Trip Report It Began Here ~ Magic Kingdom, July 1972 *COMPLETED*

The title says it all....my love for Walt Disney World began with my very first visit a mere 9 months after the Magic Kingdom opened its gates. My grandparents had recently moved to Florida and we made the long drive from New England to spend a week with them. During that week we would get to spend one glorious day at the Most Magical Place On Earth.

I can still remember my excitement and anticipation. Naturally I wanted to see my grandparents, but this Disney World had captured my thoughts. What would it be like? The only castle I had ever seen was one made of sand. How beautiful a real castle must be! I counted the hours until our pre-dawn departure (it was a couple hours drive.) Once on the road I kept my eyes peeled for THE sign: Disney World, Next Exit.

One sign, one exit. No grand archway like there is now. No purple directional signs. No mouse ears. Nothing but a two lane road. A very long, straight and boring road! (Try to visualize World Drive with nothing to look at!) Where was this Magic Kingdom? Why is it taking so long to get there?

Finally....the Toll Plaza. But as you all know, you can't see the Magic Kingdom from the Toll Plaza!

Just a few minutes longer and we parked the car. Then we got to ride the coolest form of transportation ever.....the monorail!! Which deposited us here:

Okay, I am getting a little ahead of myself. Let me explain the pictures. My dad had a 35mm camera from which he developed slides. Which, 35 years later, we scanned into his computer. So the quality of the photos is marginal at best. And film was expensive in 1972, so he didn't take many pictures (which we all regret now!)

Today I was at my parents' house to discuss their upcoming Disney vacation with my youngest brother's family. I decided to tag along when I saw the ridiculously low Southwest fares (SW got me too, @Doc Disney!) Mom was able to add me to their dining reservations and I was able to snag similar fastpass times (even for Frozen Ever After! ) We ran across these old pictures that I thought would be fun to share with my WDWMagic friends.

So if you wouldn't mind being a little more patient for my July 2016 trip report (I'm looking at you, @TrolleyFollower91 ) I now give you this:

Main Street, July 1972

 

[Gabe1]

Yes! I was actually there on July 4th. I'm foggy on a lot of things and this was my first trip to Disney World, my first time in Florida, my first time flying on a plane, so everything is just a whirl of excitement. You've really taken me back here and it's a very nice feeling! I remember that there was a lot of hoopla in the area around The Hall of Presidents. There was quite a wait to get inside and outside there was a band playing patriotic music. There were also performers dressed as the more well known Presidents. I think they were doing historical recitations. There were red, white, and blue decorations everywhere. There was a special parade. It was called something like America's Parade. This was the first parade I'd ever seen other than the ones you might see in a small town where local officials and community groups and the high school band walk down the street, or the Macy's parade on television. It was amazing. I remember feeling like the crowd was huge lining the streets to watch but everyone was so polite and they let the small children move to the front. Everyone was given little flags to wave. We left the park for a while in the evening to go to a special dinner that my father had saved up for. It was on the top of the Contemporary. I think. I remember it being called The Top Of The World but that doesn't make sense since Top Of The World is the name of the lounge over in the BLT. I also remember it rotating which again I'm not sure is true. Obviously you're a way better historian than I am I did absolutely eat shrimp scampi that night and it was the best thing I had ever eaten! After dinner we went back to the park for the fire works. Amazing falls short as a description. I was particularly impressed with how the show was timed to the music. I'd never experienced anything of the sort before. Other random things I remember- climbing The Swiss Family Treehouse. I'd never been to the south so I was certainly feeling the heat, but that Treehouse didn't need a ticket so there was no way my family wasn't going up. Waiting 2 1/2 hours to ride Space Mountain. It was terrifying but so exciting. The seats must have been different then because I'm pretty sure my little brother sat on my lap or between my legs. Wow.

And about 10 years ago I snarf'd up all those partially used ticket packets from my Mom's end table drawers before she tossed them. Fond memories.

 

[Gabe1]

I remember being wowed by the Grand Canyon Concourse ~ the giant Mary Blair murals and watching the monorails whoosh through the hotel! There was also a ticket booth located in between the escalators which led to the monorail platform (very convenient for hotel guests.) How many ticket books would my dad buy for us? One for each day? Or would we have to stretch our tickets over the two days? There were three levels of tickets: child age 3-10; junior age 11-17; and adult. (Wouldn't it be great if Disney still had that mid-price junior level rather than count kids 10 and up as adults?!)

We took our kids to WDW each year for a few weeks each fall. We always booked our trips through the Walt Disney World Travel Corp.
It was all inclusive, airfare, park tickets, room, car and breakfast each day at TS or Character. That was the only package that continued to offer a Junior Age ticket and why we booked through the WDWTC. Our travel agent was our bestie back then, saved us plenty.

 

[awheartsdw]

Wow, @Tuvalu, this is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this-this is definitely a lot of fun! My first trip to Disney, I believe, was in 1983/1984 (either 7 or 8 years old)-I'm fuzzy on the specific year, but I do remember I had a red Gear rubber clutch handbag (this may have been a Long Island fad) with me-just like you had your handbag with you at such a young age in all of your pictures too! These images are fantastic! What great memories of yesterday and present day!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

So awesome to see those pictures. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Tuvalu]

I have 'em, but I'd have to separate them from the "magnetic" photo albums and scan 'em!!

Or you could take the easy way and take pictures of the pictures....just sayin'.

Loving your photo's, they are an inspiration for me to weed through all those photos at my Moms.

I think I can speak for a lot of folks, we'd love to see them!

 

[Tuvalu]

Wow, @Tuvalu, this is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this-this is definitely a lot of fun! My first trip to Disney, I believe, was in 1983/1984 (either 7 or 8 years old)-I'm fuzzy on the specific year, but I do remember I had a red Gear rubber clutch handbag (this may have been a Long Island fad) with me-just like you had your handbag with you at such a young age in all of your pictures too! These images are fantastic! What great memories of yesterday and present day!

Carrying a handbag always made me feel more "grown up." I still remember the first bag I ever bought...bright blue...cost all of $6. I loved it! Thanks for sharing your memory.

So awesome to see those pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for reading!

 

[Tuvalu]

Ok, I have a few more photos from July 1973 to share.

Mannix and I on the Tomorrowland bridge expertly posed in front of a trash can. The pavilion behind us is the dock for the Swan Boats, one of the original attractions I miss most. (The Mickey Mouse Revue being another ~ so happy the Three Caballeros have a new home in Epcot!)

This unique angle of the Crystal Palace was taken from onboard a Swan Boat. After boarding, the boat traversed clockwise around the hub, into Advertureland and then into the moat in front of Cinderella Castle, before arriving back at the dock.

Here is another pic taken from the boat ~ The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.

 

[Tuvalu]

The castle as seen from the Plaza Swan Boats (its official name) exit:

Can I tell you just how glad I am that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train now occupies the space of this former attraction?

For me, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a colossal disappointment. The outdoor queue was stifling hot in the July sun and we had to wait an hour in line. Once inside the submarine, there was only a tiny porthole to look out of from my seat. At my young age I believed the sub would actually submerge and I recognized the "mock submersion" instantly. There wasn't a whole lot to look at and when there was it seemed fake, not magical. Worst of all, the attraction ate up one of my coveted E tickets! My dad would have to shell out 90 cents (stop laughing!) for another E ticket for me and I was too afraid to ask him.

I did not ride 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea again until MK introduced the all-day Passport....and I still hated it.

Naturally we had to watch the 3 o'clock parade. Unfortunately, this is the only picture from it. But it's a fun one!

Goofy ridin' Herbie!

 

[Tuvalu]

"Take an afternoon break ~ go back to your resort to rest, swim and recharge before returning to the park at night." You will find this sage advice all over the Internet. Guess what...my family did this before it became "a thing."

Here's my mom watching Mannix and me (and my dad, once he finished taking pictures) swim in the now-called "quiet" pool at the Contemporary. A circular pool completely surrounded with spraying water jets is far from quiet!! It was also a little frightening if you happened to pop up from swimming underwater only to be pelted in the face by a jet spray!

You can see the pool behind the girl in the hideous bathing suit. I hope she had that spot on her left forearm checked by a dermatologist!

 

[Tuvalu]

There's nothing like the MK at night. You know how empty the park seems during those late night EMHs? That was every night during the 70s and 80s. Since there were so few on-property resorts, people arrived in the mornings, spent the day and left at dusk. Lines were non-existent once it got dark. (I yearn for those days!)

And those who left early missed out on a huge treat:

This was NOT the MSEP currently running at WDW. This parade had the original Baroque Hoedown and segments from Dumbo and Robin Hood....none of the scary and inappropriate scenes from Pinocchio (I'm talking to you, smoking cigar Indians!) When the MSEP was shipped off to Disneyland (to make room for my beloved SpectroMagic ) some floats were removed and others added. This is the version at MK today. So I am really not sad that MSEP is finally leaving. (Fingers crossed that there will be a new light parade with the technology of SpectroMagic or Paint the Night.)

 

[Tuvalu]

On our second day we got to ride the Skyway. Those of you who have ridden the Skyway probably remember that it was a one-way ride. You boarded in Fantasyland and disembarked in Tomorrowland (or vice versa). However, once you got off you were free to get in line for a ride in the opposite direction. I know I made my dad do this a few times with me, as I loved this ride! Although it did spoil the magic for me a *little* bit, as you could see areas where there was no theming. (This is the main reason I have never done a "backstage" tour. I have no desire to see the utilidors or inner-workings of an attraction. I don't want reality injected into my fantasy.)

Below is the Tomorrowland Skyway station (in front of the Contemporary).

I've saved this picture for last, because, well, I knew you would all covet my hat.

(Admit it...you want it!!)

 

[LowesChevy]

That is fun! I know my father went with his family in 1972, but I have yet to find photos from that trip in my grammie's stash. Thanks for sharing

 

[HurricaneHanna]

hahaha. The hat pic is priceless @Tuvalu ! Thanks for sharing the story of your first trips. This was special.

 

[MinnieM123]

Wait a minute! Stop the presses! I rode the Skyway with my mother back in 1985 -- I don't ever recall that you could ride it back in the opposite direction!! Did you have some sort of VIP pass to do that??!!!

 

[MinnieM123]

I've saved this picture for last, because, well, I knew you would all covet my hat.

Pass. I think that's why you were wearing sunglasses to hide behind, from all the people gawking at the girl in the funny hat!

 

[Tuvalu]

That is fun! I know my father went with his family in 1972, but I have yet to find photos from that trip in my grammie's stash. Thanks for sharing

Hope you can find those old photos! Thanks for reading.

hahaha. The hat pic is priceless @Tuvalu ! Thanks for sharing the story of your first trips. This was special.

It was fun reminiscing. And it's great to be old enough now not to care how dorky I looked!

Wait a minute! Stop the presses! I rode the Skyway with my mother back in 1985 -- I don't ever recall that you could ride it back in the opposite direction!! Did you have some sort of VIP pass to do that??!!!

Get on in Fantasyland. Get off in Tomorrowland. Get in the line at the Tomorrowland Station. Get onboard. Get off in Fantasyland.
Lather, rinse, repeat. It's not rocket science.

 

[popcenturylover]

Love your pics! My first trip was in 82' @ 8 years old & I fell in love! I don't believe we got many pics, if any from that trip. So, I am enjoying yours!

 

[Zipadeelady]

I do want that hat @Tuvalu. I'd wear it today.

 

[coachwnh]

This is just great stuff. I wasnt at Disney as a kid. Didnt make it there until I was working as a summer camp counselor in college in the early 90s. I have no idea where those pictures are. Im assuming they were lost when we were flooded several years back. Seeing your pictures makes me wish I still had them

 

[Tuvalu]

Love your pics! My first trip was in 82' @ 8 years old & I fell in love! I don't believe we got many pics, if any from that trip. So, I am enjoying yours!

When Disney gets your love as a kid, it has you for life!

I do want that hat @Tuvalu. I'd wear it today.

Awww!