Trip down memory lane

[goofymom]

I was thinking how so many of us love anything Disney and thought it would be interesting to hear what instilled the loyalty and love everyone has. What are everyone's earliest memories of Disney? As a child, I remember listening to those Disney read along story records on my record player and I never wanted to miss the Wonderful World of Disney program that came on every weekend. I loved the Mickey Mouse Club and watched it every afternoon. We only made it to WDW a couple of times as a child but I fell in love with it. What about everyone else? What are your memories and what made you a Disney fanatic?

 

[tiggerlover1971]

My earliest memory is that i had a mickey and minnie room that is why i have such a great love of the mouse I had the first mickey phone i had a minnie lamp i had mickey and minnie sheets i had a mickey and friends sleeping bag

 

[CmdrTostada]

My earliest memory is of the maelstrom. All I remembered was the beggining with the circling light. The rest of my good memories were from going to Disneyland.

PS: its really cool that so far the first two avatars were done by me. Sorry for the gloating

 

[DisneyWorldGuru]

I would have to say the thing that got me hooked is seeing a park like WDW on TV as a little kid and saying that is where I want to go. My parents never took me until I was 9. So I learned everything I could and I had the best time of my life. What got me even more was the monorail. Nothing else in the world is like it.

 

[Fievel]

I went once when i was real young but don't really remember it.

I'll always remember in HS Band going and marching at the Magic Kingdom. They swing open teh 15-20 ft doors to Main Street, and people are just packed on each side.

I thought that was the most people i'd ever seen for a parade.

well...until i marched in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade.

btw, I have performed in Disneyland twice since then, so I've actually seen backstage at both parks

 

[The Mom]

I was just over 30 the first time I went to MK & Epcot (the other parks didn't exist) with my parents. (it was their first visit to our first house here in Florida, or anywhere) Cjildren were still a dream.

I had never had any desire to visit WDW, but felt I had to do the Florida tourist thing for them, so we went. (we were in the military, so I was able to get a great deal) I had been to amusement parks before, but never anything like this! Epcot had just opened, and it was incredible! I had been to the NY World's fair, and this was so much better.

When we returned, I made plans for a return with my husband a few months later. I skipped the year when my daughter was an infant, but as soon as she could walk we started going at least 1-3 times a year; sometimes more. Each new park and attraction made each trip a little different. Then when we got to a point when we could afford to stay on site every trip, we started adding "new" resorts to the mix. I haven't stayed at every resort yet, but am working on it!

I've always wondered if I'll get tired of WDW. It's been 20 years, and I haven't reached that point yet!

 

[figmentmom]

I visited WDW for the first time when our kids were in elementary school, so I fell in love with the place on two levels - seeing it through my kids' eyes, and seeing it through my own eyes! My kids were just so enthralled that it was impossible not to feel the magic through them. In any case, though, I was a fan for life the first time I saw the castle and realized, "This is it! I'm actually HERE!"

And I feel that same way EVERY TIME!:lol:

 

[cuteypatooty78]

My memories of WDW were when I first went in 1985. I was 7 at the time and remember the first sight I saw as we drove up to the park. Just as we entered where Polynesian Village Resort is a monorail passed over our car as we drove by. Never having seen a monorail before I was awe struck. I just couldn't believe all the things I was seeing in this magical place! I remember riding the HM for the first time and that was the only ride I didn't keep my eyes open on....Can't wait to go back!!!

BTW:I remember on my second trip I went on this ride sponsored by Delta Airlines...I remember near the end you headed straight for the engine of a plane before the ride ended...Anyone remember this ride?

 

[Sailor Mouse]

Not necesarily my first memory, but one of my favorites was from my first trip to WDW, when I was 5. My favorite Disney character was (still is) Pinocchio, and I had my little heart set on seeing him. My parents told me that he might not be there, and that I shouldn't get my hopes up. But I told them tha I knew he would be waiting there for me. So, we get to the MK, and there he was, right at the front gate, even though he was supposed to have gone in 15 minutes earlier. I just looked up at my parents and said, "See, I told you so." I suppose that got me hooked, the idea that anything could happen.

 

[Fievel]

Originally posted by cuteypatooty78
BTW:I remember on my second trip I went on this ride sponsored by Delta Airlines...I remember near the end you headed straight for the engine of a plane before the ride ended...Anyone remember this ride?

Delta Dreamflight....or "if you had wings"

 

[nikimsu2002]

I remember listening to the Disney stories on tape. I also had a Mickey Mouse sleeping bags and Disney sheets and a Little Mermaid blanket.

I also remember going to Disney World when I was 5 with my cousins. It was my second trip but I was only 1 when I went the first time. My cousins, borther, and I really liked looking in the windows of the land that is now Toon Town. I also remember my brother and youngest cousin being afraid of Mickey.

My las trip is my most memorable though. I went with my family, my boyfriend and my brother's friend. I worked up enough courage to go on Rock N Roller Coaster and had a lot of fun. I also enjoyed when my 5 and 7 year old cousins spent a day with us at MK. Taking them on some of the rides was a lot of fun.

 

[jaimjaim25]

I had an OLD record of It's a Small World and I used to listen to it constantly. The first Time i went to Disney World I was 4 years old and the only thing I remember from that trip was getting LOST! I cried until I found my parents. It was scary! But the best memories are the little quotes me and my sister remember from when we go to Disney World. Like last year at the pool in Port Orleans Riverside. One of the life guard had the most monotone voice and he would say about 100 times to all the kids, "Please come down the slide on your back or bottom only. Walk Please" We crack up about that constantly!

 

[radioandy]

My first trip to WDW was at age 7 ('78), and I remember being overwhelmed by the "magic." It's funny what I remember most from that trip: chicken fingers from the Fort Wilderness general store (they were cold but put in a magic box that made them warm!). Boat rides on a VERY cold lagoon in December. The electric water parade blew me away.
I remember getting chills from seeing the top of the castle from across the lagoon.
I was content to walk-thru Space Mountain. To this day the tune from "If You Had Wings" floats through my head from time to time (must have been the catchy lyrics..."if you had wings had wings, if you had wings had wings had wings had wings..")
I was terrified on the Snow White ride, and was a little nervous when we got on board "It's a Small World." Then my mom pointed out the sign declaring it to be the happiest ride on earth. Whew!

 

[stingrock23]

I was young the first time i went to wdw, so i don't remember much, but my earliest memory is of the monorails. They were my favorite ride and what started my whole disney obsession.

 

[WDWspider]

Well, for me it was a combination of three rides and a song. The "When you wish upon a star" used to make me tear up when I was young. Riding "If you had Wings", "CoP", and "Dumbo" was like a dream come true on different levels. The Song and cool finale room on IYHW, the awesome animatronics and song on CoP, and being able to fly with Dumbo. I use to believe that WDW was one of the seven wonders of the world when I was little also.:lol:

When I was little there was nothing else like MK anywhere, it was just overwhelming and that has stuck with me ever since, and when I stop to think about it, WDW still is an amazing accomplishment to do all the things they do... the parks, rides, utilities, hotels, roads, DD, monorails, boats, buses, restaurants, golf courses, WWoS, etc... wow, they are one of the seven wonders of the world after all.:animwink:

 

[dliddi]

I was first there in my early teens, but it was probably the second time to WDW, with just my 3 friends at 16, no parents, or anyone over 17, part of it was just that freedom of being on your own, and the other was the parks at night, that’s what did it for me, and just so much more, like the smells, sounds, monorail monolog, sitting on the rocking chairs, at fort wilderness watching people get of the boat from MK, at midnight, and on and on well I guess it wasn't just one thing, it was many, probably like most of you. :wave:

 

[monorail256]

My first memory of anything disney would have to be like someone already pointed out the record-read along books... but my first disney world memory (that i can remember...) is the first time I met Mickey.. its all on Video and is so cool to watch cus I was in awe....

 

[Terp02]

I grew up watching Disney movies and my granparents bought me this amazing book, which I still have, of all of the Disney Animated movies up to the late 70's or early 80's, i have to check, and it has behind the scenes pictures, cells from the movies, and stories about the making of the movies. It was given to me when I was 2, back in 1985 I think, maybe it was 84 when I was 1, I don't remember, but I have the book at home. It's a gold book cover sleeve and is hardcovered. I'll try to get back to this thread and post the title. All I know is that my dad said that this was a pretty rare book and that he made sure to not throw it out or give away.

Anyway, my first trip to WDW was in 1987 when my Dad had a Chiropractor workshop/convention in Orlando, so he decided to take his young family(I was 3.5 and my bro was probably 14 months) to WDW while he was going to be there. Well the only memories I have from the trip, besides looking at pictures, are going to see Country Bears 3 times and being terrified of the heads on the wall all 3 times, watching my dad go on Thunder Mountain and wanting to ride with him, going on Mission to Mars, this fake talking bird in the Buena Vista Palace (or castle, whatever that hotel is/was called), seeing Figment and Dreamfinder (if I'm wrong with his name please tell me, I'm not good with names sometimes) outside of JII and the Imageworks. After I got home I also remember my mom borrowing the Country Bears record from a local library and I would just listen to that all the time. We went back in '89, I think my dad had another convention, and we were supposed to stay at the Contemporary but they were overbooked so they moved us to their new resort free of charge; that resort was the Grand Floridian, not a bad place to stay on property for the first time:animwink: . I have lots of memories from that trip and the next 4 after that, but that would just take forever to write down..............

 

[JLW11Hi]

I was a huge fan of Mickey and animation when I was little. I have always loved drawing, and I remember always trying to draw mickey, which is my earliest memory of Disney. I have been to WDW many times when I was really young, but I can barely remember any of it (I have bad memory), but I do remember watching the Disney Channel a lot, so that was probably what introduced me to everything Disney (besides Mickey). The actuall time I got back to WDW and started being a huge fanatic of all of it was about 4 years ago. We hadn't gone for a few years, but I started reading up on how it was built and all about Walt and stuff, then I found a whole new reason for loving Disney so much.

 

[jaimjaim25]

Actually, i can remeber one more thing that i didnt mention before. When EPCOT was being built, and not opened yet, the monorail to EPCOT was finished and I remember taking the ride there, because that was the only thing opened there. It's soooo wierd that Epcot wasnt even there the 1st time I went to DIsney World (I was 4) but EPCOT is now my favorite :animwink: