Can Anyone Remember The Magic That You Felt When......

[twinx4]

Can anyone remember the magic that you felt when you first experienced disney with you family? The happiness that shined inside of you when you saw your childrens faces light up with joy!!!

Or do you remember the magic when you felt like a kid again, whether it was when you saw the magic kingdom light up at night or the spectacular parades.

The feeling that all of your troubles, bills, work, traffic jams...etc were just simply obsolete while you were at Disney. And imaging saying to yourself "I'M NEVER GOING ON, CAN'T I JUST STAY HERE...AND RE-LIVE THE DREAM OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!!"

Please share with me and others about the day the magic happened for you

P.S. I'm starting to plan my xmas Disney trip and I'm starting to get sentimental again I know I can't be the only one who gets this way during planning

 

[Stimpy]

My Dh and I tried to have a baby for a long time. I grew up going to Disney every year so I really wanted to pass on that tradition to my own children some day. Every trip to Disney was hard on me when I saw the parents with their children. It took a lot of effort for me not to cry sometimes.

When I finally found out I was pregnant, we already had a trip scheduled for the next month and I was pretty excited to go. But that didn't even compare to the first time I walked my son through the "tunnel" on to Main Street. Just watching his face light up when he saw the castle is a moment I will never forget.
I have tears going down my face just thinking about it.

He was 13 months then, he'll be 4 in October and going on his 5th trip to WDW in September (& his first cruise!) After trying for a while again, we've come to accept that he will probably not have a brother or sister. But there's always that slight chance I might get to experience that again!

 

[mmiller711]

Twinx4 - I know what you mean. I have two DDs and when I took them for their first trips it was soooo wonderful. Now I get to experience it all over again with my first grandson! He will turn 19 months during our trip. I am sad that his mother can not go. She has a new job and can't take the time off. We were all set to stay home and she called and said she knew how much it meant to me to take him and how much she enjoyed going when she was little. She didn't want him to miss out on trips. My mother (almost 80) is going and wants to see him play at the waterparks. DD is afraid her grandmother may not take many more trips as it is getting hard for her to get around. She knows with our family there will be many more trips and she will be there for the ones he really remembers! I am not fooling anyone, I know this trip is for Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandma.

 

[grinningghost]

My parents brought me to WDW in 1972 when I was a mere first grader. I only have fragmented memories of that trip, but when I went in 1976, as a "big" fifth grader, that's when the magic hit me. I miraculously met up with a good friend staying at the Poly just like we were. We had a ball exploring the MK (the only park there was back then). We rode Space Mountain over and over - or at least until the E tickets ran out. We enjoyed If You Had Wings and Pirates. We rode the monorail endlessly. The magic got me that trip, and I'm forever thankful for it.

 

[twinx4]

Wow all of those memories sound really wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stimpy.... I wish you all the best with your future family...hey you never know. You may be able to re-enact that Disney commericial where the little girl is in the elevator with her mom and new baby brother. She was describing their Disney Cruise and told everyone in the elevator that her new little brother was a solvenior I can understand you becoming teary eyed regarding your sons expressions. It does something special to you inside. Their expressions are undescribable and at that very moment nothing in the world seems to matter.


MMiller711....Wow...don't forget to take plenty of film and video cameras for your experience. I wish my mom was more excited about going. I took her last year and I can tell she really enjoyed herself. But its so much more that I want to show her that Disney has to offer. We got a chance to see every park but not everything. I've tried to explain that you can't "do" Disney in one visit. I'll just have to keep working with her...maybe I can loosen her up.

Grinning ghost.....Since the monorail and space mountain were one of your memorable moments...do you make an extra special effort to ride them when you go...or does the act of passing them when you go...take you back to early memories??


Thanks for sharing everyone

 

[vic32]

My first trip to wdw was as an adult. When I went back and took my son, it was even better than my honeymoon. In certain ways.When we got to the poly he would have been happy riding the monorail all week!!! it was right outside our room, he called it a "mommyrail".He was three, now 5 and going back with dd in Oct for MNSSHP. I cant wait!!! He says he doesnt remember the first trip, but I do and he had a ball. He enjoys watching the video od himself having fun!!!

 

[Minerva]

I was 14 the one and only time I've ever been. All that was there then was MK. I do remember being totally awed at the castle and dd who will be celebrating her 8th birthday when we go next year is totally fixated on it also. Must be something in the genes. LOL I can't wait to see her face when we walk up to it. I hope I can get some good pictures. My son wil be 11 and has been a total train nut since he was 18 months old and saw Thomas for the first time. He can't wait to get on the monorail. We'll be arriving on Thanksgiving afternoon but won't have park tickets until we move over to POR on Friday morning. Our plans for Thursday include swimming at the pool at All Star Sports in the afternoon and spending the evening riding the monorail. LOL I haven't told him yet about being able to ride in the front. I'm hoping to get there and just be able to whisper to the CM to ask if we can without my son hearing so I can get a picture of his face when they tell us to go up there.

 

[cinderella_bella]

Great thread. Since I had to wait until I was 22 to go the magic hit me late. I wanted to go so bad all my life and finally when I got married I got my wish. I remember walking into the park and walking down main street to the castle and it was like no one else was in the park. Just me meeting the dream I had for so long. Then when I took my kids and got to watch them having fun on all the rides and meeting the characters. That is such a great memory. Did I mention I love this thread.

Tania

 

[laceemouse]

My parents took me to WDW the first summer it was open! I was almost 10 and we lived in Louisiana at the time. Right before I started high school we went again and took 2 of my friends with us. When I was a senior in high school our band marched in the Disney parade. Through all this time there was only the MK, but I loved it more each trip. When EPCOT first opened I went with a boyfriend. Then, shortly after getting married DH and I went (there was MGM by this time.) Now we have 4 kids and have been to WDW several times. We have moved and moved again and now live far away, but we still make it down every 1 to 2 years!!! It is great seeing Disney through my kids eyes! I can never walk down Main Street USA without getting teary eyed. We just joined DVC and look forward to many more magical moments at WDW!!! We see and do something new and wonderful on every trip...Lacee

 

[twinx4]

HI Cinderella-Bella (tania)

I love reading all these replies to this thread too. I have the biggest smile while reading them. I love to share my Disney stories and memories and I love to read about others too.

Reading about the excitement and the magic that Disney brings to others is rewarding. It's peaceful and warm. To hear something good and wonderful happening to others instead of hearing about negative events. I love sharing the Magic.

Sometimes I can get carried away telling my friends and family about my Disney adventures. Those that haven't gone yet, just don't understand. But its funny to hear the stories of the skeptics in my family after they have gone, then to watch their expressions when they describe the castle or tell and re-tell about a parade or a character greeting. THEN I'm not such a "too-far-out-there-Disney-dreamer" all of a sudden I'm normal and they can relate

But please keep the stories coming....you never know who's lives will be touched by reading such beautiful stories. Especially those who haven't experienced the magic yet and they are debating on going.

I laugh when I read a story and say to myself "I know what you mean....I remember that too " To capture the expression of "OOOOOOHHHH" look at the castle!!!! Or the smiles when the fireworks light up the sky. Or the first time your toddler bursts into a round of laughter while hugging Mickey Mouse for the first time. PRICELESS!!!!!!!!

 

[frannn]

I think it hit me so hard, DH pretty much missed it! I am the Disney nut in this family, because with all the stress at home, WDW really feels like a sanctuary, where nothing bad can touch you. The most difficult decision is which ride to go on next, and where to eat. I can deal with that! In just a couple of months, DH and I will introduce DD to the magic at one year old. DDs 14 and 10 would rather not miss school, so they are staying with their dad. I can't wait to see the excitement in DD1's eyes. She already gets crazy when she hears the Mickey Mouse March music playing, and loved the 4th of July fireworks. All I need to do now is find a big character to introduce her to- to make sure she won't be terrified. I know this trip won't be as carefree and easy as our past childfree trips, but I am looking forward to it more than the other trips. I am hoping that I will have a fellow little nut to plan future trips with!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

My first vacation to Disney AKA Florida, my friend and I were excited to be in Fla! We had never been out of New England! I was 27 years old, and I remember the cab ride from the airport. We were making the driver laugh. The palm tree's along the highway, the 3-D billboards advertising Disney rides or Universal rides... Actually SEEING the ToT from the highway!!!! We were GIDDY!!! But NOTHING prepared me for how I felt when I passed through the gates to the Magic Kingdom! I was 27 years old and felt like I was 5!!!!

When I was able to bring my kids, my feelings were the same, just multiplied because I could share it with my kids. One time when my youngest was 8 months old, he was such a joy! Before bringing him I could never believe anyone when they said their infant had a BLAST at Disney! LOL. He truly was having the time of his life! His favorite ride??? The Tomorrowland Transit Authority! He rode it over and over agian. I remember being in line with my two older kids for Astro Orbiter. My DH said he was going to take the baby on the Transit Authority. He had oneof those Tigger hats, the bright orange hat with the tigger tail coming out of the back. While in line, I looked up and saw just the top of Tigger's tail, LOL, I just laughed out loud seeing my baby way up on the ride, and I could just tell he was loving it!

The other awesome memory I have, same baby, seven months later..he is now 15 months old. Every character he met, he had to give them a kiss. At 15 months old, he would just lean in and kiss them. Well, one day, I had the baby while DH was on the speedway with the two older kids. We found Pooh and Tigger just outside the Tea cups. I brought Danny over, and while he was going back and forth between Pooh and Tigger, Eeyore came up and tapped him on the shoulder, I turned him around, and he damn near jumped out of his SKIN. We had not introduced him to Eeyore! LOL..He did not recognize him as a character!!!

AAAHhh...Disney with the kids, does it get any better than that? I am sure as we get older and go without the kids, we will miss the days when they were kids.

 

[KATMK]

We were recently there over the Forth of July. It was our first trip for both my husband and I. We grew up as poor immigrants and our parents and didn't have money for the extra expense of a vacation. We brought our children who are 4,5,and 6 and they loved it. The magic begin when we entered the gates of WDW. Their faces, their laughter, their enthusiasm, their energy, and their happiness made it all worth the money. We drove from Texas but just their reactions made all the miles melt away. My husband is known for his grumpiness but one look at his face showed me that the Disney magic was something really special. We spent two days at MK and one day AK and not once did he show his grumpiness. Our kids being so close toghether act up sometimes but just something about Disney made them truely angels, yea they got tired and it was hot and humid but they were children but they weren't rude to anyone and we didn't get into any fights and our vacation was really memoriable and we're already looking forward to another trip.

 

[marcyinPA]

The "magic" happens for me every time I walk through the gate at the Magic Kingdom. I don't know what it is...the music, Mainstreet, and walking towards Cinderella's Castle...I cry every time! My older DS just laughs now "Oh, Mom!! You're crying AGAIN??" LOL

The parades do it to me too! I just get tears in my eyes!!

 

[Tig-girl]

MarcyinPA

I know exactly what you mean! I cry when we walk on to Main St. also, and I cry at the fireworks, and my DH and DSs just shake their collective heads and say "there she goes again!" But I can't help it. It truly is magical............

 

[MomEars]

We took our first trip to WDW for our honeymoon June 1974,when it was new. When our first born was 4,we took him to see Mickeyand bought him mickey ears with his name on them.
With the addition of 3 more kids,our family grew.Those were the days filled with fun of chasing down the characters for pictures,riding the carousel,standing in line for Dumbo and small world.

As the years went by we found our way to Space & Splash mountain,Pirates and Haunted Mansion;but the Magic never left us. For even though the kids are grown, there still is the little kid inside of them,wanting to ride Dumbo just one more time.
I hope that feeling last forever, or at least till they have kids to carry on this tradition.

 

[Dana49]

I had the new Birnbaum's guide, the only guide at that time, and I read every page a jillion times. I imagined everyday what it was going to be like. My wife and I had decided to ask her parents if they wanted to go with us. It was going to be their 50th Wedding Anniversary and they had never taken a "real" vacation in all of those years. They were as thrilled to go as we were to have them. So, off we headed to Florida on Delta Airlines (the Official Airlines of Walt Disney World).

We chose to stay at the Polynesian. Back then, the choices were either the Polynesian or the Contemporary. The Grand Floridian was just starting construction. Our first evening there, as my wife was getting the kids to bed, I remember standing by myself on the beach and staring at Cinderella's Castle. I couldn't believe we were there. All of those Birnbaum pictures had come to life. The trip ended up being one of the most memorable vacations of our life. It was so much fun that my mother-in-law cried when we left, and thanked us for asking them to come along.

 

[twinx4]

Boy these are really some great posts....I noticed that a lot of similarities of the most memorable moments have to do with viewing Cinderella's Castle for the first time

I remember having dinner for the first time in the castle that was such a magical experience, everyone was in true character and dressed like royalty.

That's when everyone turns into a kid again

I love the Magic Kingdom at night when the entire Kingdom lights up!!!

And its extra special to read the stories of the people who have had the chance to experience Disney during the early days when everything was starting to develop.