How many of you had your first Disney park experience as an adult?

[PollyannaMom]

I was 27 and on my Honeymoon. (DH had been as a child, but just as day trips when visiting his grandparents.) We had a blast! I still have my “I will never grow up” hat from that trip, and have been back 8 times.

 

[karen4546]

First trip was July 2012. I was 43. We have made a couple of trips each year and even bought DVC in 2019.

We stayed at POFQ on that first trip and several more after that. Once we stayed at AKL, we did just didn't like any where else as much. We tried CBR but it was not to our taste. We did not like YC but we LOVE BCV. We were supposed to stay at CC in May but CV-19.... We are set to stay at CC in September-fingers crossed.

 

[billlaurie]

43

 

[Snowysmom]

I was 20 and on my Honeymoon when I first went to WDW. Then it was only MK. It began a lifelong love of Disney. Started the kids going to WDW at 10 and 6 and they are starting their kids on Disney. Oldest DGD went on her first trip at 11 months and we were there with her. She has been back 2 more times and is only 5.

 

[Meriweather]

I was 20 and on my Honeymoon when I first went to WDW. Then it was only MK. It began a lifelong love of Disney. Started the kids going to WDW at 10 and 6 and they are starting their kids on Disney. Oldest DGD went on her first trip at 11 months and we were there with her. She has been back 2 more times and is only 5.

DGD at 5 had been to WDW 2 times (first rip 17 months), DLR 4 times and 1 Disney cruise.
She loves having Disney grandparents

 

[fla4fun]

Yes, it was a quirk of the times. This was back in the Cold War days when there was a Navy Training Center (boot camp, etc.) in Orlando.

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Naval_Training_Center_Orlando
That closed as part of the first wave of Base Realignment and Closure in the 90s.

Depending on where you were outprocessing, you might get lucky and get to outprocess through Orlando. I'd been stationed in the Caribbean, so that was the closest for me.

We used to see so many sailors around the park back then. I always did think it was nice that so many of them got to visit.

Can’t comment on the adult first visit thing though . . .

 

[luvnwdwgal]

Me. I was 19 and on my honeymoon in 1981. I remembered watching The Wonderful World of Disney on TV as a child but I guess I never realized you could actually go there. My parents never took vacations so my honeymoon was the first time I had ever gone anywhere. My husband had been there a couple times and it was his idea to go there for our honeymoon. I had no idea what to expect. Needless to say I loved it!!!

 

[Feralpeg]

I was 24 when I first went to Disneyland. I didn't make it to Disney World until I was 35.

 

[dclpluto]

I was 25 first time

 

[MamaLema]

I was 34

 

[highlander4]

I was 35. Gone back 11 times.

 

[ramee]

31

 

[TB'sWidow]

Me too ! I was 33 , Now I’m 57 and up to 15 trips an counting . I had a trip planned to take my friend who is 69 for her first trip but the virus has delayed it sadly

 

[mrodgers]

37. First married family vacation, kids were 9 and 6. They though they were going to die with record breaking temps in early June. Started out at 107 and ended the week at 105. All 3 of them (wife and 2 kids) were amazed at me handling the heat. Meh, I was on vacation and it was quite a few degrees cooler than work and less humidity.

I hope to be able to take my grandkids at least once. Hoping grandkids don't come for a long time, but then I probably won't be around for that anyways.

 

[McNs]

From New Zealand so Disney vacations were never an option growing up, though I was aware of Disneyland from the odd kid at school who went plus of course Disney on t.v.

I was 39 for our first visit, kids were 4 and 7, I had been to USA a few times with work but this was our first visit as a family on vacation (previous vacations were to Australia including their theme parks). Disneyland was incredible, and this was reinforced when we visited Legoland and Seaworld on the same trip. Everything at Disneyland was just right for our family, completely magical, and we all fell in love with the Disney experience. We have had four subsequent trips to DLR and two to WDW.

I'm the DisNut of the family closely followed by my eldest daughter. I love the escapism Disney offers, the real world can disappear once inside the parks and it is just about our family having fun together. It isn't perfect and at times can be frustrating but is still loved by us and is an integral part of our family fabric.

 

[valval]

I was 31!

 

[marthachick]

I was 19 and my father-in-law (I had been married less than 1 year) retired and they wanted to take that trip to Florida they had always talked about. They invited DH and I and we did because we had no money of our own to travel. We went to Magic Kingdom one day. It was 1984. DS still laughs at my stories of traveling with my in-laws.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I was 47 and we brought our 3 yr old son and our two nieces (9 and 11). I wanted to ride Big Thunder Mt so badly. But I got so motion sick from riding that I had to spend the rest of the day in bed recovering. We bought DVC on that trip, too.

 

[Heather07438]

The progression:

22 was my first visit, mostly to tag along with my sister and her 2 young daughters for the day.

At 32 DH and I brought our preschooler son, and again the following year. Both 5 day onsite trips.

Almost a 10yr gap when we decided to bring DS back before he 'aged out'.
That's when the kool-aid digested because we've since done 10 visits over the last 6 years. I have to say DH is the leader... he needs to always have an upcoming trip on the calendar No complaints here.

 

[Aladora]

While I technically went to WDW as a child, I was only 2 at the time and have no memories of the trip at all.

My first real Disney trip was when I was 27, DH took me to Disneyland for our honeymoon. I was tepid on the whole idea but I remember him saying to me "Trust me, Disney pumps happy gas or something into the air, you are going to love it!"

And I definitely did!