Earliest memories of Disney

[tvguy]

For my wife I think Disneyland was just another amusement park until she married me. He parents were divorced when she was 9, her dad lived in Texas, my wife and her mom had moved to California. He dad would fly out to see her, then fly to Los Angeles to do to Disneyland. It apparently was a 10 am to 6 pm visit every time. Not sure if this was before or after we got married that she asked why there are always fireworks as part of the Wonderful World of Disney and other Disney shows. She had never seen them in person. Now, in hindsight it may have been by design by her dad. He was career Air Force, did three tours in Vietnam, and did not deal well with fireworks.
Our first trip as a couple was typical of my Disneyland experience. Early admission at 630 am, in those days it included breakfast in Tomorrowland. And in those days Disneyland was open until 1am. We were there 630 am until 1 am, all meals in the park, never went back to the hotel during the day. Only then did my wife really get the Disney expereience.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

For DH and I, our first trip to WDW was as adults with our own kids, who were 3yo. It was also on Sept 21, 2001, just ten days after 9/11, so we almost didn’t go! But we did, we had a wonderful time, and decided to go back the next year…the rest is history, I guess!

But things that blew our minds that first trip:

- Monorail going through Contemporary Resort! Decided on second trip, we’d stay there, and booked it. But they moved us and upgraded our stay to a Polynesian Lagoon View Concierge room. Talk about getting spoiled!

- How big WDW was! We really had no idea! And that there was no way we were going to see and do everything for quite some time; still haven’t!

- The scores and scores of people getting off the buses coming back from the parks, in the pouring rain, and walking down the maid drag back to their rooms at ASMu! DH and I, sweaty and exhausted, sat just outside our room on the cement in Calypso (first) building, drinking wine coolers, and watching them all, in amazement. It’s one of my earliest and favorite memories from that trip.

- That FL smell and humidity when you come out of MCO!

- How easy it was to get around WDW with a car.

- How much fun ALL of us had; and not JUST the kids. Together.

Every trip since has been an adventure and we always have a blast!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You can get one at the Fountain View Cafe at Epcot. I only know this because a few years back my cousin and her husband were down for my dad's birthday. As I explained to them about 100 times, I had set up an Epcot Amazing Race for a birthday surprise through Gifts of a Lifetime, and it started promptly at 10am (the same time the Fountain View opened). Cousin's husband was adamant that he HAD to get an iced coffee, and cousin and I had to pretty much wrestle him to get him to the designated meeting point on time.

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.

DS and I managed to find one one day at Sunshine Seasons. It was a tad questionable the way they made it, lol, but at least we did. Unfortunately, it was practically undrinkable. Too bad as it was so hot and humid it’s what we’re used to cooling us down up our way when it gets that way.

 

[Cadiewampus]

We went in April of 1982. I was almost 4. The only actual memory I have is riding The Haunted Mansion and the hitchiking ghosts part.

Funny this is one of my main memories. I went with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins in 1972. We got to the hitchhiking ghost part and everyone had their ghost. Apparently there was something wrong with our doom buggy as we did not have a ghost in ours.

 

[BrianL]

It still can be challenging to find a good iced coffee around Disney!

I think Starbucks and Joffrey's etc. have made the concept much more common, but, yeah, it's not necessarily exactly the same thing that you might find in New England.

 

[corellianskies]

1980s/90s - we lived in Orlando and went almost every weekend, so I'm not sure which one is earliest, but I remember a lot of snapshots from around the parks.

MK: Meeting Captain Hook and my older cousin having an absolute panic attack because he was so afraid of him.

Epcot: Sitting on the warm "glowing" pavement (with the twinkling lights in it) at night after the fireworks at Epcot, waiting for crowds to thin out so we could walk back to our car. I would lay on the ground and just be mesmerized by the lights while the adults stood around and talked. For some reason, this is my favorite memory from my childhood at the parks, lol.

HS (MGM): Getting lost in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground and having to ask a cast member to help find my mom. And on a happier memory - meeting Chewbacca.

 

[Donald Duck Family]

April 1984. I was 3. We were staying in the cabins at Fort Wilderness. I was sitting on the garbage can outside and fell off. I vividly can picture the ground rushing up to my face.

Bit through my lip and had to go get stitches. My lip swelled so much that the stiches popped, so had to go back and get re-stitched.

 

[mantysk8coach]

May 1984. I was 6. I remember being scared of the lightning at the beginning of the Spaceship Earth ascent. It’s still there, and makes me smile remembering the trip that started it all.

 

[Mysterian]

I was 27, so no "early" memories really, but the trip stands out from the others since because it was during the "birthday cake experiment" -

View attachment 794705

(not my own photo)

That's so bizarre. If this were new, I'd think it was related to Vanellope Von Schweetz- otherwise it looks like Lisa Frank threw up all over Disneyworld.

 

[JLTraveling]

Epcot: Sitting on the warm "glowing" pavement (with the twinkling lights in it) at night after the fireworks at Epcot, waiting for crowds to thin out so we could walk back to our car. I would lay on the ground and just be mesmerized by the lights while the adults stood around and talked. For some reason, this is my favorite memory from my childhood at the parks, lol.

Haha, not just kids. I worked in Innoventions in the 90s, and a few of us would just stand around (or sit on the ground when we could get away with it) and let ourselves get mesmerized by the lights each night during/after Illuminations.

 

[mjkacmom]

I remember going to river country with my mom and sister, I was around 10, she was 7, we all got sunburned so my mom had me take my sister to dinner. I also remember bring allowed to go to MK alone with my tickets (stayed at contemporary) which was so much fun. We always stated there because my parents could just leave us at the giant arcade with a roll of quarters. Gotta love the 70’s!

 

[Mysterian]

My earliest park memory was WDW. We went twice, different Summers, one trip was '84 for sure, because Gremlins was released that year. On one trip it rained, I just can't remember which came first.

Memories include all the usual rides (the Mountains, Mr.Toad's, Snow White, 20K Leagues, you name it), while getting to ride the Haunted Mansion twice.
I remember the smell of some misty, tropical area, not far from Pirates? Everything felt like you were in a movie.
I got a glow-in-the-dark skull necklace from Pirates too, which I had for years before it broke (it was made of plaster, I believe).
I could go on...

 

[dvcgirl67]

August of 1977, I was nine years old and our best friends from our neighborhood in NJ moved to Tampa at the beginning of the summer. Our parents and their parents chipped in to buy my older sister and I flights to visit them. We were so excited and a little nervous....it was the first time we'd been on a plane and we had to connect in Atlanta, so a flight attendant helped us get to our connecting flight. While spending a couple of weeks with our friends and their family we visited Bush Gardens that was a relatively new park at that time. We also went to the Weeki Wachee Springs and saw the mermaids. And we spent a day at the Magic Kingdom. We loved it....and had a great time.

Our friend's Dad was a *huge* Elvis Presley fan and that's literally all we listened to as we drove around the state. We were still staying at the home when Elvis died....one of those things you never forget. Our flight home was the next day....good timing as I remember the Dad being really emotional over Presley's death. One of those things you never forget.

 

[mylilnikita]

1992: just before Hurricane Andrew landed. I was an adult by this time and my parents and I went on our first and only real vacation.

 

[disny_luvr]

My earliest memories are of my first trip to Disney in 1985. I was four, almost five-years-old. My first memory is of a family meal we ate on the Empress Lilly. I remember sitting in a booth with my sisters and the characters coming around for pictures, much like they do now. On that trip we camped at Fort Wilderness, and I remember the fun we had there including eating at Hoop-Dee-Doo, my one and only time. I also remember swimming in the pool there. My only other memory of that trip is being in the MK and my dad taking my older sisters to ride some rides while my mom held me while sitting on one of the rocking chairs in Frontierland. A parade went by while we were waiting and we watched it from the rocking chair. I don't remember much more, but that trip turned me into a Disney fan because I've been back several times since. I have many wonderful memories of my other trips, too, but my first trip will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

[georgina]

You can get one at the Fountain View Cafe at Epcot. I only know this because a few years back my cousin and her husband were down for my dad's birthday. As I explained to them about 100 times, I had set up an Epcot Amazing Race for a birthday surprise through Gifts of a Lifetime, and it started promptly at 10am (the same time the Fountain View opened). Cousin's husband was adamant that he HAD to get an iced coffee, and cousin and I had to pretty much wrestle him to get him to the designated meeting point on time.

When was the last time you were there? Hasn’t been a fountain or Fountain View cafe for many years. I have gotten iced coffee at the Jeffrey’s carts. There’s a huge news Starbucks alongside Connections eatery but last time I walked by the line was very long.

 

[JLTraveling]

When was the last time you were there? Hasn’t been a fountain or Fountain View cafe for many years. I have gotten iced coffee at the Jeffrey’s carts. There’s a huge news Starbucks alongside Connections eatery but last time I walked by the line was very long.

It became a Starbucks, which also has iced coffee. I haven't been since before the pandemic, so I'm guessing the new Starbucks replaced it? At any rate, Starbucks definitely has iced coffee.

 

[sasywtch]

Early 70's, I was in junior or senior high. My parents drove down to 29 Palms to see my brother in the Marines and we all drove over and went to Disneyland. The only thing I remember is there was a sandwich type place on a ship? and I got a tuna sandwich.

 

[Music City Mama]

I was very little - stroller age - when we visited. I distinctly remember rolling around MK in a blue plastic rented stroller and got a Duchess plush.

I had a Marie plush -- thanks for making me remember that.

I grew up in Central Florida, and we took a day trip to WDW for my birthday every year starting with my first. So my earliest memories are all jumbled together.

I grew up in FL and we visited once a year or more starting in 1972 when I was 2, so like you, those early memories are pretty jumbled together. But I do have so many memories from over the years. Everything from going with just my family, to with another family, to taking my friend along as a teen, to having Grad Nite there when I graduated from high school, to honeymooning there, to taking my kids there every year for the majority of their lives, to finally going on a family vacation to Disneyland this past summer to see where it all began.

 

[rndmr2]

Funny thing My first trip was 1985. I had just turned 12 years old and I have basically no memories of the trip itself for some weird reason but I remember clearly when my parents told us we were going. It was my parents and I and then my nephew who was 5 at the time.

2 years later my nephew, my mom and I went with my Aunt and her daughter and granddaughter and I remember lots from that trip (Thank goodness, I might have serious concerns if I didn't, LOL )

One that stands out is my mom and I on Space Mountain and her screaming and laughing in my ear, "my bra came undone!" We did lots of other trips since then (up till she passed) but I'm pretty sure that was her first and only ride on Space Mountain, LOL