As the cold weather sets in for some of us, and we approach the six-month mark from the Disneyland 50th Birthday celebration, let’s look back at some of the letters we’ve received from readers sharing their own special Disney memories.
Mary Jo Salerno writes:
I could probably write my own Disney book but I’ll try to keep it brief. I was 40 years old the first time I went to Walt Disney World. My husband promised me a Disney vacation in lieu of a honeymoon and one year to the date of our wedding he came through. That first morning I decided to take the ferryboat rather than the monorail to be able to enjoy seeing the castle grow closer and closer and know that my life-long dream of going to a Disney Park was also getting closer. I cried all the way over and embarrassed my poor husband to death but it was truly the most anticipated day of my life. To this day, twelve trips later, I still take the ferryboat rather than the monorail and though I don’t cry anymore I still get goose bumps watching the castle grow closer and closer and know that magical moments are only a short boat ride away.
Another emotional trip was in December of 2001. We had a trip planned less than three months after the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center. My mother-in-law who was scheduled to go with us on that trip wanted us to cancel. My husband and I refused. We were determined that terrorists would NOT rule how we lived our lives. The parks were practically empty and under normal circumstances this would have been great but it depressed me that people had stopped doing the normal things in life. At one point when we went to the character greet at the fountain area in Epcot there were only about a dozen people there. Less visitors than characters! But the characters were upbeat and gracious and I made sure I had my picture taken with each one of them but it was sad that there were so few people there.
Some day I hope to visit Disneyland.
Martha writes:
I will never forget my first visit to Walt Disney World. I was 9 years old and had taken an Amtrak train all the way from Pennsylvania to Orlando with my best friend, Amy and her family. The thing that sticks in my mind the most is looking at the model for Epcot, which was housed in one of the buildings on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. It was in the process of being built and I just became fascinated with it – the concept, the architecture and Walt’s dream behind it. I bought a book about it while I was there and finally got to visit Epcot for the first time 8 years later. It will always remain my favorite park.
Dave Tavener writes:
My wife and I have made several trips to Walt Disney World since we met in college. She got me hooked on Disney and has suffered through my bouts of Disney obsession. Out last trip (Sept 04) is, by far, our most memorable so far:
We had been trying to adopt a sibling group (brothers and sisters) for over a year. We had experienced several close calls, but had not been chosen. In June, we decided to book a Walt Disney World trip even though we knew we might have to cancel it if we got kids before September. As the trip itself grew closer, we were selected to be one of five couples to adopt 5 siblings from Texas. The date for the decision got pushed back and would occur while we were at Walt Disney World. We had mixed emotions about the timing – if the answer was no (like the last 4 times), it would really kill our Disney buzz for the rest of the trip. Luckily, d-day was at the end of our trip. On the big day, we went to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We tried to put it out of our minds and just enjoy the park, but it was always there hanging over us. The meeting was to be held at 2:45, so we knew we wouldn’t hear anything until at least 3:00.
We had just finished off Asia and had staked out a place to watch the parade outside a shop next to the bridge to Discovery Island. I had just realized that my camera was missing and was having a Cast Member call around to see if it had been turned in when I checked my cell phone. There was a message to call the adoption agency. “Great”, I thought, “Lose the camera and the kids within five minutes of each other…” I quickly dialed the number but couldn’t get a signal inside the store (besides, the parade music was too loud). I waved at my buddy and told him to grab my wife and meet me around the corner on the path between the store and Discovery River. I called the agency again and was told that our coordinator was on the other line and I should call back.
I waited exactly 60 seconds then hit redial. By that time, my wife and friends had arrived. This time, I asked the person to check if she was off the phone. There was a minute of silence and then she came on and said “Hello, Daddy!” I was stunned and just said “You’re kidding?” She responded “You’re going to be a daddy – they picked you guys!” I looked at my wife and could see she couldn’t figure out the answer from my reaction. I looked at her and told her she was going to be a mommy. We hugged each other and cried. We walked around Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a while just stunned. We stopped and called her parents and let them know the good news.
Epcot is my favorite park at Walt Disney World, but after that day, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will always have a special place in my heart. I can’t give the whole credit to “Disney Magic” as there was a lot of hard work, prayer, and worry involved. But if I could pick anywhere in the world to find out that kind of news, that’s where I’d pick!
Disney Magic didn’t fail me with the camera, either. Someone turned it in that night and I picked it up at Central Lost and Found the next morning! We are going back to Walt Disney World the first week of October – almost exactly a year from the date we found out we were adopting five of the greatest kids in the world! This is the trip I’ve been waiting my whole life to take!
Geoff Askey writes:
My first impressions / memories of Disney are Walt Disney World in 1992 at the then Disney (MGM) Studios. It was my first trip to the USA as well and we had some fun finding our hotel on International Drive in Orlando after our flight had arrived two hours late because of head-winds. The following morning we headed for the Studios and our first attraction was the Beauty and the Best show. As the music started and Lumiere appeared I just burst into tears. I couldn’t believe I was there. So many years I’d waited to visit Disney and I was finally there. Since then I’ve been to California and, of course, my “local” park at Paris – I live in London – but that moment will always remain in my memory. By the way, I was 42 years old at the time. Yes, I shed tears and there have been other moments when I’ve shed them too. Tears of sheer joy!
Stephan Morrell writes:
1. Impressions of Disney. It wasn’t until I went as an adult that Disney TRULY made an impression on me. I went 3-4 times during my childhood between age 4 to 16. But it wasn’t until I went as an adult that I truly noticed the attention to detail and the level of dedication from the staff that was like no other.
2. First Trip: My first trip was when I was 4 years old and it was to Disneyland. To be honest, I don’t remember anything other than what the pictures say. But I still have this great picture of my father holding me up to Goofy.
3. Most Memorable Visit: Had to be my trip in 2004. It was my second trip as an adult, but being more prepared than the first, I truly enjoyed and appreciated every minute. We were down with my mother’s Disney Vacation Club and my kids were 5, 8 and 11 years old. We spent long days getting up early to head to the parks to really squeeze out as much as we could, but doing it “relaxed” this time around. The boat ride from Epcot to the Beach Club Villas is really lovely. But what really brought a tear to my eye was watching the Share a Dream Come True parade, and running after the Peter Pan float with my youngest son on my shoulders as he cried out “Hurry Daddy! Hurry! We have to wave to him!” My son is a huge Peter Pan fan, and it dawned on me that I had to remember this, soak it in, because the next time we came… he might not care so much about Peter Pan.
4. On MousePlanet: I discovered MousePlanet just before my first trip as an adult. Though I now visit many Disney sites, it was my first and I still visit it daily. I found it to be a great source of information (especially the Walt Disney World Updates) and even posted a trip report back in 2002. Keep up the good work.
Tamara-Nicole writes:
My first impression of Disney was watching those Sunday night “World of Magic” shows on CBC and always loving the cartoons specials that were on during the holidays. It was something I looked forward to and it was something we did as a family too. The first movie I remember being taken to was Little Mermaid and when it finally came to video I must have watched that movie at least 100 times growing up.
My first trip to Disney was when I was 8 years old and my parents wanted to make it a great trip for my little brother and me. My dad is from Orange County, so he would tell us stories about Disneyland. The first day we went to Disneyland it was amazing. I still remember 5 great things about that day: 1. The Autopia and “driving” my mom in the car, she still likes to say I gave her whiplash that day; 2. My dad taking me on Space Mountain.; 3. Captain EO and those 3-D glasses; 4. Going on Splash Mountain; 5. Seeing the castle.
The most Memorable trip was when I was 16 way back in 1996. My parents surprised us for Christmas and took us to Disneyland. Seeing the beautiful Christmas decorations and being there during Christmas was my most memorable visit. I loved the Santa Clause outfits that Mickey and Minnie wore.
MousePlanet is one of the best Web sites I have found for information about traveling to Disneyland. This October I am planning to go to Disneyland on a grand trip with my boyfriend. I found this site about 6 months ago and every day I have the habit of coming to it to see what is new. I really like the Disneyland Information Guide, it helped me decide to stay on property. And I like reading the reviews that other people have made about their past visits.
Joy writes:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading various staff member’s impressions of Disney and the parks. It is amazing how I can receive just as much happiness from reading other’s stories about the park as I can from sharing my own! Although I live in Seattle I’ve been lucky enough to have an aunt who lives right outside of Anaheim so my family always went once a year from the time I was born. I still go about once a year and I can’t wait until my next trip in December. Not only will Disneyland be celebrating its 50th birthday this year, but my mom is as well, so we are taking her on a surprise trip to Disneyland! It is also going to be my fiancés first trip to Disneyland and I can’t wait to share the magic and experience it through a first-timer’s eyes!
My first distinct memory of the park is when I was about six years old. It was my first time riding the Haunted Mansion and while we were in the elevator (after the room stretches and the skeleton flashes), it broke down. So we were stuck in the dark for about an hour. It probably wasn’t that long, but it sure seemed like it to me! My family could not get me on that ride again until I was 12!
Disney is just amazing. I love how I can walk in the gates and the real world just goes away. There are no words to express how the parks make you feel. Its just magical.
Happy Birthday MousePlanet and thanks for providing a great Web site with great information!
Mary writes:
First off, let me send you all a great big 5th birthday hug MousePlanet! I have been a fan of your site for the last two years and never miss a days reading.
I grew up in the ‘burbs of Phoenix, Arizona so my folks and I made many trips to Disneyland starting when I was four, and on my birthday every year until I was 15. I didn’t go back for many years due to numerous circumstances. I was married when I was 21 and had a son a year later. I swore that I would make my son a Disney fanatic as if my life depended on it. He was four years old the first time, 1991, and have gone every year on HIS birthday since then. He tries to play it cool around his friends when trip time comes near, but he is just as giddy as me. My fondest memory is watching Fantasmic! with him and both of us tear up at the end, which is usually followed by a big hug and an “I love you mom.” He is 18 now and made a few trips with his friends. He says he has a wonderful time making his own memories, but he says he hides his head when they watch Fantasmic! so his buddies don’t see the tears. Now where is my tissue?
Thanks MousePlanet for a fantastic site!
Susan writes:
I was born, raised and lived literally in the shadow of Disneyland for the first 40 years of my life. Having lived in Garden Grove/Anaheim at a mere 4 miles from Disneyland I have a long history with it. I remember my parents taking me often and also going when we had out of state relatives visiting.
Some memories I have from when I was a child are having Mickey Mouse pancakes when we arrived early in the morning. I remember the Disneyland Railroad being the first attraction we would go on. I remember the parking lot trams at night when the park would close and being cold. I remember visiting Disneyland when Space Mountain was being built and eagerly awaiting its opening.
I have always loved Disneyland but my “obsession began when I bought my first Annual Pass in 1995. One particular visit that stands out in my memory is when my sister and I visited Disneyland together for the first time in June of 1995. You see, she and I were separated as children and never had the pleasure of visiting Disneyland together until that day in June. The Indian Jones attraction had recently opened and she and I went on that ride for the very first time together, along with the other classic attractions. And sadly, I remember my last visit to Disneyland in December of 2003, when I had to say good bye to my beloved Disneyland because I was relocating to Central Florida.
I do not remember my first visit to Disneyland but I remember my first visit to The Magic Kingdom in Florida. I loved the approach to the Magic Kingdom via ferry. I was amazed at the size of Cinderella Castle. Now I have an Annual Pass to Walt Disney World and spend a lot of time there exploring everything it has to offer. I do miss Disneyland but at least I have Walt Disney World. I am looking forward to the day I can return for a visit to Disneyland after being away from it for so long.
I have been reading Mouse Planet since I discovered it a few years ago. And I love it.
Emma Henderson writes:
I can remember the car park which seemed to go on for ever – there were more cars there than we had ever even imagined existed. We had a couple of days at the Park, and I remember the crowds, the heat, my mother throwing up after Space Mountain, and having a meltdown when, exhausted with jet lag and very hungry, we were presented with a plate of doughnuts and pastries for breakfast. With no Weetbix in sight, mum had to put us in a taxi and visit the nearest supermarket, where things just got worse, because instead of milk in a bottle with a silver cap, there were about 2 dozen different types of milk, and no Weetbix. Oh dear! Cultural change is a tricky thing…
I still have my blue Mickey Mouse ears (complete with my name on the back in gold, chocolate finger-marks and a little green tiki sticker that someone gave me at the Tiki Room, after I got all excited at finding something from home so far away).
After that trip it was another ten years before my next visit, but it was no less exciting. That is a really memorable trip, because I was old enough to really take in all the details and appreciate the effort that goes into making the park such a joyful place when as a kid, I was just too excited and hyper to really take it all in. Now I make a point of visiting on my way home from England and usually get to visit bi-annually. This year will be my first trip to see the Christmas lights and holiday overlays and I am really looking forward to it.
As for MousePlanet, I first discovered this Web site a couple of years ago after reading the Unofficial Guide, and I love it – I visit the sight every couple of weeks, catching up with the house of mouse. Its a lovely time out in a stressful world. Thank you! Emma
Sandy Apodaca writes:
My family’s love of Disney began in 1979 when my sons were 2 and 5and I took them to Disneyland for their first time. I had been 12 when my Mother first took me.
My son, Bert, has loved Pirates of the Caribbean from his first time and wanted to ride it again and again every trip. He would sing the pirates’ song until I could not handle it anymore and would have to tell him to stop. My son, David, always got so excited that invariably sometime during a trip, he would have an upset stomach. When he was young, his favorite color was pink.
During our 1980 Disneyland trip, I had taken Bert on Pirates once again and David was with my sister. When we got back to where they had been sitting, found a Disney cleaning person taking care of the aftermath of an upset tummy and it was pink colored! Knowing that it had to have been David as he had just had a pink colored drink, I went looking for my sister and him. I found them in the bathroom. My sister had been holding David when he got sick, and being a teenager she was terribly embarrassed by a very pink stained T-Shirt. She wanted to just hide in the stall, so there I was in the middle of Disneyland, washing her shirt, wringing it out a much as possible, and trying to convince her that no one would notice that her shirt was still soaking wet.
My sons are both adults now and our family’s love of Disney has continued; we just returned from our latest trip three months ago. Bert still loves to ride Pirates and luckily David no longer gets sick but this time he hurt his knee the day before we went. He limped through three days at Disneyland, but wouldn’t let it stop his trip.
Lorree writes:
Even though we live in Washington State, we have visited Disneyland at least twice yearly since 2000. Of those trips, the most memorable has to be our most recent where we celebrated my significant other’s 40th birthday (during Disneyland’s 50th) with 17 members of his family. Four days of running around the park like total kids (my SO is the youngest in his family). We were nineteen for lunch at Blue Bayou who then trooped over to Pirates as a herd where we all piled into a single boat, singing ‘yo ho’ in unison. Totally priceless and memorable.
