Growing Up Disney

[jrab0616]

I was born in southern California and my parents took me to Disney for my new born pictures when I was 3 weeks old.


goofy by jrab616, on Flickr

Of course they have a lot of other pictures with Mom and baby, but this one is always special too us.

We went alot growing up as we were passholders to DL and then when we moved to the east coast, we even had passes to WDW several times. There were several times we went years without getting down to Florida, but we've been to WDW 6 times since 2009 and once to DL during that time too, so we've made up for it recently.

This was my grandma at 89 years young (my aunt is in the picture too) on our trip to DL in 2011:


IMG_6633 by jrab616, on Flickr

My DH is not as much of a fan as my family is, though he does enjoy it. They are all getting APs this year (my sister's fiance too), but as much as it kills me, DH and I have decided that we aren't going to put out that kind of money for Disney this year and travel elsewhere. I know. We really want to go to New York and Washington DC and Vegas to name a few. So we're going to take our Disney money and use it to take other trips. We've talked about it and this trip next week may very well be our last trip to Disney until we have a child of our own (other than the Princess Half next Feburary, which doesn't really count as a "park" trip).

 

[EmmabaRose]

Am I the only person who finds Fraggle Rock creepy as all hell? XD

I definitely grew with Disney, the first role I ever played was the Wicked Queen in a nursery school play of Snow White (which, considering my love for theatre now, is a considerable memory for me) which then led to Snow White being my first favorite movie. My grandma was fantastic at sewing, she has made me so many costumes for shows over the years, but one of the first things she ever made for me was an almost exact replica of Snow White's dress when I was 3. I never took it off, and there's home videos of me running up and down the hallway of my family's first house like it was the creepy forest, and kissing my dwarf figures and sending them off to work.

Vintage Disney was always what I loved. While other kids my age were crazy about BatB, Aladdin and the Little Mermaid, i was watching Pinochhio, Cinderella and The Jungle Book etc. I still have yet to see Aladdin and the Little Mermaid. But yes, I definitely grew Disney in the movie sense.

WDW was always an idea I loved. my parents had honeymooned there, and I dreamed of going from the age of six. I did DLP at age seven and twelve, and then finally WDW a few months later at age twelve. Since then I haven't set foot in a Disney Park for eight years, but that's about change in five days!!

I have every intention of my kids growing up with Disney too. Especially the parks.

Ooh another fun memory i thought of, I performed a lot of Disney Park music before I knew where it came from. In one dance show (themed around Alice in Wonderland funnily enough) I had to perform IASW. Also my year 2 teacher at school would always direct the Christmas plays, and she always put in songs like "zipa dee doo Dan" and "it's a great big beautiful tomorrow." I never realized where they came from until last year.

 

[luv]

No way! My parents were never Mickey Mouse people, lol. They never even considered taking us to Disney, even though I asked a few times, lol.

After I took my son and mom heard about it and saw the pics, she decided shed like to go, too. She apologized to me, out of nowhere, for not taking me as a child. I was like, "It's okay! It's not a big deal!" But she was so sincere and so upset with herself. "No," she said, "You would have loved this. You and your turtlenecks...this would have been wonderful for you. And you only had the boys..." (I used to take my turtlenecks off and leave the neck part around my forehead and say I was a princess with long hair. I was the only girl in our neighborhood, so nobody did girly stuff with me.) Mom felt SO guilty, lol!

She apologized several times for never taking me, lol. Even went home and told my dad how they should have taken us!

I lived through it.

 

[wdwmom2+1]

Wanted to add after reading your post I totally forgot that in kindergarten I played minnie mouse: ) at the time you couldnt' really buy a minnie dress my mom got me a red dress cut out the white circles and hand sewed everyone to it!!! I iwll have to find the picture and post sometime

 

[EmmabaRose]

Wanted to add after reading your post I totally forgot that in kindergarten I played minnie mouse: ) at the time you couldnt' really buy a minnie dress my mom got me a red dress cut out the white circles and hand sewed everyone to it!!! I iwll have to find the picture and post sometime

Haha! I had a crepe paper cape as I recall. Apparentely I was the only kid who wasn't shy or entirely terrified. I then came off and I announced to my mother that "I quite enjoyed that." that should have been their first clue of the many years of musical theatre that were to come XD

Yeah I need to find those photos, again there's a video of that too. My gran and grandad on my dad's side were huge for that, gran always had her camera out and grandad always had the camcorder in front of his face. Sadly he passed away two and a half years ago, but he left a great legacy behind with all his home movies.

 

[Gabe1124]

My first trip was when I was 7 years old, since then I have been over 10 times, including doing the Disney College program in 2007, I proposed to my wife in a hammok on the beach outside the polynesian just before we watched wishes. Spent our honeymoon down at the world as well. Last year we went down and ran the Wine and Dine half marathon. Disney World is such a special place to me and my family and I am so glad we are hooked. Next month my wife and I are taking our 16 month old daughter for the first time, I cannot wait to raise her Disney and hope she makes as many amazing memories as we have made.

 

[JillC LI]

Nope!!! But I'm hoping to raise my kids that way as long as we continue to be fortunate financially

I hope my kids grow up to love it and have those amazing memories!

Ditto.

 

[Marc Gil]

I definitely grew up with Disney. I've been going as long as I could remember. I've been a pass holder for about 5 years. My family and I have been very loyal to WDW. I've been to Disneyland twice, but the last time I went was in 2003 so it was a while ago. My family's been going to Disney since 1982.

 

[draybook]

Yes, but 2500 miles away, at DL. Born and raised in SoCal, so I went often. Not sure how many times, but probably 100 or so. Then, after moving away in 1991, my mother and I returned for a visit in 1992. That would be the last time that I saw any Disney park for 16 years. After being motivated by the visit California commercial, and Vanessa Williams in particular, we decided to visit WDW in 2008. Our kids were 7 & 6, so they didn't start right away. However, this September will be our 7th trip in 5 years, so I'd say they're off to a good start!

 

[Californian Elitist]

Here I am, in the middle with my two brothers, at DL in 1994.

Here I am again (this time with my brother and little sister), on the same day, with a grin from ear to ear:

I've been going to Disney since forever. My childhood consisted of trips to the DLR, the El Cap, the Walt Disney Studios, multiple Disney stores and days, afternoons and evenings watching countless Disney films.

 

[danpam1024]

My first trip was when I was 2 yrs old. Disney has been a part of my entire life thanks to my parents. Many of my favorite memories are while we were @ Disney from my Grandpa comforting me when I was little by showing me Timothy the Mouse on top of Dumbo to meeting Youngstown at Tower of Terror when I was a Boyband loving teenager. My most recent and one of my favorite memories was our last trip with my parents sisters and my DH! Watching wishes with my DH was amazing!! Even after "growing up" I still have Disney in my blood!! Thank you DAD and MOM!!
Any of you "grow up Disney"?

First trip 11 months at least once a year and going strong- I go more now as an adult

 

[lego606]

My mom's grandparents went in the 50s, they took my mom and her sister to WDW in the mid 80s, and since about 1997 (yummy cake castle) my family has been going to WDW about yearly, with a DL trip in 2001 (which I don't remember) and 2005 (which I do remember )

 

[unkadug]

Here I am, in the middle with my two brothers, at DL in 1994.

Here I am again (this time with my brother and little sister), on the same day, with a grin from ear to ear:

I've been going to Disney since forever. My childhood consisted of trips to the DLR, the El Cap, the Walt Disney Studios, multiple Disney stores and days, afternoons and evenings watching countless Disney films.

I take it you are the one in blue? You looked like a happy child!

 

[Californian Elitist]

I take it you are the one in blue? You looked like a happy child!

Yes, I'm the little girl in blue. LOL, and indeed I was very happy. My mom says I never smiled as a baby, unless I was at Disney.

 

[Acolli18]

Yup! First trip when I was 6 months old, I'll be 23 my next trip in a few weeks! We always went every other year or so, so I've definitely grown up Disney!

 

[jw24]

I often envy most people because their first experiences was at an age where they remember it so well, usually around 3-10, the age where I started to watch all the great Disney movies and TV shows of the 90s. My first to WDW was when I was 2 and I don't have any memories from it whatsoever. Went again when I was 11 just so that my younger brother could see it but it was not memorable, at all. I admit that was a time where I thought I had outgrown Disney. I really did not become a WDW fan until I was much older. My high school senior class trip to WDW is what really made me love the place so much. Then again, it did help that I was a Disney fan, as well. (More so about the love for the movies.) But everything was just so magical that trip. Enjoying myself riding Peter Pan's Flight, Soarin and Pirates all for the first time in my life. Getting to meet the characters for the first time at 18. So many good memories from that trip I'll forget. I guess I'm trying to make up for lost time with my most recent trips in 2010 and this March. Still, I am not yet satisfied. Like Ariel, I want more...that is more Disney World trips.

 

[~Tinkerbell~]

My first trip to a Disney park wasn't until I was 13, when I went to WDW. But I grew up watching Disney films, listening to Disney music, having Disney toys etc... Whenever it was dress up day at school, I'd want to go as a Disney character. I remember when I was about 5, my mum made me an Esmerelda dress to wear, and I even sprayed my hair black to match hers! When my sister and I were very young and shared a room, my mum painted the walls with Disney characters. It was such an amazing room, and we loved it!

 

[luv]

Here I am, in the middle with my two brothers, at DL in 1994.

Here I am again (this time with my brother and little sister), on the same day, with a grin from ear to ear:

I've been going to Disney since forever. My childhood consisted of trips to the DLR, the El Cap, the Walt Disney Studios, multiple Disney stores and days, afternoons and evenings watching countless Disney films.

You were so cute!

What were your brothers looking at in the first picture?

 

[Californian Elitist]

You were so cute!

What were your brothers looking at in the first picture?

Aaww, thanks!

I actually have no clue what the heck they were looking at! Before Carnation Plaza Gardens transformed into Princess Fantasy Faire, it was a restaurant and characters would come, so I'm guessing they were looking at a character.

 

[Krsta Richline]

Went to Disney in a stroller when it first opened. I've probably have been there more than 30 times. And now my daughter is a Disney kid.... she's been going since the age of 6 months and now she's almost 7. Disney is my happy place and can't wait to go there in October!