Describe your first trip to a Disney park....

[mrunn0080]

Early December 1985, my first trip anywhere. Airports, planes and the parks were huge and amazing. When getting off the plane in MCO, I could not get over how clean everything was. It was warm get cool smell of Freon filled the air everywhere in florida. The Disney trash cans, epcot center gift shops and chip&dale characters bring back good memories. I loved figments imagination (the original ride). I loved the smell of the perfume on the ride and the smell of the oranges on Horizon. We did re-rides several times, we practically had all the parks with no lines.

My main focus was on how things worked in the parks, I wondered how they could air condition all those buildings without any sign of large AC compressors outside or any noise. I loved the monorail and how futuristic it was. EPCOT was clearly my favorite park.

I liked mainstreet USA, the old time Arcade was my favorite. I could not get enough rides on space mountain or thunder mountain. I really liked the slow rides too, spaceship earth was at the time a very smooth, enjoyable ride.

Being such a little kid at the time, the whole park was humungous. All the new technology, like the video calling booths in epcot to make dinner reservations, made going home like a trip back in time.

Disney made a lasting impression on me and feels like home everytime I visit.

 

[Chinito07]

My first visit at WDW was on September 2007. I travelled solo and I became an instant fan. Two years ago, my parents visits me here in US and I brought them to Disneyworld. They laugh at me about the plan, but when they had the "disney experience", they told me that they don't know that such place can exist. We had a lot of great memories that they are planning to be back soon.

 

[FlaNani]

I was 4 the first time I went to Disney World. At that time you still had to purchase ticket books to ride. I remember sitting in the rented stroller and riding IASM. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many times I've been since then. I've been hooked my whole life! When I was about 13, my dad surprised me with a daddy & daughter only trip, that was one of my favorite trips. Even through the Alzheimer's my dad remembers that trip, and we talk about it often.
Someday, when we can afford it, my partner and I are going to become DVC members.

 

[GadgetTheInventor]

My first Disney trip was a day-trip to Disneyland when I was 5.

I have lots of memories of that vacation...getting my TWA wings from the plane's captain, swimming in the pool with my cousins, Camp Pendelton, seeing the Spruce Goose...

My only memory of Disneyland though is that I was standing in the middle of the walkway by a food stand crying because the food was "hurting me", and that it was sunny and hot. Food allergies weren't really well known back then and mine obviously weren't lethal yet.

Maybe I wasn't interested in the park because the 80s were full of Hannah Barbara cartoons and Disneyland rides were themed more towards the movies and not the recent cartoon shows that I watched (Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers, Bonkers, Fraggle Rock).

There is a positive end to my story though. When I was waiting in the single-rider line for TT at EPCOT this past year, I had a wonderful conversation with an older gentleman who had been in the military for a number of years. Every time that his ship would come into port, he would head up to Disneyland for the day. We might have been separated by 30 years in age, but we had had similar Navy/Disneyland experiences and I heard some amazing stories of traveling the world by boat. I was somewhat sad when the line ended and we had to part ways.