Things from WDW that impact your life at home

[DisneyNittany]

Between some medicinal grade cannabis (thank you, anxiety?) + an Oculus headset...I can be out of my home and in a Disney Park in seconds

 

[Sbk1234]

The last week in February 1983 after months of saving and dreaming myself, my wife and our two young girls found ourselves in WDW. I had never been and had no idea what it was all about. (Pre-internet days) As a family it was our first road trip from Vermont to anywhere further than Boston. I know my family had a great time but just to emphasize the affect it had on my life, the joy I was feeling on every minute of that trip was not describable and I can honestly say has never been duplicated. I tried a number of times to duplicate, but honestly was never successful.

I acquired my love of a road trip at that time, but that didn't compare with my feeling of total exhilaration and childlike anticipation that I felt as I drove onto World Drive. The sounds, the sights, the mechanics, the showmanship the ability to forget that the rest of the world even existed was overwhelming. After a long day at MK the next was to visit a 4 month old EPCOT Ctr., sorry to say that it was not mature enough yet to gather my imagination. Speaking of Imagination, even that didn't have the ride ready at that time and the lines were horrible for what was there, so we took a vote amongst ourselves and decided to climb into the car and go to the Kennedy Space Center. That place also blew us away and even that wasn't the finely tuned place it eventually became. But it was still fun and informative and the kids really loved it, as did my wife and I. Back to MK the next day to finish up on all the attractions before we headed back north the next day. We took a different route back and managed to spend a few hours in Silver Springs before heading back across the state and up I-95 to Washington, DC. After what turned out to be a private tour of DC the next stop was home. The only thing that prevented us from dipping into a depression was that after just one showing the girls and I had memorized the words to "Best Time of Our Lives" from CoP. Now is the Time was the theme music for CoP at the time and we managed to sing it most of the way back.

That adventure made me a die hard Disney Park fan. After that trip our lives took a turn for the worse in ways that are too complex and unstable to go into here, but it didn't stop me from trying to relive that Disney experience over and over again. It never was the same but that's not to say the subsequent trips weren't fun, because they were, they just didn't have that Wow factor that was presented by that first one. That was almost 39 years ago and my daughters, now in their mid-forty's, can still remember so clearly so many details of it. It just clicked. Heck, I even pursued getting a CDL with passenger endorsement so I could retire to Florida and drive bus for Disney. That and the first trip were constantly part of my day dreaming done when times were less then perfect.

As a side note, the song The Best Time Of Your Life was so appropriate during that and subsequent trips because it really felt true. Jump ahead 20 years and my wife had left, my girls were married and building their own families and I was traveling solo. I felt miserable and lost. I sat there on a bench and saw families going past and my mind went to those happy, happy years and what happened back then. I decided it was time to stop the pity party and went to CoP. By then "It's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" was the new theme. There was something about it that fired me up and made me feel that life could be good again and that the only thing that was standing between me and that was myself. I then made new plans for what was left of my life and try to build a new set of memories to basically bookend my life. I made decisions that changed everything. I kept the past in memory and looked forward much more then backward. Now the older age is paying my it's visit once again things have changed but I'm not upset, just trying to adjust to my new adventure.

Thanks for sharing. My story is very different, but the memories of Walt Disney World has certainly helped me get through some difficult times.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I have an Animal Kingdom Lodge coffee mug that I use

 

[wendysue]

I haven't gone for awhile now and my bank account is much larger.

 

[jloucks]

The last week in February 1983 ..... once again things have changed but I'm not upset, just trying to adjust to my new adventure.

I enjoy this biography, and the little bits of new infos, every time you post it.

 

[Lilofan]

I haven't gone for awhile now and my bank account is much larger.

You are not the only one. Working from home also can save one more money ( ie less commuting costs, etc ).

 

[Goofyernmost]

I enjoy this biography, and the little bits of new infos, every time you post it.

I know people must be getting tired of my reposting, but rewriting my memories of that trip and the impact it had on my life over the last 39 years. I haven't even touched the surface of the reaction and actions that I tried to plan to immerse myself in the Disney Magic. That is why I am so upset about the changes, not only in the pricing, but the offerings and the planning, the commitments and the procedures that are now in place to see the stuff that once meant so much to me, All I had to do back then was buy a ticket and walk through the gate and the entirety of WDW was at my fingertips.

No other charges for the experiences from morning to night. That's not including the extra cost for food and souvenir, of course. It just had a different welcoming feel that said, you don't have to be wealthy and once you walk through those gates everyone is absolutely equal. We cannot tell if you are a billionaire or a pauper. Have a great time and if you are a kid or have one living inside we promise the world will not infringe on your enjoyment. Enjoy your first or second childhood.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I see posts of some of my Facebook friends who are at Disney World, and I wish I had another trip planned.

 

[TotallyBiased]

Pics & vids that we'd take around the park. Our last trip was Dec 2019 the week before xmas so the wife got to see the castle lit up in ice. It reminds her of her grandmother, who passed some time ago. So it comes up in the photo screensaver on our Fire Cube and she'll play it and here come the water works, ever single time. I play it for my niece because she's a Frozen zealot and her little nose squishes up in excitement and she names off the characters.

Have vids with my youngest in an awkward conversation with Peter Pan. Have pics of my wife and I with Belle (My wife's favorite). The photographer did a bunch of rapid snaps and happened to catch the cast member with an expression that looks like the ghost of Taco nights past has just wafted by. I still laugh when I scroll through my pics and it comes up. All sorts of things like that.

Would be fun to take her if I could pawn her off on someone else after a couple hours so I could go be a kid myself lol.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I upload photos after every trip. We go frequently to most of the Orlando parks so I’ve amassed a pretty nice collection.

In addition to the regular family snaps and the Meet and Greets, I’ve got some good ones of random things - Like Kiosk/Restaurant Menus along with prices dating back over a decade. Always fun and nostalgic to reminisce.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

On my MacBook, my wallpaper is a picture from my 2017 trip.

 

[Lilofan]

I still remember my Mickey ears car antenna when everyone I drove my car it reminded me of our family trips.

 

[ELG13]

When I'm having a particularly rough day I'll put on the BGM on YouTube from different lands or just the full ride and BGM playlists and listen to it all day. It's like talking a walk around the parks and it really helps cheer me up.