Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy Wait, maybe I answered that wrong. Lol I dunno, *I* fell in love with Disney from my books, records, books-on-tapes, toys, and movie experiences and knew that it was a part of me (though I didn't really understand the profoundness of it at such a young age). But *outside* of me, Grandmommy was the most "Disney-encouraging" and "supplier" lol (outside of Mom buying the toys and things and taking us to the movies---I guess Grandmommy sticks out cause we only got to stay with them a couple times a year). Okay, feelin' foolish now. I love Disney. Whatever. *sheepish*
Originally Posted By Big Thunder <"she had the classic '60sish set of 4 Disney books("Fantasyland", "America", "Stories From Other Lands", "Worlds of Nature") that each have a differenc colored spine"> I know those books
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka Even though I always wanted to go to DL I was almost 26 years old before I went. My brother treated us to that first trip and since then my love for DL has really grown.
Originally Posted By Elderp I blame my Mommy she took me to the park before I was even born and then every year after that. My mom however is more a theme park fan than just a Disney fan.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy < I know those books > Cool, BT. My sister and I always went for the "Fantasyland" book first to read the very first story in it, our mutual favorite Disney product---"Sleeping Beauty". I can still remember some of the feelings I had when I'd look at those awesome pictures. *sigh*... And Lisann, thanks for the confirmation! lol <Even though I always wanted to go to DL I was almost 26 years old before I went.> Cool mele, I was 26 when I went my 1st time...which just happened to be the Big LP Meet. *sigh*...good times...
Originally Posted By smedley I just beat ya guys, I was 25 on my first visit to WDW, but only by 8 weeks
Originally Posted By jasmine7 Both of my parents, but especially my dad. The first movies I remember receiving as a kid were Robin Hood & Mary Poppins, and I had a bunch of Disney books & a set of storybook records. Disney just always seemed to be around, and my dad's love of Disney went straight to me. He loved Disney films, especially Fantasia, Song of the South, Peter Pan, & The Three Caballeros. Our last Christmas together before he passed away, he received The Three Caballeros for Christmas (which my mom had picked up at WDW the month before, our only trip together), and I got The Little Mermaid. It was such a wonderful Christmas, curled up in the living room watching those two movies for the first time (and watching my folks fall back asleep before TLM was over, lol).
Originally Posted By Labuda "<Even though I always wanted to go to DL I was almost 26 years old before I went.> Cool mele, I was 26 when I went my 1st time...which just happened to be the Big LP Meet. *sigh*...good time" 28 here for my first DL trip. First time I ever set foot inside Disneyland was on Walt's 100th birthday. I cried SO many times that day.
Originally Posted By tapdancemom Hey, I was 26 my first time at Disneyland too. It all started with the Mickey Mouse Club and Mouseketeers on tv when I was six years old. I loved the kids, the music and dancing and the cartoons. I was hooked. We all watched The Wonderful World Of Disney on Sunday nights. Disney movies too, I loved it all and finally made my first trip with a girlfriend to see that magical place for the first time.
Originally Posted By Labuda SOmething I thought of reading Byron & Marilynne's posts... I of course watched the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday evening as a kid, AND when I was REAL little I remember an album we had - it had a basically yellow border on the cover and was a full album (not a single) of the Mouseketeers singing Disney songs - the front cover also had all the Mouseketeers pictured. It was a color photo - the albumw as from sometime in the 60s IIRC - I think it was my Mama's when she was younger. Anyhow, only song I distinctly remember from that album is ZIp A Dee Doo Dah - which is still one of my favorite Disney songs.
Originally Posted By Lisann22 I'll be repeating myself but I was influenced to love Disney from my parents, mainly my dad. He was a huge Davy Crockett fan. Some of our silliest times were my sister and I getting him to sing the theme song and then laughing hysterically at him. "Do it dad, c'mon sing it, please, please." Followed by - "hahahahahahahahahaha" just laughing so hard. He also did the best Goofy impersonation. We would convince him to call the little kids in the family before a Disney trip as Goofy. They went for every time. They were both faithful Mickey Mouse Club watchers, so we grew up on the reruns and we watched the Wonderful World of Disney together as a family. He had a special fondness for Annette as an adolescent boy, guess why? LOL! It became a running joke between him, his wife and daughters. We didn't have a lot of money growing up so we had to save for the big once a year trip to Disneyland. Each trip got better and better as their financial situation improved each year and we grew to teenagers with our own spending money. I really shouldn't say better as much as fancier. Better hotel, more in the park meals type of thing. They were all good times no matter how little or more $$$ we had. My dad loved Disneyland. He was a "take it land by land" kind of guy. Stopping to enjoy the music or street performers in each land, along with the rides and shows. He'd point out or talk about the architecture, the attention to detail and the cleanliness to my sister and I. We'd be amazed and attentive. His favorite rides were Space Mountain, Adventures through Inner Space, Haunted Mansion and his beloved Pirates. I used to love to sit next to him on these rides. Talking and watching everything with him. He also loved the restuarants and their decorum. It was important to him that we get to eat in the park, sit down family style meals. My parents both loved that. My mom loved to bring her Christmas shopping list with her during the holidays and buy members of the family (especially her sisters) all something from Disneyland. She gets great pleasure from that. Picking out a persons favorite character on a t-shirt, a mug, a purse, shoes, etc. She delighted in that. They both loved bringing new people, especially kids to DL for the first time. Showing them around, or as my dad would say, "giving them the tour." So, naturally these have all become my favorite things to do also.
Originally Posted By Big Thunder <"He was a huge Davy Crockett fan. Some of our silliest times were my sister and I getting him to sing the theme song and then laughing hysterically at him. "Do it dad, c'mon sing it, please, please." Followed by - "hahahahahahahahahaha" just laughing so hard."> That's a sweet memory you share Lisann22. It made me smile That's something my girls do, they are much entertained by me, and I sometimes indulge them when they want more just so they can laugh I learned that there was a Davy Crockett "craze" in the 50's, the Davy Crockett song actually sold more records than any other when it came out, and a few different artists recorded it. Coon skin hats were like cabbage patch dolls and Tickle Me Elmos, they couldn't produce them fast enough. There are some serious Davy Crockett collectors out there, every once in a while in my quests for vintage Disneyland memorabilia, I'll come across a Davy Crockett Disneyland souvenir, they are highly sought after by some folks.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Ditto to Ursula's response #8, but: My dad's company also built the Mark Twain. There is a metal plaque displaying their achievements right when you walk up the staircase. (I think it's still there, anyway). And yes, Gramps did deliver alot of the supplies to dear ol' Walt. I remember us kids dragging Gramps onto Thunder Mountain - he was in his 70's and didn't want to do it, but we talked him into it (he NEVER refused anything to his grandkids) and he white-knuckled it all the way! I remember teasing him about what his hair looked like afterwards, and we all laughed. You see, he's from the "little dab'l do ya" era and he just didn't seem to have his Brylcreem with him. I miss my Gramps!
Originally Posted By Travaria I was going to say that it was my best friend Sydney who got me hooked, but we didn't meet until I was 6 and I can clearly remember doing "Mickey's Mousercize" when I was about 4 so it couldn't have been *all* her. So I'm going to say it was my Mom who got me to love Disney, simply by making it available to me, and taking me to all the movies when they premiered. But it was my friend Syd who made me a crazy obsessive fanatic...lol
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Well my parents took me and my sister to Disney World when we were 4 and 2 respectively, that started my love affair with Disney. And I'm surprised this has been mentioned, but seeing film of Walt Disney started my love of Disney.
Originally Posted By disney pete call me weird its gotta be me me me me went with ex wife and 2 kids and fell in love with the place after 3 visits and 1 divorce later im still there then me and my EX go to the world with my kids they are all BLAH BLAH BLAH so needless to say i still love the place and will be happy to show anyone around IF THEY ARE PAYING
Originally Posted By RidgebackLuver Not sure. We were broke growing up, but managed to make it to DL about every other year. it was always the one big fun thing we looked forward to. It was like a beacon of light in our lives and was always absolute magic to me. I remember always being fascinated witht the parks and every aspect of them. My 3 year old son is absolutely obsessed with DL, and always has been without my nudging!!! Since we took him at 19 months, I swear I don't think there's been a day he hasn't said something about Disneyland. He sings the songs, loves to watch all the historic movies I have and thumbs through my numerous books about the park almost daily. If I believed in it, I'd swear he was Walt incarnate!!!
