WDW Family Memories

[Stan]

Most of us have loads of cherished memories from our Disney visits, but they tend to get all jumbled up and smeared together. I thought I'd try to pick out a favorite memory with some family members... when where and what.

With my DW... summer 1978 on our first MK visit together (a date- things were getting serious ;)), sitting on the steps in front of the Plaza Restaurant watching fireworks before driving home to Tampa.

With DS1980... 1996? in Innoventions at the Jay Leno blue screen setup. DS had a very convincing "interview" complete with "let me sing for you... la la la...". At the time I thought he was making that all up himself (he's quite capable of such nonsense) but I think there was a teleprompter?

With DS1983... 1985? around age 2 or 3? I took him through HM with other DS- I figured he could "handle it". :rolleyes: After we got back to grandparents in Tampa, he would happily tell about all the other fun stuff we did at MK, but when anyone mentioned the "ghost house", all expression would leave his face and he'd say, "Ghoooooost Houuuuuuuse... they shut the door"- or he'd do a wolf howl. Funny but I don't think the things inside HM made all that much of an impression.

With DD1985... 2000?, a special "father-daughter" Saturday outing to MK

With DMom... 2000?, the first time she rented a scooter and got around EPCOT better than the rest of us. :D

With DDad... 1997?, we were caught near the castle by the night parade- he wasn't getting around well but refused wheelchairs. A nice lady offered Dad her seat on a bench and whispered to me, "I wish I still had my Dad to give a seat to". We were so grateful.

With DSis... 2003? getting positively soaked on 2 circuits thru Kali River

[cal5755]

With DDad... 1997?, we were caught near the castle by the night parade- he wasn't getting around well but refused wheelchairs. A nice lady offered Dad her seat on a bench and whispered to me, "I wish I still had my Dad to give a seat to". We were so grateful.




That is so sweet and truly magical!! Thanks so much for sharing all your family moments.


I think my favorite memories of WDW are particular character interactions with our children. All 3 of them have special moments we will treasure.

DS was with the mayor on Main St. They had a great comedic conversation that started with the bright red color of my sons hair.

DD8 - she has had a few.. but the best was her first trip...she was dressed as Snow White and when we got to her turn Snow White had her twirl around and show off her dress and just spent a few extra minutes with her.... I can also still here her voice full of excitement and eyes full of wonder when she first laid eyes on the castle "CINDERELLAS CASTLE,CINDERELLAS CASTLE,ITS CINDERELLAS CASTLE!!"

DD4- Her first visit when she was 6 months old and Cinderella wasn't going to give her back!! This year though by far was the best... when her eyes lit up when we saw the princesses! Just amazing!!


In 1988 - riding all the big rides with my dad! Especially Space Mountain..... my brother was too short and my mom was too chicken so we did the good rides just the two of us....

In 1988 - perferming as a majorette with our local band in front of COP.... I got to do a baton solo that included twirling sabers something I will never forget!!

[irish1967]

Wow - the memories are so great - but the most precious ones are of my mom who died in 1988 at age 44. WDW was one of her favorite places and every time I go there, I get these flashes of her in different places. One of the places I ALWAYS see her is in the Poly lobby. I won't ever forget the look on my DB's face a couple of years ago when I told him to "move over so I can sit next to Mom, when he was sitting near the desk in the lobby!"

Hmmm - I won't ever forget the smile on my older DS face the first time he was "big enough" and "old enough" (that was a subjective "Mom" opinion) to ride Space Mountain. Actually, he had the same smile our last visit, the first time he came strutting out of Mission Space - Orange line!

And then, I am getting the same smile from younger DS - he had his first ride on SM last visit - and the exact same smile that older DS had on his face :mickey:

[rcaide]

I have been going to WDW since 1972 so I have lots of great memories. My most cherished memories are from my own childhood.

Every time we went through Its a Small World my dad would point out the winking hula girl and tell me that she only winked at him. ;)(actually I think it is a blink, not a wink) He never failed to say that in all our trips to the park. My father passed away 23 years ago when I was just 23. Now every time I see her wink, I get a tear in my eye and say to myself, "She's still winking at you dad."

My mom still teases me about going through the haunted mansion for the 1st time and when we got to the part with the hitch-hiking ghost, I yelled out very loudly, "where did I go daddy?":blush:

The 1st time we took our own son to Chef Mickey's, Goofy spilled his milk. I will never forget the look on my son's face when that glass of milk poured onto his lap. We still laugh about it.

My husband and I took our very 1st vacation together to WDW 20 years ago. We are going back in December to see the Christmas decorations. I have lost the vision in one eye and am now undergoing experimental treatments to try and save the vision in the other eye. We both know that this trip will be bittersweet because we don't know how much longer I will be able to see. I wanted to make sure I saw WDW at Christmas at least one more time so we are praying the treatments work. I need to store up lots of good sights and wonderful memories so I can picture it later on.

[AuntDJ]

Great Thread!

2005-8 yr old nephew...about day 4..he was being a pouty paul, so it was about 110 and we were resting at the restaurant by Pirates drinking some water, there was a geico on the planter, so I tried to point it out and he would not even turn around he would turn a little then say he didn't see it, so I went to point and I did so with the hand I was holding the water bottle, well a little water spurted out and reflected off the planter and hit a young woman:oops:...of course she had no idea where it came from and starting asking her friend if she felt water or if it was raining:blush:....well he thought that was the funniest thing EVER...

even on the way home the bus driver asked him what was the best part of the vacation and he told her this story...I was SOOO embarressed,but now I just laugh and when I take his sisters he tells them there is no way they will have as much fun, unless I decide to "squirt another lady"

[DisneyDudet]

Some of these are making me cry guys!!!

I have one.. well more like one my family tells of my grandfather at Disneyland. They had a video camera, one of the first made for personal use way back when. And, apparently, my grandfather was supposed to film my mom and uncle (they were young) at DL on Main Street. Instead, there is video of women in short shorts!

Also, we spent two weeks at WDW for my graduation gift from High School. I never had more fun at Disney World. I had my grandparents and parents there. That whole trip was just amazing. We saw a space shuttle launch (my grandfather actually worked on designing parts of the heat shield) and just had so much fun!

June 2005 we were the Flag Family at WL. It was our last morning there. What an amazing way to spend our last morning! It was the first full day of no rain (it never stopped us and actually make parks bearable!). They had to cancel the flag family experiences almost the entire time there b/c of rain and thunderstorms. We were so lucky! My dad is a veteran of the US Coast Guard. He raised the American flag. That was very moving.

In Jan 2006, Mom and I went on a last min trip to the Expedition Everest AP Preview Weekend. We just went for a weekend. We did all 4 parks plus DTD in less than a full 48 hours. We did almost everything we usually do except Splash Mountain.

Those are some of the best things I remember!

[pixiesmimi]

One of my favorite memories was when we went with DD1's family. DGS16 was about 3. We had dinner at the castle and while waiting for our ressies, DGS had to go to the restroom which was upstairs. DD took him and when they came down, Cinderella was talking to the children. She sat down and DGS climbed up in her lap. He was so happy to see her. The first thing he said to her was "I went potty!" :D I think she stuttered around for a minute trying to think of a response. :) She ended up conversing with him on about every subject he could think up.

The second one is when we again went with DD1's family two years ago and DGD4 was about 2. We sat down to watch the Princesses in the show in front of the castle. When they all came out with their Princes and began dancing, I turned to look at her and she was sitting there with her hands on both cheeks and her mouth wide open with the most awe-struck look I had ever seen. It was priceless! A perfect Kodak moment.

Another one was with DD2's family this June. DGS4 was so looking forward to meeting Mickey. When in the tent we finally got to see him, DGS was a little shy. Mickey knelt down and rubbed noses with DGS who promptly grabbed his nose and didn't let go all through the picture taking. I'm not sure he washed his nose that night. :) But it was even more precious when he spotted Cinderella in her carriage on the float and the look of "love" in his eyes was, again, priceless.

But I think the best was in August when DH and I went alone for the first time and saw WDW through adult eyes. :) DH is not the type to want pictures with the characters. When in Epcot he spotted Aladdin and Jasmine, he walked right up to them and said he was going to have his picture made with them. I was laughing so hard I couldn't take the picture. (I think he really just wanted it with Jasmine but Aladdin stayed to chaperone. :) )

Good memories to last a life time.:mickey:

[Stan]

Thanks for all the stories. Memories can indeed be bittersweet, and our WDW ones are no exception. We lost Dad in 1998- the incident with the lady giving him her place on the bench was probably his last time with us at WDW. :( We lost Mom in 2005- her last time zipping around WDW was with my sister summer 2004 at AK (I was too busy to go with them that day, of course I expected there would be lots more opportunities :() You just never know...

[mrsgaribaldi]

Wow - the memories are so great - but the most precious ones are of my mom who died in 1988 at age 44. WDW was one of her favorite places and every time I go there, I get these flashes of her in different places. One of the places I ALWAYS see her is in the Poly lobby. I won't ever forget the look on my DB's face a couple of years ago when I told him to "move over so I can sit next to Mom, when he was sitting near the desk in the lobby!"




This brought tears to my eyes:mickey:

[biodtl]

My favorite memories aren't specific, but in the early 70's i remember a trip when my paternal granparents came and we visited with my mom's twin adn her husband (who lived nearby), and I took turns riding on the shoulders of my dad, uncle and grandpap. It was my favorite place on the shoulders of my favorite people.

I also remember another trip in the early 70's where my cousin and I took turns riding on my great-grandma's lap in her wheelchair.

Besides those, it's the look on my kids' faces the first time we walked into MK.

[EJS-Houston]

My first trip to DisneyWorld was in 1972. I was 12, and I was still young enough that the "magic" still brought a lump to my throat while witnessing the Main Street Electrical Parade for the first time. Epcot was only in the planning stages at that time, but we saw a scale model of it. And I remember my then-4-year-old brother freaking out a bit over the Haunted Mansion. We're coming up on my parents' 50-year-anniversary...and they've stated unequivocally that they don't want a party, and they don't want expensive gifts...they just want the four of us to take a family vacation together...and DisneyWorld is the front runner for destinations. My 72-year-old Dad who's spent that last year successfully battling cancer is probably the most excited about revisiting DisneyWorld together. He hasn't been there in close to 20 years. Imagine how new it'll all seem to him!

[tomorrowschild]

My favorite memory was the trip our family took in 2005. It was amazing. We spent 15 days at Disney! We started off the trip by staying at the SWAN and having an incredible view of both the EPCOT fireworks and MGM. We then ended off our trip with 5 days at the Poly (awsome!) We spent lots of time relaxing and just taking it easy. We also did 2 tours (Keys to the Kingdome) and Segway at EPCOT. We had 2 great nights at EPCOT when we were the only ones left in World Showcase.
It was a great vacation, and one I will never forget. :mickey:

[DisneyWhirled]

Great topic!

In 2005, we had bfast with Cindy @ CRT. We dressed DD (then 2.5) as Snow White. When SW came to the table, she asked Kaylee who she was and Kaylee promptly responded, "Snow White!" It was so cute!!

Our Aug 2007 vacation was wonderful, as DS8 found his love of high adventure rides. How fun it was to be able to be with my DS for his first ride on Everest and Splash Mountain!

[Momof2boys]

It was the Christmas of 8th grade when my parents took us down to Disney. I thought I was "too cool" to hang around with my parents & little brother and sister, I didn't want to be in any pictures & was pretty much a snot that entire trip. I'd give anything now to have a picture of all of us in front of the castle or at Epcot.

This is probably one of the reasons I take so many pictures while we are down there.

I've tried to convince them (or my brother & sister) to travel down with my family but they all agree it's just not their "thing" - they are picky eaters that don't like rides. ;)

My parents did visit Epcot his past December when they were in Orlando for the WI Badger game - they went to Epcot to see the boys' Leave a Legacy tile. They only went on Maelstorm and ate a hot dog :eek: