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View Full Version : APs are Walt's Intention Fulfilled!



idesign
10-11-2002, 10:23 AM
I think this might be a touchy subject, because there are certainly some wacko AP's out there. I see them, and even begin to recognise them. I suppose it's only the wackos that I do recognise because the rest of us (at least my family) blend right in with the crowd. Anyways, as my wife and I were sipping coffee while the child actually fell asleep in her stroller for a nap (miracle of miracles!) we thought about what we were doing.

The park originally didn't have admission remember?. Walt built his park for a place for young and old to have fun together. Is sipping coffee fun for my 3 year old?. Nope, but she was "out". But what impacted me was that he built as the "red carpet" for his park a main street. A "downtown" that didin't exist in 1955, not to mention today!.

But here we were, doing what he dreamed about and built!. Sitting in the evening, chatting with each other, pleasantly sipping coffee, watching the streetcars and people go by. The very thing Walt saw dissappearing from America! When the child wakes up, we'll stroll over to the train ride or the Carousell, and we'll have some more family fun :)

I was prompted to write this by reading the old posts about "favorite places in the park". I noticed that the favorite places in the park are not "the first drop in space mountain, or the burning town in PC. That struck me as nice, seeing that DL folks, and many are AP'rs, like to sit and RELAX at DL. I know we go often, but we don't charge out for rides, rather, we get that irresistable usge on Friday nights to go have dinner, watch the crowds get quieter through the evening and relax! Relax at DL? that's what Walt Built it for, and we sure do thank him for it.

Lani
10-11-2002, 11:37 AM
Originally posted by idesign
The park originally didn't have admission remember?That's not correct. In 1955 they charged 50 cents to get into the park.

tod
10-11-2002, 11:51 AM
Originally posted by Lani
That's not correct. In 1955 they charged 50 cents to get into the park.

Actually, that's not correct either. The first admission ticket had a $1 price. (Roy O. Disney bought it and I saw it at the Archives in the '80s.)

But idesign does have a good point. There was less of a rush-rush get-there-early do-everything-in-one-day attitude in the days of ticket books, because the rides were right there, in your pocket, and you could take them home and use them some other time if you wanted. I know I learned a lot about time and resource budgeting when my parents would give me a 15-ticket book, a $10 bill, and instructions to meet them at the cannon at midnight.

Maybe the rushing would slow down if people could take the rides home at the end of the night. It worked before.

--T

idesign
10-11-2002, 12:17 PM
Neat memory Tod,

I barely remember tickets, but I do remember the first "Passpost"
Someone will be able to quote the year, but imagine the excitement when you could go on ANYTHING for the first time! (In the end, tho, I believe it alienated some of the "simpler" rides wich are enjoyable for themselves, especially if you had to "budget" for them like Tod said.)

Anyways, I remember that paper "ticket" hanging from a buttonhole on my shirt from a little string because they had to be displayed!
:)

disguy
10-11-2002, 12:25 PM
1981 was the debut of the "passport" not sure how much.

PXSgeek
10-11-2002, 06:41 PM
i was just thinking about this, walt took her daughters to small parks all around every weekend or so. When he built DL he had the same thought exept in his park children and adults could have lots of fun. With AP's people get just that.

i just wish i had an AP when i was a lil kid:(