@gouf78 - I remember the ticket booklets and E rides. “It’s a Small World,” was an E ride as was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Lol. Initially it was more about the animatronics than thrill rides. Always got the VIP book with the extra E tickets. I think you could buy more tickets once you were in the park.
I grew up about 40 miles from Disney World and was 7 years old when it opened. I also remember going to the Preview Center as WDW was being built. It had a film and a diorama of what was coming. Much anticipation!
My junior high band got to march in the afternoon Disney Parade each year. My church youth group took a trip once a year. As a family, we didn’t go constantly, but we went fairly often. I mean, it was just a day trip most of the time. I do remember staying in the Contemporary when my dad had a medical meeting there. I did not go to grad night because I moved away from Florida right before my senior year of high school. Idk if they still do those or not?? One thing they used to have (similar to grad night) were these late night park openings paired with concerts that happened after hours. It’s driving me crazy that I can’t remember what they were called. But, the park would close at 8:30 or 9:00 in the evening and an hour later would reopen and be open until - maybe 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. I know I saw Orleans there. That is the only specific band I can remember. But, you could listen to the bands play outdoors and ride all the rides.
We took our son to Disneyland Paris when we was three years old (we were living abroad), to Disneyland in CA when he was six years old, and to WDW when he was nine years old.
I think I mentioned upthread that when ds was growing up we had season passes to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. My dh and ds took a road trip together for the sole purpose of going to Cedar Point. Our ds loved (and still loves) theme parks. He spent HOURS playing the computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon, and building K’nex roller coasters during his formative years.
I suppose theme parks are tourist traps, but my ds loves them, and they can certainly form big childhood memories for many.
EDIT: I also remember going to shows with my parents at the Top of the World restaurant in the Contemporary Hotel. I know we saw Mitzi Gaynor and Boots Randolph. I wish I could find a list of all performers from 70’s.
I’m not sure I’d call Disney World or Disneyland a tourist trap. It’s a fantasy world that resonates universally with nearly all small kids, and even some adults. Disney cruises, on the other hand, are probably tourist “traps”, with their passengers literally trapped for seven days or longer.
My favorite Disney World memory was touring the animation studios and they showed us a clip of the movie coming out that Christmas and it was “The Lion King”. Cool.
It also just happened to be when a space shuttle launch was happening and we got to see that. Which has nothing to do with DW, LOL.
DH and I went to Epcot only for a full day…and it was the first week in December…and it was basically empty (relatively speaking). We had a great time walking all around Epcot…it was a really nice day, and so enjoyable.
When we went with our kids, we did planet earth and that was the end of Epcot. They were not interested in walking from country to country.
When son was about seven, we planned a visit to Disneyworld on one of our Florida trips. My MIL asked me with great concern, “Tell me, Marilyn, what is Son going to do at Disneyworld?” I was dumbfounded and had no idea how to answer. Um, have fun, I think I replied. It turned out that her entire experience was based on a visit to the International section of Epcot. Which actually had plenty of fun stuff for kids.
This is the same MIL who once asked me with great concern, “Why would you want to go the Gulf Coast instead of the Atlantic Coast of Florida?”
I understand that question. Given the choice, I’d always choose the Atlantic coast. I like my ocean rough and with big waves. It don’t think it is a narrow view of the world, just what I like.
Now would I accept a free trip to the gulf side? Absolutely, but if I’m choosing and paying, it’s the Atlantic side.
I don’t think @Marilyn’s MIL was indicating a world view as much as judging Marilyn for her substandard choice, same as my MIL asking why we moved to AZ instead of continuing just one state west to where she and FIL live. She never stops with her not-so-subtle remarks about how superior where they live is compared to where we live. Her choices and opinions are always “better.”
We are from NJ, we love playing in the waves. My sister’s family is from the Midwest and fly in every year for our annual week down the shore. During Covid she rented a house on the beach on the gulf coast, the first day was a tropical storm and the kids loved it. The next day it calmed down and they were so disappointed.
Hahaha, my mil can’t understand why my husband and I don’t move to their hometown. A place where I’ve never lived and my husband hasn’t for 45 years. And where the only people we know are them and my husband’s brother.
Yes I’ve always dreamed of living in mid Michigan where the winter is stinky and the summer is short.
It was not so much judging as that she just couldn’t conceive why anyone would vacation on the Gulf side. Her experience was visiting FIL’s brother in a North Miami condo nowhere near the ocean, and cooking and cleaning. I don’t think they ever went to the beach! Definitely didn’t go to tourist traps :).
Disney is for sure pricey, but in my mind not a “tourist trap” since families tend to know what they are getting into. My personal definition encompasses places like South of the Border. As a kid we drove/camped on cross-country trips twice (1969 3weeks, 1973 6weeks). My father would give his “TT” tourist trap rating on places we stopped… 10 being a total money waster, no historic or cultural or entertainment value.
I have a funny mil story about Florida. We live on the Gulf side, and if you ever look in the, “Photos you’d like to share” thread, you have been some of my sunset pics. My sister-in-law was a late adopter of FB, and even though my mil was on FB and could see my sunset posts, I would sometimes also include her in a group text with sil when sending her sunset pics. One time my mil commented, “I don’t understand how you are on the East Coast (meaning of the United States) yet you see these sunsets.” I responded with a pic of a map of Florida and explained that we have BOTH an East Coast AND a West Coast.” My sister-in-law responded with, “If we ever drive down there, I am driving!”
As a Florida native, I prefer the Gulf side. West Coast = Best Coast But, that is just my opinion!
Our area is full of tourists right now as it is high season. There are definitely some tourist trap type places in our area, but we avoid them.
When living in Chicagoland, I loved going to Sanibel in the winter - about as non-tourist trap as you can get. We would sometimes split trips between the two coasts so husband could see relatives.
I feel like the Flower Fields of Carlsbad are a tourist trap. It started as a hillside of ranunculus flowers being grown for the bulbs, I think. Then it morphed into an attraction. Now they have all sorts of other stuff and events that charge extra. https://www.theflowerfields.com/
we visited the gulf side of florida recently in the Destin area. I got tears in my eyes seeing the beautiful white beach and turquoise water . It was stunning.
But, that is just my opinion!