I Have A Dream..

I was in 2nd grade when I went to WDW the first time. The memory that stands out the most is meeting Mickey Mouse for the first time. That was in the days when the characters walked through the park.

My first trip to WDW was in 1977 as a child with my family. The 2 things that stick out to me from that visit are:

1. Riding the monorail through the Contemporary Resort - I thought that was so cool.
2. Getting our picture taken with Mickey in front of the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. As JoAnn says, the characters roamed the park at that time.

It's definitely changed a lot since then, but also amazingly has stayed the same.

My fisrt trip to WDW was when I was two. So it's actually a miracle that I remember anything. But I do remember riding Dumbo. I also remember meeting Chip and Dale at a character breakfast, I specifcally remember Dale taking my sippy cup and pretending to drink for it. And my favorite thing that I remember is Mickey's Birthday Land (I think it was called), well anyway it was this small town type thing with little stores and houses and you could look in the windows. I remember looking into those windows and I remember the excitement I got from it. I was very sad the next time I went back, when
I was 9, and those windows and that little town werent there anymore.

My first Disney experience was at Disneyland, when I was 8. (waaay back in the sixties!). We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, and I remember looking up and seeing the monorail zipping by. I was just thrilled and stunned. For a kid who had never been out of a small town in Northwestern Ontario, this was like being on another planet. And everything we did there after that just confirmed that we were in a very special place.

So many to pick from, so hard to decide! I'd be unoriginal and say the walk down Main Street to the castle back in Spring of 2009. My Disney fandom was coming back, I was about to graduate high school that year and it was the first time in about 7-8 years since I last saw Cinderella Castle and all its glory and stature. Words can't describe it really. The built up anticipation walking to main entrance, going under the Main St station, the walk down Main Street and finally, seeing the large castle right in the heart of the Magic Kingdom.

I don't mean to hijack, but is it wrong that Martin Luther King never entered my mind when I read the title of this thread? I do, however, have the song from Tangled stuck in my head now...

I was out of high school the first time I went to WDW...and I remember being completely lost, overwhelmed and not prepared.
I didn't leave with any sense of wanting to return. I did see Mickey walking thru Epcot and getting a random photo with him..
I had wanted to watch the fireworks but my ex wanted to leave "before the crowds". I went a couple more times after that
but Disney really clicked with me in 2012.

I was in second grade my first visit. I drove my mom crazy by going from Small World to the carousel and back over and over and over while my dad took my brother to the Haunted Mansion several times
I remember hating HM. It all started with me being scared in the stretching room. Then when we went to board the doom buggy, the CM could tell I was scared so he just stared at me. He walked beside our buggy as far as he could just staring at me and I glared right back at him! My mom couldn't believe he kept a straight face with me glaring so determindly back

As a child, I knew there was NO chance of my family ever going to Disney world because my Dad would HATE every second of it(now that I've been to disney I know he would have an awful time!) Because I knew I could never go, I didn't really think about disney again. Even though my husband and I only live about 2 1/2 hours from Disney world we always opted to go to Universal, neither of us thought we'd enjoy disney all that much. He had never been to disney world as a child either.

Then about 6 years ago disney world had a promotion for Florida residents. It was called "give a day, get a day." If we volunteered at a local charity for a day, Disney world would give us each a one day one park ticket. I already worked with several animal rescues in our area so we had our volunteer days done within a week of the promotion starting. So off we went to disney world for one day. We chose MK and I did absolutely NO research beforehand. We had no idea what was in store for us. We walked onto Main Street and I think we just stood there with our mouths open for 10 minutes. It was about 10 times bigger than we ever imagined. We did everything wrong that first visit. No research, we wasted so much time looking at the park map, we couldn't decide what rides to do, we weren't prepared for the wait times so we lost time there too, etc... The park amazed us but I was so disappointed that we lost so many hours because I didn't prepare.

We liked our first visit enough to try it again. We bought 4 day Florida resident tickets and we went back a few months later and we went to each park. But this visit I was so prepared! I basically studied all things disney world for two months before our second visit. This is when we both fell in love with Disney world and we bought AP the next month and we've had them every year since then.

My first two trips were only 6 months apart and I in 3rd grade. The very first thing I remember about the trip was reading one of my assignments because my awesome parents were letting me skip school to go on vacation. The story was called "Hannah is a Palindrome" and it's still one of my favorite short stories.

Ok back on topic. What sticks out the most to me were the topiaries (the hub area was more lush and green at that time), TTA, Carousel of Progress (I loved the song), the afternoon parade at MK, Horizons & World of Motion at EPCOT, and the French pavilion at WS. We had just had to give a report in school about another country and I was obsessed with all things French at the time, so seeing "France" in person was a pretty big deal. I also remember being disappointed that at the time they did not sell the French cookies that my mom had helped me make to share with the class for my project. Also at the time, I really liked the movie...now it makes me nauseous!

My first recollection of WDW would be in the early '70s, staying offsite at what I remember to be a Days Inn. I would have been around 6-8 years old.

We took the ferry from the TTC to the MK, but I don't think it was the large, two-story ferry that I have taken in recent times. To my memory, it seems like the boat was more like one of the resort launches, a smaller boat. Somewhere, there is a picture of us sitting in the bow of the boat, watching the MK get closer and closer.

I can remember standing at the Hub of the MK, waiting for the rope to drop. Apparently, the guests were allowed in to wander around Main Street before the attractions opened. A cast member (an older gentleman) was at the rope answering questions from the crowd. I recall more than one person asking where Space Mountain was, and each time, the CM would point toward the ride and patiently ask "See the spires over there? That is Space Mountain". Also, for some reason, I distinctly remember a young boy asking where he could find the Aristocats, and the CM giving him those directions.

The last "first" memory of WDW I have is the Haunted Mansion (HM). My dad had taken a trial run on the HM, I suppose in an attempt to gauge the "appropriateness" of the ride for a young child. As we stood in the Stretching Room, I was amazed by the portraits as their full nature was revealed. My dad told me "look up", just before the lights went out, so I wouldn't miss the "Ghost Host", swinging from his rope!

You've got me interested in digging out old photos. Maybe I'll find pics of this trip and share them with WDWFG.

JPR

We wish you would.

I was also 51 when I first visited WDW. Epcot was our first park, and the thing I remember was seeing Spaceship Earth for the first time. That's when it became magical. It still had the big "Epcot" sign on it, which is long gone, but it doesn't matter, every time I see it again I remember that first time.

The first time I went to the world I was 6 and I'm pretty sure this happened on this trip I had collected all my autographs in my autograph book and on the last day I had lost it we went to guest services to see if it was handed in but it hadn't been now quite a few months down the line we received a package in the mail with 2 autograph books (there was another girls slightly older than me with us) with all the characters signed in different pens and colours and it was so magical

I remember other things from pictures but that is what I remember and that to me is pure Disney magic

I went to Disney as a kid but really didn't have any amazing experiences other than the normal kid fun.. It wasn't until a trip when I was 21 in 2010 that I really remember thinking "wow, this place is like no other". That trip showed me the grown up side of Disney and I had so much fun with my mom, aunt and cousin that I really decided right then and there that I would be back... many many times..

One incident in particular really made me appreciate that Disney magic. We had just left Fantasmic and I sat down at a bench while my mom and aunt ran into a gift shop. I had a couple bags, and my wristlet with me. I guess when I stood up I didn't realize my wristlet had slipped off my hand and I left it on the bench. I got literally 10 feet away when I noticed I didn't have it and I panicked, my ID, money, debit card, everything was in there. My mom and I started freaking out, wondering how I was going to get back on the plane, etc.. Meanwhile my cousin is just saying "don't worry, it will be at guest relations". I remember looking at him like he had two heads and thinking "he's nuts, someone obviously stole it". But he just kept saying, "We're in Disney, these things work out". I still didn't believe him and started up the hill to search Fantasmic (thinking I had left it there) while he and my aunt went to guest relations. I of course didn't find my wristlet and was so upset. As we made our way back down Sunset Boulevard, here comes my cousin with my wristlet in his hand. I was so amazed. He said those things happen all the time and cast members are so aware of lost things that they grab them immediately and turn them in. The ordeal last 20 minutes tops and I couldn't believe it already made its way to the lost and found and back to me in that time. It really made me appreciate Disney service and one of the reasons I continue to go back is that sense of comfort I get knowing I'm in a place with superb, trustworthy and genuinely happy employees.

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