first WDW experience...how old?

[conntom]

The year was 1974 I was 19 and it was my first time to
the Magic Kingdom and it was the best place in the
World and still is. I can't wait to go back and I will be
going to WDW on Dec 7.



:xmas:

 

[Wckd Queen]

It was 1976. I was 12 years old and we took Amtrak down from New York. I remember how HOT it was on that darn train and how even after you got off of it, you still felt like you were shimmying from side to side :lol: Back then, it was just the Magic Kingdom and we also went to Seaworld and the Kennedy Space Center where one of the kids in our party kept demanding to see Major Nelson :lol:

I actually unearthed the brochure from that trip (with America On Parade on the cover) tonite when I pulled an old book out of one of the bookshelves and that fell out of it! :lol:

 

[EthylCooper]

I was 25 on my first visit, but I've been making up for lost time.

 

[gjpjtj]

Originally posted by xstechbabe
i have you all beat I was 21 YEARS!! before I ever got to visit and it was the most magical day

I can top that, I was 26!!

We went on our honeymoon. I was always jealous of the kids in elementary school, who would show up from Christmas break with their new mouse ears, with their names embroidered on them. My parents couldn't afford the trip for the family back then, but after my first taste in 1997, I was hooked. Now having a family of my own, we try to go at least once a year. :sohappy:

(Going again in 12 weeks!!!)

 

[Dayma]

I took my wife at the age of 21 and she just loved it. We go every year since....

 

[jaimjaim25]

I was 5 and I got lost! :lookaroun

 

[tinkerbell2]

I was 20 when I went for the first time to WDW. I always wanted to go to WDW, since I was very little. I never thought I would make it there, but when i finally did......WOW!!! I had an awesome time. Now it's my top vacation spot!

 

[WDW1971]

I was about 18 months. It was the summer of '73. Incidentally, I was born on October 15, 1971...the same month that WDW opened. I've always felt a special connection. My next trip (but first I remember) was in 1976. Then I had a looooong wait until my next trip in '96. I went back again in '96 then again in '97. I got married in '98. I took my wife last December (2002). It was our first trip together and her first real trip (she'd been once before for ONE day and only to MK.

She loved and we can't wait to go back (but probably won't this year).

 

[Nansafan]

It was July 1979 and I was 20. There were 16 of us driving down from Chicago in 4 cars all equipped with CB radios. My friends parents took/chaperoned/planned, call it what you will the group of us There were the parents and then 2-21 yr old boys, me (20 yr old girl), 19 yr old boy, 19 yr old girl, 18 yr old girl, 3-17 yr old girls, 16 yr old boy, 15 yr old girl, 15 yr old boy, 13 yr old boy and 8 yr old girl. Looking back, I think the parents were either nuts or saints. I didn't get back until my honeymoon in 1984 then not again until my son was 5 in 1993. Now we go at least once a year since 1998. Leaving in 2 days for my bro's 40th birthday (he was the 16 yr old boy).

 

[Experiment627]

Looks like I'm the old man of the group so far. I didn't make my first trip to Disney until last year at the ripe old age of 28. I must have been a weird kid, because I didn't even have the urge to go until one day last year when completely out of the blue, I though, "Why not?" As fate would have it, my wife had the exact same thought the exact same day. Two days later, we were at the travel agent booking the trip. The more planning I did, the more excited I became. And here I am now, checking WDWMAGIC every day and asking for (and receiving) Fantasia for my birthday. Like someone else said, I have lots of time to make up for.

 

[Bagheera]

Hmmm.....

My first visit was at age 7 or 8 in 1972. (Can't remember whether it was before or after my birthday.) I tooko my wife on her first trip at age 20 (a year before we were married). Our son went at 1 year (we flew down on his birthday), and will be making his fifth trip (plus one to DL) in October a week after his fifth birthday.

 

[jmarc63]

For me It all depends on weather it was open to the public yet.

My first visit to WDW was in the summer of 70 or 71 for the preview tours of the the hotels and MK, No one in my family can remember for sure, I want to say it was 70 since I fully recall there being no water in any of the lagoons and I think they had not built the front facads at ground level on Main Street.

In 70 I was nearly 7 so my memory is a bit schetchy.

My first Vacation to WDW was at Christmas of 71, and I was 8 and I had the best time of my life up to that point. What else did a 8 year old have to live for apon hearing from your parents.. Your going to Walt Disney World.

On the question of age, I would have to say from my own experience that 8 is a good age for a first visit, I was able to appreceate the experiencs and didn't feel like I was being draged around by my parents, but we draged them around:lol:

I say 8 is a good age for parrents to bring a child , The worst thing for parents to do is bring a child that cantt appreceat the experience and gets cranky, then you run the risk of having a terrible time , not getting to enjoy your vacation and wanting to just go home like a friend of mine did because he didn't heed my advice with his 4 yo and they spent more time in the room than anywhere else on property. $3000 to sit in a room most of the time. But not all children act the same, so use your best judgement.

 

[Nansafan]

Good point jmarc63. All kids are different. I've seen little ones totally freaked out by the characters and others all smiles and hugs. My little guy visited the first time when he was 6. We'd start out 930-10:00ish in the morning, stay til 2:00ish and head back to the hotel to swim/rest. We kept a slow pace so as not to have a cranky kid. We'd head back to the parks around 6:30-7:00 and finish our nights with fireworks. I believe anything younger than 6 or 7 is too hard on the child and really too hard on the parent as well. A WDW vacation is about fun and if everyone is cranky, tired, whiny, that's just no fun.

 

[tigsmom]

My first trip was in 1975...I was 16 and it was our last "family vacation" because I was off to school and that only left my younger sister home. It was just the MK back then and we spent 2 days in the awful hot August heat.(raining every day of the 2 weeks we were in FL!)

I took my oldest daughter when she was 4 and she had a great time!! We took our youngest when she was about 2 and she doesn't remember that trip...she thinks the pics are her sister (they look alike). She next went when she was 4 and we have been every year since!! I love to compare pics (we try to take at least one in the same spot every year for comparison).

we will be there again in August (another 2 weeks in Fl in that weather). Can't wait to go!!!

 

[careship]

My first trip I was 3 years old and it was 1972. I have been there every year except last year ever since. Sometimes even 2 or 3 times. (Went 4 times for the 25th anniversary) I do remember my dad taking me up in front of the castle to see SNow White and the 7 Dwarfs. I freaked out by Grumpy because he scared me. I didn't like him at all. I still have a strange phobia about Grumpy. My kids have always gone as well. I have gone pregnant, with a baby and pregnant again, and then with a 4 month old and 18 month old. Nothing like being Disneyfies at a young age. I am so glad I live within driving distance, if you call 24 hours withing driving distance.

 

[disneymania10]

I was 26 when I made my first trip to Disney World.
We went for our honeymoon in 1993. We have gone every year since then except 1996 when our daughter was born.
We were blown away by the Disney expirience. We cant imagine taking our yearly vacation anywhere else.
Our daughter is now 6, and next moth will be her 6th trip to WDW. Every year she had a wonderful time. We were lucky with her. We never expirienced the crankyness, or character fright.
I can remember holding her back while waiting on character lines when she was 2. Her feet going a mile minute trying to get to the characters while I held her back.

 

[Sherm00]

I was 6 when I first went in 1979. i remember how much I was in awe of everything. as far as a good age, I think years ago when it was just the 1 park anyage would do but since the parks have grown there is so much more to do. I wouldn't bring anyone under 3years. at 4 and 5 it would depend on the chiled and if they can handle all dayin the parks etc. at 5 or older should be about right the wonderment is there and the magic will be all that much greater to them. besides you can use the first few years with videos and pictures and hype up the experience so it would be twice as magical.

 

[Speedo Bob]

I was 35 the first year my first time my parents took me to Disney World. I remember the very first time they really had to nag me to go with them, now it is the complete opposite, I am always on there case to come with me. My parents are getting older now and walking around a theme park in the heat is tough on them, so now a days I am usually solo when I go to the World. It is really to bad because I bought into DVC with the intentions of all 3 of us going down to the World together at least 3 times a year. With myself going solo all the time I am just using Studios so that is less points, which means more trips for Speedo Bob.

 

[Kenan]

I believe I was either 2 or 3, back in 1985 or so. I went with like 20 people, and we all drove down there from Brooklyn, NY. I dont remember it much, but we went to MK and EPCOT Center.

 

[stingrock23]

I was 9 months old when I went. Of course I dont' remember anything, but my mom says she remembers a huge smile on my face the entire time.

And as much as I love wdw, I can believe it.