If you could relive a previous year of the park's history, which would it be?

[DavidDL]

So you can potentially go as far back as 1989 but what year your first DL trip? If it’s before November 1995 you can do the Skyway. For me the allure of seeing some rides that went to Yesterland that I never got to experience like ATIS and just the low crowds in general is too great to pass up. I’d go with that before the best version of the park or attraction lineup in my lifetime.

If you want to get technical, my parents tell me they took me as a newborn. -and I do have memories from when I was younger of riding the Skyway and boarding at the Fantasyland station, specifically. I also remember loving it as you passed through the Matterhorn. I also remember being horrified of Space Mountain and Pinocchio's Daring Journey.

Believe me, I considered it. -and while it would be fun to experience stuff like the Skyway, original Submarine Voyage and Tomorrowland before it's disastrous 1998 makeover again, I made the choice to think of this almost like.. if I could freeze the parks at a certain point in time and experience them again, when would that "perfect" time be, for me? It would need to be a time where there is more for me to love than for me to miss. So I weighed those types of experiences against more modern (-and still accessible) ones that would vanish as a result and arrived at where I did. So while many would be willing to trade something like HMH or even DCA as a whole for the return of the Peoplemover, I'm not really one of 'em. Though I would trade away something like Galaxy's Edge for Big Thunder Ranch (-and I say this as someone who actually likes GE).

 

[mickEblu]

If you want to get technical, my parents tell me they took me as a newborn. -and I do have memories from when I was younger of riding the Skyway and boarding at the Fantasyland station, specifically. I also remember loving it as you passed through the Matterhorn. I also remember being horrified of Space Mountain and Pinocchio's Daring Journey.

Believe me, I considered it. -and while it would be fun to experience stuff like the Skyway, original Submarine Voyage and Tomorrowland before it's disastrous 1998 makeover again, I made the choice to think of this almost like.. if I could freeze the parks at a certain point in time and experience them again, when would that "perfect" time be, for me? It would need to be a time where there is more for me to love than for me to miss. So I weighed those types of experiences against more modern (-and still accessible) ones that would vanish as a result and arrived at where I did. So while many would be willing to trade something like HMH or even DCA as a whole for the return of the Peoplemover, I'm not really one of 'em. Though I would trade away something like Galaxy's Edge for Big Thunder Ranch (-and I say this as someone who actually likes GE).

I get it. Considering you were born in 89 and actually even have memories of the skyway you don’t really have any major Yesterland attractions that would open up for you by going further back. But I’d probably still go back to 89 on your case for a brand new Splash Mountain.

Not sure many would. I created a thread with a similar question not too long ago and I get the sense that most people would go your route over mine.

 

[Disney Irish]

Along this topic a bit...

I don't know where the project went but didn't Disney announce awhile back as part of the AR stuff to do virtual versions of the Parks, including old attractions long sent to Yesterdayland.

Someone also made a Minecraft version of Disney too, so you might just be able to find an old attraction or two from your youth there.

Virtual Disneyland Resort Minecraft Project - San Jose State University - Themed Attraction

In 2018, I founded a Virtual Disneyland project made entirely in Minecraft. It has since reached over 500,000 unique guests and featured 45 attractions.

www.themedattraction.com

 

[DavidDL]

I cannot wait to experience French Market's fried chicken and steak fries, as well as Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta's sun-dried tomato pasta in AR!

 

[John park hopper]

1972 WDW MK was new, clean and everything worked

I was 23 just discharged from the service in May had a Southeast Asia vacation thanks to Uncle Sam. WDW was a real vacation

 

[PiratesMansion]

2015 for me.

It was less about the specific offerings of the 60th than it was the feeling the parks had at that time. DCA was largely still its 2012 self and hadn't been ruined yet. There was more entertainment, prices weren't what they are now, it was pre-Chapek and I felt tremendous optimism for the future in all of its facets.

It's been a long, long time since I've felt anything approaching that level of optimism, to the point that I'm not sure I ever will again.

 

[mickEblu]

2015 for me.

It was less about the specific offerings of the 60th than it was the feeling the parks had at that time. DCA was largely still its 2012 self and hadn't been ruined yet. There was more entertainment, prices weren't what they were now, it was pre-Chapek and I felt tremendous optimism for the future in all of its facets.

It's been a long, long time since I've felt anything approaching that level of optimism, to the point that I'm not sure I ever will again.

2015 was a good year but it’s really fascinating to me that many here would pass on the opportunity to time travel to a time that they didn’t really experience (for all intents and purposes) in addition to riding attractions they never had the chance to in favor of experiencing something that they already did relatively recently.

Me? I’m traveling back in time as far as possible just to see what the world / Disneyland was like back then but this time through the eyes of an adult instead of a two year old. Also helps in my case that a couple classic attractions would be brought back to life.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I get it. Considering you were born in 89 and actually even have memories of the skyway you don’t really have any major Yesterland attractions that would open up for you by going further back. But I’d probably still go back to 89 on your case for a brand new Splash Mountain.

Not sure many would. I created a thread with a similar question not too long ago and I get the sense that most people would go your route over mine.

I'd push it to '92. Newish Splash, new Fantasmic.

Or '95 to ride Indy opening year.

 

[Phroobar]

It's amazing how many of you like the Presler/Harris era of the parks. Those were considered dark times especially with the low maintenance, cheap rides and deaths.

 

[truecoat]

Epcot in 1989 or 1990.

 

[Touchdown]

If we are restricting it to DL and times I’ve visited, the year I had an AP from Oct 2014-Oct 2015 would be my choice for sure. Halloween party still at DL, get to watch Remember Dreams Comes True and DL Forever, 60th anniversary, get to see regular WOC for some of the year.

 

[PiratesMansion]

2015 was a good year but it’s really fascinating to me that many here would pass on the opportunity to time travel to a time that they didn’t really experience (for all intents and purposes) in addition to riding attractions they never had the chance to in favor of experiencing something that they already did relatively recently.

Me? I’m traveling back in time as far as possible just to see what the world / Disneyland was like back then but this time through the eyes of an adult instead of a two year old. Also helps in my case that a couple classic attractions would be brought back to life.

The OP specified time traveling back to relive a time you were already there to experience.

If I had to pick one year of the times I visited in the park where I was closest to thinking the experience was flawless, 2015 would be it.

I would absolutely time travel to a different point in DL's history, but that wasn't the question.

 

[mickEblu]

I'd push it to '92. Newish Splash, new Fantasmic.

Or '95 to ride Indy opening year.

Yeah that might make more sense for him. I got to experience a brand new Indy when it opened in 95 but I never experienced a brand new Splash as I was a chicken $hit. Someone told me there were two cartoon vultures in there with creepy voices so I didn’t want to ride. Just kidding - that was for the history revisionists and people lacking common sense from the Tiana thread lol. I didn’t want to ride it because the drop looked scary… ya know from the outside, where you can see the drop. Had no idea the vultures were in there.

 

[mickEblu]

The OP specified time traveling back to relive a time you were already there to experience.

If I had to pick one year of the times I visited in the park where I was closest to thinking the experience was flawless, 2015 would be it.

I would absolutely time travel to a different point in DL's history, but that wasn't the question.

Gotcha. It occurred to me after I replied to you that that may have been the earliest or around the earliest time you ever visited the park. Was 2015 your first visit?

 

[mickEblu]

If we are restricting it to DL and times I’ve visited, the year I had an AP from Oct 2024-Oct 2025 would be my choice for sure. Halloween party still at DL, get to watch Remember Dreams Comes True and DL Forever, 60th anniversary, get to see regular WOC for some of the year.

Think you meant to say 2015-2016?

 

[Touchdown]

Think you meant to say 2015-2016?

2014-2015. I got normal DL for half my AP and 60th anniversary DL for the other half. That meant I got Halloween Screams, Believe, Remember and DL Forever.

 

[MK-fan]

I would have to say 1972, you still have Nature’s Wonderland and Carousel of Progress (with EPCOT prototype upstairs) which would both leave the park within the next five years plus you have the newly opened Country Bear Jamboree and Main Street Electrical Parade. This was about the height of Walt Disney’s original Disneyland with some new favorites.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Gotcha. It occurred to me after I replied to you that that may have been the earliest or around the earliest time you ever visited the park. Was 2015 your first visit?

No, just the best visit that I have a clear memory of.

First adult visit was 2013, but there were some things I could have done better. 2014 I had a much better time but had terrible heat to deal with and no regular HM. 2015 was simply the visit where nothing about my experience was compromised and the worst impulses of modern Disney theme parks either didn't exist or weren't nearly as prominent IMO.

 

[mickEblu]

No, just the best visit that I have a clear memory of.

First adult visit was 2013, but there were some things I could have done better. 2014 I had a much better time but had terrible heat to deal with and no regular HM. 2015 was simply the visit where nothing about my experience was compromised and the worst impulses of modern Disney theme parks either didn't exist or weren't nearly as prominent IMO.

When was your first visit as a child? If your first visit in general was 2013 I would agree with your choice of 2015 because why not go with the anniversary year where everything is in tip top shape + all the entertainment.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

My first thought was my first visit in the late 90s. It was Christmas time, it was packed, we were broke. To go back at my age with a little more cash and wisdom would be cool.

However, I wouldn’t be with my husband!

Given that, one of my best memories was our four year anniversary in September 2011. Our first real better dining with wine pairing experience at the flying fish, with the old chef, and a bartender who remains a friend to this day. That’s the day we learned how to drink wine with a meal. Our friend really went out of his way, went off script/menu, and made that event pretty special and unbelievable. It rivaled our experience six years later at Victoria & Albert’s.

I would eat there again and again that week and order the potato wrapped snapper repeatedly!

I would spend more time with Julie at the tune in lounge and tip her better! Enjoying seats(!) and the no sugar added cheesecake.

As long as I would be in that time period for a whole year, I would give the great movie ride a few more spins.

And I will have just turned 40! Bonus points.