“Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings”
– Peter Pan
One of my earliest memories of Disney was visiting the park with my Grandparents, two Aunts and my parents when I was 6 or 7 years old. I remember it was a rainy day, and I was holding hands with my Aunt Pam and Aunt Amber who are each 8-10 years older than me, while they swung me along between them by my arms, lifting me up higher so I would land in the next water puddle. I distinctly remember doing this along Main Street.
Another memory is of my Aunt Pam offering to buy me a souvenir, as long as it was within her budget. I remember wanting a teddy bear very badly, and I found a tan bear that perfectly fit the “type” of teddy that my young mind insisted they should look like. It was the epitome of the classic teddy, in my opinion. Unfortunately, it cost more than what my Aunt wanted to pay, but after some discussion, during which I was clearly unrelenting, I got the bear I really wanted, much to the dismay of my Aunt and her empty pocketbook. The best part of the story is that I still have that little bear to this day, and I’ve managed to keep it in pretty good condition! Here is a picture of my 35 year old Teddy. I believe we found him in a store on Main Street:
I’d have to admit that a lot of my memoires of Disneyland and Disney World have run together and I am unable to associate the memories with a specific trip or park, especially those from my childhood. A few of my memories have proven to be gleaned from photographs (which tell me they may not even be an actual memory).
Additional early Disney impressions:
I don’t remember much about the day, but I remember that by night time, I was worn out and my father carried me out to the parking lot on his shoulders, while I was crying. I remember my mother scolding me, saying “Your father is tired, too, but he is still carrying you. Stop crying”.
A favorite ride of mine that has since gone the way of the Phantom Boats and the Chicken of the Sea Restaurant is the Adventure Thru Inner Space ride from Tomorrowland where you are shrunk and projected into the tiny world of molecules. I still remember the giant blinking eye looking down at you through the microscope as well as the queue line display of the already miniaturized people who were in line ahead of you, sitting in their tiny buggies, showing us that we were next to be shrunk down to the size of an atom. Each little guest figurine dressed in different clothes and hats to convince you further that the shrink ray was real.
I borrowed the photo above from a blog site that is all about Star Tours (which is on the same site that ATIS used to be). Thanks, www.endorexpress.net
Another attraction was the Circle-Vision 360° panoramic film “America
What are your earliest memoires? Do you have Disney images in your head from your childhood? Remember any of the by-gone attractions? Send them in.
Comments are welcome. Positive feedback encouraged!
Mouseketeer Ken
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