What age and one memory of first time at Disney

[MIGrandma]

January 1973 - I was 15 when I went to Walt Disney World with my Mom and grandparents during Christmas break from school. Back then the characters just roamed around freely. My Grandma was in a wheelchair (she had polio when she was little) and I remember Chip 'n Dale walking up to her and spending a couple minutes with her, even tickling her. She loved it. Mom got a great photo of it. My favorite memory of that trip. Also loved riding 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (still miss that one) and the Haunted Mansion.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I was 8 years old, my grandparents took my cousin and me to visit our uncle and aunt in Ft Lauderdale. We took a day trip to Magic Kingdom (1981). I remember very little, but I remember characters walking around and groups of kids piling on to meet them. Every picture had not only us, but other kids in it. And I remember being so scared on Snow Whites Scary Adventure that I cried. It was the only ride I cried on, and the only ride my cousin did not cry on.

 

[snappy]

Age 10 Disneyland. Let's just say it was the 1960's. Long driving trip from south Louisiana.

I think we stayed for 2 days in Vegas (for my Dad's sake) and one one in DL. Those were the days of the E tickets. A friend of parents had just been to DL and talked it up so Dad decided we needed to go.

Although my dad didn't plan it, he initiated a life long love of amusement parks, for him, and even more so for my family, long after he's been gone. I have him to thank (or blame, depending on how you look at it.)

 

[MomofKatie]

Both of my first time Disney memories involve my big brother, funny enough.

1971, Disneyland. I was 5, and I was terribly concerned that my older brother was going to be riding the Matterhorn Bobsleds. I was sure that it was too scary and he wouldn't be safe. He loved it and was just fine, lol!

1973, WDW- summer when I was 7. My awful brother convinced me that the Haunted Mansion wasn't scary at all (I was a huge wimp about scary stuff, and he knew I would hate HM). I cried through the ride and yelled at him afterwards.

 

[scdak]

18 years old - high school senior trip, I turned 18 during the night as we drove down so that was pretty neat in itself. It was still during the time when the rides had tickets (1978) and I know some of us (not me, I am too sweet LOL) told some of the other students that the tickets only meant what areas of the park they were in.............and conned them out of E tickets in exchange for A tickets telling them they were saving them a lot of walking!!!

 

[Squirlz]

I was a kid when we went in 1972. We stayed at the Contemporary. Out on the lakes you could rent little speed boats with 7HP outboards. My Brother and I each got one and quickly discovered that if you leaned forward you could get the boat up on plane and they would fly! We were tearing around, going through the dock area that was off-limits. I'll never forget it. That and riding the Speedway. Big thrill for a young car nut.

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

1975, I was 4 years old. I remember staying at the Contemporary, the chocolate ice cream and the balloon my Grandpa bought me.

 

[Lyricallie]

It was the millennium so I was probably about 8. I remember All star movies resort and getting hot chocolate in my Disney mug and burning my tongue and also using a payphone rather than a mobile to call my gran back home. Also I remember the Epcot want said 2000 rather than Epcot and when I came back a few years later I was really confused.

 

[aaarcher86]

I was 5.

I remember thinking the squid attack in 20,000 Leagues was real and being convinced we were all about to die. I remember being really relieved and thinking our sub captain was really great for getting us out if that situation.

Riding Space Mountain with my parents. My dad was stomping his feet and yelling the whole time. I wanted to go again and his "old war wound" was acting up so he sat the second ride out ;P. I still think of that when I ride it now.

 

[Disneylover99]

I remember going through the Contemporary Hotel on the monorail in the mid-70's. Everything seemed orange and there were tons of people eating where Chef Mickey is now. I couldn't believe that a Monorail could go through a hotel. I thought it would be so cool to stay there. I was about 7 years old.

 

[Kitty 34]

I was 44, DH 45 and sons were 17, 11 and 9. I will always remember what it felt like getting off the monorail at the Magic Kingdom. We had a blast even though after finding the DIS a couple of years later we did things sooooooo backwards!!!!

 

[karly05]

8 years old; Dismeyland (CA). Fell in love with Small World. I wanted the dolls - especially the little Goose Girl for some reason. Many years later, riding IASW at WDW, I still think, "There's my Goose Girl."

 

[Bilberry]

I don't remember the year, but I was quite young and we were living in California. My parents took me to Disney Land, bought me some Mickey ears, and a ride I lost the ears! It was a sad moment when that happened is all I remember. Outside of that it was a good time.

 

[low-key]

we were watching the Electric Parade and Snow White looked right down at me and smiled and waved, I thought my gosh she was so beautiful and to this day I think she was flirting with me.

About 1993, during the Spectomagic nighttime parade, Mary Poppins winked at me.

we should go on a double date with them

 

[barkley]

1973, WDW- summer when I was 7. My awful brother convinced me that the Haunted Mansion wasn't scary at all (I was a huge wimp about scary stuff, and he knew I would hate HM). I cried through the ride and yelled at him afterwards.

I was about 8 when the haunted mansion opened at Disneyland. we were visiting family in southern California, went with them to Disneyland, and my cousin announced that she was willing and 'very capable' of taking me around the park (she was VERY proud of her newfound status as a 'teenager'). my older brother rolled his eyes and said 'good luck with that' but was all in favor of it b/c that way he could be rid of me for the day (this was in the 60's, kids freely roamed the parks largely unsupervised while their parents chilled out with a cocktail back at the Disneyland hotel bar by the monorail entrance).

several times she tried to convince me to go in the haunted mansion-I kept saying 'no, it's too scary'. finally she convinced me and we got in line. I got more visibly scared the closer we got (one of the cast members even approached us and asked my cousin 'is she o.k. to go in there?'. my cousin assured the c.m. that she had everything under control). we finally get into the entryway and make our way into the 'stretching room', and as IT STARTS descending and stretching I START- initially whimpering and finally howling 'I told you I don't want to ride this-I WANT MY DAAAAAAAAAAADY'. the room which is about halfway stretched at this point comes to a sudden stop and then starts ascending back up.

myself and my cousin were escorted by a c.m. OFF the ride-I was comforted by one c.m. while another gave my cousin a stern talking to about not taking me on rides I was clearly scared to go on and warned her to not dare to try and take me on it again that day.


almost 50 years have passed and my cousin still talks about how she didn't know weather to be angrier at me over the 'mortification of the event' or the 'waste of a perfectly good e ticket' (they gave me MINE back-the didn't give cousin hers)

 

[cmarsh31]

I was 6. Apparently my dad didn't realize just how dark Space Mountain was... I went on it with him and my grandmother and remember being completely terrified (but not too scared, because 3 years later I was more than willing to go again). Same trip, we split stayed between the Polynesian and Treehouses. I remember my parents waking me up to see the Water Parade off of our balcony at the Polynesian and then a peacock biting my dad's finger (don't feed the peacocks) on the deck of the treehouse! Plus, I lost a tooth and the toothfairy even found me in Disney World!

I always laugh when people (my ILs) question why we took "such young kids" (they were 3 & 6 at the time) to Disney (poor deprived DH didn't go until he was in middle school - because they wanted him to remember it - he has the memory of Dory, it wouldn't matter when they took him, he can't remember what we did there 2 years ago). 30+ years later, I still remember so many details from our first two trips.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I was 6 and so was WDW! I remember my 4 year old brother literally hitting the deck during the Jungle Cruise when the skipper fired the gun. (I wish they still did that part.) I also remember really thinking I was 20,000 leagues under the sea until my dad told me to look up and you could see the top of the water.

I also remember the first time we went to Epcot. I think I was 8th grade. The first thing we had to do when we entered Epcot was make our dinner reservation. I seem to remember my mom going up to a computer, but maybe it was a person, at a kiosk. We ate in Italy!

 

[RedAngie]

My 14th birthday. We ate dinner in the castle. The restaurant had a different name back then. My father must have arranged with the hostess to have Minnie Mouse bring me a birthday cake.

 

[WorldWacky]

I was eight years old. I can remember setting in one of the Comtemporary wing buildings and having an onsite nurse come to the room for my sister who was suffering with an ear infection. She was jumping from bed to bed trying to get away from the nurse! Of all things to remember! I also distinctly remember seeing the Electrical Water Pageant from that room every night.

 

[FINFAN]

Disneyland, I *think* I was about 7 or 8...loving the heck out of the Tiki Room with my mom. It was her favorite attraction at the time. I am so thrilled that WDW went back to the orig theme, brings my mom back to me