WDW Flashback Time....

[ravsluvdisney]

With the dizzying myriad of things to experience at WDW circa 2010, what do the "old-timers" out there - those of us who remember visits from those opening years with one park and two hotels (eghad!) - fondly remember but can no longer experience.

For me - a young teen at the time - it was the old Main Street. The hustle-bustle of all the vehicles, characters casually strolling by, less crowded ;) But it was the little individual shops that stuck with me. The penny arcade, the cinema, I think there was a small magic store there; it was an old time Main Street feel inside and out. Now it's just one seemingly long Disney-esque mall hiding behind whichever door you walk in. Miss it. Truly do.

[brad192]

Yup! Ya hit the nail on the head with the Main Street comments! (I still have a 'glow-in-the-dark' skull I bought in the magic shop in 1975):mickey:.

Besides all the long-gone attractions - Mr. Toad, 20K Leagues, etc, I fondly remember & miss the western cowboy shootout/stunt show they did in Frontierland waaay back in the day. It lasted about 15 minutes & featured several stunt people shooting each other, falling off the buildings, etc. It was really fun to watch, and you could meet the performers afterwards.:thumbsup:

Oh, one more thing would be the fife & drum corps awarding of the little certificates to a lucky boy & girl several times a day in Liberty Square. I think they were called "Sons & Daughters of Liberty".:flag:

[elmjimmlm]

I could be wrong but I was thinking about a store inside the castle that I bought a Mickey Mouse watch from...Wonder if there was or my imagination?

[brad192]

Not your imagination Amy! It used to be where the BBB is now, and they sold "higher-end" merchandise. I always wanted to buy a sword from them, but they were way out of my price range!:D

[ravsluvdisney]

Yup! Ya hit the nail on the head with the Main Street comments! (I still have a 'glow-in-the-dark' skull I bought in the magic shop in 1975):mickey:


That's funny! I remember that shop beacause the first WDW "purchase" I made was a cardboard picture of an old Haunted Mansion looking geezer BUT....when you held him under a light and then turned it off - ooooh, spooky ghost dude!! Had it for years but long gone now! :(

[badkitty]

I miss the Skyway and the canoes.

[Ian]

List of things I miss most:

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
If You Had Wings
The "real" Main Street
Mickey Mouse Revue
Topiary

[SBETigg]

I'm not a huge fan of Downtown Disney, but I used to love it when it was, I think, the Buena Vista Marketplace. When there was just the MK and the two hotels, it was a great, quiet, beautiful little place to dine and shop, and to stay if you couldn't manage to get into the Contemporary or the Polynesian (or the Disney Hotel/Disney's Golf Resort, as it was known then, now Shades of Green). Fulton's was the Empress Lilly, and about the only thing in that area, all surrounded by twinkling lights in the trees. And then a short walk away, there were shops and other restaurants, and a slightly longer walk to the hotels in that area and the treehouse villas. The whole area was surrounded by trees and you could just barely see the Empress Lilly's smoke stack from the road, if you were looking. So quaint and charming.

[TikiLounger]

That's funny! I remember that shop beacause the first WDW "purchase" I made was a cardboard picture of an old Haunted Mansion looking geezer BUT....when you held him under a light and then turned it off - ooooh, spooky ghost dude!! Had it for years but long gone now! :(

OMG...this must be the store that my husband bought his "mask" of an old, gravedigging dude that turned to a glow-in-the-dark dude when held under the light. We still use it, every Halloween. It was purchase in the mid-seventies.

[SandmanGStefani24]

I'm not an old timer by any stretch, but having visited WDW over the last twenty something years even I marvel at the things that have changed. I still fondly remember rides that have themselves rode off into the sunset.

I can remember riding World of Motion, Body Wars, the Backlot Tour, El Rio del Tiempo, and the older version of Spaceship Earth. They have a special spot in my memory and I love to watch videos of them online from time to time. Has it really been that long??

[T-Belle]

I first visited WDW in March 1972. Wow-am I really that old??? Like others, I was amazed at Main Street- just so perfect and clean but what I remember most is the music. I don't know why but I loved all the piped in Disney music!

[iheartdisney]

I first visited in March 1972, too! And I remember that shop inside the castle, 20K Leagues and being so scared going under water, the Skyway ride, my grandparents fumbling with the ticket books and then playing "Disney World" with the leftover tickets when we got home.

Thanks for starting this thread. What a fun trip down memory lane.

[jetsdc]

at the risk of sounding mundane, mine would have to be the old, original logo. The one with the capital "D" with Mickey ears at the top and the "longitude/latitude" lines criss-crossing it. It used to be everywhere, from the maps to the merchandise bags. Now, it survives, I think, only on the front of each monorail cab (and maybe on some sewage covers).

Speaking of monorails, that would be no. 2 -- the old monorails. The ones where you could open the windows and where they had to come by and close each door individually. I loved the thud-repeat-thud sound as they'd work their way down the line...

[ftwildernesskid]

Wow...this thread has been great! I'm remembering things I didn't even know I remembered!! I still remember the old music on the Carousel of Progress..Now Is the Time..Michael Icegurg at Tomorrowland Terrace (Pigs in the Rain was my favorite)....River Country...and being able to swim in the Lagoon.

[IloveDisney71]

I remember always having to try to wrangle a postion with the characters if you wanted to get your picture with them and it always seemed like a stranger stepped into the picture unexpectedly. We have so many pictures of our family with the characters that have strangers in the pictures too. That was before the characters had handlers. Whoever came up with that idea deserves an award!:number1:

[Ian]

I still remember the old music on the Carousel of Progress..Now Is the Time..Just a reminder ... Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow is actually the original CoP soundtrack. Now Is the Time was a replacement track that GE requested when CoP was moved to WDW in '73.

[WDWdriver]

Swan Boats
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
River Country
The steam train loop railroad around Fort Wilderness

[grumpyguy]

My first trip was back in '77.All i really wanted to ride was the Haunted Mansion.Obviously,pre-
"Fast pass".Every time we walked by my mom said,"the lines too long,we'll come back and try again later.Well,"later" never came and alas,i never rode HM the first time i was at wdw.
Now,as an adult i ride it as many times as i can when we go.
I do miss 20k,i remember it being really,really hot and smelled bad.
THAT,would be an awesome attraction to redo.
See you in 5 days mickey:thumbsup:

[ftwildernesskid]

Just a reminder ... Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow is actually the original CoP soundtrack. Now Is the Time was a replacement track that GE requested when CoP was moved to WDW in '73.

Thanks for that bit of trivia! I guess for me it is the original! :)

[Markus454]

My first trip was as a child, and the MK had only been opened a short time. If I remember correctly Space Mountain was still under construction. I remember riding 20K Leagues and Eastern Airlines "Wings of Man" ride. We were there for only one day.
I did go back for 1 more day in the fall of 1977 with family who had come to see me "graduate" from the Navy's Recruit Training Center (fancy words for boot camp).
I do not remember if either of the two rides were still running then. It may be that I rode them in '77 and not in early '70's.
When my wife and I went in 1990 both rides were definitely gone :(

[SBETigg]

Thanks for that bit of trivia! I guess for me it is the original! :)

It's not the original, but it's still the first one I experienced on Carousel of Progress (Now is the Time) and I miss it, too. Though, of course, I'm glad the original song was restored to the attraction. On my honeymoon (1990, with Now is the Time), we were stuck on CoP through three rotations and the Now is the Time song is special to us, makes us smile, and kind of groan, but in a good way. :D

[Daisy'sMom]

Does anyone remember the two little carts with flowers in them, they were on the two little side streets off of Main Street? You could sit in front of them and have your pic taken. I think we have about ten pics that my parents took of me.
How about the little book and stationary store on Main Street?
Or my favorite, in the last scene of COP, does anyone remember the avec jambon?

[BrerGnat]

I still remember the colored flag bus i.d. system. For whatever reason, that is one of the things I always recall when I think about my trips as a kid. Probably because it was fun to guess what color bus would show up next!

I also miss ALL the old logos, specifically the ones at Epcot!

I miss the old Main Street too, but luckily Disneyland's Main Street is still like that! So, I can still enjoy it here at least. It's sad what it has become at WDW, though. :(

[elmjimmlm]

Does anyone remember a restaurant that had a band that played? I remember a guy playing a banjo and they were playing right in front of us at our table...
20,000 leagues was a favorite memory for me... I wish it was still there...

[faline]

Trams throught Fort Wilderness
River Country
Being able to take a boat from Fort Wilderness to the Poly
Being "assigned" to seating on the Monorail
Mike Fink's keelboats in the Magic Kingdom
Multi-day paper tickets that they would stamp the date on each time you used it
King Stephan's Banquet Hall

[joonyer]

My first visit was Oct. 71. Attractions that had the biggest impact on my memory that are no more were 20k and Circle Vision 360. And remember the Mile Long Bar? I also miss the old version of Main Street USA. On that trip my family was on a real tight budget and I remember wishing we could stay longer and trying to "ration" our tickets. I still have some old unused "A" tickets from that vacation. It was far less crowded back then than what I have experienced in the past 10 years. Or maybe that is just my faulty memory.:)

[faline]

Top of the World Lounge
Top of the World Dinner Show
Chef Mickey's (in Lake Buena Vista)
Swimming in Bay Lake
Pool hopping (when it was allowed)
World of Motion
Outer Rim (when it was a restaurant)

[waymickey]

I miss the old imagination playground with the rainbow tunnel and the giant pin tables.

I miss the skyride and mr toads ride.

I miss the old space ship Earth.

[faline]

I miss the old imagination playground with the rainbow tunnel and the giant pin tables.

Yes. I really enjoyed that as well!

Also, the Catwalk Bar!

[kemps@wdw]

River Country and Discovery Island :thumbsup:

[mainemajor]

With the dizzying myriad of things to experience at WDW circa 2010, what do the "old-timers" out there - those of us who remember visits from those opening years with one park and two hotels (eghad!) - fondly remember but can no longer experience.

For me - a young teen at the time - it was the old Main Street. The hustle-bustle of all the vehicles, characters casually strolling by, less crowded ;) But it was the little individual shops that stuck with me. The penny arcade, the cinema, I think there was a small magic store there; it was an old time Main Street feel inside and out. Now it's just one seemingly long Disney-esque mall hiding behind whichever door you walk in. Miss it. Truly do.

I loved going in all those little Main Street shops. Each door was something diferent. The magic shop was realy cool and I loved it.
I still love Main Street, but now only from the outside. Going into the shops now is just like going to the mall at Christmas - it's a madhouse.
Oh well back then you needed to keep track of your A-E tickets to plan your day. People have trouble lanning today, back then you really had to think what ride you wanted to go on.

[mainemajor]

Just thinking about the olden days more....Lake Buena Vista only had four hotels and what is now Downtown Disney was a small collection of shops. We walked from the Royal Plaza Hotel there and did not worr about the traffic. Would not dream of doing that today. Riding the outside elevtor in Royal Plaza was so cool, because as you went up you could see Space Mt., and the castle and there was nothing in between.

[Ian]

You know what else I miss? Being able to get food without waiting in a massive line.

Back in the day, MK had a lot more counter service restaurants you could choose from. The Adventureland Terrace was still open back then, which was like adding an entirely new restaurant the size of Pecos Bill's or Cosmic Ray's. Not to mention that the Tomorrowland Terrace was still open full time and served good stuff (pizza, if memory serves).

You figure, that's two entire full scale counter service restaurants to soak up crowds.

[SBETigg]

Or my favorite, in the last scene of COP, does anyone remember the avec jambon?

Yes, LOL. That's the scene we were stuck in during our honeymoon and we still quote it and laugh. Scrambled eggs avec jambon.

Also, on the WDW Railroad train soundtrack circa 1990, "got my foot caught in the brake." Or was it wheel? It has been a while. The voice was similar to the Big Thunder Mountain "the wildest ride in the wilderness."

[TheVBs]

Loved the Skyway! The last time I rode this was in 1999 with DH. I was there in '73 when I was 5 and have vague memories of riding it then (I was also there in '71, but I was too young to remember ;)). I remember seeing the swan boats when I was little and I also remember being in a paddle boat with my dad. Were these the same as the swan boats, or something different?

[danson4]

Speaking of monorails, that would be no. 2 -- the old monorails. The ones where you could open the windows and where they had to come by and close each door individually. I loved the thud-repeat-thud sound as they'd work their way down the line...[/QUOTE]

Oh my Gosh! I had almost forgotten about the individual doors closing! That was so awesome! The thud thud thud as they went down! What a perfect memory. Thank you for that! I used to be so scared of it but the old skyway....................how I miss it and of course "If you had wings"..................watching the airplane fly across the screen..........and the song.........if you had wings,had wings,had wings. But the best memory of all.............NO CELL PHONES!!!! LOL


December 1979 Fort Wilderness
December 1980 Fort Wilderness
December 1981 Fort Wilderness
December 1982 Fort Wilderness
December 1983 Fort Wilderness
April 1993 Delta Orlando
April 1994 Delta Orlando
March 2002 All Star Movies
April 2005 All Star Movies
October 2006 Pop Century
NEXT TRIP....33 days and counting!
October 2010 Pop Century :cloud9:

[BigRedDad]

My earliest memories (I was 1 when it first opened) are the penny arcade, hand crank movies that you can find at some resorts, characters walking and greeting freely, and CMs cleaning up behind you if you make an accident by dropping something on the ground.

I forgot a few:

1. Getting bucked by a goat at the petting zoo/ranch at FW
2. The Big Al vibrating chair at the FW restaurant
3. Chasing armadillos on the hay ride
4. Getting banished from the FW camp grounds for adult happy hour. We got sent to the Contemporary to wreak havoc when I was only 5 or so.

[DisneyNut6777]

Miss the Penny Arcade terribly!!:( That was my first stop always. From the first visit in the mid 70's until sometime in the late 80's, I thinks one visit in the 90's and then found out it was gone. Liked the magic shop too! Seemed like they had alot more main street transportation options way back when. Last year in August we saw the horse drawn trolley. Wish main street was truly main street of old. It had a magic all of its own. You can't find it anymore.:( I miss the attractions If You Had Wings, Mister Toads Wild ride, Mission to Mars, just to name a few. My wife had her first visit to WDW with me 4 yrs ago at the age of 29. I would have loved to share those earlier experiences with her. Now we can still have ours together. Funny tho, how everytime I think about these moments I see myself 30 some odd years ago as a bright eyed youngster dragging both of my parents by the hand as we head for the TTC and the MK. And then I see That little black headed, blue eyed boy in the big old back seat of the black Pontiac Bonneville headed out from the gate with tears in his eyes, a handful of left over tickets and a park map, body covered in magical Pixie Dust, and a heart full of never ending love for a Mouse and his Friends and their Magical Home that thank heavens, Still welcomes me back with open arms.:D Thank You Walt E.Disney

[paragon]

My first trip was lates 70's. We stayed on I drive, which was only half of what it is today, Wet & Wild was the only other water park besides River Country. As part of the tour, we got three days at MK, then the only park, and two other days for Sea World and maybe Cypress Gardens ( both of those parks had water ski shows!)
Main Street was definitely better then with tha Magic Shop ( I had one of those "invisible dogs" ) and yes the penny arcade, and movie theater. I remember those flower carts too, and all the transportation up and down Main St. A-E tickets, good for ONE RIDE on your choice of attraction. I never got to ride the Swan Boats or the Sky ride, but remember seeing them. The rocket in Tomorrowland, the Monorails and thier doors, and all the other stuff thats now long gone. There was NO Toon Town, or Splash or Thunder Mountain either. And yes, CM's scooting along sweeping up even a single popcorn piece off the street! I still have my paper "three day pass" from 1980, with the use dates stamped on them, and I used that ticket of the course of a few YEARS, the dates are stamped. I also have a book of A-E tickets in our Disney collection curio cabinet too.

[DisneyNut6777]

My first trip was lates 70's. We stayed on I drive, which was only half of what it is today, Wet & Wild was the only other water park besides River Country. As part of the tour, we got three days at MK, then the only park, and two other days for Sea World and maybe Cypress Gardens ( both of those parks had water ski shows!)
Main Street was definitely better then with tha Magic Shop ( I had one of those "invisible dogs" ) and yes the penny arcade, and movie theater. I remember those flower carts too, and all the transportation up and down Main St. A-E tickets, good for ONE RIDE on your choice of attraction. I never got to ride the Swan Boats or the Sky ride, but remember seeing them. The rocket in Tomorrowland, the Monorails and thier doors, and all the other stuff thats now long gone. There was NO Toon Town, or Splash or Thunder Mountain either. And yes, CM's scooting along sweeping up even a single popcorn piece off the street! I still have my paper "three day pass" from 1980, with the use dates stamped on them, and I used that ticket of the course of a few YEARS, the dates are stamped. I also have a book of A-E tickets in our Disney collection curio cabinet too. AHHH Thank you!!! How could I for get the invisible dog on a leash... Thanks, that is a memory in itself.. Can't believe I forgot that. I was the only kid in the neighborhood that had a dog like that. Never barked, or made a mess on the floor either. But sure loved to chase the neighbors cat:D:D

[DisneyDINK]

Growing up in LA I went to Disneyland countless times as a kid, but my first trip to WDW was in 1984.

I really miss the Magic Journeys 3D movie at Epcot. I would love to see it again. I wonder how it would hold up today?

Other things I miss: River Country, the video information/reservation kisoks at Epcot, If You Had Wings, Kitchen Cabaret, Cranium Command, Communicore (especially the little make your own rollercoaster program), Horizons ( I can smell the oranges now!), the Empress Lilly, the "Now is the the time" CoP and so many other little things. On my '84 and '85 trips I must have eaten a dozen of those frozen strawberry bars they used to sell.

Aah, memories! :mickey:

[ravsluvdisney]

Speaking of monorails, that would be no. 2 -- the old monorails. The ones where you could open the windows and where they had to come by and close each door individually. I loved the thud-repeat-thud sound as they'd work their way down the line...

great stuff here - this sparked an old memory for me too....totally forgot this one!! :thumbsup:

[c&d]

I miss the skyway, it was the airborne TTA. I remember just riding along watching the world below. I also liked that way back when, you didn't know how all the "magic" worked. At least I didn't.

[tiggerbuddy]

Bring back the Jeremy Irons version of SSE !!:mickey:

[SAH]

It does bring back such great memories:
the indiv. ticket books "e" tickets were for those special rides !!
river country
the magic shop
If you had wings
keel boats/canoes
orig. electric light parade....:)

[wdwfansince75]

Our first trip was in 75. Stayed at CR. Remember fondly the Sunday morning buffet at Top of the World....and relatively inexpensive meals for the kids at the Concourse Buffeteria...
Agree with Ian about better access (and quality) of fast food, and particularly the Teriyaki Burger at the Adventureland Terrace...
And for rides, from that trip, miss most of all If You Had Wings, the Skyway, and Toad....

[kemps@wdw]

The area on Main St w/all the flower carts. River Country, the Tambu Lounge @ the Poly w/John the guitar player/singer/comedian, the "Top of the World" restauraunt @ the Contemporay (when they had regular food), Discovery Island, the Skyway (minus the spit :D), I could go on and on...