We all have that first memory of Disney. Whether it was a movie, a song, a first trip to the parks or watching a classic Mickey cartoon, it all started somewhere. Love for all things Disney has convinced millions of people to travel to various Disney properties every year to get as close to the magic as possible. Box office records are smashed on a constant basis but the Disney name has perfected the art of entertainment. And many homes contain at least one if not dozens of items of merchandise that screams our loyalty towards the company. But it all started somewhere and that’s where we take you today.
Welcome to Believe Vacations’ Weekly Post where today, we take a break from the adventures of the park and the resorts to share the Moments That Made Us Fall In Love With Disney. For this post, we asked the question and allowed our agents to answer what one thing they remember was the moment they knew Disney was magical. I hope you find our answers to mirror your own first moment or that you realize the amazing gift Disney has to reach multiple personalities all over the world in a variety of forms. And to think, it all started with a mouse.
Owner Mary Morning Radcliffe – “I have been going to Disney World since I was a baby. Most people get excited when they see the castle for the first time, but I remember always getting butterflies when we first pulled up to the hotel (and at the time it was either the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, or Polynesian), and I remember hoping that the feeling would never go away with my future trips.My love for Disney movies began with the Little Mermaid. And I loved a Sunday tradition that my mom and I had – we would watch a Disney movie every morning when we were getting ready for Sunday school and church.”
Agent Kasie Baird – “I have been Disney Obsessed for as long as I can remember. My very first movie in the theater was Fox and the Hound. My first actual trip to Disney was when I was 4. My friends throughout school always called me “Minnie Mouse” and I took trips to Disney for HS graduation and College graduation! My best friend and I could quote the entire Lion King movie from memory because we watched it so many times! And it goes on and on…..”
Agent Tiffany Bigelow – “I fell in love with Disney around the age of 7. My dad was in the military and had been away in Korea for a year and when he got home, my parents surprised me and my brother/sister with a trip to Disney. It was my first time to Disney World and it was just so special being back together as a family. I had been to Disney Land when I was 3 but I don’t remember it but I do still have my original Mic-Mouse! My family lived close to Disney World when I was 7th-10th grade and we had AP passes so went all the time. Another huge moment for me was running my first Run Disney race. Knowing how hard I’d trained and that I got to dress up like my favorite princess Belle was just SO exciting!!!Now it’s a huge thing that bonds me with my boys. We love watching movies together and trivia games.”
Agent Jessica Bouwsma – “I’ve loved Disney ever since I can remember. The Little Mermaid was and still is a big part of that. But the moment I fell IN LOVE was the first time we took my oldest son as he turned 2. The magic I saw and felt in that trip was beyond measure. I simply haven’t been the same since.”
Agent Jennifer Garthe – “For me it was a family vacation before my parents got divorced andI remember flying over London & soaring with Dumbo. When I got home, I poured over my WDW MK pictorial book & remembered our happy trip there. Plus, I loved watching Kids Incorporated & original Micky Mouse Club reruns on Disney Channel. Then a steady stream of we sing Disney, all the movies, & many park trips cemented my love!”
Senior Agent Sarah Holton – “I remember being a little girl – probably 4 or 5 years old – and feeling the same excitement and happiness I feel still. For me, it is every detail that the Disney team carefully puts together – the music as you enter the parks, the smells coming from the shops, the entertainers, even the sidewalks and the set designs. That thrilled me as a kiddo and that make me feel both nostalgic and so impressed as an adult. They truly allow you to escape into a complete, beautiful, happy (and amazingly clean) other world that is just the best of its kind. I will never, ever get over the Magic of Walt Disney World!!
Agent Brian Pavlick – “My love of Disney goes back to early memories of watching the (then) New Disney Channel on cable, while taking occasional vacations to Orlando Florida. I’ve always felt like a big kid and so Disney was always an outlet for me to forget about the real world for a while and simply have fun. But it wasn’t until I attended a Disney Institute seminar for healthcare (my real world industry) thatI became obsessed with the customer service and magic it provides to guests. After learning a few secrets, I was hooked forever.”
Agent Christie Pownall – “My parents bought me EVERY VHS and I watched them nonstop. I loved watching The Jungle Book with my dad. Every birthday party I had was Disney themed! I had a 101 Dalmatians the year after I had my heart surgery and The Lion King for my 5th. My mom even came to my school with cupcakes dressed as a lion! I cried the first time I watched Wishes. I’ll never forget those specials.”
Agent Linda Scott – “When I saw Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color on our new color TV, I fell in love. I’d have to say however that when I walked in the gate of the Magic Kingdom for the first time and saw THE Castle at the end of that amazing Main Street I fell head-over-heels!!”
Agent Savannah Sharp – “I was a Disney obsessed child from the movies and Disney sing a long tapes but I didn’t fall in love with the parks until I got season passes with my sister. We have a 10 year age difference and it was really the only thing that got us hanging out with each other and bonding. Now we both have kids and live far from WDW but we go with each other once a year”
Agent Kristi Shipp – “I fell in love watching my favorite Disney movies of all time – The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast.”
Senior Agent Becky Willis – “I’ve always loved Disney. I can’t remember when it started. I do remember seeing the Little Mermaid at the theater with my dad when I was 7. We got a puppy when I was four and I named him, Mickey. I had the cool Mickey phone, I had a Disney store letter jacket, all the blister backs and even named my squad for dance team my senior year of high school, Team Mickey. It’s been more fun than I ever would have imagined sharing this love of The Magic and The Mouse with my girls.”
Agent Dana Zachry – “I was about 4 when The Little Mermaid came out and I was obsessed. My parents decided that was the perfect time to schedule our first family WDW trip and the rest is history!”
And there you have it. What was the moment that made you fall in love with Disney? Leave your comments in the section below and remember there’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!
