My first visit to Walt Disney World was in 1997. That means I missed on on much of the resort’s early history. One of the attractions I never got to experience was the Swan Boats around the hub and Cinderella Castle moat. Thanks to a newly restored home video from 1975, I now know what I missed.
There’s also more great retro-magic on the video, including a pre-Splash Mountain Frontierland Railroad station, The Pearly Band on Main Street, and some parade action. Check out those costumes for the Main Street band. I wish they’d bring back that Steel Drum band in Adventureland too.
How about that dancing Mickey Mouse? When did you first visit Walt Disney World?
I visited Disneyland the first time, in 1956, when I was 16, and was out here from NJ, where I grew up! I loved it! Still do, and I am 75.
Hugs and love.
Oh man… My first visit to Disney was in 1988 when I was just a wee 2 year old…i definitely remember the steel drum band in adventureland. In fact, I still have all the home videos Disney would send us every year to entice us to plan our next trip… I LIVED for those videos as a child. I remember when 20,000 leagues under the sea and Mr Toads Wild Ride were still around and when all there was to see was MK, Epcot and MGM…. Just thinking about it gives me that good-hurt in my chest remembering all our amazing family trips! Can’t wait to get back there. Also, I love that they still have that little light parade on the lagoon behind the contemporary and Polynesian. I hope they never ever get rid of that.
Omg! How could I forget Mickeys Toon Town, where I got to go in his house and check out where Daisy and Donald loved.
Our first visit to Disney World was December of 1972……and I don’t recall Swan Boats? How could I not remember them????? It was Christmas time in Disney World and unlike today…all the restaurants, there weren’t many at that point, were closed on Christmas Day!!!!!!! We stayed off-site at a Ramada Inn (big mistake never again, always now on-site) and we couldn’t find any place to eat that night nearby either. Finally found a truck stop…a literal greasy spoon of a place to get a burger, sitting at a small counter with long-haul truckers. Thankfully, today there are many restaurants at on-site hotels and in the many parks that are open…all the time!!!!! There have been so many changes since then through our many visits and I miss a lot of them from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea…..to now the loss of Mickey’s Sorcerer hat. I still have a T-shirt with Mickey in that hat!
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