Early '70's Memories....

[RavsRuleDisney!]

Just looking thru an old pictorial book with text that I purchased at WDW in 1973 (pre-Intercot 10 year old! :mickey:) . "WALT DISNEY WORLD The Vacation Kingdom of the World", black cover shaped like the letter 'D' ....interesting stuff to look at 40 years down the road. There is an aerial drawing of the property that shows--

The future Venetian Hotel located on the land between the Contemporary and the TTC

The future Asian Hotel where the GF now stands

The future Persian Hotel located far left of the Contemporary after leaving MK

The future Big Thunder Railway(now BTMRR); Surfrider Beach between the POLY and MK; a little swan boat in front of Cindy's Castle; the Water Ski Show on Bay Lake; the Swiss Family Treehouse was much smaller :funny: The future Western River Expedition

Amazing to look at an actual photo of Disney back then and thinking how big and impressive it seemed (and it was!) and now seeing the scale of the property today. And still many acres left to play with....

That first trip with my family I remember the original Luau (fun but lots of bugs) racing thru the hallways of the Contemporary Garden Wing (first place I stayed) the Hoop-Dee-Do (my uncle ended up onstage) eating at Top of the World (amazing buffet breakfast if i recall-and Disney bacon!!) and racing those super fast speedway cars (6 mph seems a lot quicker when you're a kid). And of course thinking when do I get to come back to this magical place (which we did a few years later)....

Any fond memories out there from an early 70's trip that got you hooked on "The World"?

[EJS-Houston]

Just looking thru an old pictorial book with text that I purchased at WDW in 1973 (pre-Intercot 10 year old! :mickey:) . "WALT DISNEY WORLD The Vacation Kingdom of the World", black cover shaped like the letter 'D' ....interesting stuff to look at 40 years down the road. There is an aerial drawing of the property that shows--

The future Venetian Hotel located on the land between the Contemporary and the TTC

The future Asian Hotel where the GF now stands

The future Persian Hotel located far left of the Contemporary after leaving MK

The future Big Thunder Railway(now BTMRR); Surfrider Beach between the POLY and MK; a little swan boat in front of Cindy's Castle; the Water Ski Show on Bay Lake; the Swiss Family Treehouse was much smaller :funny: The future Western River Expedition

Amazing to look at an actual photo of Disney back then and thinking how big and impressive it seemed (and it was!) and now seeing the scale of the property today. And still many acres left to play with....

That first trip with my family I remember the original Luau (fun but lots of bugs) racing thru the hallways of the Contemporary Garden Wing (first place I stayed) the Hoop-Dee-Do (my uncle ended up onstage) eating at Top of the World (amazing buffet breakfast if i recall-and Disney bacon!!) and racing those super fast speedway cars (6 mph seems a lot quicker when you're a kid). And of course thinking when do I get to come back to this magical place (which we did a few years later)....

Any fond memories out there from an early 70's trip that got you hooked on "The World"?

WOW! That really takes me back!

Yeah...I first went in 1972 as a 12-year-old, and I think I remember seeing that aerial view of the property you describe, or at least some other iteration of it...because now that you bring it up I DO remember seeing the plans for the Venetian and Asian hotels...and I remember seeing the plans for EPCOT, which didn't yet exist when I first went. I remember being dazzled when we next went back and saw EPCOT, which seemed amazing, and back then none of the big draws were even in the planning stages (e.g.: Soarin', Mission Space, Test Track), and the Figment-happy Spaceship Earth and the Universe of Energy hadn't yet undergone their refurbishments, although they still seemed pretty cool (especially the latter, which, pre-Dinosaur, offered an excited pre-teen the most thrilling glimpse of animatronic dinosaurs he'd yet seen). Thanks for that trip down memory lane, RavsRuleDisney!

[EJS-Houston]

WOW! That really takes me back!

Yeah...I first went in 1972 as a 12-year-old, and I think I remember seeing that aerial view of the property you describe, or at least some other iteration of it...because now that you bring it up I DO remember seeing the plans for the Venetian and Asian hotels...and I remember seeing the plans for EPCOT, which didn't yet exist when I first went. I remember being dazzled when we next went back and saw EPCOT, which seemed amazing, and back then none of the big draws were even in the planning stages (e.g.: Soarin', Mission Space, Test Track), and the Figment-happy Spaceship Earth and the Universe of Energy hadn't yet undergone their refurbishments, although they still seemed pretty cool (especially the latter, which, pre-Dinosaur, offered an excited pre-teen the most thrilling glimpse of animatronic dinosaurs he'd yet seen). Thanks for that trip down memory lane, RavsRuleDisney!

'Ya know, having had time to think about it, was Figment part of Spaceship Earth or was he part of another attraction altogether?

[RavsRuleDisney!]

'Ya know, having had time to think about it, was Figment part of Spaceship Earth or was he part of another attraction altogether?

Actually Figment has come and gone and is back again in Journey into Imagination - the years can definately cloud the memories a bit!! ;)

[EJS-Houston]

Actually Figment has come and gone and is back again in Journey into Imagination - the years can definately cloud the memories a bit!! ;)

Boy Howdy! :exactly: :rolleyes:

[tiggerbuddy]

The A,B,C,D,E Ticket Books...:mickey:

[SBETigg]

My first trip was during the pre-Epcot 80s (1981), so not the seventies but still in a one park world. My mother tried so hard to book us into the Polynesian or the Contemporary, but both were booked solid well in advance so we stayed offsite at first. While we were there, we kept checking and something opened up at the Contemporary, Bay Lake side.

The difference between staying off site and being right there was amazing. We would never stay offsite again. I remember the Electric Water Pageant being the same as it is now, and the Main Street Electrical Parade (not the same now) totally blew my mind.

We ate at the Polynesian and I drank Pink Leilanis (non-alcolic strawberry punch) and we ate at the Top of the World and saw the Broadway Review dinner show they had there. The Empress Room at the Empress Lilly was the spectacular meal of the trip and the pre Downton Disney area was like an enchanted quiet little fairy land, with twinkling lights in all the trees and just a few little shops and restaurants. I miss that. My sister and I went to River Country all by ourselves one afternoon. She was 14 and I was 12.

[civilmousefan]

I was there in November 1971. It was a trip that I had won as part of my local towns newspaper promotion. I was a freshman in high school and me and a younger brother went on the trip with chaperones provided by the newspaper.

I don't remember much, but I do remember getting a bunch of tickets - mostly A tickets, from a group of High School students who were staying at the same motel in Cocoa Beach. I also remember buying a few magic tricks from a Magic Store on Main Street. Also, I thing the foot long hot dogs were only $1.00 at Casey's.

[EJS-Houston]

My first trip was during the pre-Epcot 80s (1981), so not the seventies but still in a one park world. My mother tried so hard to book us into the Polynesian or the Contemporary, but both were booked solid well in advance so we stayed offsite at first. While we were there, we kept checking and something opened up at the Contemporary, Bay Lake side.

The difference between staying off site and being right there was amazing. We would never stay offsite again. I remember the Electric Water Pageant being the same as it is now, and the Main Street Electrical Parade (not the same now) totally blew my mind.

We ate at the Polynesian and I drank Pink Leilanis (non-alcolic strawberry punch) and we ate at the Top of the World and saw the Broadway Review dinner show they had there. The Empress Room at the Empress Lilly was the spectacular meal of the trip and the pre Downton Disney area was like an enchanted quiet little fairy land, with twinkling lights in all the trees and just a few little shops and restaurants. I miss that. My sister and I went to River Country all by ourselves one afternoon. She was 14 and I was 12.

Oh yeah! That first trip in '72 we stayed in the Contemporary, and I too vividly remember the thrill of watching the Electric Water Pageant from our hotel balcony. To a 12-year-old, especially back then, that was truly amazing stuff!

[Aurora]

My first trip was during the pre-Epcot 80s (1981), so not the seventies but still in a one park world. My mother tried so hard to book us into the Polynesian or the Contemporary, but both were booked solid well in advance so we stayed offsite at first. While we were there, we kept checking and something opened up at the Contemporary, Bay Lake side.

The difference between staying off site and being right there was amazing. We would never stay offsite again. I remember the Electric Water Pageant being the same as it is now, and the Main Street Electrical Parade (not the same now) totally blew my mind.

We ate at the Polynesian and I drank Pink Leilanis (non-alcolic strawberry punch) and we ate at the Top of the World and saw the Broadway Review dinner show they had there. The Empress Room at the Empress Lilly was the spectacular meal of the trip and the pre Downton Disney area was like an enchanted quiet little fairy land, with twinkling lights in all the trees and just a few little shops and restaurants. I miss that. My sister and I went to River Country all by ourselves one afternoon. She was 14 and I was 12.

Wow, I could have written almost your exact same post, down to the solo visit with my sisters to River Country when we were teens. My first trip was a few years before yours, in 1977 or '78 (still can't pin it down to the exact year).

Ravs, I also have the Walt Disney World souvenir book with the black cover shaped like a "D," only mine is a commemorative reprint edition from 1980 that includes artist renditions of Epcot on the inside back cover.

Boy, it felt so different then, so new and huge and awesomely amazing. My first Disney trip was to Disneyland in 1973, so comparatively, Disney World was overwhelming. There really was nothing like it, literally, in the world.

[faline]

Our first trip was in the fall of 1979. We tent camped in Fort Wilderness. We were sorely tempted to stay at an off-site campground which was less expensive but were so glad we opted to pay the extra money to stay in Fort Wilderness. Disney was trying out a new ticket concept then wherein you could buy a multi-day ticket which you could use on all the rides instead of the individual ticket books. We saw lots of the individual ticket books as well as all the ticket booths spread around the park where you could purchase more tickets should you run out. Out multi-day tickets were made out of paper and had a blank space for each day you entered the park. They used a date stamper on one of the blank spaces to note which date you were entering the park. That ticket had to be shown at the entrance of each ride to gain access to the ride. While others were fumbling through their tickets to pick the one that matched the ride, we just flashed our multi-day ticket and walked on through.

There was a moonlight cruise on Bay Lake. It was quite a large boat and it would stop at each of the resort areas - Contemporary, Poly, and Fort Wilderness. I think each ticket cost 50 cents. Once on board, one could buy a drink. You could then sit and enjoy a cruise around the lake under the moonlight. You would be returned to the dock you started from but you could not take a drink off the boat with you.

You could take a boat directly from Fort Wilderness to the Poly. You could swim in Bay Lake. There was a train that ran through Fort Wilderness. You could take a tram through Fort Wilderness.

[T-Belle]

My first visit was March 1972. I went with a friend and her parents in a Winabago and we stayed at Fort Wilderness. I really wish I could remember more but this is what I recall. The sing along with Chip and Dale. Music coming from everywhere. The ticket booths. The Haunted Mansion and I hope someone else can confirm this but I think I remember the horses stabled somewhere close to the fire station. It was the most magical place I had ever been!!

[disneydeb]

The Swan boats were so pretty gliding on the water by the castle.

My 15 year old cousin kept playing the peep show at the penny arcade on main street. :-o

My mother turned my sister and me loose that first day but when she realized how large it was she said she worried all day. Bless her!

We went over Thanksgiving break and it was NOT crowded at all!

No Space mountain, but we walked through a display showing how it would be.

My mom thought the Tiki birds were "very well trained". :D

I was so impressed with 20,000 Leaques and the Jungle Cruise.:cool:

[Nini]

I have that same book!

Our first trip was the April after WDW opened.
We stayed at the campgrounds. I too remember the swan boats. I loved the magic shop on Main Street and remember buying a couple of items there. Peter Pan was my absolute favorite, Snow White was way too scary (they eventually toned it down some). The Contemporary just looked so cool!

I also remember going two years before and going to the welcoming center where they had a model of what WDW would look like. One wall of the building was all glass where you looked out to see pretty much nothing except bare earth and piles of dirt with construction equipment. The building also had some neat Disney topiaries around it. I would have been 5 years old that trip.

It will be my 15th trip next January, and I can't wait! Yes, some things have changed for the worse, but I'll always love it there. There's nothing that equals the feeling of seeing that first purple sign, driving under that arch, and looking down Main Street for that first time each trip.

Denise :mickey:

Denise