First Visit To WDW

Mine was over 30 years ago. My wife and young son and friends and their
young son drove down from New Jersey, the only time we didn't fly.

We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Kissimmee, the only time we didn't stay on
property.

I remember "20,000 Leagues," a boxing ring in a shop on Main Street, using
tickets from a book for rides and for the monorail. Loved "Country Bear
Jamboree" and "It's A Small World." I think River Country was there for that
visit, but it may have been a later trip.

Don't think we ate on site except counter service.

When was your first visit?

--
Bill Bugge

"Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright."

It was about 1982. We moved to Georgia in 1979. So we packed up the kids
and went to Disney World. The Magic Kingdom was the only park. Epcot was
not open yet but was close. We stayed at the Holiday Inn on 192. I
remember I was not impressed with it. But I was mightly impressed with
Magic Kingdom! Lisa

Shoo-Bop-Shoo-Bop wrote:
> Mine was over 30 years ago. My wife and young son and friends and their
> young son drove down from New Jersey, the only time we didn't fly.
>
> We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Kissimmee, the only time we didn't stay on
> property.
>
> I remember "20,000 Leagues," a boxing ring in a shop on Main Street, using
> tickets from a book for rides and for the monorail. Loved "Country Bear
> Jamboree" and "It's A Small World." I think River Country was there for that
> visit, but it may have been a later trip.
>
> Don't think we ate on site except counter service.
>
> When was your first visit?
>

It was about 1982. We moved to Georgia in 1979. So we packed up the kids
and went to Disney World. The Magic Kingdom was the only park. Epcot was
not open yet but was close. We stayed at the Holiday Inn on 192. I
remember I was not impressed with it. But I was mightly impressed with
Magic Kingdom! Lisa

Shoo-Bop-Shoo-Bop wrote:
> Mine was over 30 years ago. My wife and young son and friends and their
> young son drove down from New Jersey, the only time we didn't fly.
>
> We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Kissimmee, the only time we didn't stay on
> property.
>
> I remember "20,000 Leagues," a boxing ring in a shop on Main Street, using
> tickets from a book for rides and for the monorail. Loved "Country Bear
> Jamboree" and "It's A Small World." I think River Country was there for that
> visit, but it may have been a later trip.
>
> Don't think we ate on site except counter service.
>
> When was your first visit?
>

"Lisa Cubbon" <cubbon@> wrote in message
> It was about 1982. We moved to Georgia in 1979. So we packed up the kids
> and went to Disney World. The Magic Kingdom was the only park. Epcot was
> not open yet but was close. We stayed at the Holiday Inn on 192. I
> remember I was not impressed with it. But I was mightly impressed with
> Magic Kingdom!


Hey, Lisa! Now I know why I feel like I've met you before. We right were
there with you in 1982.

Last week of January
Stayed at the Holiday Inn Main Gate on 192 too.

We had lived in Mississippi around 1976, but we thought the kids were too
little to take to WDW. We moved back to Michigan in 1978 and decided we
just HAD to go and made plans for that weekend in 1982. We left Friday
morning and returned Monday evening ...plenty of time since there was just
the MK! Even had time for a trip over to the beach to show the kids the
ocean on Monday (gray, rainy day as I recall).

I remember Delta was the "official" airline. We boarded a flight about 8
AM, four of us spread out across six seats (no one in the middle sears). The
kids got balloons, Mickey coloring books, and some sort of special Mickey
breakfast. By 1 PM, we had checked into the Holiday Inn and were already in
the parks. We spent every minute possible in the parks and touring the
monorail hotels, didn't even venture to Downtown Disney because it really
wasn't very much way back then ;-) ...and I remember just sobbing as we
took the Ferry back to the TTC on the last evening. I remember it just kept
getting smaller and smaller ...and I just cried harder and harder. First
trips are so magical. As many times as you visit WDW and as much fun as you
have, there is always some special magic when you remember that first trip.

Late Monday afternoon when we went to get our seat assignments at the
airport for our return flight, we ask the gal at the desk if it would be
possible to get six seats across for the 4 of us like we had had coming
down. She gave us a REALLY dirty look and not-to-nicely informed us that
our flight was the very first flight since Friday afternoon to Detroit
because the city had been blanketed by an awful snowstorm. Once we got our
seat assignments and wandered down the concourse, we saw newspaper headlines
about the awful blizzard that had hit the mid-west while we'd been gone.
That was the first we'd heard of it because we were incommunicado in WDW ;-)
Remember, folks, back then it was almost impossible to find regular TV or
even a newspaper on property.

Anyway, we landed in Detroit about 8 PM, got home without any problem only
to find that there was about 4 feet of snow in our driveway, courtesy of the
snow plows :-( We carried the kids into the house so they didn't "drown"
in the snow drifts, fed them, put them to bed ...and then had to shovel
snow until well after midnight to be able to get the car in the garage
(detached, way at the back of the lot) ...and I remember how we laughed the
whole time we were shoveling because we had been warm at WDW while back home
everyone was dealing with the worst snow storm in something like 20 years.

Thanks for the memories!

Gloria (perpetually warm in Miami now)

"Lisa Cubbon" <cubbon@> wrote in message
> It was about 1982. We moved to Georgia in 1979. So we packed up the kids
> and went to Disney World. The Magic Kingdom was the only park. Epcot was
> not open yet but was close. We stayed at the Holiday Inn on 192. I
> remember I was not impressed with it. But I was mightly impressed with
> Magic Kingdom!


Hey, Lisa! Now I know why I feel like I've met you before. We right were
there with you in 1982.

Last week of January
Stayed at the Holiday Inn Main Gate on 192 too.

We had lived in Mississippi around 1976, but we thought the kids were too
little to take to WDW. We moved back to Michigan in 1978 and decided we
just HAD to go and made plans for that weekend in 1982. We left Friday
morning and returned Monday evening ...plenty of time since there was just
the MK! Even had time for a trip over to the beach to show the kids the
ocean on Monday (gray, rainy day as I recall).

I remember Delta was the "official" airline. We boarded a flight about 8
AM, four of us spread out across six seats (no one in the middle sears). The
kids got balloons, Mickey coloring books, and some sort of special Mickey
breakfast. By 1 PM, we had checked into the Holiday Inn and were already in
the parks. We spent every minute possible in the parks and touring the
monorail hotels, didn't even venture to Downtown Disney because it really
wasn't very much way back then ;-) ...and I remember just sobbing as we
took the Ferry back to the TTC on the last evening. I remember it just kept
getting smaller and smaller ...and I just cried harder and harder. First
trips are so magical. As many times as you visit WDW and as much fun as you
have, there is always some special magic when you remember that first trip.

Late Monday afternoon when we went to get our seat assignments at the
airport for our return flight, we ask the gal at the desk if it would be
possible to get six seats across for the 4 of us like we had had coming
down. She gave us a REALLY dirty look and not-to-nicely informed us that
our flight was the very first flight since Friday afternoon to Detroit
because the city had been blanketed by an awful snowstorm. Once we got our
seat assignments and wandered down the concourse, we saw newspaper headlines
about the awful blizzard that had hit the mid-west while we'd been gone.
That was the first we'd heard of it because we were incommunicado in WDW ;-)
Remember, folks, back then it was almost impossible to find regular TV or
even a newspaper on property.

Anyway, we landed in Detroit about 8 PM, got home without any problem only
to find that there was about 4 feet of snow in our driveway, courtesy of the
snow plows :-( We carried the kids into the house so they didn't "drown"
in the snow drifts, fed them, put them to bed ...and then had to shovel
snow until well after midnight to be able to get the car in the garage
(detached, way at the back of the lot) ...and I remember how we laughed the
whole time we were shoveling because we had been warm at WDW while back home
everyone was dealing with the worst snow storm in something like 20 years.

Thanks for the memories!

Gloria (perpetually warm in Miami now)

Great thread. I too went in 1982 but it was in June and EPCOT was
open. We stayed at The Holiday Inn on I-Drive. Dad was at a
conference there. We spent most days at The MK and EPCOT plus
exploring parts of International Drive(not much there) and Wet-n-Wild
Waterpark. Boy things have really changed now. We also went to River
Country for a half of day. I remember late nights on Main Street. My
first Disney on property stay was in 1990--it was the Dolphin(just
opened).
Shoo-Bop-Shoo-Bop wrote:
> Mine was over 30 years ago. My wife and young son and friends and their
> young son drove down from New Jersey, the only time we didn't fly.
>
> We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Kissimmee, the only time we didn't stay on
> property.
>
> I remember "20,000 Leagues," a boxing ring in a shop on Main Street, using
> tickets from a book for rides and for the monorail. Loved "Country Bear
> Jamboree" and "It's A Small World." I think River Country was there for that
> visit, but it may have been a later trip.
>
> Don't think we ate on site except counter service.
>
> When was your first visit?
>
> --
> Bill Bugge
>
> "Are the stars out tonight?
> I don't know if it's cloudy or bright."

Great thread. I too went in 1982 but it was in June and EPCOT was
open. We stayed at The Holiday Inn on I-Drive. Dad was at a
conference there. We spent most days at The MK and EPCOT plus
exploring parts of International Drive(not much there) and Wet-n-Wild
Waterpark. Boy things have really changed now. We also went to River
Country for a half of day. I remember late nights on Main Street. My
first Disney on property stay was in 1990--it was the Dolphin(just
opened).
Shoo-Bop-Shoo-Bop wrote:
> Mine was over 30 years ago. My wife and young son and friends and their
> young son drove down from New Jersey, the only time we didn't fly.
>
> We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Kissimmee, the only time we didn't stay on
> property.
>
> I remember "20,000 Leagues," a boxing ring in a shop on Main Street, using
> tickets from a book for rides and for the monorail. Loved "Country Bear
> Jamboree" and "It's A Small World." I think River Country was there for that
> visit, but it may have been a later trip.
>
> Don't think we ate on site except counter service.
>
> When was your first visit?
>
> --
> Bill Bugge
>
> "Are the stars out tonight?
> I don't know if it's cloudy or bright."

In article <BWbyg.10587$%Z1.5896@fe09.lga>,
"Shoo-Bop-Shoo-Bop" <wlastname@.invalid> wrote:

> Mine was over 30 years ago. My wife and young son and friends and their
> young son drove down from New Jersey, the only time we didn't fly.
>
> We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Kissimmee, the only time we didn't stay on
> property.
>
> I remember "20,000 Leagues," a boxing ring in a shop on Main Street, using
> tickets from a book for rides and for the monorail. Loved "Country Bear
> Jamboree" and "It's A Small World." I think River Country was there for that
> visit, but it may have been a later trip.
>
> Don't think we ate on site except counter service.
>
> When was your first visit?

The same year WDW opened. I am from Philadelphia, but my dad has a
brother who lives in FL, so when my dad took me, my sister, and mom to
Miami to visit my uncle, we made a day trip to see the Magic Kingdom. I
was a little kid and I had the time of my life! We visited the World at
least once or twice every year since than until I got to high school and
life became complicated due to adulthood on my part!

In article <BWbyg.10587$%Z1.5896@fe09.lga>,
"Shoo-Bop-Shoo-Bop" <wlastname@.invalid> wrote:

> Mine was over 30 years ago. My wife and young son and friends and their
> young son drove down from New Jersey, the only time we didn't fly.
>
> We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Kissimmee, the only time we didn't stay on
> property.
>
> I remember "20,000 Leagues," a boxing ring in a shop on Main Street, using
> tickets from a book for rides and for the monorail. Loved "Country Bear
> Jamboree" and "It's A Small World." I think River Country was there for that
> visit, but it may have been a later trip.
>
> Don't think we ate on site except counter service.
>
> When was your first visit?

The same year WDW opened. I am from Philadelphia, but my dad has a
brother who lives in FL, so when my dad took me, my sister, and mom to
Miami to visit my uncle, we made a day trip to see the Magic Kingdom. I
was a little kid and I had the time of my life! We visited the World at
least once or twice every year since than until I got to high school and
life became complicated due to adulthood on my part!

My first trip was February, 1982, over the Mardi Gras holiday. We
lived in New Orleans at the time, and we saw some other people we knew
who were escaping Carnival, too! I think half of the city was in the
Magic Kingdom.

We stayed offsite at the cheapest fleabag motel dad could find, but it
didn't matter because we were barely ever there. We ate offsite a lot,
too.

It was a great trip, we really bonded as a family and I loved
everything. My biggest "wow" moment was in Pirates of the Caribbean,
where I looked up and the pirate swinging his leg on the bridge
overhead had "real" hair on his legs -- the audioanimatronics and the
immersive story environment just blew me away. I felt like I was in
one of the most special places I'd ever been.

I remember being there until late at night every day, I think it was
open until 10 p.m. They don't do that in off season anymore.

My biggest regret is we were there a few months before Epcot opened.
It was under construction then, we could see the sphere going up from
the road.

I have a tremendous sense of longing about never having experienced the
original Epcot Future World. It looks like it was very coherent and
magical back then. Now it's fun but it's a bit of a mishmash, and it's
losing it's educational World's Fair feel. Call me a goober, but I
still am a fan of progress and learning and Disney's vision for the
future, over thrills. Nothing will ever replace the old
audioanimatronics style attractions, for me.

Sadly, I had one more chance to see Horizons when I went back in April
of 1996, but for some reason we it, and then when I returned in 1998 it
was gone. *sniff* I can tell I would have loved it.

~Amanda