1970's MK memories. Who was there>

[disneydoug]

I was there in 1973. E-Tickets and the whole works. I was 10 years old. I only saw 2 characters the whole day. Chip and Dale. There was aterrible thunderstorm and the Haunted Mansion ride stopped with us on it for several minutes. We thought it was part of the show because we didn't know it was storming until we got out of the ride. It was the only trip with y father. I have been able to take my mother twice as an adult.

[Speedy1998]

I was close, my first trip was in 1980.

[Scott C]

August of '73 for me -- definitely different in those days

Thanks
Scott C

[Vintage Disney]

My first visit was in 1972. I remember the first time I rode the Haunted Mansion. We were standing in line outside and I really wanted to ride but I was also scared to ride. I remember thinking that I was determined to ride even though I was scared.

I also remember the bicentennial parade and some of the decorations.

Of course I remember the E,D,C....tickets. It was always difficult to decide which rides to choose and in most cases you could only go on a ride once. I think today's system is much better.

Other memories, Swan Boats, Mickey Mouse Revue, Mike Fink Keel Boats, Big Thunder being built. Oh, and Space Mountain was considered an extreme thrill ride in those days.

[paragon]

First trip was around 78. E tickets too! ( I bought some on ebay last year to add to our collection and to show my son ) It took three days to do Magic Kingdom back then! No Thunder Mountain or Splash! Space Mtn was the "tallest mountain in Floida!". Orville redenbacher popcorn carts, No Mickey's Toon Town, No DTD,it was known as Lake Buena Vista area, Oh and River Country was the only water park other than Wet & Wild.

[Grim Grinning Marathon Runner]

I heard on a podcast that John Lennon was there in 1973

[FiggyFan]

We went as a family in '72 or '73. I remember seeing Space Mountain under construction, A-E ticket books, long (very long) lines in the summer heat. Also a long slow drive from NY on I-95, and detours onto little state highways in areas where I-95 wasn't built yet (Georgia and South Carolina?).

[PeterPan]

I love this thread when it pops up.

I was there Spring Break of 72. Everything was so new! Even the trees were smaller then. The whole "World" was The Magic Kingdom, Ft. Wilderness, The Contemporary, The Polynesian, The Golf Resort. Almost nothing else. Yes, we would spend 3 days exploring every nook and cranny of the MK. With that much time, you could actually visit every shop. eat in almost every food venue, ride every single ride, and even hop over to the Contemporary (it felt like you were doing something almost illegal to catch the Resort Monorail and get off at one of the resorts!) I still have a bunch of "tickets" but no "E" tickets.

My first and most powerful memory was of catching the monorail at the TTC, not knowing that were we about to go "SWOOOSH" right thru the middle of the Contemporary! What a HUGE surprise.

[the other micki]

1979 and I was 10. The things I most remember were riding Space Mountain, riding in the front of the monorail, and playing air hockey in the Comtemporary game room.

[Grim Grinning Marathon Runner]

My favorite actual personal memories from WDW in the 70s were the skybuckets and the different shooting arcade than is there now.

[AHOTE]

I was there for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 1971 and we went back and celebrated New Years Eve day before we headed home. As I remember about half the rides broke down at some point during the day but nobody seemed to get upset. We were in line for the skyride when that suddenly stopped, someone a little farther up the line from us started singing Row Row Row Your Boat and soon eveybody in line joined in. A few minutes later the ride started to move, the singing stopped and life returned to normal. I came home with two momentos from that trip, the cover from the ticket book and a small decorative plate. It's hard to believe that three of us drove from Philly to WDW in a VW bug, 1100 miles in 26 hours, three suitcases and three sets of golf clubs, spent 8 days in Florida, three days total at the park, (lodging was compliments of my aunt "D"in Kissimmee) played golf and we did it all on less than $150.00 each.

[Ian]

First trip was in September of 1974.

I still have most of the stuff from that trip ... ticket books, park maps, resort ID cards, menus ... the works.

It was a very different place back then ... a lot of changes over the years, some good and some not-so-good.

[tinklover]

my first trip was in 78 i was 4 almost 5. I remember being terribly frightened of HM and a Cm telling me to smile and the ghosts would not bother me, my mom said i smeiled thru teh whole ride. i rememeber my 2 fav rides that trip were 20,000 leagues and mr toads wild ride. My grandmother was on that trip with us and she wore cinnabar perfume and i still get a great memory of standing outside of SFRTH when ever i smell that perfume. we went back for spring break of 80 and though i do not remember ticket books then i do remember a ticket of some sort on a string that was hanging on my shirt. i have a pic of my brother and I sitting in front of the castle where the Walt and Mickey statue is now. I so love that pic I even have it as the wallpaper on my cell.

[Daisy'sMom]

My first trip there was before MK opened. We drove right up, I think if I remember correctly, where the train station is. There was a hospitality house where they had a big book for visitors to sign. They were putting the steel frame in on the castle and I remember Main Street was a dirt road. My dad was working there and we visited with him. I remember looking at what was going to be the castle and thinking, why are they making such a fuss over this?

[russ57]

I remember being there in summer 1975, celebrating high school graduation. Orlando International Airport was under construction, had to deplane on steps to a bus to the terminal. Stayed at the Contemporary South Garden Wing. Flew Eastern Airlines from National Airport. Saw 2 evening shows, 1st at the Top of the World (top floor of Contemporary) - Rosemary Clooney performance, we had front row table. Also attended the next evening the Laua. My sister and I had a ticket worn around neck that allowed us on all rides, didn't have to worry about ticket books for us, Mom and Dad did.

[javamama]

1979 for me, and my family. We drove down in a good ol' Winnebago(sp) it was a friend of my dad's. My Nonnie and Papa came with us, they're first trip to WDW, and actually my Papa's only. My mom was pregnant w/my youngest sister, it was May then so not so bad heat wise. Our camper broke down at Ft Wilderness, so we ended up in the CR I loved the circle pool so much, but the funniest thing that happened was when we rode space mountain. My papa had diabetes so he couldn't ride, after the warnings. So my dad had my sister with him, and I rode in the front by myself--mind you I was 7. During the ride my dad thought I flew out of the car!!! The poor guy, he couldn't hear me yell back I was OK. Needless to say I didn't ride SM again by myself that trip I remember the smell of walking in on mainstreet, and the first time I took my kids there w/my parents it brought me back to '79

[IloveDisney71]

I was born in July '71 and WDW opened in October '71. My parents took my brother on opening day or within a few days of the opening (I can't remember) but they left me at home with a neighbor since I was so little. My mom snapped a picture of my dad holding my brother, who happened to be sound asleep, and guess who is shaking hands with my dad in that picture? None other than Mickey Mouse!
I was lucky to spend the first 11 1/2 years of my life living about 30 minutes from the MK.
I remember being so scared of the "stretch room" in the HM - I would always hide my face against my mom or dad's legs until that part was over. I loved to ride the Skyway and look out over the park. I loved to see all the animal topiaries(SP?) as we rode on the monorail toward the MK. I was so amazed that Disney could make animals out of plants.
I was so glad when they did away with the ticket system and made everything one admission. I don't remember when that happened. I do remember standing in line at the ticket booths while may parents bought more tickets. They later changed those ticket booths to Kodak camera centers.
I remember being so excited to ride BTMR when it was built. It was my very first roller coaster and I loved it!

[KevMcNJ]

We were there the first month it was open.
Stayed at the Contemporary. We ate one night at the restaurant on the ground level and loved seeing the monorails go thru the bldg.
They made me a peanut butter and green jelly sandwich there.
My folks were worried that Id be scared on HM, but I loved it. There was some golf tourney going on and we saw some famous golfer at Polynesian. I cant recall who it was.

The Christmas tree was up and they had the largest balls hanging from the tree. I found a photo of the HM that dad took on that trip recently and its shocking how barren the place looked. No trees of any size in the pics.

We went back a few years later and took our Winnebago. Mom saw a deer in the campground. We saw the lawnmower tree. I remember riding our bikes all over Ft Wilderness. The first day there we were on the boat to MK and I saw SM and was all excited then someone said it was still under construction and I was bummed.

On the day we left I remember we had already left the campground and were driving on some two lane rd in the middle of nowhere on our way back to Jersey. dad said that we were still technically at Disney world even though there was nothing around. Funny the junk you remember

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I think my first trip was in '75 or '76. I had friends that had moved down there so we stayed with them in the Tampa area. My other friend and I drove up to WDW for the day. And back in those days you could see and do so much in just one day! Then we left to go to Ft Lauderdale for a few days. Now we don't even leave to go to that other place across town, at least not as a rule.

[joonyer]

I was also there in late October, 1971; MK had only been open for a few weeks. I was 15 years old. My family and another family (friends of ours) camped off-site somewhere in Orlando and we went to MK only one day. You paid for tickets (A thru E) that you had to use on each ride. I remember thinking that "20K Leagues Under the Sea" was the coolest ride ever, although the special effects (fish on wires) were pretty lame by today's standards. I also remember the Carousel of Progress and the Circle Vision Theater (where "Laugh Floor" is now. The other thing we though was really fun was riding the monorail through the Contemporary hotel. My brother and I were so disappointed that our parents only took us there for just one day. Back then MK was "Walt Disney World", along with the Contemporary and Polynesian Hotels. That was pretty much all that was there then.