What do you remember about disney from your childhood?

[Banksy]

I've been to Disney every year since i was about 13, but when i was 5 i went to disneyland paris with my mum and dad.

I remember thinking the donkeys were real on Big Thunder Mountain and being scared on the Haunted Mansion, but my parents used to try and make me laugh on it. I can't remember why, but i remember they always used to make me giggle at the skeleton man with the dog. I also remember the cafe at downtown disney (or whatever the equivalent is called in Paris) where they used to serve you on roller skates!

What do you remember from your childhood? Anything you thought was real or not?

Also, if you want to include pictures of old school disney, why not!

 

[woodardfamily]

My first two memories of WDW from my childhood were the nickelodeons that were in the arcade on Main Street and the first time seeing 20K. The subs scared me to death.

 

[real mad hatter]

The Boy With The Big Nose.

Sniff,Sniff,My only memory of Disney when I was young was watching Pinocchio on tv with my mum and dad and swearing I'd never lie again.

 

[Susan Savia]

I remember watching the original Mickey Mouse Club in black and white, on tv.....

 

[Banksy]

My first two memories of WDW from my childhood were the nickelodeons that were in the arcade on Main Street and the first time seeing 20K. The subs scared me to death.

Haha yes!!! I was scared of that too!!! I remember thinking something was going to go wrong and an octopus was gonna get me

 

[powlessfamily4]

My first childhood memories of Disney were watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sundays. I was infatuated with Mickey Mouse and would tell eveyone I was going to marry him.
I also remember my parents taking me to see Disney Ice Capades in Peoria Il. At the end of the show Mickey Mouse and the rest of the gang came out to shake hands. My Father grabbed me and ran to the front and actually stepped out onto the ice carrying me to see Mickey. I remember feeling my Dad slipping on the ice and catching himself. Security stopped him and told him he had to get off the ice. (Yes, at that moment he was THAT Dad) I remember him telling them I had to shake Mickeys hand. About then Mickey skated over and shook my hand and then gave me a hug. The memory is very vivid.

 

[bgraham34]

I can't remember too much from my first trip in 84 except that I was fascinated with 20k but when I discovered that we did not really go under water I was very disappointed.

 

[cynic710]

The Epcot jumping water fountains always stick out.

The scary Mr.Toad ride.

How cool it was to choose how my ride would end on horizons.

The candy store in Disney Village.

seeing the subs going by on 20k.

 

[minniemickeyfan]

That I always wanted to go to Disney World and ride the teacups!! And always wondered what is in that big golf ball?? I finally made it with my own family and go about twice a year. Love it!

 

[PlaneJane]

I went when I was 7, I though the TTA was space mountain. At least my Grandma tricked me into thinking it was. I thought the track was really gone in the Earthquake scene in Big Thunder. I thought the monorail was a floating train... it was foggy and I thought the we were in the clouds. I thought it was really raining in the Tiki Room. It was truly magical

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I remember ticket books and the parents having to count tickets, go back to ticket booths in the parks. I remember riding SM the first time when I was 4 and it scared me to death. My dad forced me to ride BTMRR when i was 6 & I thought I was going to die. I remember the Epcot Center preview show that was on Main Street, the Penny Arcade when it really was a Penny Arcade. My favorite thing was to have a clear plastic souvenir box of tart-n-tiny candy. I think they cost like $2 or $3. My ex-step-sister & I loved to sit in the Starlight Cafe for the live pop cover group to perform. It was like Barbie & the Rockers in the flesh! The original Imagination w/Imageworks will always be amoungst my fondest memories as well as the rest of Epcot Center in its earliest years. I could go on all day, really.

 

[SulleyanBoo]

THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CAKE/DONUT decorated castle :ROFLOL:

Don't know why they did it, but it was interesting when I was little lol.

I also remember loving the characters until they came within 10 feet of me. Then, I was not so fond of them, but now it's a different story!

 

[ddbowdoin]

I was born in 85... first trip in 1993, three in 1998.

Only things I really remember:

1.) the sky chalet was pretty awesome, I found some negatives that had images from this attraction. I printed up some, I miss film!

2.) it rained a lot when we were there and Test Track was always closed. I think I finally got on my last day.

Other than that I just don't remember enough... sad, I know

 

[NYwdwfan]

I can't remember too much from my first trip in 84 except that I was fascinated with 20k but when I discovered that we did not really go under water I was very disappointed.

Technically they did go under water...just barely! I used to love looking out the porthole and seeing the water line about 12 inches above - I felt like I was in on some big secret that the rest of the people in the sub didn't know.

I remember ticket books and the parents having to count tickets, go back to ticket booths in the parks. I remember riding SM the first time when I was 4 and it scared me to death. My dad forced me to ride BTMRR when i was 6 & I thought I was going to die. I remember the Epcot Center preview show that was on Main Street, the Penny Arcade when it really was a Penny Arcade. My favorite thing was to have a clear plastic souvenir box of tart-n-tiny candy. I think they cost like $2 or $3. My ex-step-sister & I loved to sit in the Starlight Cafe for the live pop cover group to perform. It was like Barbie & the Rockers in the flesh! The original Imagination w/Imageworks will always be amount my fondest memories as well as the rest of Epcot Center in its earliest years. I could go on all day, really.

I remember having to ride the carousel a bunch of times before we left because all we had left were "A"s. Then there was the time some family handed my mom a book of tickets as we were on our way into the park - thye were leaving on their last day and weren't using them. They had all the D's and E's and we were SO EXCITED!!

I also remember BTMRR being built. I think I posted pictures in one of the flashback threads.

And seeing the EPCOT preview at MK and then riding the monorail to EPCOT for the first time after it was built. That was awesome.

And those clear boxes with the tart & tinys were my favorite too!! I still look for them (or something like it) when we go.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I remember having to ride the carousel a bunch of times before we left because all we had left were "A"s. Then there was the time some family handed my mom a book of tickets as we were on our way into the park - thye were leaving on their last day and weren't using them. They had all the D's and E's and we were SO EXCITED!!

I also remember BTMRR being built. I think I posted pictures in one of the flashback threads.

And seeing the EPCOT preview at MK and then riding the monorail to EPCOT for the first time after it was built. That was awesome.

And those clear boxes with the tart & tinys were my favorite too!! I still look for them (or something like it) when we go.

Yep! Right after they did the switch from the admission + ticket books to just entry fees my grandparents came down to Orlando (we had already moved there). My grandmother had rounded up every leftover ticket they had saved from previous trips + various leftovers from other relatives into a big stack of unused tickets from ticket books. She was able to trade them in towards our admissions. 4 adults + 5 kids only cost them a couple bucks. Gramma was telling me how they did that the last time I went to visit her. I remember that day-trip fondly.

Do you remember when bringing in outside food/drink was a total no-no??? I used to think my Gramma was a total bada** with her mega-sized purse she carried in stuffed to the gills with candies and things to munch on. :lol:

I only vaguely remember when BTMRR wasn't there. I definitely remember SM not being in Frontierland because we used to go to that train station all the time. Remember the open grassy expanse between the train station and BTMRR??? Now the train station is totally tucked-in back there. I miss the old one sometimes. My first ride on BTMRR that I mentioned before was because it was brand new and my dad really wanted to do it but nobody else would go with him and he wouldn't go alone. :lol: I think I was like 5 or 6.

OMG! I totally still look for the plastic souvenir boxes of tart-n-tinies, too! I don't go shop to shop combing the shelves but anytime I happen to be in a candy/snack area in a shop the thought is in the back of my brain. If I ever came across one I promise you'd I'd freak out, be on the floor crying, then clean the shelves like a mad-woman. When I do, I'll save ya some boxes and send 'em to ya. :animwink: :lol:

 

[Mrs.Skellington]

I remember riding tta and thinking it was space mountain and we were gonna fall in the mountain. Me and my sister was on the floor and screaming. I also remember my parents forcing me to eat in China. I believe it was sweet and sour pork. I hated it. I remember 20k and singing to myself, "We all live in the yellow submarine" LOL I remember riding the paddle wheels around the island. Suprisingly, I find I remember a lot of things from that trip I believe was in 1983-84. My sis was born in 82 and she was really young when we went. I was only 5-6.

My kids have been numerous times. My baby first went when she was 2. She still talks about that trip. She will see something on this site from a trip report and say, "we did that" or "I remember seeing that." She is now 4 and our next trip is not for a couple of months but we are all excited and can't wait to make more memories.

 

[Korfar]

Unfortunately I remember very little from my trips as a kid. My grandparents lived in the Tampa area so we would go over to Disney for a day when we were there. Epcot was still new so we did go over there. I think my parents thought there wasn't much there. I remember Space Mountain and the skyway. The monorail going through the Contemporary. Thats about it.

 

[rsoxguy]

My first visit to WDW was for Grad Night '81. I was seventeen, so technically it was a childhood visit. One memory I have is of IASW. I remember thinking that it was a totally freakish ride that should have been placed on an episode of the Twilight Zone, were perhaps a guy suffering from a mental breakdown is taken on the ride in order to calm him down, but the dolls come to life instead. Yes, my "issues" reach back a looong way.

 

[nc_disneyfreak]

backyard memories...

ok, im originally from so. california and my grandma and grandpa lived in orange county from the time there were actually oranges there lol....disneyland was built not 5 miles away from their house off of ball rd...living in so. calif. was a priviledge just for the fact that my brothers and I grew up at disneyland, when disneyland was just the magic kingdom! i can still close my eyes and see it....during the summer when we were staying with my grandparents, we would go out in her backyard or on the st. with my grandma at 9 pm and watch the fireworks every night over the course of the summers...and on the windy days, we would hear the sounds of the park! the riverboat horn, etc...my grandma i can say was the one who started me on my path of the love of disney....its kind of a family staple...my aunt was there opening week and disney is just something that goes back along time...now we live in north carolina, and in 2010 i took my family to wdw...it was the first time i did anything disney park related since 1999, the yr we moved out here....and wdw is now my favorite place in the world...again...seeing the world through my adult eyes and my son (3 at the time) was so unexplainable...i could see myself through him, tearing up the parks like my brothers and i did throughout the late 80s and 90s...now in april will be our second trip, and my daughter will be 18 months...i cant wait to see her reactions from the sounds, smells, and sights that wdw offers....when i go now, i take my grandma with me in spirit, and i always have an ice cream treat in her favor...she used to kill some ice cream at the carnation ice cream parlor next to the castle in disneyland lol...and everytime i see wishes, a part of me is 10 yrs old again in my grandmas backyard......thanks walt

 

[JillC LI]

1 - Loving "If You Had Wings"

2 - My parents telling my sister and me (ages 6 and 10, respectively) to go pose for a picture with the "statue of Br'er Fox" leaning on a building. As they snapped the photo, the "statue" came to life and scared the begeesus out of me and my sister! LOL. Moral of the story - never trust Br'er Fox.

It gets funnier though because 30 years later when we were at WDW with my own kids for the first time (ages 5 and 7), we were watching the parade on the wooden platforms in Frontierland, and out of nowhere, Br'er Fox came up behind my kids and jumped out and scared them silly! Having heard my old story of Br'er Fox, they found it hysterical after they calmed down, and we all took photos with Br'er Fox.