WDW Flashback Time....

[SBETigg]

Thanks for that bit of trivia! I guess for me it is the original!

It's not the original, but it's still the first one I experienced on Carousel of Progress (Now is the Time) and I miss it, too. Though, of course, I'm glad the original song was restored to the attraction. On my honeymoon (1990, with Now is the Time), we were stuck on CoP through three rotations and the Now is the Time song is special to us, makes us smile, and kind of groan, but in a good way.

[Daisy'sMom]

Does anyone remember the two little carts with flowers in them, they were on the two little side streets off of Main Street? You could sit in front of them and have your pic taken. I think we have about ten pics that my parents took of me.
How about the little book and stationary store on Main Street?
Or my favorite, in the last scene of COP, does anyone remember the avec jambon?

[BrerGnat]

I still remember the colored flag bus i.d. system. For whatever reason, that is one of the things I always recall when I think about my trips as a kid. Probably because it was fun to guess what color bus would show up next!

I also miss ALL the old logos, specifically the ones at Epcot!

I miss the old Main Street too, but luckily Disneyland's Main Street is still like that! So, I can still enjoy it here at least. It's sad what it has become at WDW, though.

[elmjimmlm]

Does anyone remember a restaurant that had a band that played? I remember a guy playing a banjo and they were playing right in front of us at our table...
20,000 leagues was a favorite memory for me... I wish it was still there...

[faline]

Trams throught Fort Wilderness
River Country
Being able to take a boat from Fort Wilderness to the Poly
Being "assigned" to seating on the Monorail
Mike Fink's keelboats in the Magic Kingdom
Multi-day paper tickets that they would stamp the date on each time you used it
King Stephan's Banquet Hall

[joonyer]

My first visit was Oct. 71. Attractions that had the biggest impact on my memory that are no more were 20k and Circle Vision 360. And remember the Mile Long Bar? I also miss the old version of Main Street USA. On that trip my family was on a real tight budget and I remember wishing we could stay longer and trying to "ration" our tickets. I still have some old unused "A" tickets from that vacation. It was far less crowded back then than what I have experienced in the past 10 years. Or maybe that is just my faulty memory.

[faline]

Top of the World Lounge
Top of the World Dinner Show
Chef Mickey's (in Lake Buena Vista)
Swimming in Bay Lake
Pool hopping (when it was allowed)
World of Motion
Outer Rim (when it was a restaurant)

[waymickey]

I miss the old imagination playground with the rainbow tunnel and the giant pin tables.

I miss the skyride and mr toads ride.

I miss the old space ship Earth.

[faline]

I miss the old imagination playground with the rainbow tunnel and the giant pin tables.

Yes. I really enjoyed that as well!

Also, the Catwalk Bar!

[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.

[SBETigg]

Or my favorite, in the last scene of COP, does anyone remember the avec jambon?

Yes, LOL. That's the scene we were stuck in during our honeymoon and we still quote it and laugh. Scrambled eggs avec jambon.

Also, on the WDW Railroad train soundtrack circa 1990, "got my foot caught in the brake." Or was it wheel? It has been a while. The voice was similar to the Big Thunder Mountain "the wildest ride in the wilderness."

[TheVBs]

Loved the Skyway! The last time I rode this was in 1999 with DH. I was there in '73 when I was 5 and have vague memories of riding it then (I was also there in '71, but I was too young to remember ). I remember seeing the swan boats when I was little and I also remember being in a paddle boat with my dad. Were these the same as the swan boats, or something different?

[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

[BigRedDad]

My earliest memories (I was 1 when it first opened) are the penny arcade, hand crank movies that you can find at some resorts, characters walking and greeting freely, and CMs cleaning up behind you if you make an accident by dropping something on the ground.

I forgot a few:

1. Getting bucked by a goat at the petting zoo/ranch at FW
2. The Big Al vibrating chair at the FW restaurant
3. Chasing armadillos on the hay ride
4. Getting banished from the FW camp grounds for adult happy hour. We got sent to the Contemporary to wreak havoc when I was only 5 or so.

[DisneyNut6777]

Miss the Penny Arcade terribly!! That was my first stop always. From the first visit in the mid 70's until sometime in the late 80's, I thinks one visit in the 90's and then found out it was gone. Liked the magic shop too! Seemed like they had alot more main street transportation options way back when. Last year in August we saw the horse drawn trolley. Wish main street was truly main street of old. It had a magic all of its own. You can't find it anymore. I miss the attractions If You Had Wings, Mister Toads Wild ride, Mission to Mars, just to name a few. My wife had her first visit to WDW with me 4 yrs ago at the age of 29. I would have loved to share those earlier experiences with her. Now we can still have ours together. Funny tho, how everytime I think about these moments I see myself 30 some odd years ago as a bright eyed youngster dragging both of my parents by the hand as we head for the TTC and the MK. And then I see That little black headed, blue eyed boy in the big old back seat of the black Pontiac Bonneville headed out from the gate with tears in his eyes, a handful of left over tickets and a park map, body covered in magical Pixie Dust, and a heart full of never ending love for a Mouse and his Friends and their Magical Home that thank heavens, Still welcomes me back with open arms. Thank You Walt E.Disney

[paragon]

My first trip was lates 70's. We stayed on I drive, which was only half of what it is today, Wet & Wild was the only other water park besides River Country. As part of the tour, we got three days at MK, then the only park, and two other days for Sea World and maybe Cypress Gardens ( both of those parks had water ski shows!)
Main Street was definitely better then with tha Magic Shop ( I had one of those "invisible dogs" ) and yes the penny arcade, and movie theater. I remember those flower carts too, and all the transportation up and down Main St. A-E tickets, good for ONE RIDE on your choice of attraction. I never got to ride the Swan Boats or the Sky ride, but remember seeing them. The rocket in Tomorrowland, the Monorails and thier doors, and all the other stuff thats now long gone. There was NO Toon Town, or Splash or Thunder Mountain either. And yes, CM's scooting along sweeping up even a single popcorn piece off the street! I still have my paper "three day pass" from 1980, with the use dates stamped on them, and I used that ticket of the course of a few YEARS, the dates are stamped. I also have a book of A-E tickets in our Disney collection curio cabinet too.

[DisneyNut6777]

My first trip was lates 70's. We stayed on I drive, which was only half of what it is today, Wet & Wild was the only other water park besides River Country. As part of the tour, we got three days at MK, then the only park, and two other days for Sea World and maybe Cypress Gardens ( both of those parks had water ski shows!)
Main Street was definitely better then with tha Magic Shop ( I had one of those "invisible dogs" ) and yes the penny arcade, and movie theater. I remember those flower carts too, and all the transportation up and down Main St. A-E tickets, good for ONE RIDE on your choice of attraction. I never got to ride the Swan Boats or the Sky ride, but remember seeing them. The rocket in Tomorrowland, the Monorails and thier doors, and all the other stuff thats now long gone. There was NO Toon Town, or Splash or Thunder Mountain either. And yes, CM's scooting along sweeping up even a single popcorn piece off the street! I still have my paper "three day pass" from 1980, with the use dates stamped on them, and I used that ticket of the course of a few YEARS, the dates are stamped. I also have a book of A-E tickets in our Disney collection curio cabinet too.

AHHH Thank you!!! How could I for get the invisible dog on a leash... Thanks, that is a memory in itself.. Can't believe I forgot that. I was the only kid in the neighborhood that had a dog like that. Never barked, or made a mess on the floor either. But sure loved to chase the neighbors cat