Trip Reports
02-21-2007, 01:27 PM
Arnold van Beverhoudt Jr. - September 2004 - Offsite, Caribbean Beach Resort
Time of Year: Various
Travel Method: Plane
Resort: Offsite, CBR
Accommodations: Standard rooms
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Rookie on to Veteran
Comments: Arthur has submitted an unusual trip report. Rather than detailing a single visit, he has channeled his excitement over the next visit into a reminiscence about 30 years of visiting Walt Disney World.
Arnold van Beverhoudt Jr. -- Multiple -- Walt Disney World (Offsite, CBR)
Participants
Arnold (Me) - 7-time Disney park visitor (1973 to 2003)
Helena (My wife) - 7-time Disney park visitor (1972 to 2003)
Selene (Our daughter) - 7-time Disney park visitor (1983 to 2004)
Steven (My brother) - 3-time Disney park visitor (1973 to 2000)
30 Years at Walt Disney World
A Retro-Trip Report
Introduction
It's now nearing the end of September 2004 and I'm in the process of planning for a short (4-night, 5-day) visit to Disney World in late-December. As the excitement builds for the upcoming trip, I thought this would be a good time to look back at my prior visits to Walt Disney's lands of enchantment.
I live on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands with my wife, Helena. Because airfare from St. Thomas to Florida is usually quite high ($500+ round trip), we haven't had the opportunity to visit Disney World as often as we'd like. Our visits have usually come more than 5 years apart. Helena made a 1-day visit to Disneyland with her family in 1972, and I made a 1-day visit to Disney World in 1973 with my younger brother, Steven. Helena and I were married in 1974 and our first family trip to Disney World was in 1983 with our then-6 year old daughter, Selene. In this "retro-trip report," I'll try to recall and describe some of the differences I've seen at Disney World during those infrequent trips.
Summer 1973
In the summer of 1973 I had just completed my second year as an auditor with the U.S. Department of the Interior. My only previous trips to the mainland United States were a 1-week college class trip to New York and Washington, DC in 1969 and a 3-month summer internship in Washington in 1970. The opportunity came for me to take some vacation time in June 1973, staying with family friends in Miami. Steven, who was still in high school at the time, needed to get some parts for his motorcycle, which weren't available on-island. With a good-paying job and few living expenses (I was still living with my parents), I invited Steven to come with me to Miami.
My memory has faded somewhat, but I think the whole trip was for two weeks. Most of that time we spent relaxing, shopping, and sightseeing in the Miami area. We visited Miami Beach, the Miami Seaquarium, the Coral Castle, Monkey Jungle, Parrot Jungle, and the Everglades, among other sights. We also got those motorcycle parts that Steven needed.
Somewhere along the way, I came across a brochure for Grey Line Tours and noticed that they had a 2-day bus tour of the Kennedy Space Center and Walt Disney World. I called up and made reservations for Steven and I. The bus left the Grey Line terminal early on the first morning, made a rest stop along the way to the Kennedy Space Center, and then took us to the spaceport for a few hours of adventure and exploration. One of the manned missions to the Skylab space station was set to launch the next morning, and we hoped to be able to see the rocket going up from our Cocoa Beach motel. We were disappointed on that score, but at least we got to see the launch on the TV in our room. Soon after, it was time to again board our bus for the drive to Disney World.
Although I was aware of the existence of Disneyland in California and had grown up with such Disney animated films as "Peter Pan" and "Cinderella" and the Mickey Mouse Club, this would be my first hands-on experience at a Disney theme park -- or any amusement park, for that matter. Except for an occasional small circus coming to St. Thomas, we just weren't exposed to such things as big amusement parks back home.
I clearly remember that on the bus drive onto Disney property and to the Magic Kingdom, we were told about the second park that was planned for construction not far away -- Epcot Center. I was in awe as we passed under a section of monorail track that would eventually lead to this new park. Also, the only hotels on property at the time were the Contemporary and Polynesian resorts. The bus dropped us off at the Ticket and Transportation Center, where we bought our ticket books and took the ferry boat over to the Magic Kingdom park. It took us a while to figure out how to use those "A," "B," "C," etc. tickets to get onto certain rides. I'm glad that complicated system has long since been replaced by a single park entry ticket and unlimited access to all attractions (crowds permitting, of course).
Our entry into the Magic Kingdom and our first steps onto Main Street USA were magical! It was like stepping into a fantasy world (which, of course, it was). There was all of this hustle and bustle of people and the trolleys, horse-drawn carriages, and double-decker buses carrying visitors back and forth. And then there was the amazing sight of Cinderella's Castle.
Rides that I can specifically remember us doing included the Jungle Cruise, the Liberty Belle Riverboat, the Haunted Mansion, the Skyway to Tomorrowland, and the Tomorrowland Raceway. But the one ride that stands out most in my memory is one that, unfortunately, no longer exists -- the 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine ride. I had seen the movie back home and was a big Jules Verne fan, so it was a real thrill to be able to ride aboard a re-creation of Nautilus into the "ocean depths." In the afternoon we saw the daily parade, which at the time included Goofy in a miniature version of Herbie the Love Bug, the Winnie the Pooh gang, Uncle Scrooge in a Model T, and Casey Jr with Dumbo riding in the caboose. By the time the parade ended, it was time for us to start making our way back to the Ticket and Transportation Center to catch the bus back to Miami.
Looking back now at pictures I took at the time, I notice that Space Mountain was under construction right behind the Disney Raceway track. Also, it's amazing how the plants and trees have grown since 1973. Although the Magic Kingdom was nicely landscaped, everything was more exposed, giving a more open feeling than exists today with the lush greenery. Certainly the view down Main Street to Cinderella's Castle was completely unobstructed back then.
1973 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1973-wdw1.htm
Summer 1983
By July 1983, Selene was 6 years old and a veteran of kindergarten. The space shuttle Columbia had flown several times, and the second space shuttle, Challenger, was soon to be commissioned. So, Helena and I decided it was time for our first family vacation to Disney World, with a short stop at Cocoa Beach and the Kennedy Space Center.
We flew into Orlando, with a stopover in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and took an airport shuttle to Cocoa Beach, where we stayed the night in a Holiday Inn. The next morning -- July 4th -- we took a taxi to the Kennedy Space Center and spent most of the day touring the facilities. One special treat was that we were among the crowd gathered to watch a large screen TV as space shuttle Columbia landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California after another successful mission. President Ronald Reagan was on hand at Edwards to commission space shuttle Challenger.
The next morning, we checked out of the Holiday Inn and took a taxi all the way to Orlando, where we were staying at another Holiday Inn near the main gate to Disney World. I clearly remember that the taxi ride cost $50 -- not too bad, considering the distance we had to travel. [By the way, at the time, I had never driven in the United States or on the right hand side of the road. Here on St. Thomas, we drive on the left and the highest speed limit on our little island is 35 mph.] I really don't remember how long we stayed at the main gate Holiday Inn, but suspect it was probably 4 or 5 days. We relied on the hotel's shuttle to travel to and from Disney World, which by now included not only the Magic Kingdom, but the recently opened Epcot Center.
A highlight of our visit to the Magic Kingdom was that the park was celebrating its 10th anniversary, and this was emphasized in the theme of the daily parade. Mickey and Minnie rode on a silver and blue float to lead the parade and other participants included the Country Bears, Donald and a fife and drum corps, the Jungle Book characters, the Diamond Horseshow Revue showgirls, and Cowboy Goofy.
With a young daughter along on the trip, much of our time was spent in Fantasyland, where we rode Cinderella's Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, the teacups, and It's a Small World. We also did the Haunted Mansion, the Country Bear Jamboree, Liberty Belle Riverboat, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Tomorrowland Raceway, Astro-Orbiters, 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the DreamFlight ride that was presented by either Eastern or Delta airlines (I can't remember which). I remember that Selene was shy about meeting the characters who approached her, but we did get a picture of her next to Friar Tuck from the "Robin Hood" animated feature.
Our day at Epcot Center was focused on the Future World section. Our first sight of the Spaceship Earth globe was breathtaking, as was the ride inside. I also remember that we did the Universe of Energy ride that was in existence then (before Ellen), Horizons, and the Living with the Land boat ride. We probably also walked around the World Showcase section of the park, but I don't specifically remember and don't have any pictures to show that we did.
On later days of our trip, we visited Circus World (which no longer exists) and Sea World. Our first real experience with Florida thunderstorms happened while we were at Circus World. Day turned into night as the dark thunderstorm clouds approached and, after maybe 15-20 minutes, the rain, thunder, and lightning were gone and the sun was shining again. After that week in central Florida, we flew down to Miami to spend a week with my sister, who had recently moved from St. Thomas to Florida with her family. After that, it was back home to life in the islands.
1983 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1983-wdw1.htm
Summer 1985
In July 1985 I had the opportunity to attend the annual conference of the Association of Government Accountants in San Diego. I was not only going to represent our Virgin Islands Chapter, but also was going to be presented with the Association's annual Author's Award for an article I had written about the impact of microcomputers on the world of accounting and auditing. Unfortunately, after one of the conference luncheons, I also learned that I'm allergic to shell fish when I became terribly ill from eating a healthy serving of seafood salad that included shrimp and crab. This is apparently a hereditary thing, since my father and one of his cousins were also allergic to shellfish.
Helena has two sisters who live in the San Diego area. So, during breaks in the conference we were able to visit with them and see some of the sights in and around San Diego. This included the famous San Diego Zoo and Sea World. The following week, we traveled to Los Angeles, where we visited with Helena's brother and sister-in-law. They lived in Fullerton, an area very close to Disneyland. So, a 1-day visit to Disneyland was among the sightseeing we did while there.
The touring included the usual favorites, like the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, Submarine Voyage, Skyway to Tomorrowland, WEDway PeopleMover, Rocket to Mars, and Autopia. But the real highlight for us was the opportunity to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and the fantastic fireworks display over Sleeping Beauty's Castle. The Electrical Parade is still my favorite Disney parade, and hearing the lively music always brings a smile to my face.
On other days we visited Universal Studios and Knott's Berry Farm. But an unexpected treat was that the guest room at Helena's brother's home was situated so that the nightly fireworks at Disneyland were visible through the large picture windows. What a way to go to bed every night! After a wonderful two weeks in California, we took a red-eye flight out of LAX back home to St. Thomas.
1985 pictures of Disneyland are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1985-dlc1.htm
Summer 1989
Our July 1989 visit to Disney World was our first time staying at an on-property hotel -- the Caribbean Beach Resort. We learned very quickly that this is the way to experience all the magic of Disney World. The access to Disney's transportation system alone is worth the slightly higher hotel cost. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach for a full 7-day week.
The biggest change at Disney World was that the Disney-MGM Studios park was now open, and this new park was the focus of our attention. The atmosphere was electric as we strolled down Hollywood Boulevard to the sounds of "That's Entertainment" coming from the PA system. Our first ride was the Great Movie Ride, and we were amazed by the lifelike re-creations of scenes from movies with which we were so familiar. Another big treat was the Animation Studios tour and the ability to actually see the Disney animation artists at work. The Studios Backlot tour also included visits to working sets where television series were being filmed. Other highlights were the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and a lively Broadway-style musical revue starring the Disney characters. I wish they'd bring this stage show back. It wasn't based on any Disney animated features, but it brought to life the spirit of Hollywood and the era of the big musicals.
Over at the Magic Kingdom, Mickey Mouse was celebrating his 60th birthday, and this was the theme of the afternoon parade. Mickey's Birthday Land (later to become Mickey's Toontown Fair) was new, and it had a live stage show celebrating Mickey's birthday. Of course, we rode all of our favorite rides from years past. At night, we were treated to a patriotic version of the Electrical Parade to celebrate July 4th.
Epcot Center wasn't left out of the expansion, with the Wonders of Life pavilion now open for business. Body Wars proved to be a rough but exciting ride and Cranium Command was just hilarious. Also the Captain EO 3D movie had been added in the Imagination pavilion. We spent more time on this visit touring World Showcase, taking in the Rio del Tiempo and Maelstrom rides as well as the American Adventure multimedia show. Illuminations, of course, was just fantastic, featuring (if I recall correctly) music from the 1812 Overture. I also remember that the parks seemed to be overrun by the ever-present and sometimes unruly tour groups from Brazil.
For the last three days of our visit, I rented a car so that we could visit some of the non-Disney attractions in the area. This was the first time that I had ever attempted to drive in the U.S. (on the right side of the road, no less), and it was quite an experience. Our first adventure was to the Kennedy Space Center, some 50 miles away. After a nice day exploring the exhibits, we encountered a torrential thunderstorm on the way back that actually included marble-sized hail!!! I pulled off the road under an overpass, as did other drivers, until the worst of it passed. We were certainly glad when we got back to the Caribbean Beach Resort. That was a real "baptism of fire." On the other two days, we drove to and spent the days at Universal Studios and Sea World before flying down to Miami to again visit with my sister and her family.
We returned home after two full weeks in Florida not realizing that just a few months later (September 17, 1989) our lives would be turned upside down. On that date, Hurricane Hugo ripped into the Virgin Islands causing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage, including blowing the roof right off of our home. Just about everything we owned was damaged or destroyed by the rain waters from Hugo. To make matters worse, we were just months away from finally paying of our home mortgage and were forced to refinance it in order to finish paying for necessary repairs that our homeowners insurance didn't fully cover. We were glad that we had at least had a few days of enjoyment at Disney World during the summer.
1989 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1989-wdw1.htm
Christmas 1992
After four summertime visits to Disney theme parks, in 1992 we decided to try something different. Our previous trips were made during the height of summer, meaning unbearable heat and just as unbearable crowds. Why not instead spend the Christmas holidays at Disney World? This experience was like "night and day" compared to our summer trips. We chose to stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort because we had been completely satisfied during our visit in 1989. We were again completely satisfied with that decision. We relied on the Disney transportation system and never really had any problems with the buses to and from the parks.
At the Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain had been added, but we didn't ride because of not wanting to get soaked. Mickey's Birthday Land had been converted into Mickey's Starland and featured a stage show with Disney afternoon TV characters, like Darkwing Duck and the Goof Troop. At night, the Electrical Parade had been replaced by the SpectroMagic Parade. I wasn't too impressed with the music on that first viewing, but it's grown on me since then.
One interesting experience we had was the Christmas Day parade that's televised on ABC. We made it a point to be there, thinking that the parade would run through in a normal fashion, like the Tournament of Roses when it's televised on New Years Day. Instead, we were surprised to find that the Christmas parade was actually staged for television, with each segment going down Main Street for the cameras and then everything coming to a stop until they were ready for the next segment. After about a 1/2 hour of that, we left to go enjoy the park rides and returned to Main Street in the afternoon for a normal run through of the parade.
Over at Epcot Center, we did the main rides at all of the Future World pavilions, including Universe of Energy, Worlds of Motion, Horizon, Journey into Imagination (now with the new Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D movie), the Land, and the Living Seas. At Disney-MGM Studios, the Beauty and the Beast stage show had replaced the Broadway-style show from years past, new attractions include Star Tours and Muppet*Vision 3D, and the afternoon parade featured the characters from the "Aladdin" animated feature. At the time of this trip, Selene was 15 years old and beginning to show an interest in art as a career. So, we treated her to a behind-the-scenes art tour at Disney-MGM Studios, where she was able to actually go into the Animation Studios and try her hand at some character drawings. Of course, with the Animation Studios now just a museum, this type of tour is no longer possible.
On this trip we also made our first visit to Downtown Disney, which then consisted only of the shopping area. On Christmas Eve we enjoyed a staged musical Nativity pageant that really brought home the true meaning of Christmas. (As much as we like the Candlelight Processional that has since become a tradition at Epcot, we wish the Nativity pageant aspect could be incorporated into the presentation.)
Overall, we were so pleased with our Christmas-time experience at Disney World that it's become our tradition to visit at this time of year. In 1992, the masses hadn't yet discovered what a wonderful time this is to go to Disney World, and we were amazed that we could virtually walk-on to every attraction or ride without long lines.
1992 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1992-wdw1.htm
Christmas 1997
1997 was Disney World's 25th anniversary, and we decided to join in the celebration. After all, it had been 5 years since our last visit. By this time, Selene was in college at Lynn University in Boca Raton. So, we flew up from St. Thomas to Orlando and waited at the airport until her flight from Ft. Lauderdale arrived. For the third time in a row, we stayed at our Disney World home away from home -- the Caribbean Beach Resort -- and again we weren't disappointed.
We experienced the same phenomenon as in 1992 of short lines at almost all attractions. For this trip, we also made much more use of priority seating by using mid-afternoon sit down meals as our main meal of the day and an opportunity to get a break away from the park touring. It worked out well for us, and we'll continue to do that in the future.
At the Magic Kingdom, Cinderella's Castle was all decked out in the now-infamous pink birthday cake decorations. I worked up the courage to go on my first real "thrill ride" -- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad -- but I wasn't quite ready for Space Mountain or Splash Mountain. Christmas Day was overcast and wet, but we just donned our yellow ponchos to enjoy the afternoon edition of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade. Overall, we were able to ride all of the attractions that we had hoped to get in.
Likewise, at Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios, we weren't disappointed by being unable to get onto our favorite attractions. I was disappointed, though, that Test Track was still not opened for business although it was originally planned for opening in time for our visit. On Christmas Eve we experienced the Candlelight Processional for the first time and on Christmas night enjoyed the Jolly Holly Days dinner show at the Contemporary Resort. During this trip we also took in the Hoop Dee Doo Revue and the Polynesian Luau shows for the first time.
Over at Disney-MGM Studios, new additions included Voyage of the Mermaid, the Osborne Family Christmas lights, and the wonderful Hunchback of Notre Dame stage show. (I still don't understand why that show was taken away.) The daily parade was now based on the "Hercules" animated feature. On New Years Eve we braved the long wait and the eventual big crowds at the Studios for a concert by Kevin Bacon and his brother.
We were at Disney World for a full two weeks and never left Disney property during that entire time. There were several days, though, when the Florida weather turned really nasty with tornadoes striking residential areas very close by. At least one day was a complete rain out and we stayed at our hotel all day. Despite this, our celebration of Disney World's 25th anniversary was a great success and another memorable trip for Helena, Selene, and I.
1997 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1997-wdw1.htm
Christmas 2003
Our most recent visit to Disney World was for Christmas 2003. After a few days in Deerfield Beach to visit with my sister and for medical checkups, Helena and I spent 10 days at Disney, followed by a week with Selene and her husband, John, in Port St. Lucie. It was a strange feeling being at Disney World without Selene, but we made the best of it and enjoyed ourselves immensely. New additions to the parks since our 1997 trip included the whole Animal Kingdom park, Mission Space and Test Track at Epcot, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Play It! and Fantasmic at Disney-MGM Studios, and Mickey's PhilharMagic and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom. Again we had a great Christmas-time visit to the parks and were able to walk-on to most attractions. The crowds were completely manageable except for Christmas Day and the day after Christmas. The weather was fantastic and the only real down side was that I came down with a cold on our last day at Disney World. Our detailed report on that trip is available here on Mouseplanet at:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/trip.rpt/report-files/wdwtr03/vanbeverhoudt03de.htm
2003 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/wdw-mk1.htm
Christmas 2004
As I write this, Helena and I are planning to be at Disney World again on December 17-21, 2004. Yesterday I made reservations for us at the Coronado Springs Resort (this will be our first stay there), and later today I'll be making some priority seating reservations. We're planning to devote a full day to each of the four main theme parks, and we'll try to get in the rides on our list of "do not miss" attractions. So, look for our detailed trip report on Mouseplanet sometime after New Years 2005.
I hope you've enjoyed this look back at our 30 years at Walt Disney World. Please feel free to contact me at: arnoldvb@islands.vi with comments about this "retro-trip report," our detailed 2003 trip report, or the Disney World photos on my web site.
Arnold van Beverhoudt Jr.
Time of Year: Various
Travel Method: Plane
Resort: Offsite, CBR
Accommodations: Standard rooms
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Rookie on to Veteran
Comments: Arthur has submitted an unusual trip report. Rather than detailing a single visit, he has channeled his excitement over the next visit into a reminiscence about 30 years of visiting Walt Disney World.
Arnold van Beverhoudt Jr. -- Multiple -- Walt Disney World (Offsite, CBR)
Participants
Arnold (Me) - 7-time Disney park visitor (1973 to 2003)
Helena (My wife) - 7-time Disney park visitor (1972 to 2003)
Selene (Our daughter) - 7-time Disney park visitor (1983 to 2004)
Steven (My brother) - 3-time Disney park visitor (1973 to 2000)
30 Years at Walt Disney World
A Retro-Trip Report
Introduction
It's now nearing the end of September 2004 and I'm in the process of planning for a short (4-night, 5-day) visit to Disney World in late-December. As the excitement builds for the upcoming trip, I thought this would be a good time to look back at my prior visits to Walt Disney's lands of enchantment.
I live on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands with my wife, Helena. Because airfare from St. Thomas to Florida is usually quite high ($500+ round trip), we haven't had the opportunity to visit Disney World as often as we'd like. Our visits have usually come more than 5 years apart. Helena made a 1-day visit to Disneyland with her family in 1972, and I made a 1-day visit to Disney World in 1973 with my younger brother, Steven. Helena and I were married in 1974 and our first family trip to Disney World was in 1983 with our then-6 year old daughter, Selene. In this "retro-trip report," I'll try to recall and describe some of the differences I've seen at Disney World during those infrequent trips.
Summer 1973
In the summer of 1973 I had just completed my second year as an auditor with the U.S. Department of the Interior. My only previous trips to the mainland United States were a 1-week college class trip to New York and Washington, DC in 1969 and a 3-month summer internship in Washington in 1970. The opportunity came for me to take some vacation time in June 1973, staying with family friends in Miami. Steven, who was still in high school at the time, needed to get some parts for his motorcycle, which weren't available on-island. With a good-paying job and few living expenses (I was still living with my parents), I invited Steven to come with me to Miami.
My memory has faded somewhat, but I think the whole trip was for two weeks. Most of that time we spent relaxing, shopping, and sightseeing in the Miami area. We visited Miami Beach, the Miami Seaquarium, the Coral Castle, Monkey Jungle, Parrot Jungle, and the Everglades, among other sights. We also got those motorcycle parts that Steven needed.
Somewhere along the way, I came across a brochure for Grey Line Tours and noticed that they had a 2-day bus tour of the Kennedy Space Center and Walt Disney World. I called up and made reservations for Steven and I. The bus left the Grey Line terminal early on the first morning, made a rest stop along the way to the Kennedy Space Center, and then took us to the spaceport for a few hours of adventure and exploration. One of the manned missions to the Skylab space station was set to launch the next morning, and we hoped to be able to see the rocket going up from our Cocoa Beach motel. We were disappointed on that score, but at least we got to see the launch on the TV in our room. Soon after, it was time to again board our bus for the drive to Disney World.
Although I was aware of the existence of Disneyland in California and had grown up with such Disney animated films as "Peter Pan" and "Cinderella" and the Mickey Mouse Club, this would be my first hands-on experience at a Disney theme park -- or any amusement park, for that matter. Except for an occasional small circus coming to St. Thomas, we just weren't exposed to such things as big amusement parks back home.
I clearly remember that on the bus drive onto Disney property and to the Magic Kingdom, we were told about the second park that was planned for construction not far away -- Epcot Center. I was in awe as we passed under a section of monorail track that would eventually lead to this new park. Also, the only hotels on property at the time were the Contemporary and Polynesian resorts. The bus dropped us off at the Ticket and Transportation Center, where we bought our ticket books and took the ferry boat over to the Magic Kingdom park. It took us a while to figure out how to use those "A," "B," "C," etc. tickets to get onto certain rides. I'm glad that complicated system has long since been replaced by a single park entry ticket and unlimited access to all attractions (crowds permitting, of course).
Our entry into the Magic Kingdom and our first steps onto Main Street USA were magical! It was like stepping into a fantasy world (which, of course, it was). There was all of this hustle and bustle of people and the trolleys, horse-drawn carriages, and double-decker buses carrying visitors back and forth. And then there was the amazing sight of Cinderella's Castle.
Rides that I can specifically remember us doing included the Jungle Cruise, the Liberty Belle Riverboat, the Haunted Mansion, the Skyway to Tomorrowland, and the Tomorrowland Raceway. But the one ride that stands out most in my memory is one that, unfortunately, no longer exists -- the 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine ride. I had seen the movie back home and was a big Jules Verne fan, so it was a real thrill to be able to ride aboard a re-creation of Nautilus into the "ocean depths." In the afternoon we saw the daily parade, which at the time included Goofy in a miniature version of Herbie the Love Bug, the Winnie the Pooh gang, Uncle Scrooge in a Model T, and Casey Jr with Dumbo riding in the caboose. By the time the parade ended, it was time for us to start making our way back to the Ticket and Transportation Center to catch the bus back to Miami.
Looking back now at pictures I took at the time, I notice that Space Mountain was under construction right behind the Disney Raceway track. Also, it's amazing how the plants and trees have grown since 1973. Although the Magic Kingdom was nicely landscaped, everything was more exposed, giving a more open feeling than exists today with the lush greenery. Certainly the view down Main Street to Cinderella's Castle was completely unobstructed back then.
1973 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1973-wdw1.htm
Summer 1983
By July 1983, Selene was 6 years old and a veteran of kindergarten. The space shuttle Columbia had flown several times, and the second space shuttle, Challenger, was soon to be commissioned. So, Helena and I decided it was time for our first family vacation to Disney World, with a short stop at Cocoa Beach and the Kennedy Space Center.
We flew into Orlando, with a stopover in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and took an airport shuttle to Cocoa Beach, where we stayed the night in a Holiday Inn. The next morning -- July 4th -- we took a taxi to the Kennedy Space Center and spent most of the day touring the facilities. One special treat was that we were among the crowd gathered to watch a large screen TV as space shuttle Columbia landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California after another successful mission. President Ronald Reagan was on hand at Edwards to commission space shuttle Challenger.
The next morning, we checked out of the Holiday Inn and took a taxi all the way to Orlando, where we were staying at another Holiday Inn near the main gate to Disney World. I clearly remember that the taxi ride cost $50 -- not too bad, considering the distance we had to travel. [By the way, at the time, I had never driven in the United States or on the right hand side of the road. Here on St. Thomas, we drive on the left and the highest speed limit on our little island is 35 mph.] I really don't remember how long we stayed at the main gate Holiday Inn, but suspect it was probably 4 or 5 days. We relied on the hotel's shuttle to travel to and from Disney World, which by now included not only the Magic Kingdom, but the recently opened Epcot Center.
A highlight of our visit to the Magic Kingdom was that the park was celebrating its 10th anniversary, and this was emphasized in the theme of the daily parade. Mickey and Minnie rode on a silver and blue float to lead the parade and other participants included the Country Bears, Donald and a fife and drum corps, the Jungle Book characters, the Diamond Horseshow Revue showgirls, and Cowboy Goofy.
With a young daughter along on the trip, much of our time was spent in Fantasyland, where we rode Cinderella's Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, the teacups, and It's a Small World. We also did the Haunted Mansion, the Country Bear Jamboree, Liberty Belle Riverboat, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Tomorrowland Raceway, Astro-Orbiters, 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the DreamFlight ride that was presented by either Eastern or Delta airlines (I can't remember which). I remember that Selene was shy about meeting the characters who approached her, but we did get a picture of her next to Friar Tuck from the "Robin Hood" animated feature.
Our day at Epcot Center was focused on the Future World section. Our first sight of the Spaceship Earth globe was breathtaking, as was the ride inside. I also remember that we did the Universe of Energy ride that was in existence then (before Ellen), Horizons, and the Living with the Land boat ride. We probably also walked around the World Showcase section of the park, but I don't specifically remember and don't have any pictures to show that we did.
On later days of our trip, we visited Circus World (which no longer exists) and Sea World. Our first real experience with Florida thunderstorms happened while we were at Circus World. Day turned into night as the dark thunderstorm clouds approached and, after maybe 15-20 minutes, the rain, thunder, and lightning were gone and the sun was shining again. After that week in central Florida, we flew down to Miami to spend a week with my sister, who had recently moved from St. Thomas to Florida with her family. After that, it was back home to life in the islands.
1983 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1983-wdw1.htm
Summer 1985
In July 1985 I had the opportunity to attend the annual conference of the Association of Government Accountants in San Diego. I was not only going to represent our Virgin Islands Chapter, but also was going to be presented with the Association's annual Author's Award for an article I had written about the impact of microcomputers on the world of accounting and auditing. Unfortunately, after one of the conference luncheons, I also learned that I'm allergic to shell fish when I became terribly ill from eating a healthy serving of seafood salad that included shrimp and crab. This is apparently a hereditary thing, since my father and one of his cousins were also allergic to shellfish.
Helena has two sisters who live in the San Diego area. So, during breaks in the conference we were able to visit with them and see some of the sights in and around San Diego. This included the famous San Diego Zoo and Sea World. The following week, we traveled to Los Angeles, where we visited with Helena's brother and sister-in-law. They lived in Fullerton, an area very close to Disneyland. So, a 1-day visit to Disneyland was among the sightseeing we did while there.
The touring included the usual favorites, like the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, Submarine Voyage, Skyway to Tomorrowland, WEDway PeopleMover, Rocket to Mars, and Autopia. But the real highlight for us was the opportunity to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and the fantastic fireworks display over Sleeping Beauty's Castle. The Electrical Parade is still my favorite Disney parade, and hearing the lively music always brings a smile to my face.
On other days we visited Universal Studios and Knott's Berry Farm. But an unexpected treat was that the guest room at Helena's brother's home was situated so that the nightly fireworks at Disneyland were visible through the large picture windows. What a way to go to bed every night! After a wonderful two weeks in California, we took a red-eye flight out of LAX back home to St. Thomas.
1985 pictures of Disneyland are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1985-dlc1.htm
Summer 1989
Our July 1989 visit to Disney World was our first time staying at an on-property hotel -- the Caribbean Beach Resort. We learned very quickly that this is the way to experience all the magic of Disney World. The access to Disney's transportation system alone is worth the slightly higher hotel cost. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach for a full 7-day week.
The biggest change at Disney World was that the Disney-MGM Studios park was now open, and this new park was the focus of our attention. The atmosphere was electric as we strolled down Hollywood Boulevard to the sounds of "That's Entertainment" coming from the PA system. Our first ride was the Great Movie Ride, and we were amazed by the lifelike re-creations of scenes from movies with which we were so familiar. Another big treat was the Animation Studios tour and the ability to actually see the Disney animation artists at work. The Studios Backlot tour also included visits to working sets where television series were being filmed. Other highlights were the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and a lively Broadway-style musical revue starring the Disney characters. I wish they'd bring this stage show back. It wasn't based on any Disney animated features, but it brought to life the spirit of Hollywood and the era of the big musicals.
Over at the Magic Kingdom, Mickey Mouse was celebrating his 60th birthday, and this was the theme of the afternoon parade. Mickey's Birthday Land (later to become Mickey's Toontown Fair) was new, and it had a live stage show celebrating Mickey's birthday. Of course, we rode all of our favorite rides from years past. At night, we were treated to a patriotic version of the Electrical Parade to celebrate July 4th.
Epcot Center wasn't left out of the expansion, with the Wonders of Life pavilion now open for business. Body Wars proved to be a rough but exciting ride and Cranium Command was just hilarious. Also the Captain EO 3D movie had been added in the Imagination pavilion. We spent more time on this visit touring World Showcase, taking in the Rio del Tiempo and Maelstrom rides as well as the American Adventure multimedia show. Illuminations, of course, was just fantastic, featuring (if I recall correctly) music from the 1812 Overture. I also remember that the parks seemed to be overrun by the ever-present and sometimes unruly tour groups from Brazil.
For the last three days of our visit, I rented a car so that we could visit some of the non-Disney attractions in the area. This was the first time that I had ever attempted to drive in the U.S. (on the right side of the road, no less), and it was quite an experience. Our first adventure was to the Kennedy Space Center, some 50 miles away. After a nice day exploring the exhibits, we encountered a torrential thunderstorm on the way back that actually included marble-sized hail!!! I pulled off the road under an overpass, as did other drivers, until the worst of it passed. We were certainly glad when we got back to the Caribbean Beach Resort. That was a real "baptism of fire." On the other two days, we drove to and spent the days at Universal Studios and Sea World before flying down to Miami to again visit with my sister and her family.
We returned home after two full weeks in Florida not realizing that just a few months later (September 17, 1989) our lives would be turned upside down. On that date, Hurricane Hugo ripped into the Virgin Islands causing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage, including blowing the roof right off of our home. Just about everything we owned was damaged or destroyed by the rain waters from Hugo. To make matters worse, we were just months away from finally paying of our home mortgage and were forced to refinance it in order to finish paying for necessary repairs that our homeowners insurance didn't fully cover. We were glad that we had at least had a few days of enjoyment at Disney World during the summer.
1989 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1989-wdw1.htm
Christmas 1992
After four summertime visits to Disney theme parks, in 1992 we decided to try something different. Our previous trips were made during the height of summer, meaning unbearable heat and just as unbearable crowds. Why not instead spend the Christmas holidays at Disney World? This experience was like "night and day" compared to our summer trips. We chose to stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort because we had been completely satisfied during our visit in 1989. We were again completely satisfied with that decision. We relied on the Disney transportation system and never really had any problems with the buses to and from the parks.
At the Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain had been added, but we didn't ride because of not wanting to get soaked. Mickey's Birthday Land had been converted into Mickey's Starland and featured a stage show with Disney afternoon TV characters, like Darkwing Duck and the Goof Troop. At night, the Electrical Parade had been replaced by the SpectroMagic Parade. I wasn't too impressed with the music on that first viewing, but it's grown on me since then.
One interesting experience we had was the Christmas Day parade that's televised on ABC. We made it a point to be there, thinking that the parade would run through in a normal fashion, like the Tournament of Roses when it's televised on New Years Day. Instead, we were surprised to find that the Christmas parade was actually staged for television, with each segment going down Main Street for the cameras and then everything coming to a stop until they were ready for the next segment. After about a 1/2 hour of that, we left to go enjoy the park rides and returned to Main Street in the afternoon for a normal run through of the parade.
Over at Epcot Center, we did the main rides at all of the Future World pavilions, including Universe of Energy, Worlds of Motion, Horizon, Journey into Imagination (now with the new Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D movie), the Land, and the Living Seas. At Disney-MGM Studios, the Beauty and the Beast stage show had replaced the Broadway-style show from years past, new attractions include Star Tours and Muppet*Vision 3D, and the afternoon parade featured the characters from the "Aladdin" animated feature. At the time of this trip, Selene was 15 years old and beginning to show an interest in art as a career. So, we treated her to a behind-the-scenes art tour at Disney-MGM Studios, where she was able to actually go into the Animation Studios and try her hand at some character drawings. Of course, with the Animation Studios now just a museum, this type of tour is no longer possible.
On this trip we also made our first visit to Downtown Disney, which then consisted only of the shopping area. On Christmas Eve we enjoyed a staged musical Nativity pageant that really brought home the true meaning of Christmas. (As much as we like the Candlelight Processional that has since become a tradition at Epcot, we wish the Nativity pageant aspect could be incorporated into the presentation.)
Overall, we were so pleased with our Christmas-time experience at Disney World that it's become our tradition to visit at this time of year. In 1992, the masses hadn't yet discovered what a wonderful time this is to go to Disney World, and we were amazed that we could virtually walk-on to every attraction or ride without long lines.
1992 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1992-wdw1.htm
Christmas 1997
1997 was Disney World's 25th anniversary, and we decided to join in the celebration. After all, it had been 5 years since our last visit. By this time, Selene was in college at Lynn University in Boca Raton. So, we flew up from St. Thomas to Orlando and waited at the airport until her flight from Ft. Lauderdale arrived. For the third time in a row, we stayed at our Disney World home away from home -- the Caribbean Beach Resort -- and again we weren't disappointed.
We experienced the same phenomenon as in 1992 of short lines at almost all attractions. For this trip, we also made much more use of priority seating by using mid-afternoon sit down meals as our main meal of the day and an opportunity to get a break away from the park touring. It worked out well for us, and we'll continue to do that in the future.
At the Magic Kingdom, Cinderella's Castle was all decked out in the now-infamous pink birthday cake decorations. I worked up the courage to go on my first real "thrill ride" -- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad -- but I wasn't quite ready for Space Mountain or Splash Mountain. Christmas Day was overcast and wet, but we just donned our yellow ponchos to enjoy the afternoon edition of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade. Overall, we were able to ride all of the attractions that we had hoped to get in.
Likewise, at Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios, we weren't disappointed by being unable to get onto our favorite attractions. I was disappointed, though, that Test Track was still not opened for business although it was originally planned for opening in time for our visit. On Christmas Eve we experienced the Candlelight Processional for the first time and on Christmas night enjoyed the Jolly Holly Days dinner show at the Contemporary Resort. During this trip we also took in the Hoop Dee Doo Revue and the Polynesian Luau shows for the first time.
Over at Disney-MGM Studios, new additions included Voyage of the Mermaid, the Osborne Family Christmas lights, and the wonderful Hunchback of Notre Dame stage show. (I still don't understand why that show was taken away.) The daily parade was now based on the "Hercules" animated feature. On New Years Eve we braved the long wait and the eventual big crowds at the Studios for a concert by Kevin Bacon and his brother.
We were at Disney World for a full two weeks and never left Disney property during that entire time. There were several days, though, when the Florida weather turned really nasty with tornadoes striking residential areas very close by. At least one day was a complete rain out and we stayed at our hotel all day. Despite this, our celebration of Disney World's 25th anniversary was a great success and another memorable trip for Helena, Selene, and I.
1997 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/1997-wdw1.htm
Christmas 2003
Our most recent visit to Disney World was for Christmas 2003. After a few days in Deerfield Beach to visit with my sister and for medical checkups, Helena and I spent 10 days at Disney, followed by a week with Selene and her husband, John, in Port St. Lucie. It was a strange feeling being at Disney World without Selene, but we made the best of it and enjoyed ourselves immensely. New additions to the parks since our 1997 trip included the whole Animal Kingdom park, Mission Space and Test Track at Epcot, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Play It! and Fantasmic at Disney-MGM Studios, and Mickey's PhilharMagic and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom. Again we had a great Christmas-time visit to the parks and were able to walk-on to most attractions. The crowds were completely manageable except for Christmas Day and the day after Christmas. The weather was fantastic and the only real down side was that I came down with a cold on our last day at Disney World. Our detailed report on that trip is available here on Mouseplanet at:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/trip.rpt/report-files/wdwtr03/vanbeverhoudt03de.htm
2003 pictures of Disney World are available at:
http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/disney/wdw-mk1.htm
Christmas 2004
As I write this, Helena and I are planning to be at Disney World again on December 17-21, 2004. Yesterday I made reservations for us at the Coronado Springs Resort (this will be our first stay there), and later today I'll be making some priority seating reservations. We're planning to devote a full day to each of the four main theme parks, and we'll try to get in the rides on our list of "do not miss" attractions. So, look for our detailed trip report on Mouseplanet sometime after New Years 2005.
I hope you've enjoyed this look back at our 30 years at Walt Disney World. Please feel free to contact me at: arnoldvb@islands.vi with comments about this "retro-trip report," our detailed 2003 trip report, or the Disney World photos on my web site.
Arnold van Beverhoudt Jr.