What moment made you fall in love with disney?

[Toon crazy]

These are all great stories. It's great to read all of these special moments.

 

[Dan Murphy]

As for falling in love with Disney, for me it was back in 1998.

As said above, I am old enough to remember very well when Disneyland opened and the original Mickey Mouse Club was on the air mostly to promote Walt Disney's new park. I recall rushing home after school to watch Annette, all the young boys' favorite Mouseketeer. I recall the many shows on Walt Disney's Disneyland and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. The many wonderfully film nature series shows.

I had been to Disneyland while on a solo trip to California to visit a friend in 1968. It was nothing really special to me then, just a nice amusement park. While on a family trip to visit family in Los Angeles in 1992, we made the requisite visit to Disneyland. Still nothing special.

Everything changed in 1998.

Easiest for me is to copy and paste the start of a trip report, originally from 1999, and last reposted in 2001........

I am posting this 'old' trip report for the 3rd time. The previous ones were lost in board updates. Over the months, I have received emails to repost these, as well as I have seen references to them on the Community Board, requests to repost, and some folks don't know what they were. At the time, December, '99 and January, '00, they were somewhat unique. They were enjoyed then, hopefully they will again.

I will attempt to present my trip report in a somewhat different than normal fashion (why should I change now?). In life, there is first an embryo, then fetal development, and then a glorious birth of a baby. I hope to present my story along those lines, in 3 parts. Today will start with the embryo. Actually this first part will sound like it belongs on “Inspiration Board”, but it really is “Trip.”

The Embryonic Stage



As the kids were growing up, we always said, “We should go to Disney World.” It was always, “not enough time”, or “we don’t have the money to do it “this” year”. Well that changed in 1998/99.


The Crew:

Dan Murphy —me, age 55, Financial Planner
Marie— my dear wife, a few years my younger, full time mom, spouse, and homemaker
Natalie —my dear daughter, turned 19 on our trip, first year college student
Vincent— my dear son, age 22, working towards becoming a firefighter

Our Magic Time:

Sunday, November 28th—Monday, December 6th


The beginnings of our trip to WDW actually began in January 1998. My dear wife, Marie, then was diagnosed with breast cancer. This, obviously, was a life-altering event for her and our family. She started her treatments shortly thereafter--surgery, chemo, and radiation, in that order. It was a long, arduous, dragged-out battle. Day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month, it went on and on and on. In early May ’98, Marie was in the later weeks of the chemo part of her treatment.


During the fist week in May, I had to go, (and I do mean that--I had to go), on a 3 night/4 day business convention. Last year, (’98), it happened to be held at the WDW Swan & WDW Dolphin. Well, I went to the convention with great reservations of leaving Marie home, if only for a few days.

Upon my arrival at WDW, I had mixed feelings. Here I am at a place that is designed, certainly with families as a major consideration, and not only am I here alone, but my wife is home, sick, fighting for her life. I did go about my business.

First day was basically travel and check in, as it so frequently is. That evening was a cocktail reception at which thoughts were back home, not at the party. The second day was taken with the usual daytime meetings and an awards banquet in the evening. I called frequently to the home front to check in and touch base. I really had wished I were home.

I basically was totally free to do as desired on the third day. “Well”, I said, “as long as I am here at WDW, I might as well try to see what it was like a little bit and what it was we had missed over the years.” As a then total WDW neophyte, I wandered around the lobby, trying to find out, “What do I do?” I went to the Disney counter and asked some questions, (which now in retrospect, would be much more efficiently dealt with on DIS. LOL). I purchased a one-day ticket, ($$ LOL), took the Friendship boat, (I thought that to be totally cool), to MGM Studios, and spent the day wandering aimlessly around the park, much as we would do at Six Flags that we have here in Chicago and have visited numbers of times over the years.

After docking at the boat dock, (again I thought this to be sooo neat), I went in with my little ticket in hand, zipped in into the machine, (cool), stopped at the Gas Station and said “Good morning” to an employee who was most friendly, (now known as a CM), and stopped at Starring Rolls Bakery for a pecan roll and coffee, ($$). I went into MGM, made a right turn, (now probably would go left, LOL), on to Sunset Blvd, (didn’t really know it had a name then). I wandered down to ToT and only gawked at it in amazement. Unbelievable! I would never, in my life, go on that. WRONG! I had a pop at Market Ranch, ($-unbelievable). I then strolled into a currently showing B&TB performance.

• I thought back to the previous year, (’97), as I watched the B&TB stage show in Toronto, site of that year’s same convention I was now attending in Orlando, but with no health problems looming. My, what a year can bring!

I was starting to wander back on Sunset Blvd, when I was taken up by the Street Performers—so cool. My unknowing wandering continued.


I did have the required Guidemap in my hands, (yes, ladies, I read maps and don’t ask directions. That works very well for me in my non-Disney life, and I will, in the “birth segment” refer back to this statement).

I went to Hollywood Blvd, through the MGM main circle, (still don’t know if it has a “formal” name), and went to The Great Movie Ride. I kind of liked this goofy, (no pun) ride. I walked into ABC Commissary, got intimidated by the crowd, and walked out. LOL Now I realize that that was just a small number of people, (guests). I think I finally got something at Backlot Express, details of it are fuzzing up after 18 months. Whatever it was, it didn’t make much of an impression on me, other than probably how much a burger costs at WDW, LOL.

I looped over to Star Tours. This was familiar territory for me, as we did do Disneyland in ’92. Enjoyed the flashback again to happier, and healthier days. I took a few pictures of the great looking “At-At” out front, cuz I like Star Wars. I found my way, with my Guidemap, to the Backlot Tour ride. As I went through the various “stages” of this attraction, I thought how nice it would be if Marie was with me then, seeing the street settings of houses which different films and shows had used over the years.

After the ride, which I did think was kind of neat, (sort of reminded me of the Universal Studios tour we also did in ’92), I went over to the New York Street, sat on the curb under the big arch by the garden, got out my cell phone, and called my voice mail for messages. (bet you thought I was calling home—just a little bit later)(tough for me to totally get a way from it). Even though I changed my VM to “absence”, one of my clients had left a message. I called him and said to him, “You will never believe where I am calling you from. I am in Orlando, FL, but I am looking up this street and I can see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building in the distance.” So neat! I then explained and told him I would call him on my return to the “real world”.

That pretty much wound up my day and initial experience with WDW. I again used my trusty Guidemap, found the exit and started my way to it. I did get sidetracked to Keystone Clothiers for the, now known, required Disney things. I did like picking out for Marie, Natalie, and Vince, but wished they were with me.

I then boarded the Friendship boat for the ride back to the Swan. I got out my cell phone again and called home. Now, mind you, this was not my first call home. I had made plenty of calls up until then, but this one was going to be cool (NOT). Marie answered and I said, “You will get a kick out of this. I just left a Disney park, am on a Disney boat, on Disney water, with a Disney bag of clothes, going back to a Disney hotel. Everything is Disney! Everything! We really should come here with the kids when you are well!” Well, the tears started to well up and I wanted to get off the phone. I ended the call and docked at the Swan with sad feelings.

That evening, one of the mutual fund companies I use for financial “product”, was hosting a 7:30 PM “Thank you” dinner at Morocco in Epcot to be followed by Illuminations. The bus picked us up at the Swan and dropped us off at Entrance Plaza at Spaceship Earth, (didn’t then know it had a name), and we proceeded to move, just short of a jog, through Future World and World Showcase, as the bus had been late. We made it to Morocco and had an enjoyable meal with fellow associates, but I was really alone. After dinner we went outside and stood near the Friendship boat dock to watch Illuminations. Needless to say, I was impressed. After that a group of us, or maybe it was just me, (I think I was alone), walked out of Epcot, through International Gateway, along the Boardwalk, and back to the Swan. Beautiful walk, but lonely.

I called home, talked with Marie, and said I’d be home in the afternoon of the next day. Tough day and evening.

I made it home and we move forward from early May to about August or so, (‘98).

Now, I thought this Trip report would not be soooooo long. Honestly, I am just typing this from memory, (referring to my now souvenir Guidemaps for locations and names), as I go along. The brain must still be fresh. LOL It is longer than I thought it would be; I ramble. LOL This will, I guess be referred to as Embryo, Part I. And I will post it now so I can get a start on this Trip Report thing. I did tell you it sounds like it probably, (this part), belongs on Inspiration with Nikole & Michelle, but it is my Trip Report, so it goes with Kelsie.

I will try to develop Embryo, Part II, soon. It will take me from August ’98 up through my discovering DIS, sometime in the early part of ‘99. And a lot happened in between.

See ya’all soon.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/dans-trip-reports-revisited-embryo-i-part-1.30388

I have really enjoyed reading others with their beginnings here.

 

[Toon crazy]

As for falling in love with Disney, for me it was back in 1998.

As said above, I am old enough to remember very well when Disneyland opened and the original Mickey Mouse Club was on the air mostly to promote Walt Disney's new park. I recall rushing home after school to watch Annette, all the young boys' favorite Mouseketeer. I recall the many shows on Walt Disney's Disneyland and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. The many wonderfully film nature series shows.

I had been to Disneyland while on a solo trip to California to visit a friend in 1968. It was nothing really special to me then, just a nice amusement park. While on a family trip to visit family in Los Angeles in 1992, we made the requisite visit to Disneyland. Still nothing special.

Everything changed in 1998.

Easiest for me is to copy and paste the start of a trip report, originally from 1999, and last reposted in 2001........




http://www.disboards.com/threads/dans-trip-reports-revisited-embryo-i-part-1.30388

I have really enjoyed reading others with their beginnings here.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[Neesy228]

I think I've been a fan most of my life, so I'm not sure there was one moment, but a series of moments.

We didn't have a lot of money (or anything else) growing up, but I was an avid reader. I would borrow fairy tales from the library, and get them from Scholastic Books if my mom would buy one. I noticed early on (maybe 5 or 6 years old?) that the Disney name was on a lot of things that I loved to read or watch on tv.

By the time I was 7 or 8, I was devouring all things related to WDW -- I still have a magazine that I begged my mother to buy me about the building of Epcot. I just showed it to my DD10 a few months ago and she was amazed to see the pictures of the building of Spaceship Earth.

As a child, it all seemed like a whole different world than the one I was living in. Disney - whether tv shows, movies or the parks - seemed like a fairy tale to me. Florida was a far away land that I couldn't imagine visiting. I loved the creativity and imagination of it all. In high school, the Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast came out and I was in heaven. When my children were little and Cars came out, I was in love all over again!

It still inspires the dreamer and believer in me. It gives me hope when I'm feeling lousy about the rest of the world. I've been a lot of beautiful and wonderful places in my life, but when I'm standing on Main Street, there is nowhere else I'd rather be.

 

[Domo]

Easy. Walking into EPCOT the first time. AMAZING!

 

[Toon crazy]

Easy. Walking into EPCOT the first time. AMAZING!

My wife loves Epcot as well. Her favorite park.

 

[pampam]

We planned our first trip to WDW. (It was just MK then.) We went to the Crystal Palace for a buffet breakfast (no characters then), and were sitting, eating, annoyed at the birds flying inside , when all of a sudden we noticed Goofy and Pluto walking outside. Well! That did it! We forgot about our meal, rushed outside and met these gracious lovable characters! Hugs, photos and more hugs. We had them all to ourselves. There were no handlers, or even anyone else that wanted to meet them, just our family. We were so excited, thinking this would be a once in a lifetime experience. Ya, right. Our love for Disney grew, exploded, and we have been back countless times to this happy place.

 

[Sweetpancake]

I can't think of a particular moment, I've just loved Disney my whole life. I didn't have the easiest of childhoods and I think Disney was sincerely my saving grace. It brought so much joy into my life when things were tough. I was very lucky to have gone to Walt Disney World several times as a kid and I think just entering the gates to the park flooded me with a sense of magic and also provided a care-free playground to have nothing but fun and leave all my worries behind.

 

[bcla]

No real ah-ha moment. I grew up watching The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC in the 70s. My parents got me various Disney anthology books of various Disney movies. The stories were heavily sanitized though, like Cruella de Vil wanting Dalmatian puppies to sell to a circus instead of making a coat.

And of course there were the frequent trips to Disneyland. It wasn't really that expensive back then, and we would only make it one day. We also saved by staying with relatives. We bought ride ticket books, and we wouldn't even use them up.

 

[Mirielle]

My first trip to the World, my buddy and me, both 17 went and we were watching the electric parade, and snow white come buy, she was so beautiful, she looked right at me and smiled and waved

Awww...I love this. Snow White picked my little girl up in her arms and kissed her. My DD couldn't get over how wonderful Snow White smelled.

 

[bjscheel]

However visiting Disney was never in my childhood not even a dream. We lived in the Midwest and while we were never poor (though we had our moments of tight times) we were a working class family and long trips to the coasts were not happening. I was also not the type of girl to wanted to be a princess, or enjoyed character type interactions, and I find parades boring. I also never wanted to buy a set of Mickey ears or costume type clothing. So that Park experience was never something I wanted or even asked my parents to take me too.

Pretty much my story too. We didn't go ANYWHERE when I was a kid and WDW was not on my radar at all, though I enjoyed Disney movies alright. As far as theme parks, there was Adventureland in Des Moines, so why bother going to WDW? Then I had two little girls who were all into princess and dressing up and playing pretend. It was DH's idea to take them in 2005 (ages 6 and 3) on a short trip which was our first family vacation. I think the falling in love was gradual or a number of moments rather than just one. We came back from 2005 and I was getting more into Disboards and decided we could do it better/cheaper and quickly decided to return in 2006. And then a few more trips!

It's been fun having our girls "grow up Disney".

 

[Kiren]

My parents took my brother and I when we were younger as a once in a lifetime trip. Unfortunately I was 12 and have no real experience with Disney and thought the rides were "too kiddy" and would have much rather spent all our time at Universal! My changing moment came when my DH (then DBF) and I went to DLR in 2014. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and had a wonderful time! The icing on the cake was him proposing on a unique bench on Main Street USA near the railroad station. Disney will always be magical to me!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast coming out when I was 9 and 11/12. I knew I loved Disney then. We were poor so there were no vacations. I knew one day I would go.

I didn't get to WDW until I was 20 years old. Went back when I was 25 but our first onsite stay when I was 26.....that's when I FELL IN LOVE.

 

[prprincess]

My father passed away in 1979 when I was 6 years old, and my grandmother (his mother) organized a trip for all of the rest of her children and grandchildren. Which, now that I'm a mom, I realize had to be incredibly hard for someone in mourning. We drove down to WDW in a caravan of about six cars, which was a large part of the fun--switching cars, playing at rest stops, etc. I honestly don't recall even knowing about WDW previous to this trip, but the minute I stepped into the Magic Kingdom I was in love! I couldn't get enough of Cinderella and Snow White, and the rides were just amazing to me...I was in love with It's a Small World, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Space Mountain, and If You Had Wings was my favorite. I remember being terrified of the Haunted Mansion, and riding with an aunt who insisted it wasn't scary and a blast - she was right and it's been a favorite ever since!

His death caused me to grow up pretty fast, but that trip is honestly probably the best memory I have of my entire childhood. So that's why I love Disney!!

 

[Toon crazy]

My father passed away in 1979 when I was 6 years old, and my grandmother (his mother) organized a trip for all of the rest of her children and grandchildren. Which, now that I'm a mom, I realize had to be incredibly hard for someone in mourning. We drove down to WDW in a caravan of about six cars, which was a large part of the fun--switching cars, playing at rest stops, etc. I honestly don't recall even knowing about WDW previous to this trip, but the minute I stepped into the Magic Kingdom I was in love! I couldn't get enough of Cinderella and Snow White, and the rides were just amazing to me...I was in love with It's a Small World, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Space Mountain, and If You Had Wings was my favorite. I remember being terrified of the Haunted Mansion, and riding with an aunt who insisted it wasn't scary and a blast - she was right and it's been a favorite ever since!

His death caused me to grow up pretty fast, but that trip is honestly probably the best memory I have of my entire childhood. So that's why I love Disney!!

It's interesting how so much good and love can come from such tragedy.