What things do you remember MOST about your FIRST visit?

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Magic Mirror's picture
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Emmalee wrote:
My first Disney experience was actually at Disneyland as an adult. We were at Snow White's Wishing Well and I was leaning over it listening to it sing when someone cleared their throat behind me and when I turned ... it was Snow White! No line forming yet or anything, she just walked up behind me, said "Hello" and we chatted and took a picture! That was when the Disney magic really took hold and I knew I was hooked for life.

Awesome! What a great interaction!

KenJ wrote:
My first time a Disney World was just 4 years ago, in April 2010 and at the age of 42. I was just amazed by the sheer size the place. I guess what struck me the most was just how clean everything was (impeccible landscaping) and how pleasant it was just to be there. And, little did I know how addictive it would become!

mickey

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I went in summer of 1972. I stayed at a Sheraton off-site and all the buildings were named after countries. I stayed in the Israel building. On the monorail, I was amazed looking out the window at the bushes shaped like animals and characters. I loved the trolley. I was claustrophobic on 20,000 Leagues. My very favorite thing was a cork gun that my aunt bought me in Frontierland. The cork was attached to the gun by a string, but I cut that string as soon as I got home. Then I had fun shooting things with the cork.

I loved Main Street. I knew it was representative of a better place and a better time. I still feel that way.

Then we went to NASA at Cape Canaveral, Monkey Jungle, Parrot Jungle, Gator Jungle and then to sunny Miami Beach.

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My childhood friend brought home a toy musket that shot little round cork balls.

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And a fake rock. He loved that fake rock!

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The coolest thing was back in the eighties I was walking through an almost empty park (week after labor day) and about a minute after I sat down Cinderella sat down next to me and just started chatting. I don't ever think I'll ever see the parks that empty again.

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My first visit was when I was 21 - and I had no intentions of going to the parks.

My aunt and uncle rent a vacation property in Charlotte, several hours south of Orlando. We had what could be classified as the worst airline experience of my life on that trip, and we flew in MCO at nearly 11:30 at night. We all crammed into their minivan and drove the two hours south, right passed Downtown Disney and the many Disney signs. At the time I didn't much mind, but I knew I'd be down there for two weeks, and was looking forward to relaxing in the Florida heat.

That was the year that the East coast was hit so very hard with snow storms in mid February, since I recall sitting in the living room of their beautiful vacation home, watching the news when they shut down every airport from New York, South. That was when the weather changed. It went from a glorious warm day, to a windy, rainy humdrum of a week. I'd packed one hoodie - and I wore it like a second skin for days.

It was three days before we were scheduled to head home, and there was no break in the weather in sight. I was spending my days cooped up in their home, either chatting on facebook or trying to stay warm under piles of blankets. It was then that I recalled a friend of mine who lived in Orlando had offered to show me some of the parks if I found myself with some free time. I plunked myself down in front of the computer, booked myself a solo Greyhound ticket and told my family that I would meet them in Orlando for our flight.

I took what has got to be the scariest bus ride of my life (in Canada they don't lock you in the back of the Greyhound, behind the sheet of bullet proof glass!) through Tampa Bay, several other smaller cities and finally onto Orlando. My buddy met me there with a big bouquet of flowers and a warm hug - and we were off to a hotel on International for the evening.

We spent the next two days at Magic Kingdom and Universal, but MK has to have been the most awe inspiring. It was pouring rain (and I mean pouring rain) the morning we arrived. We took the tram from the parking lot and headed to pick up some tickets. We got inside, freezing and soaked, and the first thing we grabbed was a turkey leg at the Lunching Pad and went on Stitches Great Escape. With many years of running around since them, I have learned to love that ride a bit less, but it was my very first - and Stitch is my faaavorite.

All in all, even though I got a wicked cold that had me in bed for a week once we got home, it was an amazing trip.

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I went in 1972. I was 6, so I don't recall much.. HOWEVER 3 things have stayed with me all these years later..

Riding Dumbo with my mom. And everytime I am there -- I have to ride it again. Now with my daughter. Smile

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea ... I was sitting with my mom and grandfather, and I lost it at the point of the ride when the sub was getting crushed.. my grandfather said that if I don't stop they are going to let me out of the sib .. Sad(

Peter Pan's Flight .. again.. I LOVE this ride... but the first time I rode it I sat between Nana and Pop-pop (can you tell I miss them?) I leaned over to see Hook get 'eaten' by the croc and my gradfather grabbed me thinking I was going to fall in.. and I watched in horror as my Mickey ears went floating down...

mickey

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Just going back and looking at this again and was thinking about the first time Joe and Abigail went. We went as a family before Joe and I were even engaged. He had never been either. I loved how Abigail would point and exclaim "look, it's the "whatever the main attraction is in the park we were in" with the widest eyes and excitement. I remember her meeting her first character, Daisy and being a little scared. I remember Joe smiling more than I had ever remembered him smiling since we had been dating.

It was just such a wonderful trip. I have so many memories from all the following trips that they just run together. We do so many new things each time sometimes it feels like we have never been. muchlove

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It was 2001 and I'm in front of the Partners statue ready to burst out in tears. I had FINALLY made it to "a dream come true!"

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I am going to cheat a little, the first time I went I was only months old, so I dont remember anything! But the second time I went I remember the big characters. Eeyore in perticular, I have a memory of waiting in line with my older cousins. I am pretty sure I was 3 at the time, and Eeyore kept swinging his tail and I kept trying to grab it. I also remember the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at MGM.

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The thing I remember about my first visit? Spaceship Earth was a LOT bigger and steeper than it seems today...and there were only two parks!!

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The first time I went was when I was 8. I actually do not remember that much; however, three things I do recall are Peter Pan's Flight (still one of my favorites), 20,000 Leagues, and running around Epcot trying to buy all the Figment stuff they had. I still feel that way about Figment today muchlove

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Our first trip was in 2000 and we had NO CLUE what we were doing! Our kids were 10 and 13 at the time and they were sooooo excited to be at MK with us and their grammy and pops. I remember walking under the train station at MK, seeing the castle and smelling the air. The kids were absolutely mesmerized. I think we all were. That was it for me, I was officially addicted. We headed to Big Thunder Mountain and grammy kept telling the kids to "hold on tight", but they kept putting their hands in the air. They still laugh about it today! It was just an amazing trip! mickey

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Easy one to answer..'Twas a hot summers day in July 2004, when I found this land of magic and pixie dust and more. When I walked up that Main Street, with a tear in my eye. Then I saw this awesome castle pointing high into the sky..So that day I'll never forget when I found this magic land..With my wife and son I'll walk that street next year hand in hand... banana

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I grew up going to DL. The first time I rode the Haunted Mansion I was so scared that I pretended to look around at all the ghosts, but I had my eyes closed. The first time I rode Space Mountain was with my Dad. That was also my first roller coaster. I remember after getting off the ride, my knees were weak and my mouth was dry from smiling through the whole ride.
My first trip to WDW was just a few years ago. My husband surprised me with an anniversary trip. We only had four days so we did as much as we could. Loved it!

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1972.. drove with my parents, grandparents and little brother from NY to Fla(I was 4) I remember bits and pieces such as :

- scared to death on 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
- the hot dogs at Pinocchio's Village Haus
- NOT meeting any characters
- losing my Mickey ears after leaning out of the ship in the Peter Pan ride and making my grandfather nervous, who grabbed me so I don't fall... sad

I was too young to really get it. However .. taking my daughter was priceless.. and she still remembers a few facts from that (she's been back 2x since) mickey

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The first time I went to Disney World was in the summer of 1989. My mother worked for the school system (secretary in the guidance office) so the only time she *could* take vacations was in the summer. It was the traditional family trip: my mom, my dad, my older sister, and me. I was seven and my sister was eight. I remember Toon Town had Mickey Mouse birthday banners and flags up, I remember loving "It's a Small World," and I remember being scared of "The Haunted Mansion." I also remember I was in tears when I got off Maelstrom because the trolls had scared me out of my gord (keep in mind I was only seven years old, and all "girl" at that age). My sister remembers banging her head on Space Mountain, and she vows she will never go on that ride again (she's not a roller coaster person to begin with, but she can handle Big Thunder Mountain, oddly enough). Funny thing, actually, the Haunted Mansion has become one of my favorite attractions over the years (but I'll bet that has a lot to do with the fact that I have become a HUGE fan of Paul Frees).

Another thing I remember was we brought home two Daisy Duck plushies (we already had a Mickey, a Donald, and two Minnies; from a previous trip our parents took, though I think the Minnies came from my grandmother's trip to EPCOT), two Thumper plushies, a Duchess plushie, and a Figaro plushie. And my adorable little Figaro still sits on my shelf to this day (the only "surviving" plush of this trip).

Sorry for all the edits, but I feel it's easier than clogging the board with separate threads. We stayed at the Grand Floridian on our first visit. We had bought all those aforementioned plushies in either EPCOT or the Magic Kingdom, I don't remember which, but one day, when we returned to our room after a day in the park, we found our plushies lined up on both of the hotel beds. I think housekeeping (or is it "mouse" keeping?) arranged them there to be cute. But I don't really remember our reaction.

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1979, high school graduation trip with two other graduating cousins. I remember riding the boat to MK from our parking lot. I remember the 20,000 Leagues ship. Space Mountain scared me, but I loved it. And the Haunted Mansion was my favorite ride. Brought a Pluto drinking glass home, still have it on display. And I remember driving past the future EPCOT site.

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My first visit was August, 1972 with my younger sister and a friend of hers. They were both in their late teens and I was 21. We drove up from Miami. We decided to go sort of short notice so we had to stay on the east coast and drive the hour or so each way. It was so amazing walking in and seeing the castle for the first time. But my strongest memory was a huge thunderstorm that knocked out the power. We hung out at Pinocchio's restaurant until it stopped. Amazing looking back that they didn't have any generators and the power was actually out for awhile.

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I was living in DelRay Beach, Fl. and went to opening weekend In Oct. 1971. When we returned home the local newspaper sent a reporter to interview us. I told him it was so crowded I never wanted to go back.
Joe

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subvetss wrote:
I was living in DelRay Beach, Fl. and went to opening weekend In Oct. 1971. When we returned home the local newspaper sent a reporter to interview us. I told him it was so crowded I never wanted to go back.
Joe

laugh this made me giggle!

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"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell."

"It seems to me that we have a lot of story yet to tell."

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