Biggest Influence on Your Love of Disney

[HoW]

With the different threads reminiscing about attractions long gone, first trips, and how some people really love the Magic, and how some people in our own families just don't seem to grasp it, it got me to wondering. Who, or what, was the biggest influence on your love of the Magic and all things Disney?

I know for me, it was my dad. Sure, my whole family loved it, and they all had a good time. But my dad was always that driving force, it is one of the few things we have in common. He could talk me into going on any ride, and even once convinced me to skip a friend's b-day party to up and run to WDW for the weekend. I remember times he would stick me under a poncho in the middle of the pouring rain at Epcot at 4 in the afternoon, just to give us hope that the weather would clear up in time for Illuminations. He instilled the Magic in me.

So what about everyone else?

 

[Monty]

I decided to take DS when he was five. I'd never been, had no idea what it would be like or whether we'd enjoy it or not.

I fell in love with the immersion into the "Magic" almost immediately. We spent a week, he never once complained that he was tired, but never argued when Mom and Dad decided we were. We stayed at an All Star resort and the theming was great, the mousekeepers did some creative things with his stuffed animals and the Lego we bought him while we were there. Every day after the first time he saw his bears waiting in the window when we returned to the room he was eager to see what they would do next. The parks were clean, not crowded and there was a constant presence of security and CMs that we were never worried about his safety if we lost track of him [we never have, in any of our trips, but...]. The rides and shows and the whole experience was absolutely mind-boggling.

I'm now obsessed. I spend more time here [WDWMagic] than I probably should. I have more Disney clothing than anything else. I try to go every year...

So to answer the question, the biggest influence is Disney itself.

 

[justducky78]

My husband (boyfriend at the time) turned me on to Disney. It was our first trip together (10 yrs ago-yikes!) and he loved sharing WDW with me. We had a blast together and now I tease him that I'm a bigger fan. We got engaged there (and almost married there).

Obviously, I'm a huge fan now -- I check the boards almost daily! And I'm counting down till our next trip...16 days!

I'm 28 and he's 34 and we are the biggest Disney geeks. Our home office/library is all Disney...mostly cels and some figurines. But, I am so glad we can share this together...and he is too.

Just imagine if we'd never met -- would I have ever discovered Disney and become such a huge fan of WDW?!!

 

[Mimi]

So to answer the question, the biggest influence is Disney itself.

Ditto :sohappy:

 

[ctwhalerman]

My mother, and her father, got me turned on to Disney. It's funny, because all 3 of us have the same personality, and we also show a great love of movies, so it must have been natural for them to get me to love the Disney parks. That, and we really hate the shabby conditions of places and are always happy to go to Disney and visit a place that is clean, well-kept, and respects the intelligence of its customers.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

EPCOT Center and the discussions it spawned with my family on our Florida vacations. Pure and Simple.

 

[Ryoseth]

Mine, is MUCH more...Career oriented, and hobby related. not so much WDW, but Disney in gerneal, and "magic".
~
6 years ago when i was 14-15 years old, i was in 10th grade, didnt really have a college goal, or something i loved to do. i sorta got interesed in drawing, and didnt really have something to look to for inspiration. then the movie "Lilo and Stitch" came out. before that, i liked Disney movies, but i didnt LOVE disney movies. when i became interested in art, the two sort of fused together, and i got my career goal. not so much the movie itself, sure its a good story, but the character, and the creator relationship. LnS was the first movie to make net profit since The Lion King. because of the way it was created. Chris Sanders is sort of my role model. creativity wise. and how authentic the story was. i dont know if this is me just being a fanboy of the movie, because i believe past disney movies are better, but at the time...i didnt really care...come 2001, i had an interest, and they both co-related. ever since then, i've done the College Program, and learned about the company, and the Imagineers, it's really inspiring. I got my foot in the door with the company, and i plan on going back for a professional internship some time. i LOVED the parks, and i LOVED the magical feeling it gave me. and i CANT WAIT to get back ^_^ :3
*end rant*

 

[dkrfla]

My grandparents took me and my cousins from Maryland every summer from 1977-1989. My grandmother was always the one who kept everything in order but it was my grandfather whose eyes lit up and became as much like a kid as we were when visiting Walt Disney World. He died in 2001 but even still to this day, everytime I walk down Main Street at WDW I think about him.

Dusty

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

For me it was a first trip for a family of 4 Disney virgins. Sure, we wanted to "do" America and we wanted to "do" Walt Disney World. So we went - and by todays trip standards we were very unprepared for the immense proportions of WDW.
Our biggest Disney influence was each other - boy did we enjoy the experience.

 

[Gucci65]

My first visit to WDW was in 1973 and I loved it. Had to watch everything Disney that came on tv, read anything with Disney on it, etc. I even went to WDW on my honeymoon in 1988 (and my divorce party in 2001).

BUT my obsession began after I took my daughter for her first visit in 1993. She wasn't quite 2 and I remember the characters and CMs paying so much attention to her it was unbelievable. (She even gave her pacifier to Mickey and that was it). It made an impression on her, we have been back every year since.

 

[DopeysGirl1226]

For us, its the whole disney expierence that creates the devotion and love for it. Disney World is the one place where my family and I are nothing but smiles. We seem to get along the best there and always enjoy ourselves no matter what happens while we are there. Though we've been there sparatically over the back 15 years, this fall will be the first time we've gone together since 2001. We've had options to go elsewhere but, we still choose Disney over anything else.

 

[bgraham34]

For me I just have no idea. My parents took me to DisneyWorld several times but it was me who did reports on Disney World and Uncle Walt. My parents never pushed me or really talked about how Disney is. I just fell in Love on my own.

I guess I love it because its a Magical Land un a unmagical world.

 

[magicalmemories]

For me, I was born in south Florida and moved north when I was 5. We always went back to Palm Beach for spring breaks and would usually head up to Disney for a day while we were there. So I visited a lot as a child with my parents one day at a time. (before AK and MGM). Since I have had my own family, a couple of times for single day visits here and there, but the turning point was staying onsite a few years ago for 3 days. Boy what a difference. And last year, staying for 5 days while our HS daugter's band performed at the MK. Now the was an experience! It makes you not want anything less than a week there! Can't wait to go back!

 

[abe_bb]

Definitely my wife.

Yeah, I always "enjoyed" disney world. but until I met her it just wasn't as magical. Now she has me hooked, and i can't get disney music out of my head.

 

[Nansafan]

My first trip to WDW was in the summer of 1980. There was 16 of us driving down from Chicago in 4 cars. Stepping onto Main Street USA was all it took to get me hooked. I've been approximately 19 times since then and I love it even more each time. I can't say what the biggest influence is/was, I just know that I'm addicted.

 

[DisneyFanLS]

My very first WDW trip was in about 1974. Well, then there was ONLY the Magic Kingdom, and I had a great time, but it wasn't until my second trip in 1991 that I became ADDICTED!!! That trip was during a prior marriage, and I gotta admit I fell in LOVE with not only WDW but Disney in general. My current wife and I took two trips to WDW before we were married (on the second trip is when I proposed to her in front of Cinderella Castle), and we honeymooned there a year later, and we've been every year since!!! We were even there during the tragic events of 9/11. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were in the Living Seas when CM's evacuated the park....

Now, my home office is TOTALLY Disney (cels, posters, figurines, etc.) MOST of my clothes are Disney (especially GRUMPY...he's the MAN!!!!!!) I listen to Mouseworld radio on my office computer and check these boards at least daily!!!

So.......you see......I've been HOOKED since '91!!!!!!!! :sohappy: :lol:

 

[Ella's Mommy]

Mine was my mom. She took me by herself at Easter when I was about 8 years old. She had never been there before and we fly in at night. She said she was so scared b/c she rented a car but didnt know where she was going. I had the best time of my life on that trip. Now that I am 28 I am trying to make a trip for just us but its so hard b/c now everyone in our family loves Disney. But for me it will always be special b/c I feel that it nutured the wonderful relationship that my mom and I have now.

 

[Shellybelle]

Just seeing the look of wonder, awe and happiness in the faces of my kids was enough to make me feel like a kid right along with them. So, I guess my kids got me "hooked".

 

[MommytoMJM]

Definitely MJ... Seeing the wonder on her face everytime makes me love it more each day.

 

[slowbee]

When I was growing up... we lived about a mile from Disneyland and my grandfather was Mickey's biggest fan. He would bounce around Disneyland like a 5 year old boy. He loved to go on It's A Small World and had lunch at the Blue Boyou. We couldn't aford to go.. but twice a year he had to go and see Mickey. One year I was visiting from Chicago and my grandfather couldn't afford to take all of us, so he took out the last 40 dollars from the bank and dropped me off at the door. He said go and have a good time... and make sure I give Mickey a hug for him. That's why when we go now.. Mickey is the first and last thing we do durring our stays.

Everytime we go to WDW or Disneyland... those memories come back to me a I get to see him again (he passed away in 91). But now I also get to see my kids get touched by the magic. Last month, our 14 month old daughter was learning to walk. And to stand in line to see Mickey or Minnie, she would just sit there and stare at them. When it was finally our turn.. we would set her on the ground and she would run up to them and give them hugs... Those are memories that you can't experience anywhere else.