Do you remember your first time?

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  • nathan detroit
    MiceChatter
    • Jun 2007
    • 6916

    Do you remember your first time?

    WDW - 1987 & 1991
    DLP - 1996, 2004, 2006 & 2007
    DLR - October 2011




  • Laura678
    Empress of Randomness
    • Feb 2006
    • 5537

    #2
    Re: Do you remember your first time?

    I honestly can't remember my first time... But I've seen pictures... I was only 2 years old and my uncle lived in Paris
    My Dad, Mam, Aunt, Uncle and me went for the day...
    Oh and it was back in 1992 when it opened!!!

    I still have my Mickey Mouse teddy that i got while i was there... He still sleeps in my bed nearly 16 years later!!!

    Disneyland: 1998, 2005

    Disneyland Paris: 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

    Comment

    • Olympicnut
      Incognito
      • Jan 2005
      • 6470

      #3
      Re: Do you remember your first time?

      My first and only time - November 2004. I just wish I was there with people that WANTED to be there. I felt so rushed. I want to go back!! I want to go back with MiceChatters too! Maybe someday.

      Comment

      • TDLFAN
        Banned User
        • Feb 2005
        • 14940

        #4
        Re: Do you remember your first time?

        I was in Paris on opening day 4/12/92 but could not make it to the park because of the strikes by the RER and taxis into the resort..as they were protesting the " of the french country land", as the press put it. However, I was able to see the park for the first time one week later on 4/19th. It was jammed packed and I remember being in awe, with my jaw dragging the floor, due to the magnificent theming and design the park had, and the fantastic new versions of the classic rides. I was like a kid in a candy store, with Madonna in leather gear nearby! Giddy!

        Comment

        • pussnboots
          is satisfactual.
          • Jan 2005
          • 2135

          #5
          Re: Do you remember your first time?

          Let's see. It was winter 1993, I was very young. We stayed at the Newport Bay Club, as we did in subsequent trips, making it feel like a home away from home even now. The weather was awful, windy, with that sort of ice cold hail that hurts first by landing on you like a shower of rocks and then continues to hurt by being freezing cold and seeping into your underwear, causing my mother, with her enormous beehive hairdo and heavy-layered makeup, to nag even more than she usually does. She nagged, walked slowly and smoked, while my dad made us smile into his Sony camcorder every second of every day, whether we were in the mood or not, whether we were dressed or not, whether we were peeing or not.
          We all immediately fell in love with the park, landing nose-first into the afternoon parade. I don't really remember what exactly we did on that trip or in what order, but my mother nagged and smoked, my father was nearly murdered by us all for hounding us with that camcorder and at no point did we move quickly. It may have been our happiest memory.

          But, as Bill Bryson once said, no one is ever interested in your vacation pictures "just 'cause".

          Comment

          • Disney Obsessive
            New MiceChatter
            • Aug 2007
            • 85

            #6
            Re: Do you remember your first time?

            Feb 2002...My 30th Birthday...My First Disney Park. It was my attempt to prove I was still a kid at heart dispite my advancing years.

            We stayed in Newport Bay and got lost trying to my room. Man is that a big hotel. My lasting memory was of walking into Pirates and feeling the warm air as we walking in and then the atmosphere as we saw the loading dock. I was just in awe. It was nothing like anything I'd ever been on. I was expecting the kind of boat ride you get at any theme park...then we went up a hill. I knew then that all bets were off as far as comparisons to other theme parks.

            Then too many wonders to mention The Time Keeper...full size X Wing...Space Moutain (the music for which I was humming for months)

            And the best bit...Seeing the new park WDS just providing me with the reason why me and the then girlfriend(now wife...soon to be mother) needed to go again....and again...and again (as if I needed one).

            Thanks Nathan for this trip down memory lane.
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            • Malin
              MiceChatter
              • Jan 2005
              • 4592

              #7
              Re: Do you remember your first time?

              Excellent thread nathan detroit

              My first time was when I was about 12 years old back in 1993-4 can't remember exactly when. It was myself, parents, Brother and my Grandmother. We stayed at Camp Davy Crockett in our own log cabin. It was during the hot summer months and the weather was roasting hot. I remember seeing the Disneyland Hotel for the first time and realising it was a much better layout than the parks in both California and Florida, which we had visited before. One of the best moments of the trip was when Chip & Dale visited us outside our cabin, during a rest in the afternoon, and started to dance with my Gran. We still remind of it to this day. I also remember seeing the Electrical Parade for the first time ever and that was a magical experience.
              Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/malin1804

              Comment

              • soundtracker
                Rock The World
                • Feb 2005
                • 836

                #8
                Re: Do you remember your first time?

                We might have been there at the same time, Malin! My first trip was in the summer of 1993 after a month on the continent - we'd been to stay with a relative in Switzerland and my dad had driven us (me, my mum and my little brother) back through France over the course of about five days. I was 11 years old.

                The previous day had been spent in Parc Asterix, which I loved, having always been an Asterix fan. As a result, I wasn't expecting much from Disney. This was to be my first Disney park and the press in the UK were still branding it a total failure. I thought it would be a bit like Alton Towers with Mickey Mouse T-shirts.

                How wrong I was.

                I absolutely loved it, from the Fantasia Gardens, to the rousing, haunting music as we passed through the turnstiles beneath the Disneyland Hotel; the smell of popcorn; the horse drawn tram; the barber shop quartet (that really dates me!)

                I remember my Dad being really surprised by Star Tours - he thought it was going to be an educational film about the solar system (!). We all loved Small World, even though we were thoroughly British and slagged it off from start to finish. And Adventure Isle was a revelation - exactly the sort of playground I had always dreamed of when growing up.

                Lastly, my most personal memory. I had a mortal phobia of dummies and manequins. I don't know why, but they had always freaked me out. Literally. For years, my parents had had to leave me outside clothes shops. (I think it's because they're dead objects, pretending to be alive.) Anyway, the upshot of this is, I knew that several rides were jam packed with audio animatronics and I was terrified of the idea of being on them. But I really wanted to try them. So, when it came to the crunch, I walked into the lion's den and agreed to try POTC.

                Wow. Best. Ride. Ever.

                I forgot I was watching animatronics. As with the rest of the park, they were several steps above anything I had ever seen before. These things weren't animated models - they were characters! And they were terrific! That day quite literally spelled the end of my phobia. I have never been affected by such things since.

                So there you have it. The first trip of many. I even ended up living and working there for a spell. DLRP really is like a second home. Long may she stand!
                Originally posted by fizzog
                Soundtracker you cheeky chipmunk

                Comment

                • happy tappy
                  New MiceChatter
                  • Feb 2008
                  • 11

                  #9
                  Re: Do you remember your first time?

                  My first time was also summer '93. We went from July 4th to the 7th (I remember it as it was my sisters birthday!) and I was only 10 at the time.

                  We stayed in Sequia Lodge and I remember being stunned by the place. The log fires smelt lovely! I can't remember too much about the park but I do remember visionarium and my first ride on IASW!

                  I also remember the English narrative on Phantom Manor (by Vincent Price) it made the ride soooooooo much better!

                  Back then there was no Indianna Jones or Space Mountain so there wasn't a great deal to do in the park. But there was lots more entertainers. The place seemed full of them! Singers on Main Street, Charecters near the castle, Loads of charecters in Alice's maze. It was great!

                  I have brief recollections of a firework display. I think they had them every night back then. I remember leaving the park and seeing them over where the Studios are now. Is that right or have I completely imagined this? I'm almost certain that they weren't in the park or over the castle.

                  Comment

                  • TDLFAN
                    Banned User
                    • Feb 2005
                    • 14940

                    #10
                    Re: Do you remember your first time?

                    The fireworks show back then was called "Fantasia in the Sky" and it only played during extended hours or weekends. It was shot from behind Fantasyland, so when people saw the show from Main Street, the fireworks would be seen over and behind the castle. The music of the show was a medley of the classical tunes from the movie "Fantasia". However, in regards to seeing the fireworks over where the Studios are now at, it may have been during the time when the fireworks were relocated away from the villages of Marne-La-Valee, after repeated complaints from those who lived in the villages and neighborhoods behind DLP. Since the experiement didn't do anything to satisfy the neighbors' complaints, a decision was made to use low altitude piro with minimal noise...reason why the regular fireworks over DLP are very... lacking in the noise dept. (except on special ocasions and holidays)

                    Comment

                    • Zarniwoop
                      Hitchhiker
                      • Jan 2005
                      • 607

                      #11
                      Re: Do you remember your first time?

                      October 1996. My favourites were Space Mountain and Le Visionarium. I had visited TDL and WDW before and DLP was a little disappointmet because there was no Splash Mountain and fireworks.

                      Anyway, it was warm and sunny day. I remember getting lost in Adventureland couple of times and the bazaar was open back then. Good memories.
                      ----
                      Cheers,
                      Zarniwoop

                      Comment

                      • Reiana
                        Junior Member
                        • Apr 2006
                        • 68

                        #12
                        Re: Do you remember your first time?

                        August 1996 after a road trip to London.
                        While in London, we decided to pay Disneyland a one day visit on our way back to Munich. We had one night at Sequoia Lodge and one day in the park. I still don't know how we managed to do every major attraction (Phantom Manor, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean) because most of the rides, yes even Indi, had a 2 hours queue line and the sun was burning.:lol:But we did it and it was great.

                        Comment

                        • nathan detroit
                          MiceChatter
                          • Jun 2007
                          • 6916

                          #13
                          Re: Do you remember your first time?

                          Originally posted by Reiana View Post
                          August 1996 after a road trip to London.
                          While in London, we decided to pay Disneyland a one day visit on our way back to Munich. We had one night at Sequoia Lodge and one day in the park. I still don't know how we managed to do every major attraction (Phantom Manor, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean) because most of the rides, yes even Indi, had a 2 hours queue line and the sun was burning.:lol:But we did it and it was great.
                          Sounds like you may have been there on the same day as us! Apart from BTM, we did every major attraction too - and we weren't even trying! Strange how it could be all fitted in as we didn't even arrive until late morning. And we were not lucky enough to be staying in the Resort and had to catch the last train back to central Paris after park closing. Ah memories!
                          WDW - 1987 & 1991
                          DLP - 1996, 2004, 2006 & 2007
                          DLR - October 2011




                          Comment

                          • Reiana
                            Junior Member
                            • Apr 2006
                            • 68

                            #14
                            Re: Do you remember your first time?

                            It's always kinda funny to enter Pirates remembering that we almost stood the whole distance to the ride itself. And now it's a walk-on most of the times. Unbelivable.

                            Comment

                            • Skawt
                              MiceChatter
                              • Aug 2005
                              • 300

                              #15
                              Re: Do you remember your first time?

                              Of couse I can remember as my one and only visit was December 2007

                              I will be in Copenhagen in May and am checking out the weekend flights to Paris to see if there is any way I can sneak over to DLP for a couple of days (Why didn't I upgrade to a season pass when I was there?!?)
                              Maybe you folks can tell me though. Does gettin' two womenfolk mean you're the winner or the loser?
                              ~Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland

                              Comment

                              • pussnboots
                                is satisfactual.
                                • Jan 2005
                                • 2135

                                #16
                                Re: Do you remember your first time?

                                Originally posted by Reiana View Post
                                It's always kinda funny to enter Pirates remembering that we almost stood the whole distance to the ride itself. And now it's a walk-on most of the times. Unbelivable.
                                (Off topic... Unless I spin it.)
                                You raise an interesting point. Last year in July or so there was a line all the way out to the sign on the sail (not that queuing in DLP's POTC is ever a punishment. Best queue ever). But as I remember it, such lines used to be a lot more frequent than they are now, right? Yet attendance isn't any worse now than it was in the '90s, in fact it's better most of the time. So what does that mean? Has Pirates become less popular?

                                Comment

                                • nathan detroit
                                  MiceChatter
                                  • Jun 2007
                                  • 6916

                                  #17
                                  Re: Do you remember your first time?

                                  Probably less of 'less popular' and more of 'more competition'. It's positioning at the back of the ride-light Adventureland probably means that now that DLP offers more bang for your buck, a lot of people are less inclined to walk the distance - shallow as that may be.
                                  I always marvel at queuing the length of the POTC queue back in the day, particularly as I stumble through it's semi-darkness to walk straight on the the ride these days.

                                  BTW - Curse you Puss! You've ruined my nostalgic thread with your postulating!
                                  WDW - 1987 & 1991
                                  DLP - 1996, 2004, 2006 & 2007
                                  DLR - October 2011




                                  Comment

                                  • Malin
                                    MiceChatter
                                    • Jan 2005
                                    • 4592

                                    #18
                                    Re: Do you remember your first time?

                                    Ian Parkinson from MiceAge recently wrote a fun trip report from DLRP. And made mention of the POTC wait, qoute is below.

                                    Ian Parkinson: Unfortunately when we reached the attraction the wait time was shown as 30 minutes but the actual queue appeared to be much worse. At Disneyland Paris there is a huge internal queue at Pirates and although I have been to the park many times I have never seen people queuing outside the show building. Today though there was a long line outside, which appeared to be moving very slowly.

                                    Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/malin1804

                                    Comment

                                    • pussnboots
                                      is satisfactual.
                                      • Jan 2005
                                      • 2135

                                      #19
                                      Re: Do you remember your first time?

                                      Originally posted by nathan detroit View Post
                                      Probably less of 'less popular' and more of 'more competition'. It's positioning at the back of the ride-light Adventureland probably means that now that DLP offers more bang for your buck, a lot of people are less inclined to walk the distance - shallow as that may be.
                                      I always marvel at queuing the length of the POTC queue back in the day, particularly as I stumble through it's semi-darkness to walk straight on the the ride these days.

                                      BTW - Curse you Puss! You've ruined my nostalgic thread with your postulating!
                                      Originally posted by Malin View Post
                                      Ian Parkinson from MiceAge recently wrote a fun trip report from DLRP. And made mention of the POTC wait, qoute is below.

                                      Ian Parkinson: Unfortunately when we reached the attraction the wait time was shown as 30 minutes but the actual queue appeared to be much worse. At Disneyland Paris there is a huge internal queue at Pirates and although I have been to the park many times I have never seen people queuing outside the show building. Today though there was a long line outside, which appeared to be moving very slowly.

                                      http://www.miceage.com/ianparkinson/ip021908a.htm
                                      Still nostalgic, as we're remembering a time when Pirates was still moderately successful. (Spun and done.) And people have always loved sharing their vacation stories, so this thread will surely survive my intrusive moment of postulation, haha.

                                      It's kind of sad, though. The attraction deserves at least the attention it gets in the States, and WDI went through all that trouble to build that fabulous, moody, winding queue in Paris that people now sort of run through (which, admittedly, is kind of fun). The same can be said for the ride's excellent capacity. Meanwhile, over at the WDS at any given moment, a million people are voluntarily spending two hours of their lives in the garage-like queue of Crush.

                                      Perhaps[, he said, a touch cynically,] Jack Sparrow is just what they need to get people's attention again.

                                      And Ian Parkinson should know better than that. Although good to hear it was busy for once.
                                      Last edited by pussnboots; 03-20-2008, 02:06 PM.

                                      Comment

                                      • nathan detroit
                                        MiceChatter
                                        • Jun 2007
                                        • 6916

                                        #20
                                        Re: Do you remember your first time?

                                        Originally posted by pussnboots View Post

                                        And Ian Parkinson should know better than that. Although good to hear it was busy for once.
                                        Well he's obviously got more time on his hands now that he's given up the chat show.

                                        And yes, Jack Sparrow may be needed at DLP now (although they may have missed the boat on that one at this stage).
                                        WDW - 1987 & 1991
                                        DLP - 1996, 2004, 2006 & 2007
                                        DLR - October 2011




                                        Comment

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