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How long have you've been a WDW fan?
- Thread starter cba
- Start date
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I guess I should talk about my father. It's all his fault, ya know, that I'm obsessed.
He was 12. It was 1972. He REALLY wanted to go to Disney, but he came from a single-parent family, and his mother's reply was "Save your money." So he did. He had a newspaper route and managed to save some money. Then he started showing Disney movies in the basement (I think his father must have gotten them a video player) and charging the neighborhood kids admission. Once his mother saw that he was serious, she helped out a bit and they were able to go in either 72 or 73. They went back a few years later when she had remarried. Then, once he was in college, he would just save up, grab a couple of friends, and go. He's got some pretty funny stories from back then.
He married my mother in 85, and they really wanted to go for their honeymoon, but couldn't afford it. So they saved up and went for their one year anniversary. They went every September (their anniversary month) after that. Then I was born. I was just along for the ride. We started going twice a year in 97. My parents bought into DVC in 98. Trip changed to August when I started school.
When he fell in love with Disney is questionable. I think he always liked their product (Jungle Book was his favorite movie growing up) and when he heard about WDW, he just wanted to go and has never missed going there.
Now that he's got two kids, he's forced to go. Oh, he still loves it. He gets so excited planning for it, deciding how many points to buy, this and that, but I think if he didn't, he'd have a revolt on his hands.
My mother fell in love with it at some point after she got married. She only went once as a kid, so with my father was the first time she really experienced it. She loves it as much as we do. She usually has Mickey somewhere on her outfit.
He was 12. It was 1972. He REALLY wanted to go to Disney, but he came from a single-parent family, and his mother's reply was "Save your money." So he did. He had a newspaper route and managed to save some money. Then he started showing Disney movies in the basement (I think his father must have gotten them a video player) and charging the neighborhood kids admission. Once his mother saw that he was serious, she helped out a bit and they were able to go in either 72 or 73. They went back a few years later when she had remarried. Then, once he was in college, he would just save up, grab a couple of friends, and go. He's got some pretty funny stories from back then.
He married my mother in 85, and they really wanted to go for their honeymoon, but couldn't afford it. So they saved up and went for their one year anniversary. They went every September (their anniversary month) after that. Then I was born. I was just along for the ride. We started going twice a year in 97. My parents bought into DVC in 98. Trip changed to August when I started school.
When he fell in love with Disney is questionable. I think he always liked their product (Jungle Book was his favorite movie growing up) and when he heard about WDW, he just wanted to go and has never missed going there.
Now that he's got two kids, he's forced to go. Oh, he still loves it. He gets so excited planning for it, deciding how many points to buy, this and that, but I think if he didn't, he'd have a revolt on his hands.
My mother fell in love with it at some point after she got married. She only went once as a kid, so with my father was the first time she really experienced it. She loves it as much as we do. She usually has Mickey somewhere on her outfit.
disneysince71
Well-Known Member
disneysince71
Well-Known Member
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disneysince71
Well-Known Member
juniorthomas
Well-Known Member
What happened to the rest of that girl's bear?
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I enjoy your picture replies so much.
Gonzo79
Well-Known Member
My first trip was in 93 when I was 13 years old,but my love for the parks started way before that. It started sometime in the early or mid 80s when the Disney channel used to show shows from the parks. I believe it was called Dateline Disney World,or something like that.But I remember them showing a lot of the rides at EPCOT and seeing the animatronics from rides like Spaceship Earth and Horizons.I knew then that that place was something special and I needed to go there.
AintNoOtherMan
Well-Known Member
When I was little (Like, 10), I would play concierge with my parents in line. I guess that's where it started... because when I came home I still made them play it, in hopes of being a concierge at one of the hotels when I'm older. (I have higher hopes now though 
). And well, now I'm here.
So pretty much about 5 years now. (I feel like one of the youngest people here... You are all so lucky to have gotten to experience the things I dream about lol)
). And well, now I'm here.So pretty much about 5 years now. (I feel like one of the youngest people here... You are all so lucky to have gotten to experience the things I dream about lol)
Genie of the Lamp
Well-Known Member
I've been a WDW Fan since 1996. Only was it around 2007ish when I really started becoming seriously interested on sites like these where we would discuss all things Disney/WDW 24/7
olinecoach61
Well-Known Member
Honestly, I have been a fan for as long as I remember. If I had to guess an age I would say 6???
Sweet Melissa
Well-Known Member
Not very long. I grew up in California, so Disneyland was my first love. I didn't really have any desire to visit Disney World until I moved to the east coast in 2006. It was a natural progression, though. I've been a fan of Disney as a production studio for as long as I can remember. The first movie I remember seeing in theaters was a re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Love of the movies and love of Disneyland? It was only a matter of time before I loved Disney World too. And it was indeed love at first sight.
Csmith041177
Well-Known Member
What a great topic! My first trip was in 1987, when I was 10. I have been a huge fan ever since!
rodserling27
Well-Known Member
This is indeed a great topic! I loved it from the moment I went at the meek age of 2! But when did I start to be obsessed with it? Hmm...
It stems from my uncle, who lives in Florida with the rest of my mother's family. Without divulging too much information, one of my uncles has a very hard life taking care of his quadriplegic older brother. His favorite place to escape has always been WDW and he has used it as an escape. I always wondered why he was so obsessed with it and just what was so cool about Walt Disney etc...until I went there with him on one of my trips, probably 1999, and that's when I really started to see WDW through his view and not just as the child that I was. From WDW's rich history, to Walt's legacy...I just started to fall in love with all of it. My family had just gotten the internet as well, and I remember my mom having to PRY me away from the PC at night, as I would be looking up as much as I could about WDW online.
I drifted away for a bit when I got turned into a bratty teenager, but when I graduated high school, I saved up my money all year with my best bud, and we took a trip to WDW (his first!) while all of our friends were getting busted for underage drinking at the Delaware beaches during senior week. HA! Probably from that trip forward (2005), I became a WDW-holic.
When I learned about things like forced perspective, the windows on main street, area music loops...I felt like a kid in a candy shop! I still love to learn all about that stuff and all the hidden history and culture that's in WDW. Whether it was something nerdy like "what key signature is MSEP's music in?" or something technical like "How do they do the ghost scene in Tower of Terror?", I suppose curiosity combined with a LARGE affinity for fun have primarily driven my casual interest in WDW to a full-blown passion.
As much of a critic I am about the place, I really can't get enough of it. (I suppose that's WHY I'm so harsh sometimes...because I want it to be the very best it can be, 'cause I love it so darn much!)
It stems from my uncle, who lives in Florida with the rest of my mother's family. Without divulging too much information, one of my uncles has a very hard life taking care of his quadriplegic older brother. His favorite place to escape has always been WDW and he has used it as an escape. I always wondered why he was so obsessed with it and just what was so cool about Walt Disney etc...until I went there with him on one of my trips, probably 1999, and that's when I really started to see WDW through his view and not just as the child that I was. From WDW's rich history, to Walt's legacy...I just started to fall in love with all of it. My family had just gotten the internet as well, and I remember my mom having to PRY me away from the PC at night, as I would be looking up as much as I could about WDW online.
I drifted away for a bit when I got turned into a bratty teenager, but when I graduated high school, I saved up my money all year with my best bud, and we took a trip to WDW (his first!) while all of our friends were getting busted for underage drinking at the Delaware beaches during senior week. HA! Probably from that trip forward (2005), I became a WDW-holic.
When I learned about things like forced perspective, the windows on main street, area music loops...I felt like a kid in a candy shop! I still love to learn all about that stuff and all the hidden history and culture that's in WDW. Whether it was something nerdy like "what key signature is MSEP's music in?" or something technical like "How do they do the ghost scene in Tower of Terror?", I suppose curiosity combined with a LARGE affinity for fun have primarily driven my casual interest in WDW to a full-blown passion.
As much of a critic I am about the place, I really can't get enough of it. (I suppose that's WHY I'm so harsh sometimes...because I want it to be the very best it can be, 'cause I love it so darn much!)
RandomPrincess
Keep Moving Forward
Since 2000, my first trip. I've been a DL fan since birth in my family it is practically a religion.
scoobygirl39541
Well-Known Member
Been a fan my whole life and always dreamed of going but never could! Became a mega-fan in after my first trip in 2001 when I was 11 year old!
CP_alum08
Well-Known Member
Really only about 4 years. My grandparents lived in FL when I was going up so we visited them almost every summer. We would typically make a day or 2 trip to WDW everytime we visited them but the "love" didnt really set in until I did the college program in '08. My first "disney vacation" wasn't until '09 when i came home from my CP and really missed it and had to go back!
