WDW Flashback Time....

[ravsluvdisney]

With the dizzying myriad of things to experience at WDW circa 2010, what do the "old-timers" out there - those of us who remember visits from those opening years with one park and two hotels (eghad!) - fondly remember but can no longer experience.

For me - a young teen at the time - it was the old Main Street. The hustle-bustle of all the vehicles, characters casually strolling by, less crowded But it was the little individual shops that stuck with me. The penny arcade, the cinema, I think there was a small magic store there; it was an old time Main Street feel inside and out. Now it's just one seemingly long Disney-esque mall hiding behind whichever door you walk in. Miss it. Truly do.

[brad192]

Yup! Ya hit the nail on the head with the Main Street comments! (I still have a 'glow-in-the-dark' skull I bought in the magic shop in 1975).

Besides all the long-gone attractions - Mr. Toad, 20K Leagues, etc, I fondly remember & miss the western cowboy shootout/stunt show they did in Frontierland waaay back in the day. It lasted about 15 minutes & featured several stunt people shooting each other, falling off the buildings, etc. It was really fun to watch, and you could meet the performers afterwards.

Oh, one more thing would be the fife & drum corps awarding of the little certificates to a lucky boy & girl several times a day in Liberty Square. I think they were called "Sons & Daughters of Liberty".

[elmjimmlm]

I could be wrong but I was thinking about a store inside the castle that I bought a Mickey Mouse watch from...Wonder if there was or my imagination?

[brad192]

Not your imagination Amy! It used to be where the BBB is now, and they sold "higher-end" merchandise. I always wanted to buy a sword from them, but they were way out of my price range!

[badkitty]

I miss the Skyway and the canoes.

[Ian]

List of things I miss most:

1. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
2. If You Had Wings
3. The "real" Main Street
4. Mickey Mouse Revue
5. Topiary

[ravsluvdisney]

Yup! Ya hit the nail on the head with the Main Street comments! (I still have a 'glow-in-the-dark' skull I bought in the magic shop in 1975)

That's funny! I remember that shop beacause the first WDW "purchase" I made was a cardboard picture of an old Haunted Mansion looking geezer BUT....when you held him under a light and then turned it off - ooooh, spooky ghost dude!! Had it for years but long gone now!

[TikiLounger]

That's funny! I remember that shop beacause the first WDW "purchase" I made was a cardboard picture of an old Haunted Mansion looking geezer BUT....when you held him under a light and then turned it off - ooooh, spooky ghost dude!! Had it for years but long gone now!

OMG...this must be the store that my husband bought his "mask" of an old, gravedigging dude that turned to a glow-in-the-dark dude when held under the light. We still use it, every Halloween. It was purchase in the mid-seventies.

[SandmanGStefani24]

I'm not an old timer by any stretch, but having visited WDW over the last twenty something years even I marvel at the things that have changed. I still fondly remember rides that have themselves rode off into the sunset.

I can remember riding World of Motion, Body Wars, the Backlot Tour, El Rio del Tiempo, and the older version of Spaceship Earth. They have a special spot in my memory and I love to watch videos of them online from time to time. Has it really been that long??

[T-Belle]

I first visited WDW in March 1972. Wow-am I really that old??? Like others, I was amazed at Main Street- just so perfect and clean but what I remember most is the music. I don't know why but I loved all the piped in Disney music!

[iheartdisney]

I first visited in March 1972, too! And I remember that shop inside the castle, 20K Leagues and being so scared going under water, the Skyway ride, my grandparents fumbling with the ticket books and then playing "Disney World" with the leftover tickets when we got home.

Thanks for starting this thread. What a fun trip down memory lane.

[jetsdc]

at the risk of sounding mundane, mine would have to be the old, original logo. The one with the capital "D" with Mickey ears at the top and the "longitude/latitude" lines criss-crossing it. It used to be everywhere, from the maps to the merchandise bags. Now, it survives, I think, only on the front of each monorail cab (and maybe on some sewage covers).

Speaking of monorails, that would be no. 2 -- the old monorails. The ones where you could open the windows and where they had to come by and close each door individually. I loved the thud-repeat-thud sound as they'd work their way down the line...

[ftwildernesskid]

Wow...this thread has been great! I'm remembering things I didn't even know I remembered!! I still remember the old music on the Carousel of Progress..Now Is the Time..Michael Icegurg at Tomorrowland Terrace (Pigs in the Rain was my favorite)....River Country...and being able to swim in the Lagoon.

[danson4]

Speaking of monorails, that would be no. 2 -- the old monorails. The ones where you could open the windows and where they had to come by and close each door individually. I loved the thud-repeat-thud sound as they'd work their way down the line...[/QUOTE]

Oh my Gosh! I had almost forgotten about the individual doors closing! That was so awesome! The thud thud thud as they went down! What a perfect memory. Thank you for that! I used to be so scared of it but the old skyway....................how I miss it and of course "If you had wings"..................watching the airplane fly across the screen..........and the song.........if you had wings,had wings,had wings. But the best memory of all.............NO CELL PHONES!!!! LOL


December 1979 Fort Wilderness
December 1980 Fort Wilderness
December 1981 Fort Wilderness
December 1982 Fort Wilderness
December 1983 Fort Wilderness
April 1993 Delta Orlando
April 1994 Delta Orlando
March 2002 All Star Movies
April 2005 All Star Movies
October 2006 Pop Century
NEXT TRIP....33 days and counting!
October 2010 Pop Century

[ravsluvdisney]

Speaking of monorails, that would be no. 2 -- the old monorails. The ones where you could open the windows and where they had to come by and close each door individually. I loved the thud-repeat-thud sound as they'd work their way down the line...

great stuff here - this sparked an old memory for me too....totally forgot this one!!

[grumpyguy]

My first trip was back in '77.All i really wanted to ride was the Haunted Mansion.Obviously,pre-
"Fast pass".Every time we walked by my mom said,"the lines too long,we'll come back and try again later.Well,"later" never came and alas,i never rode HM the first time i was at wdw.
Now,as an adult i ride it as many times as i can when we go.
I do miss 20k,i remember it being really,really hot and smelled bad.
THAT,would be an awesome attraction to redo.
See you in 5 days mickey

[kemps@wdw]

River Country and Discovery Island

[mainemajor]

With the dizzying myriad of things to experience at WDW circa 2010, what do the "old-timers" out there - those of us who remember visits from those opening years with one park and two hotels (eghad!) - fondly remember but can no longer experience.

For me - a young teen at the time - it was the old Main Street. The hustle-bustle of all the vehicles, characters casually strolling by, less crowded But it was the little individual shops that stuck with me. The penny arcade, the cinema, I think there was a small magic store there; it was an old time Main Street feel inside and out. Now it's just one seemingly long Disney-esque mall hiding behind whichever door you walk in. Miss it. Truly do.

I loved going in all those little Main Street shops. Each door was something diferent. The magic shop was realy cool and I loved it.
I still love Main Street, but now only from the outside. Going into the shops now is just like going to the mall at Christmas - it's a madhouse.
Oh well back then you needed to keep track of your A-E tickets to plan your day. People have trouble lanning today, back then you really had to think what ride you wanted to go on.

[mainemajor]

Just thinking about the olden days more....Lake Buena Vista only had four hotels and what is now Downtown Disney was a small collection of shops. We walked from the Royal Plaza Hotel there and did not worr about the traffic. Would not dream of doing that today. Riding the outside elevtor in Royal Plaza was so cool, because as you went up you could see Space Mt., and the castle and there was nothing in between.

[Ian]

You know what else I miss? Being able to get food without waiting in a massive line.

Back in the day, MK had a lot more counter service restaurants you could choose from. The Adventureland Terrace was still open back then, which was like adding an entirely new restaurant the size of Pecos Bill's or Cosmic Ray's. Not to mention that the Tomorrowland Terrace was still open full time and served good stuff (pizza, if memory serves).

You figure, that's two entire full scale counter service restaurants to soak up crowds.