What moment made you fall in love with disney?

[Toon crazy]

I have always been a Disney fan. From when I was five years old and my aunt took my brother and I to Disneyland. She made good money and liked to do nice things for my family. My mother was a poor single parent with 4 kids and couldn't afford trips like that. From the first moment I walked up main street I knew I liked Disney. I did not however love Disney until much later.

We always made plans to go to Disney again someday, but never could come up with the money. Eventually, I moved on with my life. I went to school, got a good job, got married and we had a child of our own.

When my DD turned three. I decided I wanted to take her and my DW on their first trip to Disneyland. You see my DW has lived in California her whole life and never been to Disneyland, ( it's sad I know).
Needless to say we had a great time. Seeing the park thru my DD's eyes was magical. We became regulars to Disneyland and even became APH.

Four years later things would change. My DD had begun to lose weight and was constantly thirsty. I had suspicions of what it was. But when the Doctor confirmed my suspicions, and diagnosed her with type 1 Diabetes we were devastated.

The usual things run thru your head. What did I do? Is this my fault? We had never let her have too many sweets but what if it was still too much. We came to understand that there was nothing we had done. Type 1 isn't caused by bad eating or bad choices. You can't eat less sweets to stop it. You can't do more exercise to make it go away it just happens.

So now my daughter was forced to prick her finger and check her blood before every meal. She had to have insulin shots at least four times a day. A hard life for a Seven year old at the time.

My daughter had been thru a lot. So after consulting with her endocrinologist and asking about the foods she could eat and how to monitor her while on vacation. We decided she deserved Disneyland for her birthday.

The first time traveling with the insulin, worrying about storage, and did we bring enough. Was nerve racking.

On our first day walking thru security at the gate. My wife was carrying my daughters insulin, needles and blood glucose monitor in her bag. She opened it up and explained to the security guard what she had. He smiled looked at it and said no problem. He let us know that the first aid station had a refrigerator and we could store our insulin there.

We were so happy that this kind man had seen us going through something like this. He didn't just do his basic job look and pass us thru but took the time to give us advice.

We went to the first aid station as he suggested. They were so kind. They let us store the insulin in the fridge. They also let us know that they had first responders if there was ever an issue. They told us that if we wanted a private place to test we were welcome to come back anytime.

My daughter went on to have a great time. She got to smile and laugh. She got to share a Mickey bar with my wife, (of course carbs counted and insulin given). She got to see that things were ok. In other words she got to be a kid.

We have gone to Disneyland two more times since. We have even been to Disney world for the first time this year.

So for me it wasn't riding a particular ride, or seeing a particular character that made me fall in love with Disney. It was a nice security guard. Who took a moment to smile and understand what my family was going through. A nice man who let me see the Disney difference.

This is the moment I fell in love with Disney. What moment did you realize you had?

 

[ronandannette]

Long, dark winter Sunday nights as a child sitting glued to the (black and white) tv waiting for the pixie dust to burst over the Castle on Wonderful World of Disney.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Long, dark winter Sunday nights as a child sitting glued to the (black and white) tv waiting for the pixie dust to burst over the Castle on Wonderful World of Disney.
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The WWoD started my love for Disney as well. We always rushed home from church Sunday night to watch it. Mom always made popcorn & ice cream cones to snack on, while we watched the movie. We had a colored tv though. I have such great memories of those times.

We went to Magic Kingdom several times, when it was the only park.

 

[BrianL]

Well, I had been no stranger to Disney movies growing up, but it wasn't a particular love or anything. My dad took us to WDW as kids and it was a fun time, but not really "special." He didn't plan it all that well. Anyway it was many years later that my Mom took us (parents were divorced), and, well, she did it up right! From walking into PoR (nee Dixie Landings), with the large sweeping fans on the ceiling, we all knew this would be a trip to remember. It was amazing...but it was also the last time I went as a kid. I liked Disney well enough again, and saw many of their movies, but it still wasn't my household brand. In 2010 I realized I was an adult and could take my own, real vacation (I had been one for a while, it just never occurred to me). A friend and I did a full 10 days in Orlando, WDW and Universal. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, and the memories came flooding back. Our first park day was at MK, and affinity turned to love with the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show. It just summed up all my feelings and made me a believer. The whole trip was awesome, but that was the moment.

 

[Kitty 34]

Walking into Magic Kingdom for the very first time with DH and our three sons........ 20 some years ago!!!

 

[PollyannaMom]

OP, your story is beautiful!!

For me, like a couple others above, it started when I was a just a little kid watching Tinkerbell swish her wand at the opening credits.

I never got to go to the parks back then, but have certainly made up for it as an adult!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

For me, it was my second trip. I was working for a Children's Aid Society, and Air Canada organized a trip to take a group of "underprivileged" kids to Magic Kingdom for one day. I was chosen to be one of the two escorts for our group. The kids chosen for the trip were from poor, neglectful, abusive families who would never have opportunities like this otherwise - and they were also children who tended to be, in most people's eyes "badly behaved." (One of the sad things for me is that some of the kids were not even excited about going - they were suspicious. They did not believe they were really going to WDW on that airplane. They were afraid they were being taken somewhere terrible, or that they would never see their foster parents again. It was a great moment when they realized that, yes, we were really in Magic Kingdom.) Anyway, what made me fall in love with Disney was that from the moment we arrived, the cast members treated these kids like VIPS. They welcomed them, they helped them, they spoke kindly to them (even when the kids were struggling with waiting in line or following rules, which happened a lot), they truly treated them like their most important guests. I saw the kids blossom in that positive atmosphere. So for me, it wasn't the rides or shows, it was the culture of the company that made these struggling, abused, largely unloved kids their honoured guests. And that's when I felt in love with Disney.

 

[Micca]

If we're talking "Disney" in general, there wasn't a time I didn't love it. I was a viewer of the original Mickey Mouse Club. If we're talking DLR, it would be crossing the drawbridge to the castle as a 9 yr old and "When You Wish Upon A Star" was playing. If we're talking WDW, late 70s when DW & I moved to Florida and Orlando was within driving distance for a weekend. I was reluctant to go because I thought it'd be a disappointing knock-off of DLR. WRONG!

 

[Marchand63]

Long, dark winter Sunday nights as a child sitting glued to the (black and white) tv waiting for the pixie dust to burst over the Castle on Wonderful World of Disney.
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This started it but my love was solidified when my parents took us the year it opened. Well a couple months after, February of '72. Seeing the castle was an almost religious experience for a 10yo

 

[Melissakay1q]

My parents are not park people. We went on a road trip to Vegas when I was 18, my brother was 8. We were messing around in a brochure area and saw one for Disneyland. Is it that close to here?? Turns out, it wasn't very far considering how far we'd driven already. My parents decided to go ahead and take us!

By chance, we ended up there on NYE. We all went in and found our way to a stage show. Mom got my brother and me a Mickey bar and some popcorn. We watched Mickey and the gang put on a Christmas themed show...then it started to snow. Soap snow, but SNOW! After the show, we rode on the tea cups. As we were riding, a parade passed by. Mom snapped a photo of my brother and me and let me tell you, the look on those kids faces, our faces, that was magic. It's still my favorite photo of us.

After an hour or so, my parents left and brother and I explored for the rest of the day. This was back before smartphones so we didn't have a clue what was there or what to do. All we'd ever seen as far as Disney was the cartoon castle at the opening of Disney films! We spent the whole day walking around, riding everything, then once midnight was about to hit I'd reached my limit so we started trying to find our way out. Amongst this massive crowd of people, there were our parents. They'd come back for the fireworks and we'd just run into them like magic. We all watched the fireworks together at midnight on NYE standing there in front of the castle.

I loved it then. I loved it before I even set foot there. I love it now. Disney is letting go of the adult world, strapping on some ears and having ice cream for dinner. The kid inside us all needs to be set free more often than we allow. Disney does that. Disney is that.

 

[ols386]

The first time I went to Disney World was in February of 1974, with a guy I was seeing at the time. I fell in love with it when I walked down Main Street. I didn't go back until many many years later, and now I can't stop going there. It really does feel like I'm in another world. I just love it

 

[ols386]

My parents are not park people. We went on a road trip to Vegas when I was 18, my brother was 8. We were messing around in a brochure area and saw one for Disneyland. Is it that close to here?? Turns out, it wasn't very far considering how far we'd driven already. My parents decided to go ahead and take us!

By chance, we ended up there on NYE. We all went in and found our way to a stage show. Mom got my brother and me a Mickey bar and some popcorn. We watched Mickey and the gang put on a Christmas themed show...then it started to snow. Soap snow, but SNOW! After the show, we rode on the tea cups. As we were riding, a parade passed by. Mom snapped a photo of my brother and me and let me tell you, the look on those kids faces, our faces, that was magic. It's still my favorite photo of us.

After an hour or so, my parents left and brother and I explored for the rest of the day. This was back before smartphones so we didn't have a clue what was there or what to do. All we'd ever seen as far as Disney was the cartoon castle at the opening of Disney films! We spent the whole day walking around, riding everything, then once midnight was about to hit I'd reached my limit so we started trying to find our way out. Amongst this massive crowd of people, there were our parents. They'd come back for the fireworks and we'd just run into them like magic. We all watched the fireworks together at midnight on NYE standing there in front of the castle.

I loved it then. I loved it before I even set foot there. I love it now. Disney is letting go of the adult world, strapping on some ears and having ice cream for dinner. The kid inside us all needs to be set free more often than we allow. Disney does that. Disney is that.

You mentioned soap snow. I think I read somewhere that it actually is soap. I think that is so interesting.

 

[low-key]

My first trip to the World, my buddy and me, both 17 went and we were watching the electric parade, and snow white come buy, she was so beautiful, she looked right at me and smiled and waved

 

[jevs]

Long, dark winter Sunday nights as a child sitting glued to the (black and white) tv waiting for the pixie dust to burst over the Castle on Wonderful World of Disney.
View attachment 206102

This.

 

[Kewz1]

I grew up in Florida so Disney was always a part of my life and always something I loved.

What sealed it for me was my first visit to Epcot. Being able to "travel the world" was and is still something I absolutely love doing.

 

[Mokat76]

I have always been a Disney fan. From when I was five years old and my aunt took my brother and I to Disneyland. She made good money and liked to do nice things for my family. My mother was a poor single parent with 4 kids and couldn't afford trips like that. From the first moment I walked up main street I knew I liked Disney. I did not however love Disney until much later.

We always made plans to go to Disney again someday, but never could come up with the money. Eventually, I moved on with my life. I went to school, got a good job, got married and we had a child of our own.

When my DD turned three. I decided I wanted to take her and my DW on their first trip to Disneyland. You see my DW has lived in California her whole life and never been to Disneyland, ( it's sad I know).
Needless to say we had a great time. Seeing the park thru my DD's eyes was magical. We became regulars to Disneyland and even became APH.

Four years later things would change. My DD had begun to lose weight and was constantly thirsty. I had suspicions of what it was. But when the Doctor confirmed my suspicions, and diagnosed her with type 1 Diabetes we were devastated.

The usual things run thru your head. What did I do? Is this my fault? We had never let her have too many sweets but what if it was still too much. We came to understand that there was nothing we had done. Type 1 isn't caused by bad eating or bad choices. You can't eat less sweets to stop it. You can't do more exercise to make it go away it just happens.

So now my daughter was forced to prick her finger and check her blood before every meal. She had to have insulin shots at least four times a day. A hard life for a Seven year old at the time.

My daughter had been thru a lot. So after consulting with her endocrinologist and asking about the foods she could eat and how to monitor her while on vacation. We decided she deserved Disneyland for her birthday.

The first time traveling with the insulin, worrying about storage, and did we bring enough. Was nerve racking.

On our first day walking thru security at the gate. My wife was carrying my daughters insulin, needles and blood glucose monitor in her bag. She opened it up and explained to the security guard what she had. He smiled looked at it and said no problem. He let us know that the first aid station had a refrigerator and we could store our insulin there.

We were so happy that this kind man had seen us going through something like this. He didn't just do his basic job look and pass us thru but took the time to give us advice.

We went to the first aid station as he suggested. They were so kind. They let us store the insulin in the fridge. They also let us know that they had first responders if there was ever an issue. They told us that if we wanted a private place to test we were welcome to come back anytime.

My daughter went on to have a great time. She got to smile and laugh. She got to share a Mickey bar with my wife, (of course carbs counted and insulin given). She got to see that things were ok. In other words she got to be a kid.

We have gone to Disneyland two more times since. We have even been to Disney world for the first time this year.

So for me it wasn't riding a particular ride, or seeing a particular character that made me fall in love with Disney. It was a nice security guard. Who took a moment to smile and understand what my family was going through. A nice man who let me see the Disney difference.

This is the moment I fell in love with Disney. What moment did you realize you had?

I'd fallen out of love with Disney. Your story just made me fall in love all over again. THIS is the magic that makes it so special. Otherwise it's just an amusement park.
Thank you for sharing this.

 

[bookgirl]

It started early but bloomed late for me.

As a kid my mom would drop my brother and I off at the local movie theatre on Saturdays where they played Disney movies back to back and as long as you stayed in the theatre you could watch all day. I loved movies especially the ones with music.

Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights was a must do and I enjoyed the live shorts and live action shows and the wilderness ones were so great.

However visiting Disney was never in my childhood not even a dream. We lived in the Midwest and while we were never poor (though we had our moments of tight times) we were a working class family and long trips to the coasts were not happening. I was also not the type of girl to wanted to be a princess, or enjoyed character type interactions, and I find parades boring. I also never wanted to buy a set of Mickey ears or costume type clothing. So that Park experience was never something I wanted or even asked my parents to take me too.

In 2000 I was invited to present a work at a conference being held in Anaheim. Since work was paying for my lodging and flight, I decided to spend a day at Disneyland. I liked it and was very excited to have been but it was a 'once in a lifetime' thing for me and so was happy with my one experience. Unknown to me until then was that my mother's dream had been to visit Disneyland. (long sad story but needless to say she had seen the gates to DL multiple times as a child but never got to go in and she was part of the mousketeer generation) She went along on the trip and honestly I enjoyed her experience almost more than mine.

Then in 2009 I got another 'once in a lifetime' chance. I was going to be in Florida with my parents, so why not do a day at Disneyworld. Mom was thrilled to return to the Mouse, step dad went and while he didn't love it he went along for the ride. I had found these boards by then and planned a very quick two night stay at AllStar Music and one day to go to the Magic Kingdom before we went on to our final destination.

I took my second chance to enjoy the mouse and that is when I fell in love. It was the 'bubble'. So while Disneyland was fun Disney World is what turned a interesting location into my first choice vacation location.

All Stars is still my favorite Value resort. I still have a printed napkin from the food court it was that sort of Disney surrounding that made me feel that it was an experience more than just a location. The buses that took me from resort to park/DTD was a true vacation for me since I almost always was the driver on trips. The MK was a great big wonderful adventure and I loved every crowded line, every mickey themed treat, and every note of piped in music that came my way. It had the best of all worlds for me. Some rides, some shows, things to just walk around a see, history, music, varied food offerings, and even the occasional pool/hot tub lounging.

That short visit was not enough, because I was hooked and sad that I hadn't had a chance to visit any of the other parks so I began to plan a return trip. It took me two years to return but it was worth it and I haven't looked back since.

One of the things I love most is the conversations I've had on buses or with strangers who have asked to share a table or a piece of curb and their love for Disney. I love a kid in a airport who sees a Mickey tag on my backpack and starts telling me about their favorite ride or how they met Mickey. I love the community, I love the instant bond, I love the planning on these boards and the Q&A. I love that a Disney Vacation is more than location, or obligatory family time, or a notch on the 'we did...' list. It's a culture and I like my membership in it. I love that I was with my mom when she had her moment despite her childhood.

These moments are THE MOMENT I fell in love with Disney

After that I've been back every year and have returned to DLR, and recently visited Disneyland Paris.

I vacation other places but a year without Disney is now something that I don't want to do. I plan to have at least one Disney trip a year for as long as I am able.

However I still am not a fan of Character M&G, Princesses, Mickey Ears, or Parades. LOL

 

[nighttowll]

We were always big Disney fans in my family. Lots of movies and singalong videos to watch, and my mom would make me clothes and shoes to match whatever movie was popular at the time. I feel like many of the big hits came out when I was a child, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, so it was just a great time to be a Disney kid. However, we couldn't afford to go to DW, and honestly I never thought I'd get to go.

Then, when I was in college we had a very bad year in my family, multiple deaths in the family, friends who moved out of the country or were deployed to the Middle East, family members who were really sick in and out of the hospital. I can't remember all the other issues, but it was just one of those times where every time you thought it couldn't get any worse it did. Everyone was very depressed and just kind of defeated. During this time, one of the family members who died, left us a little money, so my mom decided she was going to take the family to DW. I remember thinking if I can just get through this, I get to go to DW. That was really my main focus to get through those hard months.

We did a huge trip, close to 2 weeks, and it was amazing! Everything was perfect. Our room was upgraded and located in a great spot right by a bus stop. If we wanted to meet a character, we turned a corner, and they were standing there alone. Our meals were all great, no issues, no waiting to be seated. We walked onto almost every ride without waiting. Over 2 weeks, we waited maybe 5 or 6 times total for 10-15 minutes max. I couldn't believe our luck. My aunt came with us, and she goes to Disney about once a year, and she kept commenting on how she had never done so much, waited so little, and run into so much pixie dust as on this trip. I truely believe God knew we needed a break. I've never had a trip go as well since.

And here's where we get to the answer to the question.

I remember standing in MK watching the wishes fireworks, and having hope that things were going to be ok, for the first time in a long time. I know it sounds sappy and a little silly. It's kind of hard to explain. We had all been so defeated and depressed, and here I was a college student who should be looking forward to what comes next, but all I could see was a bleak future. Standing there listening to the music and lyrics and watching the sky light up, helped me to remember there were still good happy things out there in life to enjoy, and helped give me hope that there really was something left to look forward to. That I had my whole life ahead of me and maybe it would be different than what I had originally planned or wanted, but that didn't mean it had to be bad. And that was the moment I fell in love with Disney.

 

[ConnecticutFlea]

I was 5 years old when DL opened. I was obsessed with an advertising image of the hag holding the poison apple. My mother told me I would never go to DL because we lived in CT, and in the 50's people didn't travel like they do now.

I have been to DL twice and spend 2 or 3 weeks a year in WDW. Never tell me never!

 

[BigAlsGal]

I always loved Disney but my obsession didn't start until 2012 when I stayed on property for the first time. The Disney bubble feels amazing!