Whats your disney story?

[Britchick]

When did you first go to a disney park? how old were you? who did you go with? how and where did you stay? how did you get to go?


My first trip was to WDW at the beginning of October 1997 it wasn't supposed to be a trip to disney at all, just a family holiday to florida, how could you go all that way and not go? It was something i had wanted to do since i knew it existed but for our family was not soemthing we could have afforded. Jon had been several times as his Dad worked for BA and got cheap flights, he knew i would like it but i'm certain he didn't anticipate the monster he would create!

I went with dh (Jon) and Daniel (britsboy) who was 3 at the time. My sil worked for virgin at the time and we only had to pay the tax on the flights, we were only supposed to be going to stay over in Englewood on the west coast in a friend of Jon's Dad's villa. We flew to Miami which i was really nervous about as we had had all the crime horror stories back in the UK, i wasn't very confident then. Luckily Jon had been to the US many times and he did the organising. We got a green dodge neon and drove to the Thunderbird resort which was on the beach. http://www.thunderbirdresortmiami.com/gallery.asp#

we spent a couple of days there getting over the jet lag, shopping and sun worshipping and then drove over to Englewood via Alligator Alley.

We spent a week in a beautiful villa with Jon's dad and Jon's sister and her husband. We searched for sharks teeth and danced to the sound of steel drums at Sharkeys on the Pier, Venice beach.We searched for Harrison Ford's beach house on Boca Grande. Jon's Dad even hired a plane and took the boys flying. They left and went back home via Miami but we drove up to Orlando. It seemed quite a long journey at the time, now though 3-4 hours for us is nothing.

before we went i had bought this - http://experiencedbooks.com/web/abk/bCBU-008607 read it cover to cover and had a plan!

First we went to Sea World, of course we loved it, i didn't expect it to be as good as Disney but i thought it was. We sat in the splash zone in the Shamu stadium and Daniel wanted to feed the sharks in the big aquarium!

When we got to the Magic Kingdom they had that awful hideous birthday cake castle so i was a little disapointed but i was there and at least i could say i had seen the monstrosity. The favourite ride was 'the cars' this has now become an eternal favourite. I couldn't get over the fact i had to queue 45 mins for Dumbo. Our first character encounter was in Toon town, we queued for an hour and Daniel wouldn't even say hello to Mickey Mouse, he was scared of him

Daniel sat on Daddy's shoulders to watch the fireworks at Magic Kingdom but our favourite were the Epcot fireworks and we claimed our space on the bridge between England and France.

MGM memories include Daniel and Jon playing skee ball in the Planet Pizza Arcarde, Daniel loved Toystory as it had just come out then.

Of course i was hooked, we had only stayed there for 4 days but i couldn't wait to get back, i bored everyone that would listen (well i think they were listening!) with how wonderful it was and vowed to go back.

Unfortunately that wasn't to happen for another 4 years but that was for a good reason - Caitlin who was born in 1998.

[lisaw]

I had wanted to go since I was at school, I remember doing a project about WDW in geography

DH had been the year I met him with his family, so when we were planning our honeymoon for 1995 there was nowhere else considered. We booked a fly drive through virgin and a villa through Loot magazine. The villa was in Sunridge Woods in Davenport, it was the height of luxury for us as we had a tiny 2 bedroomed starter home here. I remember we had a 4 day hopper pass for Disney, we went to Universal, Seaworld, KSC, Gatorland shopping etc.

We did our first character meal which was in Tony's Town Square - it was Belle's Homecoming Dinner and it featured Belle, White Rabbit, Mr Smee among others - we just decided to walk in and got a table - can you imagine!

We went again in 1996 with family and friends staying at the same villa again and then it was 6 years and 2 children later before we went again in 2002 staying onsite for the first time which was very exciting.

If anybody had told us back in 1995 that one day we would stay onsite, do a disney cruise and even have DVC membership I would never have believed them - dreams happen

[uscwest]

My ex and I were living overseas. In 1984 we came back on vacation and had purchased a flight hopper ticket and we hopped all over the country. She was from California so that was one of our stops. A cousin (I thiink) worked for Disneyland and she gave us two tickets good for one day. I was 36 years old at the time. Oddly I don't really remember too much about it.

[Britchick]

My ex and I were living overseas. In 1984 we came back on vacation and had purchased a flight hopper ticket and we hopped all over the country. She was from California so that was one of our stops. A cousin (I thiink) worked for Disneyland and she gave us two tickets good for one day. I was 36 years old at the time. Oddly I don't really remember too much about it.

i have just used my scrapbook pages of that time to jog my memory, a great reason to journal your thoughts methinks!

[PsychoAlice]

Disneyland December 16 1973, I was 2 weeks old..I dont remember anything!

But in all seriousness I was raised at Disneyland. My family went to Disneyland many times during the year...every year. I may get a little misty here just thinking about growing up going to Disneyland with my family. Many times with my grandparents. I remember sitting on the train for HOURS with my grandfather (he LOVED trains and LOVED to just sit on it going around and around. I kick myself now that I just didnt want to do that when I was a teenager.) Even if I was afraid of Dinosaurs (there is a dinosaur thing in the loop at Disneyland and I would bury my face into my grandpa's chest.) Watching the Country Bears and the Tiki Birds with my grandma. I miss my grandparents but I am thankful for them taking my family and me there to help with the love that everyone that comes into the family thinks is crazy!

Now Disney World. August 1998. My mom took my kids and me for 10 days. Stayed at Fort Wilderness Cabins. Got to ride the Ambulance ride straight to Celebration Hostpital...what a great hospital!

Now since my grandparents have passed my mom thought it would be wonderful to purchance DVC (320 points) with our inheritance....So now there are MANY trips to Disney planned. Including a HUGE trip planned for 5-6 years with all the kids and our kids!

However my mom still owes me a trip to Disney World with just her and I!

[Claire]

It was 1988 and I was 21.

I had an insurance policy that my parents set up at my birth to be paid out when I reached 21. My brother, being the sensible one, used his to buy a car. I blow mine on 3 weeks in Florida. I have wonderful memories. My brother's car caught fire. Who's the sensible one now!

We stayed (an ex and I) in Orlando for one week around 192 somewhere, can't remember the exact place. In that week we did MK, Epcot (the only parks open then!) and Wet and Wild. We also did a park called Boardwalk and Baseball which is shut now.

The second week we stayed at the Howard Johnson in Key Largo. Our original plan was to drive back down to Miami where we flew into as I'd never heard of Orlando International Airport, return the car, a Mustang Convertible, and get an internal flight to either New York or LA but prices were scary! So we extended the car hire and headed for the Keys. Third week was spent in a fabulous little B&B in Key West. This was, at the time, my favourite part of the holiday. I still remember the night we had a fantastic dinner on a balcony overlooking Duval St followed by a drink at Sloppy Joe's. Hemingway's house and a diving museum are still fresh in my memory as is the little Conch train ride we used to take.

[Taja]

Disneyland, 1955, two weeks after the grand opening. I was three years old and remember a few high points and terrorizing points! The parking lot tram seats faced outward and I was afraid of falling off. What can I say? Three-year-old memory!

Essentially, I grew up at and with Disneyland until I officially moved from California in 1978. PA took over for me at that point!

We visited Disneyland several times each year, usually when we had guests from out of state. When I graduated to a driver's license, Leu and I usually went nearly every month, taking her DS and DD when they arrived on the scene. General admission was $2 for adults and free for the under-three set at the time, so it was pretty inexpensive. Sometimes we purchased a ticket book, other times we used old tickets (mostly A, B and C tickets) and occasionally didn't go on any attractions requiring a ticket! We just relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere.

In 1981, I visited WDW for the first time, sandwiched between two legs of business trip over Labor Day weekend. MK was the only park, with EPCOT under construction. I was a wee bit disappointed in MK after Disneyland (you'll have to visit both to understand the differences--no spoiler today!), but still enjoyed the overall experience.

Fast forward to 2003 (Yep! 22 years between visits!) when the FTP was offered and I talked Leu into going. It was something we always wanted to do from the time Walt Disney announced the concept of Walt Disney World in the 1960s. And we finally did!

[ukwdwnut]

i only found out about wdw in the very late 90's. so in late 99 we decided to book for oct 2000 and went with a scottish family we met whilst holidaying in cornwall for about 5yrs. we flew virgin, stayed in a villa in sunridge woods at the bottom of old lake wilson, the first ever park we did was sea world but magic kingdom was the first disney park we ever went to. ever sinve ive been totally hooked and cant ever imagine not visiting ever again. we went in 2002, 2004, booked for 2006 and had to cancel, because i got made redundant but would have had to anyway as i got diagnose with this serious lung condition in the september a month before due to go and i was yearning to get back for 4 yrs and finally got my wish 4 weeks ago now im sad as i dont know when the next visit will be

[foreverducky]

I actually went to DL when I was very young. I have vague memories of getting a Goofy hat, riding IASW, walking around, and riding HM. I was so terrifed of HM. The candle scene that glides down on the hall on it's own scared the, you know what, out of me. I also remember hearing lots of different languages.

[Britchick]

it's great to read these, thanks guys :hug:


right now............anymore