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fairytalelover
09-03-2003, 10:27 AM
I just have to say that I have been addicted to DL since I was 3 years old. My grandparents took me there for the first time and I actually don't have too many memories of my first time. But, I have heard all the stories about how I apparently got so excited in It's a Small World and loved the British guards that kept shaking their behinds. I thought that was the coolest thing ever and wouldn't stop talking about them shaking their butts. And after that my parents took me at least once a year and it has been my favorite place in the world since then. I even bought a Cinderella glass slipper from that Crystal Shop on Main Street a long time ago and a Cinderella figurine and kept them next to my bed waiting for my prince charming so I could follow in my favorite character's footsteps and low and behold I actually found him and we are going to even have a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding! So, what are your stories? How old were you when you first went and what are your memories?:)

Disneyphile
09-03-2003, 11:11 AM
I went about 3-4 times a year since I was born, until I moved out here, and now I go at least twice a month.

My earliest personal memory is from a trip when I was 4 - I saw this small stuffed Mickey wedged against the back of a boy's wire chair at Carnation, and begged my parents for one. I still have him on my bed to this day, and he's still the "bit of home" I always take with me when travelling. (I'm actually amazed he's still intact after 26 years!) :D

I also remember being taken up on stage at the Golden Horseshoe and completely pulling the slide from the man's trombone. I was scared that I broke it, and everyone chuckled and they gave me a giant lollypop for being a good sport. :)

I also remember in that same year (I was a tall 4-year-old) of going on the brand-new Space Mountain and screaming my frightened head off in the queue, and then looking up at my dad after riding and asking if we could go again! :D

I have a ton of memories. That's one of the reasons why I love the place so much! :D

fairytalelover
09-03-2003, 11:19 AM
I actually found photos of my Dad when he was 17 years old at DL with his Mom. It was so wierd to see them. There was one when he is standing next to one of those Martians that used to walk around in TL. I guess DL is in my blood.

GreatWhiteShark
09-03-2003, 02:29 PM
I really can't remember what age exactly I was when I went, but I was young, real young.

I do remember seeing comercials for Space Moutain when it 1st opened and telling them that I was big boy and could ride that. So the took me to DL and we waited in line forever, right before you enter the Space Rockets, I chickened out and darted off throught one of those exits. My Mom ran after me and of course I was crying. :(

Then My parents took me on People Mover and that went through Space Moutain and I saw what it was like. So I got up the courage and rode it with my Mom. I was terrified!!:eek: When it was all over, I told my Mom & Dad let's do it again and we all rode it 3 more times.:)

I went to DL at least 3 or 4 times a year when I was a kid, good for me my Dad works for Disney:) Now I got my own AP and go whenever I want. I have too many good memories at DL and like Disneyphile said, "that's why I love the place".

SteveK
09-03-2003, 03:24 PM
Don't remember my exact age but it was pretty young. My family went at least twice a year when relatives visited from Arkansas. My fondest memories...

1) As I got older (8-15 age group) I fondly remember going on TRW and Pacific Bell "private party nights" a few times a year. We'd walk on rides with no lines and could easily ride space mountain 20 times a night if we wanted to. That was when tomorrowland was still the happening place with all the old classic attractions.

2) The first time I took each of my daughters (now 2 and 4) and how at first they didn't know what was going on. After their first rides, they were completely entranced by the park and they are now Disneyland junkies. I love seeing their excitement at just the anticipation of going to the Park and their complete enjoyment of it while were there...they go nuts even on the tram.

-Steve

millionairegirl
09-03-2003, 03:54 PM
I grew up about 10-15 minutes from Disneyland, but my parents are not the Disney fans that I grew up to be. But we still went at least once a year. A couple of years at Christmas my Grandma gave us 3 day tickets! My poor Dad, he hated it.

My very first trip, which I don't remember I would have been 2, was the day Ronald Regan was shot. My Dad took the day off of work and the park was very empty, or so I was told, and the CMs acted very somber. They didn't tell anyone in the park what happened, but my parents could tell something happened. We have pictures of me in my umbrella stroller wearing bellbottoms in Adventureland.

My earliest memory would have to be riding Adventures through Inner Space and seeing the snowflakes. I vaguely remember America Sings, but not really .

dshimel
09-03-2003, 04:33 PM
Too young to remember my first trip.

Earliest significant memories are riding Casey Jr in a cage car.

Riding the train through nature's wonderland with all the bubbling mud pots.

Carousel of Progress and the minature city of tomorrow.

MSEP It will always be the Main Street Electrical Parade to me.

Playing on Tom Sayer's island.

Staring slack jawed at all the scenes in Pirates.


And the big one......

When I realized that the minature people in the microscope weren't real.

ralfrick
09-03-2003, 05:49 PM
First visit 1969 from Alabama.

Age: 7

First memory: Getting lost before getting past the Emporium.

Captain Josh
09-03-2003, 05:55 PM
I can't timestamp any of my memories, really. I also can't remember anything before 1995, before Indy. I'm drawing a huge blank. Well, here's something: I remember once that I was sitting next to a snack bar of some sort, overlooking the Fantasyland theater, and we watched Beauty and the Beast from up there...

Oh, and I remember back when Skippers had guns, and actually shot them, with blanks.

Wfoxx
09-03-2003, 07:59 PM
We lived in San Diego, so it only took us an hour and a half to get there. My first real memory of Disneyland is when I was 4 years old. I was there at Christmas time and the plaza area was full of pointsettes and the biggest Christmas tree I ever saw with a castle all decorated too. We went on the mine train. It was great. I really liked the geysers.

MonorailMan
09-03-2003, 08:25 PM
The only memorie that I have, when I was 4, and I rode the Submarine Voyage. I was amazed at the effects.

Mom also tells me that she had a hard time getting off of the PeopleMover. She says, that we missed the exit ramp, twice. :)

cemeinke
09-03-2003, 08:55 PM
Earliest memory is at 2 - riding the mine train through natures wonderland, I remember the colors of Rainbow Cavern and then nodding off to find myself back home and in bed:rolleyes:

I remember the first "new" tomorrowland in 1967 when we waited in the longest line just to ride the People Mover.
:crying:

sleepyjeff
09-03-2003, 09:25 PM
Believe it our not I spent my very first afternoon at Disneyland almost entirely in Tomorrowland.

My family took the Monorail from the Disneyland Hotel, and we looked downbelow and saw all the wonders of FL/TL. If I could have split my body into 8 parts I would have just so I could ride every ride I saw right away.

After the Monorail we went on the Submarine voyage...I was hooked on DL from that point on.

We then went on the People Mover followed by the Circlevision of America.

After going on a ( very scary) ride into Innerspace we finally got to ride the cars(Autopia). We than rode it again.

I chickened out of riding the Rocket Jets but had no problem getting in line and riding Space Mt.

Mission to Mars was great fun for my brother and sister(who did not go on SM).

We wandered down Main St. and took the Tram back to DL Hotel.

We came back that evening and rode the Jungle Cruise and Pirates.....................but as good as they were I will never forget that first afternoon in Tomorrowland.

Not Afraid
09-03-2003, 09:37 PM
I don't really remember all of my first trip (I was 3) and I don't know if the details I DO remember are from the first trip, or from one of the many subsuquent trips. But.......

I remember (fondly):

Staring at the Progress City model outside of the COP.

America the Beautiful scenes such as the covered bridge and the airplane turn over Grand Canyon that made you fall over, not to mention Lombard Street.

Winnie the Pooh movie in the Fantasyland Theater

The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf characters walking around.:D

Mission to Mars, the Astro Jets.

Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland

Pack Mules

The Showcase being an actual Showcase for the future.

The Emporium Windows - always the best thing to look at when leaving.

zapppop
09-03-2003, 10:11 PM
Originally posted by cemeinke
I remember the first "new" tomorrowland in 1967 when we waited in the longest line just to ride the People Mover.
:crying:

If the rumors hold true, you'll be experiencing deja vu in about 5 years.

Although my first visit to the park was years before, my earliest memory of Disneyland was me being carried by one of my parents and fantasyland was being remodeled.

Then on May 25 1983, the " new " fantasyland opened so we visited the park to see it ( and celebrate my 4th birthday ). I remember seeing the evil queen looking out at us and thinking she was so creepy.

innerSpaceman
09-04-2003, 10:16 AM
Unlike most people who have responded to this thread, I am not a native Californian. And so my memories of my first visit to Disneyland are pretty clear, as I was 10 years old.

It was 1970, and the big new attraction (open for less than a year) was The Haunted Mansion - which impressed me so much that I am still a rabid fan to this day.

I also remember really liking the Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland, the Jungle Cruise, and another fairly new attraction called Pirates of the Caribbean.

But my favorite part of the park was the land on the move, the land with the groove, Tomorrowland! This was all pretty new, too, at the time. My favorite attraction here was, duh, Adventure thru Inner Space - but I also remember loving the bubble-top monorails, the battleship grey submarines, the nifty peoplemovers and America the Beautiful in CircleVision.

The Carousel of Progress brought back fond memories, as did It's a Small World. Some of my earliest childhood recollections are of experiencing the original versions of these attractions at the 1964 New York World's Fair.


I think I was too scaredy-cat to ride the Matterhorn! :geek:

merlinjones
09-04-2003, 10:28 AM
I was about three.

I remember being pushed in a stroller around the castle with a blue Mickey balloon tied to it - - and being fascinated by the exterior of Alice in Wonderland and its attraction poster/storybook marquee. I was scared to go down the rabbit hole, though, and cried when we did.

I also remember my siblings riding off on the Mule Pack into Nature's Wonderland, while I enjoyed soaring with Dumbo and riding the Carousel - - and thinking Captain Hook was going to get me at the Pirate Ship/Skull Rock.

I also remember being fascinated with the live mermaids at Submarine Voyage lagoon.

disguy
09-04-2003, 10:29 AM
First time, I was still in my Mom's tummy! went every year after that but the earliest I remember was when I was 2. The big bad wolf came up behind my mom and I started screaming. I thought he was going to eat her :)

yen
09-04-2003, 02:25 PM
I came to this country when I was 17 as a refugee. Got my GED and went to college when I was 20-21. My first time in DisneyLand when I was 25-26. Instead of going to my college graduation ceremony in Cincinnati Ohio, I got a plane ticket to spend 1 week with my family in CA. During that week, they took me to DisneyLand. I do not remember anything about Disneyland I experienced at that time other than "the swinging teacup". Not even sure was I ever on it.

I just learn to feel excite about DisneyLand when I start to plan a vacation for my family (hubby, son(2), daughter(4)) last month.
Got my 3 days park hoppers, legoland tickets by mail yesterday. Going to DL end of this month.

Thank you.

TheatreTech
09-04-2003, 05:19 PM
First trip---I was almost two---I don't remember that one.
The first one that I remember was when I was three. The only memory of that trip is driving the Autopia Car. (I believe it was a blue car. :rolleyes: ) We (my Dad and I) started out and my hat flew off and he caught it. That and riding Dumbo is all that I remember. :rolleyes: :fez:

Mad Hatter
09-06-2003, 12:24 AM
Wow,brings back memories. I was two years old the first time I went,but don't remember much. But I do remember the Indian village and dancers,the keel boats,pack mules were one of my favorites,tomorrowland with the center section that had the area for remote planes,cars and boats,the submarines,flying saucers,and the walk through of twenty thousand leagues under the sea.carousel of progress,and the house of the future,travel through innerspace. Man I miss those!And my most fondest memory was a day we were in the park and I met all of the original mouskateers,who were in for a special autograph signing,wish I still had the pics.Well,time to ask Mom to check the old scrapbooks.
:~D

Kalicokat
09-07-2003, 07:39 AM
My first time at Disneyland was when I was 28 yrs old! I finally got to go there for my Honeymoon! I grew up in alaska and was an only child and my parents couldnt really afford family vacations. So when I grew up i knew I wanted to go to either Disneyland or WDW. My husband grew up in Gardena California which is about 30 mins away and use to go at least twice a year, but since he moved to idaho he hadnt been back for 5 yrs or so. So when it was asked what we wanted to do for honeymoon we both choose Disneyland. Thanks to his parents and my parents who helped foot some of the bill, we spent 7 magical nights there.

My first memory .....walking up to the ticket gates of disneyland and walking thru and seeing all the flowers and stuff in front of the train station and crying because I finally made it to Disneyland!!!!!!



ps now two years later making my other dream come true with a trip to WDW in December.

crinklebat
09-17-2003, 11:26 PM
I grew up in Los Angeles, but my parents flat-out refused to take me to Disneyland until I was six years old, despite my pleadings. I don't know if anyone who hasn't lived it can imagine what torture it was to know that everyone in my class had been to Disneyland except me. Heck, my best friend (a tre Disneyphile to htis day) went to WDW before I made it to DL.

However, the good part of it is that I remember a lot of my first trip really well.

Mommy2NicknMax
09-18-2003, 06:44 AM
Ashamed to admit my first trip to Disneyland was when I was 29 (we went just last month). I grew up on the east coast and my family vacationed in FL so I went to WDW instead.

Now that I'm grown w/children of my own, my kids will grow up w/DL. They are only 3 and 1 1/2 now so they may not remember much from their first visit. But since we are moving to that area (from Seattle, WA) my sons will get to go to DL often.

Nephythys
09-18-2003, 06:56 AM
I was born in Southern CA- so as a small child I was there alot, with both my mother and my grandparents.

I have very fond memories of Inner Space and the Submarine Voyage. I was crushed when it closed before I could share it with my children.

I have been a Haunted Mansion nut since I was tiny- it never scared me and still fascinates me to this day! I remember being on it after someone had bought me a stuffed Bianca from the Rescuers. I was terribly afraid she would get lost on the ride so I clung to her with a death grip. I still have her somewhere. I also recall thinking the Mansion was really haunted because the people in the Doom Buggy behind me disappeared after going round a turn. I now suspect they got out of the car- but the fantasy version is more fun.

Space Mountain is another fond memory for me. My grandfather holding me while I slept in line before getting on the ride. The one and only time I got in trouble at DL was on Space Mountain when I put my hand out to reflect the lights in the tunnel at the beginning of the ride. They stopped the car and the "voice" told me to keep my hands in the car.

The Electric Parade was another favorite of my childhood- and I was distraught to hear of it's retirement- but happily it came back the same year I took my children to DL the first time.

I left CA when I was 5, and visited many times in the following years and always went to DL- I went a couple of times in my teens and then did not return for 15 years- WAY too long. I finally went back in 2001, and then in 2003- and if all goes well I will be there 3-4 times in 2004 and once in 2005 with the whole family for the 50th year- it is time for MY children to make their memories-

My childhood memories are precious- but the ones I am making now with my kids are even better- it's a shame to live in CO- I am too far from the Magic...