My wife last night asked me what some of my earliest memories of Disneyland were. My earliest is around 1980 going to Disneyland with my mom, dad and brother. He was probably just over a year old at that time. I have specific memories of Captain Hook's ship with the Chicken of Sea restaurant, seeing the front of Country Bear Jamboree with either a C or D ticket sign posted at the entrance. It may have been that trip that I took my first spin on Space Mtn, though that may have come later since I probably wasn't yet tall enough. I remember also going up to one of the rides in Fantasyland, I think it was Mr. Toad's, and seeing the track and the cars go by. This was back when Fantasyland still had the circus theme to it all.
I remember a couple years later going just after the new Fantasyland opened and seeing that Alice in Wonderland would not reopen until 1984. That was an exciting trip since my brother and I had worn out our video recording of "Believe You Can..And You Can," the promotional tv special for the new Fantasyland.
A couple years later I recall going to Disneyland for a few hours with my mother. This was when you could buy just a general admission ticket without getting ride tickets. They would use a button to attach your passport to your shirt. The day we went was during the infamous Disneyland strike in 1984. I vaguely recall some guy telling my mom not to take me into such a "horrible" place. We just walked past and went in. We probably went to some of the free rides like Adventure Thru Inner Space and stuff. Later in the day we went to a relatives house and I remember my mom telling her cousin about the experience. Just then, Jerry Dunphy came on the news talking about the strike. Most of it seemed to just go over my head, but I could tell something was wrong about it all. It was either later that year or the next that we got annual passes to the park.
Good memories. I can't wait for the day to take my children there for their first few visits. Of course, they'll be spoiled with multiple AP visits from a young age which didn't start for me until I was 8.
I remember a couple years later going just after the new Fantasyland opened and seeing that Alice in Wonderland would not reopen until 1984. That was an exciting trip since my brother and I had worn out our video recording of "Believe You Can..And You Can," the promotional tv special for the new Fantasyland.
A couple years later I recall going to Disneyland for a few hours with my mother. This was when you could buy just a general admission ticket without getting ride tickets. They would use a button to attach your passport to your shirt. The day we went was during the infamous Disneyland strike in 1984. I vaguely recall some guy telling my mom not to take me into such a "horrible" place. We just walked past and went in. We probably went to some of the free rides like Adventure Thru Inner Space and stuff. Later in the day we went to a relatives house and I remember my mom telling her cousin about the experience. Just then, Jerry Dunphy came on the news talking about the strike. Most of it seemed to just go over my head, but I could tell something was wrong about it all. It was either later that year or the next that we got annual passes to the park.
Good memories. I can't wait for the day to take my children there for their first few visits. Of course, they'll be spoiled with multiple AP visits from a young age which didn't start for me until I was 8.
<< Home