!