First Visit / First Attraction

[baldburke]

Does anyone else remember their first ride or attraction on their first visit at one of the Disney parks? For our first visit it was just the Magic Kingdom open so you might think it would be easy. However for the life of me I can't remember if we went left, right or straight at the end of Main Street. Does anyone else recall their first?

[chefmickey3]

My husband took me to Disney the year after we were married. He had been many times but it was my first. My first park was Magic Kingdom and my first ride was The Haunted Mansion. I remember being unimpressed because I was used to theme parks like Dorney, Six Flags, or Hershey. When I learned that Disney was about the details, I fell in love!

[VWL Mom]

My first trip with my first son we stayed at WL, spent our time at MK, and his first ride was Mr. Toad.

I had been there with my mom in the mid 70's and our first ride was Small World. That was also her last ride the last time she visited Disney before she passed.

[Giggy]

First ever ride we did in 1998 was the Walt Disney World Railroad!
We went around to Mickey's Toontown Fair and then onto Tomorrowland from there. My parents wanted us to meet Mickey and Donald at the start and the train was a great way to get there!

I can't remember for certain in 2001 but I remember in 2004 insisting we repeated the original tradition.

2010 we had a change of plans and went across to Frontierland and started with Splash Mountain, then Big Thunder Mountain. My mother, who doesn't normally do the thrill rides, wanted to try these two and said if we went at the start of the day she'd be more likely to do them - it worked!

[buzznwoodysmom]

My first park on my first trip was epcot. First ride was spaceship earth.

The very first time I saw the castle it was a giant pink cake!

[Genie1953]

Teacups at Disneyland! I think the year was about 1958!

[MrPeetrie]

I'll never forget my first trip to Walt Disney World as an adult. It was my wife and my first trip together since our honeymoon. The trip was actually a time-share scam, but luckily we paid extra and got out of all the presentations.

So, we stayed at a Kissimmee Hotel and on our arrival day, we walked up and down 192. Time-share scam artists were everywhere. They're "pitch" was to ask if we needed a map or tickets. I got so fed up, I told my wife, "The next guy that asks if we need a map or tickets, I'm going to say, 'No. What we really want is to get involved in a huge time-share deal, but we can't find anyone interested.'" We went to Wonderworks that night. Then we found a Disney store in Orlando and purchased Park Hoppers there. (No time-share there.)

Anyway, the next morning we woke up early, drove up World Drive, parked at the Ticket & Transportation Center (Minnie 37) and started looking for the Magic Kingdom. We thought it was there!!! We kept looking for the park.

"With all these cars here, the park has to have an entrance somewhere close by!"

Finally, we asked a CM and they told us we still needed to get to the other side of the Seven Seas Lagoon. We took the Ferry. (I had to look like a puppy with its head of the car window.) The Castle was in view. Magnificent!!!

One of my favorite videos in the whole world unintentionally catches my wife's reaction to the Magic Kingdom. I'm panning and videoing upon entering Main Street USA. I didn't notice at the time, but when we returned home and played the video, I come across my wife and you can see her reaction. Priceless.

"I can't believe someone actually built this place," she thought. She had never been to anything like WDW and she was overcome with emotion.

Anyway, we shopped at the Emporium, and began exploring in Adventureland. Our first ride was actually the Disneyodendren at the Swiss Family Treehouse. After that, Pirates of the Caribbean. She was hooked. We both were. And still are to a degree.

Thanks for starting this post. Those memories are priceless!!!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

My first visit was in January 2003 and the first park we visited was MGM (Hollywood Studios). My first ride was the Great Movie Ride and it is still my favorite at HS.

[baldburke]

Thanks for starting this post. Those memories are priceless!!!

Thanks for posting! All the stories are great! It's fun to hear the perspectives from others.

[Speedy1998]

1980, first ride was the Ferry. All kidding aside I think my first attraction was the Carousel (I was only 4 so I do not remember for sure). I do remember that they were still using the ticket books then.

Now on my second trip (1982) my first attraction was Dumbo, we did not go on it on my first trip, and for two years all I told anyone that asked me about Disney World was that I did not get to ride Dumbo.

[Speedy1998]

Anyone else go early enough to ride the Swan Boats? Until about 10 years ago I thought that I had dreamed about being on a boat in front of Cinderella Castle, then I read about the swan boats and realized I must have ridden on them on my first trip.

[joonyer]

It was October or November of 1971. I was 15 years old. Magic Kingdom had only been open a few weeks. After walking through Main Street, we went right toward TomorrowLand, and the first attraction we saw was the Circle-Vision 360 theater with the film "America the Beautiful. The were no seats, just rails that everyone stood by. During the aerial photography scenes, the plane did a loop or two and not holding firmly onto the railing, the photography effect caused me to lean way over and I fell down. So did several other people. I though that was pretty cool, a motion effect in a theater where nothing moved but the picture! The next thing we did was ride the Skyway, which of course is long gone now, and then It's a Small World, which didn't impress me as much, being a 15 year old boy. The Circle-Vision theater building is still there, the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor is in there now. This was way before the "Mountain" attractions were built. It was still a great time, and I'll never forget it. My favorites on that trip were the Swiss Family Treehouse, Haunted Mansion and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (also long gone).

[SBETigg]

I was twelve, and we entered the park on Easter Sunday as the afternoon Easter Parade was going on. It left an amazing first impression. My grandmother was very excited that the honorary parade marshals that day were Bobby and Cissy, and Guy from the Lawrence Welk show. I was just overwhelmed with everything, the characters, the castle. Actual first ride was the Jungle Cruise.

[Wayne]

First trip was in 1977 as an 18 year old with a couple of friends, all of us train fanatics. A Grand Circle Trip Around the Magic Kingdom aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad was our first ride. Then a walk down Main Street, hang a left into Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise.

[RavsRuleDisney!]

Ahhh....to be 10 again - first trip in June of '74. My family and my cousins troupe (11 in all) drove from Jersey. Remember I-95 was not done as we were detoured multiple times heading down - but we got there! The first ride I remember going on - and I have made it a right of passage since with my 2 DS' on our dozen or so trips - was riding with my dad on Tomorrowland Speedway. I remember waiting in line hearing the roar of all those little gas engines (that hasn't changed much!) and being a tad nervous as I thought my dad would be gunning this little race car right off the track! Of course I quickly realized you are not going ANYWHERE fast but enjoyed it then and enjoy it years later watching my boys zip around at those breakneck speeds....

[debbymc4]

I clearly remember, as a child, thinking the parking tram was a ride....so I will count that as my first ride!

[ransam]

my first ride was 20000 leagues under the sea. i still remember how i didn't think anything would ever be that awesome.

[baldburke]

my first ride was 20000 leagues under the sea. i still remember how i didn't think anything would ever be that awesome.

It was pretty awesome for a kid back in the day. I thought we were actually under water.

[texas211]

My wife and I first ride together rode the Jungle Cruise. Classic. We always go on it. Love the queue music/track.

[Cinderelley]

My wife and I first ride together rode the Jungle Cruise. Classic. We always go on it. Love the queue music/track.

I think it is so awesome that you remember this.