When you were 13 what did you think of the Disney Parks?

[sleepyjeff]

What did you like about the parks?
What was your favorite Ride?
What was your favorite show?
What was your favorite experience?
What is your strongest memory?

I was actually 12 on my first visit to Disneyland so I guess I will speak to that:

I liked that the Park was insanely clean.
My favorite Ride was the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
My favorite show was the Main St. Electrical Parade.
Favorite Experience would have to be eating lunch surrounded by negative ions on the Skull Rock patio.
Strongest memory is arriving in the Park for the first time: We were staying at the Disneyland Hotel so my first introduction to the park was via the Monorail.....and Tomorrowland. Wow! Boats, Submarirens, little cars, Peoplemovers, Rocket Jets....everything was moving(even a building). Nothing has ever come close to that since

[nbodyhome]

What did you like about the parks?
What was your favorite Ride?
What was your favorite show?
What was your favorite experience?
What is your strongest memory?

I was actually 12 on my first visit to Disneyland so I guess I will speak to that:

I liked that the Park was insanely clean.
My favorite Ride was the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
My favorite show was the Main St. Electrical Parade.
Favorite Experience would have to be eating lunch surrounded by negative ions on the Skull Rock patio.
Strongest memory is arriving in the Park for the first time: We were staying at the Disneyland Hotel so my first introduction to the park was via the Monorail.....and Tomorrowland. Wow! Boats, Submarirens, little cars, Peoplemovers, Rocket Jets....everything was moving(even a building). Nothing has ever come close to that since

I didn't make it to Disneyland until I was in my 20's. That was pretty exciting!

[Hayley B]

Very nice! so what is the memory that sticks out the most from your first visit?

And what interaction with a Cast Memeber sticks out the most?

Meeting Mickey Mouse is my favorite memory of my first visit. For a very longtime, I loved Donald Duck and I still do love Donald Duck. Before I couldn't see why Mickey was so much loved except for being loved by Walt Disney and for why there was Mickey Mouse Club and not a Donald Duck Club. Especially when loved Donald more. But when I met Mickey Mouse at WDW for the first time at the park, he gave me a little kiss on the cheek and I got very touched by it and from that day forward I learned to love Mickey Mouse for the sweetheart that he is. That is my most favorite memory, ever at the parks too.

As for "interaction with cast member", when went into the Animation Studio at MGM and I was able to answer all of this Cast Member Lady's questions from the pictures that she was showing us and learning the reality of how to be a voice over for cartoons.

[KingEric]

What did you like about the parks?
What was your favorite Ride?
What was your favorite show?
What was your favorite experience?
What is your strongest memory?

I was actually 12 on my first visit to Disneyland so I guess I will speak to that:

I liked that the Park was insanely clean.
My favorite Ride was the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
My favorite show was the Main St. Electrical Parade.
Favorite Experience would have to be eating lunch surrounded by negative ions on the Skull Rock patio.
Strongest memory is arriving in the Park for the first time: We were staying at the Disneyland Hotel so my first introduction to the park was via the Monorail.....and Tomorrowland. Wow! Boats, Submarirens, little cars, Peoplemovers, Rocket Jets....everything was moving(even a building). Nothing has ever come close to that since

Awesome memory of everything moving! Got to love the Kninetic energy the park once had.

[akfandisney]

the whole disneyland Ca
Inner space
tomorrowland
No show
what all kids hate Long line and hot days

[aimster]

When I was 13 there was only MK and EPCOT (which had been open for 4 years when I made my first visit to that park the year I turned 13). If You Had Wings/Dreamflight was still around, as was Mission to Mars. PeopleMover was still officially called the WED Way PeopleMover. 20k was still going strong as was Mr Toad. No Splash Mountain. MK was celebrating it's 15th birthday.

I've loved the parks since I first visited in 1978 (I was 3). EPCOT totally blew me away and it's still my favorite park to this day. Journey Into Imagination was my favorite ride (I hate the current version), followed closely by World of Motion.

[SummerInFL]

Great thread!

What did you like about the parks? The magic.

What was your favorite Ride? Space Mountain

What was your favorite show? Mickey's Birthdayland Show (Forget the name) I just remember actually being there on my birthday and when anyone asked, "Is it anyone's birthday!" I raised my hand and Minnie waved at me.

What was your favorite experience? Oh gee, this is a hard question. Probably playing in the arcade with the 50 bucks my mother gave me. That was a lot of money and I spent a few hours burning it in the Contemporary arcade, it's been moved now I think.

What is your strongest memory? Riding the monorail alone and around Bay Lake a couple times, and the smell is still the same when I get on the monorail.

[nbodyhome]

What was your favorite experience? Oh gee, this is a hard question. Probably playing in the arcade with the 50 bucks my mother gave me. That was a lot of money and I spent a few hours burning it in the Contemporary arcade, it's been moved now I think.

It has been moved, it's definitely not the same now.

I need to get another DisneyQuest AP.

[tracestar]

What did you like about the parks?
What was your favorite Ride?
What was your favorite show?
What was your favorite experience?
What is your strongest memory?

Well I was 11 when I visited so I will try to remember what I can.

I loved the parks in general..I especially remember the parades...The characters weren't in globes like they are now.

My favourite Ride..I guess would have to be the ones I remember most..this is haunted mansion and Mr Toad's ( I was sad when I went in my 20's and Mr Toad was no longer there )

My favourite show?..I can't really remember them...Does the Aerial show count?..That is still awesome

My favourite experience was watching the parades I think.

My favourite experience was all of it...I just loved being there lol

[KingEric]

I think it is awesome everyone is sharing! This is great! I want to hear more memories!

[maddogjoe]

When I was 13, THE park was a magical place we heard about located in CA. Being on the east coast, there really wasn't much of a chance of getting there any time soon, but they were building a park on the east coast, maybe, just maybe we could get to that one !!!

In late 76 when I was 18 I finally did get to go to WDW. It was as magical as I had heard. Space Mountain ( the only mountain there)was the top ride followed closely by Haunted Mansion. The parade was great, and the park was spotless. Rumor had it they were going to add another park , oh happy day !!

It was one of the best days of my life.... and yes it was only ONE day !

[Disneyland Daddy]

I turned 13 in 1984 - and I lived in Anaheim at the time. I knew 1985 was going to be the big 30th Birthday for Disneyland...and as I recall, it was HUGE! I remember January or February of 1985 there was a televised event featuring big Disney notables as Annette Funicello, and many many others. Disneyland gave away cars to every so many people as you went through the turnstyles...and everyone got something, even a pin with a certain land on it. I have a few of those old pins from 1985. I remember 1985 seeming so magical.

At the age of 13 and 14, I loved Disneyland.

[KingEric]

I turned 13 in 1984 - and I lived in Anaheim at the time. I knew 1985 was going to be the big 30th Birthday for Disneyland...and as I recall, it was HUGE! I remember January or February of 1985 there was a televised event featuring big Disney notables as Annette Funicello, and many many others. Disneyland gave away cars to every so many people as you went through the turnstyles...and everyone got something, even a pin with a certain land on it. I have a few of those old pins from 1985. I remember 1985 seeming so magical.

At the age of 13 and 14, I loved Disneyland.

Thank you for sharing those are really neat memories!

I love this thread! I want to hear more!

[flotsam_mike]

My first trip to WDW was when I was thirteen.

MGM had just open and I was so excited to see it. It still had a lot of Roger Rabbit based theming and was in pristine condition. I loved movies and this was amazing. The great movie ride was stunning. The streetmosphere characters were out in full force. My most vivid memory was lying down under the red car from roger rabbit to make it look like I was run over while my sister took photos (she refused to have boring vacation photos, so we have a lot like that from this trip).

Epcot was by far and away my families favorite park. The large scale AA shows really wowed me and I remember having fun playing around in communicore and the Imagination pavillion. (you can see why Epcot's image has dwindled a bit in my eyes as of late). My sister and I went on El Rio Di Tiempo about 5 times because we loved the song (Hola mi amigos......).

MK. We only spent about 6 hours there and weren't impressed. We were all at the age where we were a little "too cool" for the MK. I remember walking through fantasyland and kind of wanting to go on somethings, but thinking they were maybe to girly or childish so I didn't. YUP, these are now my favorites. I loved the barrel bridge from TSI. My most vivid memory is almost running into one of the cave walls on TSI. It was really dark. Someone used their camera flash and disaster was narrowly avoided. I'm convinced I would have broken my nose.

[HarryFromMarydelDE]

When I was 13 EPCOT had just opened and I could not get enough material on it, I ordered every EPCOT and WDW related brochure (I had a book they used to give you it school with thousands of free stuff you could order through the mail, and most of it was tourist related) and watched every WDW or EPCOT special on TV. I finally got to go to Florida a few years later (I can't remember when exactly but I remember my parents letting me drive for a short distance in Georgia, so I must have been at least 16). I can't really remember the trip, but I do remember that I loved EPCOT and that I wasn't impressed by the Magic Kingdom (Animal Kingdom and MGM didn't exist yet) until the parade and the fireworks came which completely bowled me over. I have an extremely poor memory for things that happened to me and have a hard time remembering anything more than a few months, but there are quite a few little scraps that have remained with me 20 years later (which means it must have been quite a spectacular trip).

I remember somewhere on Main Street where they had a little contraption you could look into and watch an old movie. It's not there anymore, or anyhow I haven't found it.

I remember a parade at the Magic Kingdom that was like the Spectromagic parade but I'm pretty sure it wasn't called that.

I remember the light show at EPCOT, again I'm pretty sure it wasn't called Illuminations back then and I don't remember it having any fireworks although I could be remembering that wrong. I think it was mostly a laser show. In any case, I remember loving it.

I remember the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. It was the first time I had seen fireworks that were shaped, I'm pretty sure I spent years mentioning that to just about everyone I knew.

I remember eating in the restaurant in Morocco at EPCOT, it was the first time I had ever seen food that wasn't American other than pizza or lasagna or on TV.

I remember riding on one of the boats at EPCOT and asking a cast member how to get a job at Walt Disney World.

I remember the touch screen TVs where you could look at the maps of the park and the menus of the restaurants, then you could talk to someone (who you could see) to make a reservation, like Dick Tracey. This is the strongest memory I have of that first visit.

When I joined the Navy in 1989 I spent just about every weekend when I didn't have duty at EPCOT, but for some reason I can't remember any of them except for a dinner I had in the restaurant with the wall of fishes. I must have loved it though because I kept coming back. I got a medical discharge in 1990 and I remember applying at Disney with the intention of working at Disney-MGM, but I changed my mind about staying in Florida and moved back to Delaware.

I now work at the Confectionery on Main Street USA.

-Harry