WDW-when were you hooked?

[B.R. Guest]

I was 12 years old and we stayed at the Contemporary Hotel. I remember looking up and seeing the monorail go thru the lobby. That was the coolest thing I ever saw in my life and I've been hooked ever since. I remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney and they showed pictures of WDW being built. Like the song says: a dream is a wish your heart makes. And my dream comes true every time I go. LIKE JUNE 2009! 93 DAYS UNTIL TAKEOFF.

[mook3y]

For me, its as long as I can remember....

See my signature. I think just hearing all of the sounds and fun influenced me!

[wilcat]

For me I guess it was October 1976 on my honeymoon. It was only the MK then but what a great time I had, hubby not so much. We landed there 10 yrs later and Epcot was open. DH started to agree that it is a 'nice' place to visit. His family took trips to the beach every year which he did not like either but he still would not agree to go to WDW every year as I would have liked. So here we are 30+ years later and my DH has told me to start taking solo trips as he prefers to stay home on his vacations (huh?). Well too bad for him as I will be going down in Jan 2011 and hope to do a Xmas trip in Dec 2011 solo. I look forward to many more memories of WDW.

[Lakin]

Well, I went to Disney World when I was in 4th grade, and I was talking and talking about Disney all the time, and one of the kids in my class called me a Disney Freak - the name just kinda stuck!

[goofygirl67]

I didn't get totally hooked until I moved to Florida. I grew up in Mass. and had only been twice, once with my family in 1978 and then my first without parents trip in 1986. I moved south in 1996 but it wasn't until 2001 that I got hooked. Now I use my 3 weeks vacation at WDW, nobody even asks me where I'm going anymore.

[PharmD]

I had gone to WDW 2 times before my wife and I went in 1992. We only went to Epcot on that trip but it got us interested again. We went back in 1997 and I'm not sure yet what it was but I think it was walking into Magic Kingdom and looking down Main Street that cemented it. That and of course the magic of WDW. Since then we have been 16 times with our 21st trip coming up in Oct. . I guess you could say I am a certified WDW fanatic.

[kemps@wdw]

My first visit to the world was when I was 14. Although, my time there was limited (we were doing a kinda Florida tour), I knew then that I would come back. But the 1st time I knew that I was a WDW repeater was on our honeymoon. We stayed on property (@ the Golf Resort). All that was there was the GR, the Poly, the CR, and the Magic Kingdom! (now I'm givin away my age). But it was the most...magical, wonderful, albeit too short, 4 days I'd ever spent anywhere. Or so I thought! Now 31 yrs and 15 trips later, we still love it as much as we did then! And so does our DD, and my in-laws. We love the classics, and with all the refurbs and new attractions, dining, and resorts, it's always exciting coming back! So, for us, it truly is the most "magical place on Earth". So, we'll be seein you again,WDW, in October!

[DNS]

We really did not know what to expect on our first trip. I got Birnbaum's from the library and tried to find out what I could from people who had gone there (no internet then), but we just were not prepared for what we found. We had only planned 4 days there and one day was for Universal Studios. There were only 3 theme parks at Disney at the time. We were so overwhelmed when we got there. We started early morning and stayed until closing. When it was time to go back, we kept saying that we did not get to do everything and we wished we could stay another day or two. But that was not an easy option since we flew. So we decided to come back the next year. By the time our second vacation of 6 days was coming to a close, we were already planning trip number 3. That's when we knew we were hooked.

[GrmGrninGost]

I was hooked before I ever went. From the moment as a child when I heard Disney was building in Florida I was super excited. I finally got to go over New Years in 1976 when I was almost 13. It was so exciting! I dreamed of going back for many years, but things didn't work out until my DW and I went on our honeymoon in 1991. We have been back many times since with the DKs and have no intention of stopping any time soon!

[finaldynasty]

I was hooked from the first sight of Main Street during my first visit and was born again when I took my kid for the first time in 2005! We watch the planning dvds like we are breaking down game tapes!

[emmatink]

Everyone gets hooked as a kid but my hook line and sinker was seeing my 4 year old DD at the opening ceremony to the MK take her hands and grab my face and look at me in my eyes and scream "look it's mickey!!" That made me and my husband tear up and that special moment hooked us on Disney for life, or at least until the kids request not to go. That will be sad day though

[Daisy712]

I was hooked on anything Disney since I saw the Bicentennial Parade in Disneyland. I was 9 years old. It also helped that we watched the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday night. I grew up on Disney and luckily my husband did, too. We went for our honeymoon and have taken our own kids almost every year. We just can't get enough.

[kimommy63]

I was hooked on the first day of our first trip with our children. My son was in second grade and my daughter was in kindergarten. We flew down a day later than the family members we were travelling with, so my brother in law picked us up at the airport drove us to the Shades of Green. The moment we started to see signs of "The World" on the highway and I looked over to see the looks of awe and anticipation on my kid's faces? That's when it all started for my family.

I feel you. I totally related to that commercial they used to run about the kids thinking their parents were superheros for bringing them to WDW! I felt 10 feet tall the first time I brought my son when he was 4 (and really every time since) And planning the trip together is nearly as much fun as being there...well, maybe not as much but it is great!

[finaldynasty]

I was hooked from the moment I was able to see Mickey himself in the flesh! I just could not beleive as a child that the real live Mickey was in front of me!

[Stu29573]

I think before I was born.....

[javamama]

I'd have to say the third time we stayed at the CR probably did it as a kid for me, we went back to back years then. Then again I went with my friend family two summers later so it was perfect, those trips made me love WDW back then.

[jonahbear2006]

Well, I went when I was 12 with my grandpa and didn't really appreciate it. I am not sure why, but it just didn't feel magical to me at all. We decided to give into the hype, what we thought was over the top, in our first trip to fortwilderness. My cousin came with us for extra hands and her personal issues ruined our trip. We decided to return the following february to re-live it by ourselves, in hopes to fix what had been so rudely interupted during the previous trip and we were hooked. We stayed for 9 nights at Fort Wilderness on the dining plan and we fell in love with the food, FW, the resort, and the ability to just lose yourself in this wonderfully magical place. Now when my husband tells me that he thinks we should take a year off and catch up on finances, a small piece inside of me shudders and he knows it.....with a bit of a sigh and an endearing smile, he knows that he too cannot let go of the 1 week of perfection that disney offers our lives.

[MarknTara]

I have to say the first time I went was when I got hooked. That's when I was 35 years old and I took my kids who were 3 and 5 at the time. I have to say though, that the first time I REALLY fell in love was when we went one September and there were no lines. We have been back every September since. I love it when you can actually enjoy the parks without bumping into people. We have gone 13 times now, and will definitely be back in September, although, this year I am adding a 50th birthday trip, given to me by my sisters, in April! 49 days to Disney World!!!!

Haha! I totally agree. I got hooked when I went for a long weekend with my mom last September (took two days off school!). It really makes a difference when there's less people there. The minute we walked into the Magic Kingdom on the first day (and headed to the Pirates of the Caribbean, as tradition dictates), we knew that we were home! And have fun on your trip!!!

[Dopey's Girl]

I was hooked May of 1984. It was our first real family vacation (other than camping or other close to home things), we got to take an airplane and everything!

The thing I remember most vividly is taking the ferry from the parking lot to Mk. We were just about the only people on the boat, so we sat up front...as MK came into view, I just remember thinking that it was about the best sight I had ever known! We have pictures of that moment, and it still brings tears to my eyes! Every trip, I have to take the ferry at least once in honor of that moment.

[WDWNut02]

I had been several times as a teen and I didn't think too much of it. Not that I didn't like it, just that I didn't LOVE it. My father was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, so the decision was made that my father, myself, and my brother and sister would go on a vacation together. My father picked Disney. I went with an open mind and we had the best time I have ever had on vacation. Disney offered us a place to escape the reality of life, if only for a short time. We felt like kids again. My father passed away a short time later but he instilled his love for Disney in me. Disney remains my escape, my happy place.