your first Disney World vacation

[Gary M]

My first vacation to WDW was in 1992. I was 50 years young at the time. Since that first trip I have taken over 50 trips staying on WDW property. My 1st. trip was in early December and in those days the crowds were very light during the winter months, except for a few days around Christmas. I'm 81 years old now and have taken my last trip to WDW. The walking is too much and crowds are too big for me to enjoy it now. I have great memories of my trips to WDW especially the first several years. My last trip was a couple of years ago.

 

[design_mom]

Early summer 1978. My family had a camper. On my last day of kindergarten, we had a half-day of school. When I came home from school that day my parents said "hop in the camper! We're going on vacation!." I was so surprised. They hadn't said anything about it. My mom had packed the camper while I was at school.

 

[Dan Murphy]

My very first trip to WDW was a very short one, a business convention in April, 1998. Convention was at the S/D, I went to one park for a few hours, MGM Studios. I was totally blown away by the very short experience and exposure to Disney.

Marie was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 1998. Marie went through surgery, chemo and radiation and was in remission late 1998. I had been enamored with my short Disney experience the year earlier and wanted to celebrate Marie's remission from cancer with the family, Vince and Natalie also. I found this site, the dis, in March of 1999. I learned an amazing amount from here, met a lot of really nice people.

So the week after Thanksgiving, 1999, the four of us went for 8 days to WDW. I had booked the Polynesian, standard view. Before we left for the trip, we were upgraded to Theme Park view. When we checked in, we were further upgraded to Theme Park View, Club level. I was amazed, I was hooked. We had a wonderful week plus trip. Amazing! We did so many 'extra' things at WDW that I had learned about here on the dis along with great dining experiences.

The following year, I wanted to go back. Marie did not. She said I could go on my own, which I did. I've been back about 35 times, have met up with many folks from here on the dis, a number of them good, real-life friends now. Along the way, one dad/daughter trip, a 'meet-up' with Vince and his family while they were there once, a three trips with Natalie and her two boys. Last time there though was 2017, one of several with Natalie and her two boys.

Here is a picture of the four of us on our Illuminations cruise on our 1999 trip.

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

Great to see you here again, Sean. Hope we see you more often. Good question.

My first vacation to WDW was in 1992. I was 50 years young at the time. Since that first trip I have taken over 50 trips staying on WDW property. My 1st. trip was in early December and in those days the crowds were very light during the winter months, except for a few days around Christmas. I'm 81 years old now and have taken my last trip to WDW. The walking is too much and crowds are too big for me to enjoy it now. I have great memories of my trips to WDW especially the first several years. My last trip was a couple of years ago.

Gary, I remember meeting up with you and Lana during that first family trip we went on back in 1999. And seeing you both at one, or maybe a few, of the dis meets I organized there in Indianapolis near your home.

Sorry to hear your WDW days may be over. Not sure if mine are or not. If it means anything, I have used a scooter for a number of my more recent trips. I would never be able to do the walking there either. Meeting you and Lana was one of my highlights in all my years here.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I went for the first time in 2018, just after Toy Story Land opened. I was 37 and we had a 4 year old. We had so much fun, a year after our trip (fall 2019), we booked a second trip for the following spring, which due to Covid, didn’t happen. After things slowly reopened, I booked a 40th birthday trip to take my family in the winter of 2021.

We’ve gone 2 other times since as well as gone to Disneyland in California a few times since as well.

If you have a VR headset, I’ve posted some 360 videos to YouTube. Not quite the same, but can definitely give you a perspective as if you were there, especially with the virtual reality view. I hope you get to go and experience in person sometime tho

 

[Nora03]

What a great thread Sean! I hope you get to go to WDW someday. My first trip was in 1980 when I was thirty, with my DH, my two young daughters and my parents. We’ve been there eight times, the last time in 2016, also combining every trip with a beach vacation. I had to use a scooter for that last trip. Likely won’t be going again due to health, age and the crowds. But so glad we had the opportunity to go so many times. Very grateful.

 

[Gary M]

Dan I will always remember meeting you, Marie and your children at WDW and at the Indy meetings. Lana passed away about 5 years ago. I remarried about 3 years ago to Bonnie. We still travel and enjoy seeing different places. You and your family are class acts. Best wishes to you and yours. Gary

 

[EllieJedi]

My first trip to WDW was Thanksgiving week 1978 with my mom and brother when I was 8. We stayed at Ft. Wilderness. I loved MK, but also wandering around Ft. Wilderness. I also remember how much fun River Country was. After WDW on that trip, we went to Clearwater and it was my first time seeing the ocean. Great trip.

 

[dcassetta]

Dec 1971 and I thought the Magic Kingdom was so wonderful. That was back when admission was $3.50 and you had tickets for rides. There used to be shaded picnic tables by Dumbo, in its original location. My grandmother would sit at one of those knitting or crocheting and my grandfather, brother, and I would roam the park. I loved riding the Skyway and waving to my grandmother.

 

[TB'sWidow]

1996 I was 33 years old

 

[fly girl]

Summer 1979.

Same! I was 5 years old. Lost my Mickey Balloon in the parking lot. That is my biggest memory of the day at Magic Kingdom.

 

[GAN]

My first trip was 1974 when I was 11. I remember a few things about that Christmas week trip. Back then the MK wasn’t decorated for the holidays nearly as much as today, it was moderately busy, a longgg wait for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea(7DMT), riding If you had Wings(Buzz), Flight to the Moon, hopping on the Skyway to Fantasyland, and of course the Shootin’ Gallery. Back then you had to use the Ticket Booklet so it could be a tough decision on which attractions to use them on …without begging my parents for extra tickets!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Dan I will always remember meeting you, Marie and your children at WDW and at the Indy meetings. Lana passed away about 5 years ago. I remarried about 3 years ago to Bonnie. We still travel and enjoy seeing different places. You and your family are class acts. Best wishes to you and yours. Gary

Gary, I'm so sorry to hear of Lana's passing. A wonderful lady, a wonderful partner for life for so very many, many years. My belated condolences to you and to all whom Lana touched in her life.

Thanks for your kind words here, Gary, and good wishes. Likewise for you. So happy to hear you now have Bonnie to grace your life. My best for you both for many happy, healthy years ahead.

Hope you are still doing New Orleans and maybe the Orleans in Vegas, two of your frequent travels as I recall. And hope you are still able to take in a boxing match every now and then. Maybe refereeing even?.

Take care, Gary, my best. Always good to 'see' you.

spelling​

 

[jimmalru80]

1996

 

[Meriweather]

Hi Sean

1990.....after taking DD and DS to Junior Olympics in St. Petersburg,
1957 for Disneyland!!

 

[holden]

Same! I was 5 years old. Lost my Mickey Balloon in the parking lot. That is my biggest memory of the day at Magic Kingdom.

My biggest memory is of the ducks at the Poly! I was 9 when we went. I am so glad those ducks are still around. When my kids enjoyed them on the patio of our room at Poly it was a full-circle moment for me.

Someone above mentioned "If You Had Wings." That was my favorite ride on my first trip lol.

 

[StageTek]

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

I grew up in California so I visited Disneyland since I was 5 - even worked there.

But my first rip to Disney World was 2007. I went solo and had a wonderful time!

 

[lisaviolet]

In 1973? 74?
There was the Contemporary, Polynesian & Fort Wilderness.

I don't know how my parents did it, on one salary. We stayed at the Contemporary & had to have two rooms.

I remember my Haunted Mansion pop-up book, the ticket books, one of my sisters making my mom ill for the day spinning the teacups, watching Blackbeard in the small basement theatre in the Contemporary & horseback riding at Fort Wilderness.
And my brother and one sister spending all their money in one afternoon not realizing how long they were out on the water sprites.

My mother wanted that trip to be at the Polynesian. My father got his way. I was able to get her to the Polynesian for two weeks - including a glorious NYE - a year before she passed away, and they treated her like gold. Forever thankful.
I asked my father how they even knew to book the trip so early in the start of it all (& because we only did camping trips before that and this was a big deal), he said another firefighter came back just raving about his trip, and that was that.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Great thread, Sean, thanks for asking. I also hope you get safely to WDW one day and have a lot of fun

God Bless your Grandma, Jenrose, what a lovely memory you have of her. My own Grandparents were sure and always will be special to me.

Eksmama and Slo, I hope you two did "meet" way back when and, of course, are able to do so in the future. I would love to meet both of you kind friends.

Gary and condolences.

I have never been to WDW or Florida, CA lady who has been to Disneyland many times. I am keeping in prayer being able to return early next year pandemic depending. As a kid I definitely enjoyed time at DL. I think as an adult, it means more to me because it truly can be a healing place as well as an opportunity to make new memories with friends and loved ones. Here's to safe fun for all of you to come

 

[dcassetta]

I don't know how my parents did it, on one salary. We stayed at the Contemporary & had to have two rooms.

Perhaps it was because in comparison to the average family income, the Contemporary Resort was much more affordable then. My grandmother kept a receipt from our stay there in 1972 where we paid $29 a night. That would be about $200 in comparison to today. I just checked for low season, and today the Contemporary starts at $500 a night.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Lost my Mickey Balloon in the parking lot.

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