Hey old timers! Tell us your early WDW memories.

[Disney4family]

February 1973 was my first time to the Magic Kingdom.
I remember...
* the monorail ride from the TTC through The Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom.
* my dad messing with ticket books
* having my mom yell at me that I better not close my eyes during Snow White's Scary Adventures (yup, one of those - and still is)
* being forced to go on the Haunted Mansion ride only to cry for the rest of the day after it
* going on the Skyway in Fantasyland (until the Tangled refurb, I pointed out the building to my kids)
* thinking how cool 20,000 Leagues was

February 1984 was my first time to Epcot.
I remember...
* the original Imagination pavilion (Dreamfinder & Figment, too)
* The Living Seas was being built.
* (don't hate me for this one, but) yearning for going back to the Magic Kingdom to just be a kid again in a safe world of fantasy (I did appreciate all EPCOT has to offer later on in other trips)

 

[Phonedave]

We went for a day at MK and a day at EPCOT in 1985 (ish). I was in 5th grade. I didn't get back until my honeymoon in 2012.. The only things I remember are 20k Leagues, the Jungle Cruise, the cool toys in the room after Figment and not riding Space Ship Earth.

Oh yea.. and riding the boat from the parking lot to the front of MK.

You have close to the same time frames as I do.

I first went sometime around 1985. I am pretty sure it was the summer of 85, but it could have been between 84-86. We did the same thing a day in MK and a day in EPCOT. We also went to SeaWorld, Cape Canaveral, and some other stuff (my parents rented a condo off property). I remember being very disappointed by 20,000 Leagues (it was hot, humid, stank of gas, and was so clearly fake it was almost campy). I also remember the sky ride. I next went back somtime in 2002 or so, after my first daughter was born (I am about 5 years older that you)

-dave

 

[danyoung56]

My first trip was in March of 1979. I was traveling with a show group, and we'd just played the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, FL. We had a day off, and I talked a bunch of bandmates into hitting WDW. Now, I'd been reading up on it since the plans were first announced. So to actually see the Contemporary Hotel for the first time, seeing the big monorail going around the Seven Seas Lagoon, and then entering the park itself were all HUGE moments for me. I remember it was really weird - having grown up with Disneyland, there was so much that was similar but not quite the same. I can remember standing in the middle of Liberty Square and just being totally turned around - NOTHING was where it was supposed to be!

 

[WannaBWendy]

I remember seeing 20,000 Leagues on television. Imagine my dismay when I arrive at The World for the first time and it was closed. And that was back when it was still there, just not operational.
And I've never been to Disneyland. Just have a desire to see it fueled by the special starring The Osmonds!

 

[castlecake2.0]

I remember the good ole days, people were skinnier, dressed nicer and children had to walk as soon as they could manage it. It was a brutal time back then before

I enjoyed the Skyway, the smell of cigarettes and food as you looked over the tops of builds. There use to be guys running around back then with brooms and dust pans everywhere picking up anything that fell on the ground. I also liked the Dr. Seuss street vacuum cleaners, those were great. Not sure if I have seen

I remember the good ole days, people were skinnier, dressed nicer and children had to walk as soon as they could manage it. It was a brutal time back then before people carried plastic water bottle around with them, no one was carrying large back packs with all their supplies. The giant sodas of today didn't exist nor did free refills. I miss tube tops.

I enjoyed the Skyway, the smell of cigarettes and food as you looked over the tops of builds. There use to be guys running around back then with brooms and dust pans everywhere picking up anything that fell on the ground. I also liked the Dr. Seuss street vacuum cleaners, those were great. Not sure if I have seen one in a long time.

Frontier land had boats and a lot going on that isn't there today, still love TSI. The guns at the end of pirates actually shot cork balls using caps. The shooting gallery had air rifles that shot real BB's. That's all been toned down now.

Loved the Swiss Family Tree House as well, since I had seen the movie as a double feature at the drive in not long before my first trip to MK.

Epcot? That was a swamp at the time.

In fact nothing else existed except for MK at the time. Stayed at the camp grounds which was fun but I can't remember much about that except for a sing along at a camp fire.

the dr suess gas vacuums still show up during busy times. You can usually hear them powering up near adventureland to clean up after parades/fireworks. My friends and I play a game at work called "warning signs that MK is too busy and you should leave". This is one of the signs. Also when you see PAC cast in other areas of the park besides Main Street. Get out. Get out now.

 

[yedliW]

I remember driving across the country in the family station wagon. It took several days to get there, when we got there, the park was closed.. my dad was so mad, he punched the moose, then he took the security guard hostage and made him take us on all the rides by ourselves! It was quite the Vacation!

 

[Ben_since_1971]

My first trip was in 1972. I was 5.5ish. I remember thinking 20,000 Leagues was so cool and that I got to go on a submarine deep into the water. I also remember the ballroom scene at HM - it's the only thing I remember because I spent the rest of the ride with my face buried in my father;s knee. We even got to ride up front in the monorail.

Fast forward to March 1985 - Spring Break. Stopped in on way home from Ft. Lauderdale. A huge 'aw man' when I realized 20,000 Leagues only went down what - 6 inches?? And I laughed during HM because 'I was scared of that??'. Good times.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I remember the skyway in the Magic Kingdom between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

 

[sophie_the_pooh]

My first trip was in 1986, I was about to be 5 years old. I remember being so excited, I thought I saw Snow White when the planned landed! My favorite ride was already Pirates of the Carribean and my sister's was Jungle Cruise, we always started our trips later on with those 2 rides! I was also very impressed by the Country Bear Jamboree at the time, especially by the talking heads on the wall!

 

[75disney]

I am an old-timer... First trip in May 1975 and annual trips after that until I got married. One of my favorite things about early WDW was that we had time to enjoy the entire resort, not just rush to theme parks. I remember:

Visiting Treasure Island (later renamed Discovery Island) and seeing exotic birds and lots of flamingos. There was a shipwreck and Goofy rode by on water skis.

Taking the Moonlight Bay Cruise from The Contemporary and seeing the fireworks.

Riding around Seven Seas Lagoon in the little speed boats (can't think of their name).

Doing a Pirate Adventure from the Polynesian to an area where the GF now stands and digging up a treasure box of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drinks.

River Country - my first water park experience

Visiting Fort Wilderness and eating at Trail's End, playing checkers on the Trading Post, and playing on the playground.

Horseback riding at Fort Wilderness.

Playing tennis at the Contemporary.

Doing a 9-hole golf course at the Golf Resort.

Playing on the teapot play ground at the shopping village.

Doing Disney University courses, including Disney Creative Arts and World of Entertainment.

Top of The World dinner show at the Contemporary.

I haven't even gotten into my memories of MK or Epcot yet.

 

[Goofyernmost]

My first trip was in 1986, I was about to be 5 years old. I remember being so excited, I thought I saw Snow White when the planned landed! My favorite ride was already Pirates of the Carribean and my sister's was Jungle Cruise, we always started our trips later on with those 2 rides! I was also very impressed by the Country Bear Jamboree at the time, especially by the talking heads on the wall!

You very well might have seen Snow White there. In the early years MCO was very much into the Disney Theme. It is one of the things that I remember as my first impression of the Airport. I was 38 years old and thought that the Airport must have been owned by Disney. Everywhere you looked there was something Disney on display. I never saw any characters, but, that doesn't mean that it was done at some point.

 

[Disney4family]

I was also very impressed by the Country Bear Jamboree at the time, especially by the talking heads on the wall!

Me, too!
I forgot to add this attraction to my list! My son and I were enjoying it again last night on YouTube. Honestly, to this day watching Melvin, Buff & Max on the wall (and all the attraction characters) truly turns me into the little girl who was in awe of them back in 1973. It's a classic.

 

[danyoung56]

Riding around Seven Seas Lagoon in the little speed boats (can't think of their name).

Back then they were Water Mice (or rather one was called a Water Mouse).

 

[DisneyDaver]

Visiting Treasure Island (later renamed Discovery Island) and seeing exotic birds and lots of flamingos. There was a shipwreck and Goofy rode by on water skis.

I had forgotten about Discovery Island. As a kid, I loved taking the boat there from the Contemporary and walking around.

 

[Texas84]

I still miss the WDW radio station on the drive down and the AAA travel center in Ocala. We always stopped there for a break.

The original Studios backlot tour with the neighborhood street.

Monster Sound Show at DHS

Everything now closed or replaced at Epcot. CommuniCore/Innoventions is so sad. The computer room was my favorite (Only saw the 'Julie' version). It was sponsored by Unisys but I could recognize the DEC systems I worked on hidden in the back.

 

[Disney4family]

Didn't we have to go to Spaceship Earth to make dining reservations when the park first opened? I remember my parents doing something like that.

 

[The Mighty Tim]

I remember riding Mission to Mars sometime in the 80s. I don't remember too much of the ride itself, but what I do remember is the ride explaining that we were on our way to Mars. I turned to my dad and asked "are we really going to Mars?" to which he replied "yes".

I then remember shouting "BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO TO MARS!" and then having a minor freak out!

 

[Omi19]

Really old, long-timer here. Our kids were in third and fifth grade when we drove up from our home in Fort Lauderdale a few weeks after MK opened. Couldn't afford to stay overnight but did put in open to close hours. My husband's company had a deal where the ticket books were all E tickets. World Drive was the only road, so no getting lost. I too enjoyed riding up front on the monorail and 20,000 Leagues, regardless of how shallow an attraction it really was. We still go at least once a year but stay on property now!

 

[danyoung56]

Didn't we have to go to Spaceship Earth to make dining reservations when the park first opened? I remember my parents doing something like that.

Reservations were made on the day of. And there was a cool setup in Epcot, where you stood in front of a screen and a camera and made your reservation by talking to a person with a screen and a camera. Early video conferencing - very cool!

 

[G8rchamps]

Visited a bit in the 80's from age 7 and up. I remember River Country from a tent camping trip at Ft Wilderness. At MK I still remember the Skyway fondly, 20,000 leagues, Pirates, BB gun shooting, and the Country Bear Jamboree (long form). Epcot to me was the Living Seas, Figment (I mean JII) WITH the upstairs play room, World of Motion, and Horizons (I used to love picking underwater travel for some reason).