Age 5 - 1973 - First trip with family - Magic Kingdom - Fort Wilderness
Age 12 - 1980 - Family Trip - Magic Kingdom - stayed offsite
Age 37 - 2005 - First trip for son - All-Star Sports - All Parks
Age 47 - 2015 - UCA trip with son - All-Star Sports - All Parks
Age 48 - 2016 - UCA trip with son - All-Star Sports - All Parks
Age 49 - 2017 - UCA trip with son - All-Star Sports - All Parks
Age 49 - 2017 - Graduation trip with son/his GF/Husband - Windsor Hills
Resort - All Parks
Age 49 - 2017 - Christmas trip with Mom and son - Liki Tiki Village - All
Parks
Age 50 - 2018 - Celebrated my 50th birthday and sonâs 20th birthday
with two other friends - All-Star Music - All Parks. Just got back
yesterday!!! So much fun! So tired!!
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Early is easyâŚ
1986 (age 8) first trip to WDW with family and grandparents
2001 honeymoon to WDW, Disney Cruise delayed slightly due to events of 9/11
2004 DH, in laws and parents WDW and Disney Cruise
2006 DH, sister and her kids, my parents WDW and Disney Cruise
2012 DH, DS5 and parents WDW and Disney Cruise
2013 DH and DS5 WDW and Disney Cruise
2014 DH, DS5 and Niece WDW and Disney Cruise
2015 DH, DS6 and Niece WDW and Disney Cruise
2016 DH, DS6 and Niece WDW and Disney Cruise
2017 & 2018- sooo many trips with so many people! DH, DS, sister, niece, nephew, mom, aunt. SeriouslyâŚIâve had too many trips. Trying to cut back since we just bought a new house. We were there in September for Labor Day, I was trying to wait until December for our next tripâŚthen mom and dad wanted to go to Food and Wine and now I have an October trip. I have a problemâŚI just canât stay away nowâŚ
But we are holding on the Disney Cruises for now until the new ships are out. Weâve seen all the shows and feel like we want to wait for something new.
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My memory of what years I went as a kid are fuzzy but as best as I can remember without searching for photo albums:
Spring 1988 or 89 age 5/6 MK & EP
Spring 1993? Age 10 MK, EP and MGM Studios! I also recall going to Sea World, Busch Gardens and a White Sox Spring training game in Sarasota, great trip!
April 2018 (Age 35) all 4 parks in WDW which was such a great time Iâm planning to go back of course! If all goes well Iâll return in:
April 2019
Thanksgiving or Christmas 2019
April 2020
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1981 1st trip (35 yrs old) with my mom and my 5 and 4yr olds.
Been most years since then, with fam, boyfriend, husband, friend or solo.
These days I travel with Ds, his fam, and this trip with extended fam. Will be 18 of us together at end of this trip coming up in just over 1 weeks!
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Thatâs a difficult call. The thrill rides at Universal are more thrilling, and the theming of WWOHP is amazing, but WDW has an additional X factor.
For example you never get the impression they want you to leave. You never feel unwelcome. Late night in Diagon Alley they break character and usher you out. Magic gone.
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At heart itâs all about the rides for us, and my son wasnât interested in kiddie rides when he was a kid so thereâs a lot we skip at WDW. They are very different experiences for sure. I have an emotional connection with both, but Universal shades it with better thrill rides. For us anyway. Iâve never been in any park actually at closing so canât compare there!
1997 @ 22, first trip with a bunch of friends. We drove to Cape Kennedy to see the Columbia take off. Amazing, once in a lifetime sight.
1998 ? again with friends. did a lot of MGM on that trip
1999 @ 24 to celebrate wedding engagement. Went to the luau.
200?? there is a trip in there somewhere because I remember staying at All Star Movies and my neice was only about 3 or 4.
2009 @ 34 first trip with DD3 stayed at Pop
2010 @ pop
2011 @ PORQ
2012 @ pop
2013 @ AKL
2014 @ BWV
2015 @ BWV/AoA
2016 @ BLT/BCV
2017 @ BWV/BCV
2017 off site
2017 off site/ All star music
2018 @ AKL
2018 @ All star music/Saratoga
upcoming 2018 @ Pop
upcoming 2019 @ Copper Creek!
Back in the '90s we used to go to Universal too.
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I noticed several times at Universal where employees were more into conversations with their fellow employees talking about whatever than they were into helping customers or staying character. Never experienced that at Disney. Probably helps that Disney has Cast Members. You always feel like the most important person at any given moment. Didnât notice the same at Universal.
Totally agree.
Iâd say 95% of my Disney CM interactions were top notch. None were bad. They really do make you feel special.
I was almost angry about the way they closed Diagon Alley. There was an oppressive phalanx of security guards in regular park outfits pushing us out at closing time. Totally ruined the mood.
Also with Disney you never get to see backstage or the outside world. Not so with UOR.
But I still totally love UOR and I wouldnât miss it out.
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Never got to go as a kid. My sister went with high school band, but I was in orchestra.
First trip in April 2016, stayed at BLT for a week to celebrate oldest DSâs 5th birthday.
Didnât plan on returning until 2019 for second sonâs 5th birthday, butâŚ
Second trip in June 2017 for almost a week at Beach club with DHâs sister, nephew and parents for nephewâs 6th birthday.
Third trip: crazy <48 hr weekend in Dec 17 to see Christmas at MK. Split stay between All star music and BLT, 1 night each. 1 Park day at MK, 8am til midnight.
Fourth trip May 2018 for my birthday. 3 night stay at Ft wilderness cabin. Hit all 4 parks in 2 full and 2 half days. Monsoon May trip.
Did Disney Alaska cruise in July for my parentsâ 45th anniversary.
Now waiting on 3 pending trips, got APs in May. Going for fall break long weekend in October, another crazy quick December weekend, and then the original second trip for DS #2 in March 19.
Probably going to have to take a break after March, going broke on vacations this year.
Planning DCL to Caribbean in 2020 and who knows what for next big kid birthday in 2021âŚ
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Wowâthis is so fun to read through!
I went to WDW for the first time with my family when I was 12. There was another trip the following year. A couple of trips in couple and an awesome trip in 1989 for the opening of Splash Mountain (my college roommate was a travel writer at the time and she took me as her guest).
2001âMy parents and I took my twin DDs for the first time; stayed off property.
The obsession began after that trip.
I wonât bore anyone with the details because Iâve now lost track of the number ofWDW trips Iâve taken (itâs over 50).
Weâve only been to DL twiceâ2015 and 2016. Stayed both times at GC and loved it! Need to return.
No overseas park visits but itâs on my bucket list.
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1990 - Age 15, WDW with parents and brother. Stayed offsite 3 days. EP, MK and MGM Studios.
2011 - WDW with DH, DD7 and DD4. 7 nights at CBR. All 4 Disney parks 1 day at Universal.
2012 - DCL on the Magic with family. 5 night cruise Mexico and Grand Cayman.
2014 - WDW with family. 10 nights at Poly. All 4 Disney parks, BB and Universal.
2016 - WDW and DCL with family. 2 nights at Pop, 1 day at MK, 4 nights on Dream, Bahamas cruise.
2017 - DL with family. 3 nights offsite. DL and DCA.
2018 - WDW and Universal with family. 3 nights at Hard Rock. USF and IOA. 7 nights at Pop. All 4 Disney parks and both water parks.
It seems like so much when I write it all out, but it doesnât feel like weâve been that often!
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1983 - contemporary
1986 - contemporary
1988 - poly
1990 - poly
1992 - YC
1994 - GF
1996 - poly
1998 - poly
2000 - offsite
2008 - poly
2016 - offsite
2018 - offsite
2019 (future)- poly
We were on an every-other-year schedule through my childhood! We became obsessed with the poly; we kept trying other resorts and nothing could compare. Too bad the lobby waterfall is gone. I can still remember the musty water smell, which I miss dearly because it reminded me that I was back in the world. I didnât realize how lucky I was at the time. Now that we have 2 of our own kids, I think weâll try to get back on track!
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I really like this idea, thanks for posting!
1986 - first trip! I have a few really incredible memories from my only childhood trip. I was raised by my grandparents and went with them, their best friends, and grandson. We rode small world a million times. My Pop Pop took a picture of the hot air balloon boy holding a sign that said âhelpâ and I never understood why until I was an adult riding a million times with an eager child! I also have a really vivid memory of being on Dumbo and seeing my grandmother smile while she watched me fly. This might sound silly but I have to ride Dumbo every single trip. I close my eyes and itâs like sheâs there again. Sheâs been gone a long time and Iâd be lying if I said I didnât get emotional every single time. I also remember being on the monorail platform and how awesome the parade was.
26 ish years later and we took our 3 year old. We stayed at Wilderness and I will never forget the look on her face when our little girl, dressed as Merida and clutching her Pascal, got her first look at Magic Kingdom! It was Christmas week and the Osborne lights were stunning.
Since then we have been Home 1-2 times a year. It never gets old!
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1975 age 8 at least 2 days at Disneyland (donât remember it except for the pictures and a vague memory of the hotel)
1976 age 9 at least 2-3 days at Magic Kingdom
1981 age 13 2-3 days at Magic Kingdom. My dad was there for a medical conference. We stayed at Contemporary. My brother and I rented the 1-2 person personal watercraft and cruised around the lagoon. We hopped over the MK for a few rides each day but it was not the frenzy it is now.
1985 age 17 1 day at Epcot with dad and brother on the way back from south florida visiting relatives
1988 age 20 2 days at DL on college spring break.
1988 age 20 2-3 days at WDW in the summer. Stayed at a hotel in Kissimmee
1991 age 23 1 day at DL a day or 2 before the Rose Bowl
1992 age 24 1 day at DL with work associates on an off day for a tradeshow
2006 3-4 days at DL with wife, DS 6 and DD 3. stayed at Paradise Pier
2008 3-4 days at DL with wife, DS 8, DD 5, DS 5 months, stayed at Camelot
2014 3-4 days at DL with wife, DS 14, DD 11, DS 6, stayed at Grand Californian (college friend Disney employee discount)
2016 4 days at DL with wife, DS 16, DD 13, DS 8, stayed at Disneyland Hotel (discounted for daughterâs dance competition)
2018 7 days at WDW, wife, DS17, DD 14, DS9, stayed at Boardwalk
2019 probably 3-4 days back at DL for dance competition in July.
2020 or 2021 back to WDW???
Thanks for the topic, it was fun to lay it all out again other than in my headâŚ
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Lots of history here, I see. It is interesting to see just HOW MANY people have gone a lot. Iâm guessing that helps when those planning there first trips come here. With so many people with so much history, everyone is willing to lend their input to help make a first timers experience (as well as a tenth timers!) as ideal as possible!
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Funny how different peopleâs experiences can be. I stayed one night at the Poly â itâs the most expensive hotel room Iâve ever stayed in. Hugely disappointing. Location of hotel is quite good, and I loved my breakfast at Ohana â but the room was stark and soulless. Would never stay there again.
But I loved YC.
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I think it has more to do with my memories of the place at this point. The theming is still my favorite of all the resorts, but like I said, the loss of the lobby waterfall was a huge blow in my mind. Still, you canât beat the ease of walking to the TTC to get just about anywhere.
Fun thread!
- Age 10 (1988)âFamily trip to WDW with parents and younger sister
- Age 12? (1990?)âI know I went with my grandparents, mom, and sister to Disneyland on a summer RV trip, but I donât remember the exact year
- Age 17 (1995)âMy high school cheerleading squad went to a national competition in Orlando and we spent a day at Magic Kingdom
- Age 17 (1995)âFamily trip to WDW with my mom and sister. First time staying on property at All Stars Sports resort. Long-time boyfriend had just broken up with me, and I was miserable. LOL
- Age 19 (1997)âChurch group trip to Florida with one day spent at Magic Kingdom
- Age 25 (2003)âFirst adult trip! DD was a year old and both sets of grandparents thought it would be a grand idea to take her to WDW for a week (hahaha!). They took care of her and my husband and I got to have fun on our own. DH and I had no money so we ate PB&J all week.
- Age 30 (2008)âAnother grandparents trip. DD was 6 and we went Thanksgiving Week.
- Age 40 (2018)âFirst time I really loved WDW, thanks to Lines and knowing how to plan it! Family trip with DD15 and DH. First time staying at a Deluxe (AKL) and having multiple ADRs. First time at a character breakfast. Now probably permanently infected with Disney bug.
- UPCOMING! Age 40 (2018)âDH and I are doing a short trip to do MVMCP
- UPCOMING! Age 41 (2019)âFamily trip planned for next July, staying at BWV
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This is a fun thread! We went on a lot of day trips as a kid because both sets of grandparents were in the Tampa area. Hereâs the stays I can rememberâŚ
1991ish - stayed at Caribbean Beach. I was 9ish, my sister 6ish. Memories from that trip - my dad making the unfortunate decision to take my younger sister on Space Mountain. Ten seconds in she says âDaddy I donât like this.â Side note- my dad does not have a good reputation for taking people on Space, he took my maternal grandparents on it years ago and my grandmother said to my grandfather âBernie, Iâm going to be sick!â His response was "Just close your eyes, babe, thatâs what Iâm doing.
My other memory from that trip is my aunt getting picked as an extra for Indiana Jones and my mother getting picked for something else at DHS She had to act in front of a green screen and then spliced her in to a Cheers episode to make it look like she was flirting with Ted Danson. I remember being mortified! Please someone confirm that I didnât make this up 
1996ish (I think?) We stayed at the Grand Floridian and got upgraded to club level! It was glorious. I think we barely ate anywhere else.
October 2012 - Honeymoon with my DH - we stayed at POFQ and he adopted my Disney appreciation/obsession. Celebrated at Victoria and Alberts, we are planning on doing it again when we return in 2022 for our 10th anniversary. We upgraded to annual passes on that trip because we knew we wanted to return soon. Also went to Universal (mostly for Harry Potter).
August 2013 - our second stay on the annual passes. 10 days at Pop, and we had a blast!
December 2016 - First trip with our daughter, then almost 2.
Upcoming planned trips - January 2020, August 2021, January 2022 and maybe also solo trip for me in February 2022 to run Princess.
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