What was your very FIRST park ever?

[scrump]

Magic Kingdom 1981. I think I went on "small world" 11 times in a row!

 

[Goofmeister]

Frontier City (owned by the folks that own Six Flags) in Oklahoma City.

2nd Park. Six Flags in Dallas.

If the question was "What was your very FIRST Disney Park?"

My answer would've been the MK at WDW.

 

[Maridw]

Disneyland!!!

We lived in San Bernardino, CA and it was only an hour away. We used to go annually with my Aunt, Uncle & two cousins.

It wasn't until 1972 that we finally went to WDW and then it was still only the Magic Kingdom.

I went to Grad night at DL and continued to go until we moved to FL. My daughter's first park was also DL. She was 4 when she went for the first time.

I still love the intimacy of DL, but love to explore all of WDW. Last time we went to DL was in 99 at Christmas time. It was great to see it decorated for the holidays.

 

[capnho]

The first amusement park of any kind I ever visited was probably Crescent Park in East Providence, RI. My great-Uncle Charlie ran the Loof Carousel there. Crescent Park is now an apartment complex and Uncle Charlie passed away years ago, but the carousel has been preserved and is still running on the site of what was formerly the park.

As far as theme parks, my first one was MK in 1980 when it was the only park at WDW. I was 15 and I have very distinct memories of riding Space Mountain (twice!).

 

[Chicago526]

MK for me, in 84. I don't have a memory of my first site of the Castle. But I do know we were the very first people to ride the Dinosaur (World of Energy) ride at EPCOT when we went on our second day. They hadn't opened it yet officialy, but wanted test riders to get opinions. Very cool for an 8 year old!

Also remember BTMRR, we talked my mom into going on it, she's never forgiven us! A day spent at River Country, although mom wouldn't let me go on any of the slides because she said I was too little (I got back at her when we got her on BTMRR) And riding the monorail was the best! We stayed at the Contemporary, and we all thought it was the coolist hotel ever! I'd love to stay again but I don't have the $$$.

Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane!

 

[~*Belle 2003*~]

Anyone else remember their VERY FIRST park?

 

[Alice28]

Disneyland, Fall of 1976. I was 4. I remember the Casey Jr. train ride and the Mark Twain steamboat quite clearly, as well as my favorite, It's a Small World.

 

[JoGloMorKat]

DisneyLand in 1968. About the only things I remember is the bushes around Its a Small World and theses things in the pool at the hotel. I did get some mickey and goofy erasers there.

Right after that trip we moved to just outside Tampa so there were lots of trips to Busch Gardens back when it was just the beer tour and the garden/aviary. I remember using the machine that molded the plastic cuckatoos.

My first trip to the infocenter before WDW was even built was a magical experience. We went many times before we moved to CT in the mid 70s

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Magic Kingdom the year I was born...1978.

 

[HaleyB]

"Magic Kingdom" in 1975. It was WDW back then! Next park was Cedar Point. And we went to Epcot the year it opened, but I am not sure of the year.

Unless you count Fantasy Island (Fun! Wow!) a small theme park in Western New York, somewhere near 3 Mile Island, outside of Buffalo, I think... but while I remember the comercial I do not remember the place, other than it was there and I am sure we went when I was a kid.

 

[Ecdubfan]

We visited Kennywood yearly from as early as I could remember. Conneautt, West View Park, and Geagua Lake were destinations before heading south for the first time.

Our first Disney Park was the MK in 1979. We paired that trip up with a day at Circus World. Lots of memories...

 

[welovedisneyx4]

My very 1st park was called Lakeside. It was a local park, but it was very cool. I went there a lot w/ family and my best friend in elementry school had her birthday party there every year. Unfortunatly, it closed in the late 80's. I had always wanted to take my kids there.

As good a place as Lakeside was, it doesn't compare to WDW. My 1st park there was MK on our honeymoon in Oct. 1993. I have been back 5 times and am hoping for a trip w/ my parents (who never took me there and have never been themselves) either this year or next. I am planning on having my DD and DS talk them into going. They can't say no to the Grandkids.

My DH was the one who suggested WDW for our honeymoon. I think I will have to send him an e-card now to thank him again for that.

 

[karylrocks]

Disneyland in 1963. We had gone to San Diego every summer since 1958, and I was so excited that my dad was finally taking me to DL! I remember we stayed in connecting rooms at the Travelodge (went with my aunt and cousins). I mostly remember the submarines, the monorail, and the the skyway.

The next time was New Years day 1977. My husband and I came home from work on New Years Eve and realized that because of the holiday we had 2 days off together; that hardly ever happened. I said "we should go somewhere for a couple of days...hey how about Disneyland? So I went down to the grocery store and cashed my paycheck, and an hour later we were in our van driving west from Tucson, stopped at a rest area for a couple hours sleep, and hit the park in the morning. They still had ride tickets and the park was closing early for a private party, but when we went to get on the monorail to leave we were asked if we wanted to stay and were given bracelets so that we could stay and ride all the rides we wanted! The next morning we were planning to spend the day and drive home that night, but my husband called work and said "I'm at Disneyland, can I have tomorrow off? They said yes so we went down to Seaworld and came home the next day. To be 19 again!

 

[~*Belle 2003*~]

Nice stories - thanks for sharing them!

 

[NMAmy]

Disneyland--1963. I was just a baby. We have some great home movies that we've moved to video. It was my parents, my grandparents, and my 10 year old sister. It's amazing how different the park looked back then!

And my mom wonders why I love Disney so much. I'd forgotten it was all her own fault!

 

[Grumpy37]

Worlds of Fun, in KC, MO (flyover country), around 1971.

 

[mickeymule]

I went to Disney most likely around Thanksgiving in 77 or 78. Stayed in the Poly, first floor tonga building over looking the seven seas lagoon. Saw the water pagent from the room and swam in the lagoon. Almost hit a ferry with the water mice. Waking up to the Disney channel on something called cable and waking up with a huge map of Walt Disney World on the wall next to my bed. Also the only way to Walt Disney World as far as I was concerned was by monorail.

I wish my kids could experince the same thing, but that just is not going to happen.

 

[WDWLVR]

Magic Kingdom back in 1976 when that's all there was to Walt Disney World. Got hooked then and there and keep going back.

 

[~*Belle 2003*~]

Originally posted by mickeymule
Almost hit a ferry with the water mice.

YIKES!

 

[bballmom56]

Magic Kingdom - September, 1988 with my parents and then 4 year old daughter. It was truly magical to see it for the first time! Unfortunately, DH had to stay home to work (college professor and semester had just started, but my Dad wanted to do this with his granddaughter, and wanted to go when it was less crowded). We also went in 10/89, 1/92, and 1/93 and MK was always the first place we go, as it will be when we return this June. My kids can't wait, even though DD is now 20 and DS is 15 - it's MK all the way!