Vacation Planning-1997 Style

[Starlight67]

Stayed at Dixie Landing in early 1997 25th Anniversary was going on. Wish I had a time machine to go back to 1997. Seemed to take a lot less planning loved the Back Lot. Wife has a T shirt back undecorated castle front decorated castle

It does seem like there was a lot less planning back then. Nothing to worry about before leaving, you just got there and had fun. And basically every guest was in the same boat-you either waited in line for an attraction, or didn't, and that was that. No need to plan every detail of every day sixty days out. There was a lot of freedom and a lot less hassle around trips to Disney in the old school days! (Due to the rose colored glasses effect, I'm sure I could be forgetting SOME hassles from back in the day, but I can't think of any right now.)

 

[westie]

I went for my honeymoon in '97 as well. Stayed at the swan. Being a westcoaster I sure do miss pleasure island and hanging out late night. I really miss alien encounter and sitting at the exit and watching all the screaming, crying, traumatized kids coming off that ride! good times!!

 

[danyoung56]

And basically every guest was in the same boat-you either waited in line for an attraction, or didn't, and that was that.

For me, I just didn't stand in long lines. So if I wasn't at a park right at rope drop, I didn't ride Space Mountain or Splash Mountain. Now, with FP+ and a little effort, I can ride whatever I want to, whenever I want to. Again, for me, it's not a bad price to pay.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

We went in March of 1997. I was 16 and a half. I remember looking at the ticket prices for Magic Kingdom and being glad that my dad had the money to pay for that $40 price tag per day. I thought that was a lot. Crazy, huh?

Yeah I don't remember a lot of planning either. Everyone was in the same boat. You just went that day and didn't think anything of it. The brochures told you the park hours. You had a map and that was about it. If Splash Mountain was a long line up, you came back to it. I don't remember being in a standstill on lines much back then either. A line might be long, but it just always seemed to be moving. No fastpasses I guess.

I guess Peter Pan had a long line back then, but you know what, we rode it every trip back then guaranteed. Again, I just remember that line always seeming to be moving. Small World was a walk on. Pirates was practically a walk on (still not bad to this day) and Jungle Cruise was always a very short wait. Oh sure, people were fat in 1997 too, but maybe it is just the nostalgia kicking in but I remember far less scooters and strollers, even then. Stuff was more spontaneous too it seemed.

 

[jkl2000]

I went in February 1997 as well, and there were no Fast Passes. No other option than to just stand in line, which wasn’t all that long back then.

All we had was a paper ticket, and all it did was get you into the park...you didn’t use it for anything else.

When we went in 2000, I remember just standing in line for many rides, but that for some rides you could get a return time ticket. I only remember doing that for Jungle Cruise. Maybe they had that in 1997?