your first Disney World vacation

[luvnwdwgal]

October of 1981 when I was 19 on my honeymoon.

 

[lynxstch]

My first time was in 1996. I had been to Disneyland for the first time the year before that. My second trip to Disney World was in 2000 for my honeymoon.

 

[Moliphino]

My first WDW trip was in 1993 when I was 6. We had been to DL twice before that (1988 and 1992) because we had family in southern CA.

 

[Babs Johnson]

College spring break in 1978. Just one day at Magic Kingdom.

 

[Pinnochio]

July 1972

 

[PalmettoPath]

This for me as well, except that we haven’t missed a year. Once a year minimum when we lived up north, and multiple times per year since moving to Florida. I was young enough that I don’t remember specific details from that first trip. Those early trips kind of blend together. The first one I remember any specific details for was 1975, the year Space Mountain opened. I remember watching the crowd running for the ride when the rope dropped.

I'm Canadian, so ours are all weeklong stays in onsite Disney hotels (I wish I had the luxury of local visits!). I'm currently at 106 WDW vacations I missed one year when I went to school in France and one year due to Covid. For the record, my first Disney trip was Disneyland in 1966. My DLR count is currently at 11 vacations and my DLP count is at 2. Tokyo is the next on my international list.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Hi Sean!

October 1992 was the year of my first Walt Disney World trip. I went with 4 other people, including my sister's mother-in-law, who is a...let's just say, *difficult* person. She was a dragon throughout to both the rest of us and cast members is what I chiefly recall about that trip. I *do* remember the first attraction I rode-20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. We stayed at the Polynesian.

Even though I went in 1992, mother-in-law was so difficult that I consider 1994, the trip I took with my sister as our first WDW Sisters Trip, to be my *real* first visit.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Hi Sean!

October 1992 was the year of my first Walt Disney World trip. I went with 4 other people, including my sister's mother-in-law, who is a...let's just say, *difficult* person. She was a dragon throughout to both the rest of us and cast members is what I chiefly recall about that trip. I *do* remember the first attraction I rode-20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. We stayed at the Polynesian.

Even though I went in 1992, mother-in-law was so difficult that I consider 1994, the trip I took with my sister as our first WDW Sisters Trip, to be my *real* first visit.

20,000 closed in '94 so you at least you got to ride it

 

[RedAngie]

April 1975 during my 14th birthday. We stayed at the Contemporary.

 

[TippyThomas]

Haven't made it yet. I was on my way down when Covid happened. Not sure if or when I'll try again.

 

[jenrose66]

1992. I was 10 years old. My grandma took me and we stayed at POFQ. My grandma loved Disney and she took one grandchild a year when they hit 10. I was the oldest so I went first. My parents were divorced and I had never been on a vacation. To this day I feel like that trip was the most special I’ve ever gone on. Leading up to it my grandma bought me a new outfit for each day and she got those disposable cameras and let me take pictures the whole trip. We stayed 8 days and my grandma was a devout catholic but the Sunday we spent in disney was the one week a year where she “skipped” church.

I had never felt so loved and that feeling stayed with me. So much so that when I got married at 22 we honeymooned at Disney. We spent our first anniversary at Disney. We have taken too many family trips to Disney to count.

My grandma died relatively young of cancer 5 years after we took that trip and I’m so happy I got ti spend that time with her. Of course disney is great, but I don’t think I’d love it as much as I do if it wasn’t for my grandma.

 

[Kitty 34]

1997. Welcome to the DIS, Sean!

 

[dvcgirl67]

Hi Sean, fun thread! My first trip to WDW was in August of 1977. I was nine years old and my older sister and I were devastated as our best friends (also sisters) from our neighborhood moved to Tampa, Florida earlier that summer. Our parents surprised us by flying the two of us down to Florida to visit with our friends. We spent one day at the Magic Kingdom. I also remember quite clearly that Elvis Presley died during that trip. I remember the parents of our friends being so sad....they were big Elvis fans.

 

[Praying Colonel]

2004 for me--I was almost 40! My family didn't take big vacations growing up, I wasn't interested in Disney in my 20s, and in my 30s I was working hard and the idea of standing in long lines in the heat didn't appeal to me. I finally learned about FP and Touring Plans and we took our first of many WDW trips.

I was in Orlando in 1991 for a week, processing out of the Navy. I had absolutely nothing to do and the Navy was paying for my food and lodging. I totally should've gone to Disney that week, but stupid me said, "You should wait & go with your kids when it's their 1st visit--then you can all experience it the first time together!" Fast forward 5 years, I'm grinding away at work & can't get away, DW & kids go to FL with my in-laws.

 

[HopperFan]

Hi there! My name's Sean! I'm 32 years old, and I've got autism. Even though I've never been to Florida, but what year did you take your first vacation to Disney World?

Thanks!
Sean

First trip "kinda" was in 1970 to go to the Disney Preview Center on Hotel Plaza Blvd. Movie, models, things to buy. I still have postcards I bought.

First trip to Magic Kingdom was in November 1976 Thanksgiving weekend - PURE CHAOS.

Fell in love and been going ever since!

 

[georgina]

My first trip was in October of 1998. My husband and I took our 3 kids, who were 8, 6, and 3.5 years old at the time.

 

[Tiggerish]

I first went to Disneyland in California in 1971. I My first time to Disney World in Florida in 1972. Both were just single day visits so did not stay overnight anywhere.

 

[firefly_ris]

1990. My grandmother went with us and we stayed at The Peabody, and they used to have ducks in the lobby.

Universal had just opened so we also spent a day there and I remember so many things breaking down. I also remember King Kong and being terrified of that (I was 7).

MGM had also just opened. Loved it.

 

[disneychrista]

One and only trip was in December 2002

 

[CGB]

My one and only trip to Disneyland was 1981 at age 11 for one day.

My own family's first trip to Disneyworld was 2004. The kids were 10 & 14. It took us three years to go back again, but we went almost annually afterwards. I developed some mad budgeting skills to accomplish that, especially during the college years. From club level to off-property condos, we just loved being at WDW! We've taken a break since covid, but we'll be back once the aftershocks settle down.