Walt Disney World in 1973

Video restored by retrodisneyworld.com

[@RossD8]

Wife and I honeymooned there in the summer of 1974! Yep, fifty years later next year, we're still together, retired, the kids have left home and......we can't afford to come back!

[@randyharden5149]

Back when life was a lot simpler!!!!!

[@michaelmorgan9009]

less people, less problems... look at the US population in the 70s vs today. Immigration is a real problem.. the proof is in the pudding so to speak.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

....and cleaner, and nicer, and happier, and American.

[@bobscott5022]

@@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bitsthat’s when wow was truly magic

[@bobscott5022]

Glad I got to see it when I was like this. They in 1973. It was so much fun and truly magical.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

@@bobscott5022 And when people had the souls to be wowed. Today, no one can be wowed.

[@alangeorge1661]

This is the Disney World that I remember... innocent and natural! Our family went there in 73-75. It was so much good fun for a 11 year old like me. The President's Hall was so patriotic!

[@deborahmcdermott6927]

My family went on vacation there in the summer of 1972. As you said, this is the Walt Disney World I remember.

[@colors6692]

It's still like that bro!

[@martiniangoldberg]

​@@colors6692 No it's not; it's disgustingly woke, and should be boycotted by all Americans.

[@visax8550]

Now they just try to shove a bunch of woke garbage down your throat.

[@keepamerica2astrong280]

The Disney I remember. Parents used to take us once a year. Nice, great vid. Unwoke Disney love it. God forbid you fake shoot a Hippo these days...

[@lorichaplin9921]

Our congress should take a field trip to the hall of presidents. Remember why we are the United States of America.

[@mammac4333]

Unfortunately I refuse to go into the Hall of Presidents until they remove the traitor and criminal who has and still does try to destroy our democracy!

[@julesgamingnstuff]

Lincoln's words are still so relevant today.

[@gc4644]

Knowing that the orange turds likeness was allowed to desecrate that hallowed place of liberty is truly a travesty..

[@MC-nb6jx]

@@julesgamingnstuff… It’s a pity so few listen 😔

[@ryanwbourquin]

Excellent idea Lori! The democratic ones already know but def the Republican ones need to be taught.

[@sensitivecuriosity5054]

Saw this on tv at 12 years old. Wanted to go so bad. Finally went 22 years later. Cried.

[@wdwexploreandchill]

💜😭

[@jerseyforhawks]

Good on ya.

[@coffeetime1001]

Me too. WDW is a very expensive trip. My parents couldn't afford it. I finally did it with my son.

[@sabrinacosima1586]

When things were normal

[@ratclone]

Define normal

[@Jacob630]

@@ratcloneShut Up Cat

[@loetzcollector466]

​@@ratclonebefore they hated America and believed that if a child identified as a butt plug you had to celebrate it.. Democrats anyway.

[@davidwesley2525]

And when Things Didn't have to be Politically Correct. 😅😅😅​@@ratclone

[@brainysmurf74]

@@ratclonewithout normalized perversion, violence, rampant hatred of men and of nation, etc…

[@dandiehm8414]

What simpler (and better) times. People seemed more elegant and refined and civilized in those times. Look at the way they dressed to go out to the parks. And NOPBOBDY staring into a phone. Everyone there was enjoying the moment, and there wasn't the constant need to check on ride times, or dinner reservations, or fast passes or lightning lanes or whatever. And the crowds seemed so much more manageable. And there was so much more to do than just be in the park. I went there in 1976 and in 2015. The 1976 time was much more enjoyable.

[@wilsonmiller1713]

This was the Walt Disney World my wife and I fell in love with on our first trip in 1978. When we moved to Florida in 1997, we began buying annual passes and visited about once a month as work allowed. Sadly by 2016, the magic was gone and we let our annual passes expire. We have never returned.

[@thegteam4349]

That’s interesting, as someone who has a long history with WDW, in what way has the magic been lost? I went as a child but haven’t been back so I’m interested in your perspective.

[@wilsonmiller1713]

@@thegteam4349 The simplest answer is Automation. Everybody is in too much of a hurry now. We much preferred the days before Fast Pass. Everyone was in one queue, there was time to look at the imagineering that went into the creation of the queues. Fast Pass eliminated the leisurely entry to attractions. In the Magic Kingdom, the changes to the hub, the elimination of the Swan Boats, elimination of the Sky Ride are just a few examples of changes that in my opinion were not improvements. The total destruction of EPCOT That has taken place irks me. Movie based attractions do not belong there. What is educational about Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ratatouille. I believe there were ways they could have updated that portion of the park with out resorting to I.P. , but it seems if they can’t get a corporate sponsorship to pay, resort to using movies. I miss Horizons, Body Wars, other original attractions that made you think. Going back to the automation aspect, once upon a time, when you arrived at a deluxe resort, you were greeted at the portico by name, your luggage was unloaded, you were escorted to the check in desk by a cast member, a personal touch. Now days, the expect you to check in on your phone, order your meals on your phone, pay on your phone, basically eliminate interactions of the human kind. I won’t even go in to the change of the Studios into Star Wars land. And the proposed changes to Animal Kingdom are too insane to discuss. There is more but I’ll end my rant here.

[@adrianrosado2223]

As a local, I totally agree! I miss the old Disney when it was magical, and before they involved themselves in everyone’s personal issues and politics

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

I agree. My first time as a child in 74 and so happy I experienced it then. The 70s were really the true glory days of DW. The 80s were nice too. My last time was 98 because believe it or not, even then, because of the belligerent attitude of the new society of the 90s then changed the magic of DW. I never went back after 98 - and when I heard how bad it started to get by 2002......I am so glad my last memories of DW were the glory days. I remember the People Mover, River Country (I went the summer it opened), If You Had Wings, The Ski Lift, Plastic House, Presidents Carosel, the cute ticket booths, and on and on and on. Looking at videos like this brings many tears.

[@adrianrosado2223]

@@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits we are locals and my children in their teens just went for the first time in years w/their niece and nephew bc it’s become so bad and we as a family disagree w/them getting involved in such personal issues and politics. And the prices are ridiculous, unfortunately Universal and Sea World are winning the theme park wars here and Disney isn’t doing a very good job respecting the people that created their empire!

[@spiegel3269]

My Dad was so cool he took me out of school in the early 70s so we could go on vacations to Disney World. One year we stayed at the Polynesian and the other year at the Contemporary. It was a magical time. I've reflected fondly on those trips for the rest of my life. My Dad is gone now but I'm so thankful for those times.

[@RS-cd9cf]

Make new memories with your kids and do the same fun things

[@susanb374]

You're so lucky. I'll never forgot my mom announcing "we are staying on property this year", and 7 year old me me expecting the Contemporary. Surprise it was the Holiday Inn, one of the good neighbor hotels near what was The Marketplace. lol

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

@@susanb374 Exactly, only the rich kids stayed at those hotels. But hey, to kids, the Holiday Inn is fun too - its next to Disney World!! YAAAAA

[@smith9808]

Anyone else get freaked out seeing old footage of people. These people walking about 50 years ago and now most people over 30 years old in this video are now dead. It’s so weird how we can instantly look back on time. Life’s too short.

[@nuthouse360]

Life is the longest thing you’ll ever do.

[@olliejilliangil8382]

Not freaked out but I thought how these are people’s family. and wouldn’t it be great to see a relative that has passed away and you didn’t know there was this memory of them.

[@rickkhanna3099]

I went as a kid in the 80s and it was still just like this.

[@danielvandersall6756]

"Guests may stay as long as they like"--Till the money runs out.

[@sherrywiley4817]

😂😂😂😂

[@Trucker2023]

This was definitely before they started charging $700 a night room stays

[@BhChicagoTVStationhistoriesand]

Well, when Disney World opened at the very least all rooms and views at both the Polynesian and Contemporary were $25 a night! That shocks so many people when I tell them! I’ve got a few very old planning guides from that period, back then they had a form in the back you could fill out to make a reservation and that was the price listed! So back then you could easily do a Disney vacation without it breaking your arms and kegs financially. You could spend 5 nights there and the TOTAL price for the entire hotel stay would be only $125!!

[@merrymermaid]

$125 in 1973 is equal to $854 today. the average salary was also a LOT less back then than it is nowadays. it was always expensive

[@Jacob630]

@@merrymermaidShut UP.

[@brietje2621]

Sad to see that buildings, complete parks, entertainment, philosophy and people from this movie are gone😢 Gone but never forgotten ❤️

[@susanb374]

What?

[@brietje2621]

@@susanb374 ehhh what?

[@TuckerVerse]

That’s when Disney was still magic 🪄 not today

[@fionnmaccumhaill3257]

What a wonderful world it was back then!

[@DRTerabyte]

Its the same world just more people.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

AMEN

[@dr.winstonsmith]

@@DRTerabyteCulture has changed, for the worse.

[@angiehawkins8289]

Guests playing in the water of Bay Lake was fascinating. No Cosmic Ray but a hippie band. 😀

[@People_of_the_Mouse]

Those weren’t hippies. By 1974 that was main stream brady bunch dick cavit show leisure suit side burned watergate 70s

[@jeffraines414]

I envy all you folks who got to visit Disney world in the '70s. I always wanted to go as a child, but we were too poor so I didn't make my first trip to Disney world until 2010 when I was 40 years old. Better late than never I guess. I was like a kid at 40 years old having finally made it 😀

[@MsDana-mo9fp]

We didn't start coming until the 1990's - but even now can't believe the changes since the Pandemic! Disney doesn't pick your family up at the airport anymore! The other guests are pushy and entitled & the cast member act like they don't care!

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

Thank you. The 70s were really the true glory days for Disney. But I am so happy you got to go when you did and be a real kid with it! That is what makes it fun. My last time was 98. I went many times in the 70s, 80s, and some in th 90s. But your first time is always the best. so dont feel bad you went at 40 in 2010 - it was a glory day for you!!!!! Blessings. I am 3 years older than you and there are many places I have never been that everyone and their brother have been. But my day is coming. Blessings

[@BOSTON6171]

Disney was ahead of there time!! This is amazing to watch

[@gc4644]

Had dozens and dozens of trips to WDW throughout the 70s, and can honestly say most about the property back then WAS much better. The water in the 7 seas lagoon was crystal clear and we swam in it all the time! The Poly had a MUCH better lobby, and the game room in the Contemporary resort was the biggest & best in the whole country! The Fort Wilderness campground had a working train, and a great restaurant! Progress does not always mean things get better..

[@cyndiluna1]

That game room in the Contemporary brings such fond memories❤️the click-clack of everyone playing air hockey, the snack bar, shooting range, and skee-ball. I spent many many hours there.

[@adrianrosado2223]

Omg! The Contemporary Arcade!!! I forgot how much we loved that place as kids!

[@randomcommenterfromdownund8949]

Contemporary arcade aka the Fiesta Fun Center! That horse racing game on the big screen where you pushed a button to get your horse to jump over an oncoming barrier, racing against others doing the same, and the classic Atari Breakout game were my idea of great fun.

[@susanb374]

River Country!

[@michaelharbuck7847]

I remember playing the old atari table top football game. The one with the x and Os really a gr8 memory

[@randomcommenterfromdownund8949]

It took me until 1980 to get there. Fortunately by then, not much had changed except that things like Space Mountain had been added. I spent 7 years trying to figure out how to get there as a kid. Then someone against all odds, my high school senior class voted for WDW over a Caribbean cruise, as our senior class trip, and OMG, my dream would come true. I came back with over $100 of merch, consisting of most of my savings as a 17 year old, LOL, and lots of tales about how it was as wonderful as I thought it would be. Apparently cue the parental guilt, because the next thing I knew I was given an ultimatum: I could choose whether my high school graduation present was the graduation party I'd wanted since I missed out on a party for my 8th grade graduation (I'd also never had a birthday party; mom was an agoraphobic, and back then having a kids' party meant having people over and the idea freaked mom out), or a family trip to WDW so that I could go again and my siblings could see it for the first time. I of course chose the latter. So after YEARS of wanting to go to WDW and not getting there, I got to go twice in 6 months. To save money, we stayed off property for a week, but I insisted on a couple days before that on a higher floor at the Contemporary Tower, Bay Lake view because I wanted to show them WDW as it was designed to be experienced. We got there and the bellman opened the drapes to reveal the view and my mother looked at me with an expression that said, "OMG. This is breath-taking. And you knew this all along and tried to tell us. I should have listened years ago." I offered to take my siblings to the park for a while if they wanted some time to relax without us around after travel, and said we could stay at the park until after the fireworks if they'd provide money for us to eat some burgers for dinner at the park and get a snack later. LOL, that was some of the easiest money I'd ever gotten out of them.

[@rotlex67]

Love this and the memories it brings back. A truly different, and better time for Walt Disney World.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

And for our society. Brings tears to see where we were and how far down we are today. My first time as a kid was 74. A beautiful place. And beautiful people back then all around.

[@bubbalou32]

People were sure a lot thinner 50 years ago!

[@donbailey6600]

No drive-thru's and lots of people smoked.

[@grahambooth8799]

And not one single disability scooter with an obese rider

[@harleyatc956]

Sadly, Disney lost its way a long time ago. It’s all corporate and politics. The fun and affordability are gone forever.

[@texaswunderkind]

You can't honestly be stupid enough to think Disney wasn't corporate back in 1973. Two theme parks, movie studios, toy lines...every character they had was marketed to squeeze every possible dime out of the public.

[@katazack]

They monetized it to death.

[@arctichawk1978]

Can’t step foot in that lagoon now from any of the resorts

[@merdith6]

I was thinking the same thing there's no boats you can just jump in and swim around

[@codybanks9944]

When I was 9 yo my Grandparents took me to Walt Disney World in 1973 and we stayed at the Polynesian Resort for 3 days. The next year they moved to Florida and so did my immediate family. I went to Disney World several times a year for most of my Life. Had my Annual Pass for many years, but in 2010 I decided that the Walt Disney World I knew and loved was no longer in existence, so I just stopped going. I do have MANY Great Memories though. Thank You for posting this Video.

[@slimlouis6441]

Agreed, the Florida I knew and loved no longer exists either. 😢

[@gc4644]

Me too, we went so many times during the 70s I lost count after 100. We kept going thru to the 90s, and by the 2000s i no longer felt nor saw the same magic, stopped renewing our APs, havnt been back since.

[@codybanks9944]

@@gc4644 Yes, it's sad to see what has happened to the Parks in the last Decade or so. I keep searching KZbin for 1972 to 1990 for Videos to go along with "my" Home Videos of the parks. :~)

[@mikecooley3361]

@@slimlouis6441 grew up going there in the late 70's thru the late 80's, just went back 3 weeks ago and you ain't kidding! Where did all the orange groves go among other things? Seems like every highway is a toll road now too.

[@lizlocher3612]

This was exactly the time our family first went to Disneworld on vacation!! We went every year for about 10 years thereafter n it has always he'd a special place in all of our hearts, and we have visited several times in the 1980's n 1990's and experienced wonderful family reunions there. It truly is "the Magic Kingdom!!!" Thank ever so for posting this excellent walk down memory lane!!!!

[@wilber53]

Same here..First time was in '72, just graduated from high school. Never dreamed that I would be bringing my children some day. And behold, bringing my grandchildren also. Wish I could turn the clocks back 50 years and do it again!

[@louie40205]

My family too-May 1973.

[@allenperreault7825]

Me and my family had just moved to Tampa when Disneyworld opened.

[@MsDana-mo9fp]

This was a time the cast members were fun & guests behaved! Everyone enjoyed themselves.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

@@wilber53 You said it. I would love to turn back the clock 50 years too.

[@jeffreybanks0519]

I so miss those early trips. No fast passes or alcohol sales so mom and dad actually had fun and did not need to get tanked. It was clean, good inexpensive food, and great customer service. You needed tickets for each ride. The E tickets were for the best attractions.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

AND, the guests (customers) were polite, dressed nicely, obeyed the rules, spoke politely and at normal decible levles, smiled, laughed, and were REAL people. Oh the days our nation was clean.

[@WysteriaGuitar]

Dad and Mom took us to DisneyWorld when it open in 1971. I was only 9 years old and I can tell you it was amazing, unbelievable really. I continued to go for years and then with my own family until about 8 years ago when it became so crowded, so woke, and so money grubby that I may never go back again...Ah wish the old days were back!

[@Sashazur]

What did you see that was woke? I’m fine with their policies but at the same time I don’t think they have any woke themed attractions…

[@WysteriaGuitar]

@@Sashazur Nah, not al all, yeah right...like CHANGING many of the rides and characters to make them people of color or politically correct...Like a BALANCE would be good not to swing the pendulum completely around...Like heck Snow White is no longer white but black now...makes no sense...

[@C_71]

​@@SashazurThey went on the "It's a small world ride"😂!

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

I stopped going by the late 90s. I never would go back after I heard how bad it started getting by the early 2000s. The 70s were the true glory days of Disney World. I am so happy my first time as a kid was 74. And I went wiht my family the first summer River Country opened. I remember like yesterday.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

@@Sashazur YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you go in the 70s or 80s?????

[@garydunn5797]

Disney's studio orchestra with its customized background music scores were so uniquely customized to each film scene. Much better than copying & pasting today's generic stock music.

[@DarthBrtt]

Yes! Buddy Baker scored a lot of them including this one. He also scored a lot of Disney shorts, features and theme park music back then too.

[@L1lyW0mpW0mp]

I think I came here searching for some sample in a tv girl song 😭

[@TylerAnderson-mh9yt]

What great memories. Made me smile. I have visited WDW, in 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s. I still love WDW to this day.

[@dougchervek]

This is the Disney that I miss and the one I wish I could take my family to experience.

[@texaswunderkind]

It's not our fault you're dirt poor.

[@betharmitage874]

I don't see any cell phones or influencers, may be that,s why it was so much fun

[@davidwesley2525]

No Women with Pink , Blue , Green , or Purple Hair & NO Tattoos covering every square inch of Skin. 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@feenster9050]

purely a great time capsule. I Miss you Walt Disney World!

[@cesarm8811]

Wow this brings back lots of memories. Actually my first visit to the Magic Kingdom was at Disney Land I was 11 years old (1964). I live in South Florida, so I visited Disney World in early 1972. It open in Oct. 1971. You had to buy a ticket book to get on the rides (A thru E). An A ticket was used for the best rides at the time. Just turn 70 in May of this year and have been going to Disney World for pass 51 years, with my daughters and now with my Grandkids. We are DVC members, so we now go every year. But I have to admit the early days of going to Disney World were the best, it was a place to bring you kids with lots wholesome fun. Things have changed at Disney World in past several years, so it's not true family values I experience when I was kid and raising my daughters. Really loved the old Disney World!!!!!

[@deborahmcdermott6927]

I remember the A thru E tickets. Went in the summer of 1972. My parents started saving for that vacation as soon Walt Disney announced the construction on the Sunday night tv show.

[@spiegel3269]

Your memory is a little fuzzy, grandpa. The A tickets were for lower tiered things (like the train on Main Street). It was the E tickets that were for the top tiered rides and were highly coveted (Pirates of Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion etc). Google it if you don't believe me.

[@bermando8844]

Actually the E tickets were for the best rides. (Pirates and Space Mountain)

[@cvn6555]

The E tickets were for the best rides. Some people still refer to the newest and most desired rides at WDW as "E-ticket rides".

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

74 first time and remember the ticket booths. Last time for me was 98. It already started to chage - or people started ruining it. Bad behavior and many other crap atrocities. I never went back. The very best glory days of DW in Fl were the 70s. am so greatful I was able to be a part of that time.

[@KylePalIo]

This Was a fun watch!

[@mrnailman1]

The simpler times were better, now disney has turned complicated

[@The.Nasty.]

Now it’s $2000 a night to stay at the Star Wars themed hotel. 😂 Can’t wait til this company finally takes full a tumble face-first.

[@ovalhunter488]

Disney closed the hotel. No one was booking rooms for the reason you mention.

[@The.Nasty.]

@@ovalhunter488 I’ll be honest, it happened WAY faster than I was expecting. 😂

[@susanb374]

I wish they'd stop focusing on money, and go back to allowing everyone to have a good time without the year long planning event, which continues into your "vacation" at 7 am. Or tiny chips in the over-priced souvenir cups so you don't refill your drink too soon (Universal does this too), park hopping costing a fortune. Enough already.

[@michelle1]

I didn't realize Cinderella's Castle clock actually tolled. This whole advertisement is pretty amazing.

[@jwprimetime9795]

Born and raised in St. Petersburg since 74. This is the Disney I remember as a kid. After Covid I cancelled my passes. It’s such a far cry from this it’s depressing.

[@michaelharbuck7847]

I've been going to wdw for 53 years now. This video was a joy because I was too young only 2 years old to remember this. Thank you so much for having this video available

[@antipatsy]

I went to Disney World for the first time in 1976, and my family was there several times a year through the 70s. It's so nice to see it again.

[@chuckdix4477]

Having visited Disney World for the first time in 1974 it breaks my heart to see what has happened to the company. Will never visit again as long as their anti family mindset remains.

[@adrianrosado2223]

Ditto! They need to keep themselves out of everyone’s personal business and politics

[@HarryFeatherer]

The good old days, when families could afford multiple days and truly enjoyed themselves. I remember sword fighting Captain Hook and eating breakfast with Mickey, Minnie and Goofey. I've been to Disney the past three years and it's just not the same. I'm an 1989 kid, but it's just not the same atmosphere. This is the prime of Disney, through the 90s and early 2000s before it went downhill....

[@djpalindrome]

Back when Disney knew what it was doing. Before they dumbed down Epcot

[@patrickchambers7580]

Epcot didn't exist in 1973. There was only 2 hotels and the park barely had any rides. I think the parks are a whole lot better now but it is still good to appreciate Walt Disney World as it was in the early days.

[@Dragon2010Mm2]

This was well before Epcot at all!

[@user-sf8ff3ir1u]

hence why OP says before???

[@adrianrosado2223]

Back before they got involved in everyone’s personal issues and politics!

[@olafpamela]

Thanks for bringing back GREAT MEMORIES when we visted and stayed in the 70's 🥰😍❤

[@txag007]

RIP to the luau dinner show. It was sacrificed to build the Bob's atrocity that is the modern hotel at the Polynesian.

[@drawntomountains]

That luau dinner show was wonderful !!! We literally stuffed ourselves on, what I think, was like a 7 or 8 course meal !!! And the show was as close to Hawai as you could get on the mainland !!!

[@RogerCole-th2jc]

​@@drawntomountains😂

[@alisontopalian8592]

This the disney I remember and loved. Thank you for posting this

[@kimberlywalls9869]

My Grandmother took us every two years to Disney in the 70s and 80s. It was all about family back then and it was affordable for almost everyone. Now it's not affordable even for most middle class families.

[@TerryB751]

I worked driving a tram at Disney back in the summer of '72, making $2.15 an hour during summer break. Gas at the Gulf Car Care Center was 36.9 a gallon. We got 6 cents off as employees. Not exactly a living wage, but it was a few bucks back then before going to a local university.

[@jasonwebb5964]

What's crazy is even at 2.15 an hour you could still afford a couple nights at the Polynesian with your weekly paycheck. It was $40-50 a night back then. Now you'd have to work 2 weeks at minimum wage to afford 1 night!

[@jwprimetime9795]

Think about this-you could buy 6 gallons of gas for your pay. Now you’d have to make $27 and hour as a tram driver to do that. Got a feeling they aren’t making that.

[@veromikes]

The Good old days. Make Disney Great Again.

[@marypaquette8705]

I miss my white Go Go boots❤😊

[@lonesomeonrymean9216]

I remember the spring of 76’ coming home from church, my mom packing my sister and me a suit case. I was 8yrs old and since I never watched much tv or movies had no idea what this Disney World place was. I was completely confused as to why the family was so excited about what we were about to embark on. After loading the car and driving all night and the following day we arrived. Remember seeing the entrance and the Contemporary, couldn’t conceive what my dad was saying about a train actually going through the hotel. Completely awe struck when we saw it. Don’t remember much except the bright colors everywhere I looked and that glorious tram.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

WONDERFUL story - and I love how you put it all. This was when families and people were REAL!!! Back then, life was REAL!! My first time as a child at 7 was 74! I will never forget the first time. The 70s were really the true glory days of DW. The 80s were nice too. But my very last time was 98 and i never went back. so happy I went during the best time of DW.

[@starlaminde8436]

I was almost nine in 1973 and I got to go with my cousins and aunt. It’s forever etched in my child mind. Was a blast and magical to me at the time.

[@napqueen]

I remember spending hours in the magic shop on Main Street! It's still a magical place for our family. I'm trying to prepare myself this trip for the new version of fast passes. You have to pay for them now on your phone, and even so they're hard to get. But we'll always love Disney World and DisneyLand.

[@sauronthegreat5799]

I missed the days when you can just show up at the park, buy your tickets and enjoy a great day of fun and fantasy for a nominal price. Now it feels like a shakedown.

[@kari8187]

I went for my graduation night with my high school in 2001, I took $20 with me for food and a souvenir and our ticket was $45 . That seems like forever ago.

[@tswagg504]

@@kari8187 Went on my senior trip that same year….less than $500 paid for unlimited park access and hotel stay at Disney for 3 nights….the food was affordable too

[@susanb374]

Because it absolutely is.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

@@kari8187 My LAST time was 98 and it had already started losing its magic then, and by 2002, I heard it going down hill. My first time was 74, and I tell you, the 70s were really the true glory days of DW. The 80s were nice too.

[@DanSinclairOficial]

Not a phone in sight... Just people living in the moment...

[@katazack]

You'd have to have a real long extension cord to have a phone in the park in those days.

[@GeorgeAlexander-bj4fk]

Disney World of my youth. I used to go there every year from 1973 until 1982.

[@powerrockrecordings1827]

Love this! Still my favorite place to visit. I just wish the crowds were more like days than they are now. 🙂

[@Lori5564]

Ooh those were the days. 💙

[@GatorsRock0219]

Never had enough "E" Tickets back in those days!

[@MIkeKDBA]

My father worked for Eastern Airlines, the official airline of Disney at the time, and we went when it opened. All of the adults would give me and my two sisters their A tickets and we must have gone on the Dumbo ride a hundred times.

[@GatorsRock0219]

@@MIkeKDBA Eastern Airlines - If You Had Wings in Tomorrowland!

[@wdwexploreandchill]

This is amazing, thank you so much for sharing! 💜

[@Beltfedshooters]

Disney tickets in 1973 were $4.50 for Adult, JUNIOR (12 thru 17) $3.50, CHILD (3 thru 11) $1.50.

[@eccentricsmithy2746]

Back when Disney was about family fun and the experience, now its about whats in your wallet.

[@kurtsugg3455]

thank goodness no other businesses try to make a profit

[@eccentricsmithy2746]

@@kurtsugg3455 there it is, the stupidest f*cking comment I have read all day. There is a big difference between making a profit and price gouging from greed.

[@DP-ih6nt]

Yep, and about perversion too. Sick world!!

[@Somenite]

I have no issues with them making money but just looking at mainstreet in this video where it's not a complete mob scene makes me nostalgic. More people everywhere these days though. Would be nice though if Disney did something to improve the crowd situation such as always expanding the parks at least as fast as they build new hotels because the crowd/waits is what kills the experience. I did get the once in a lifetime chance of going to Disney right after 9/11 and the place was so empty we practically had the parks to ourselves. Nothing like just finishing a ride and having the operators yell "who wants to go again!" and being able to get off and walk through a cast door to the boarding area to get right back on. Don't expect that level of experience but not having to fight through crowds on mainstreet to go stand in line for two hours to get on a ride would be nice.

[@RonMac08]

I have no problem with them making money, but they're doing it at the expense of a positive guest experience. I was an annual pass holder for 20 years and now the positive experiences are so few it isn't worth the money anymore.

[@AndrewLawsonjughead67]

That monorail is so cool😎

[@Kenneth-tx8mg]

Very ahead of it's time. Even the presidential robots look more real than today's human-robot versions.

[@0111vramj]

@@Kenneth-tx8mg and yet it looks the same NOW as it did THEN,

[@tristangonevintage]

This was beautiful. Thank you❤

[@deefrash9806]

I went there for the 1st time in 1974 when I was five and you had to buy tickets for each attraction. Last time I was there was in 1984-85 when I was 15. I need to go back and see all the changes, but love seeing these retro videos.

[@phljn1978]

Thank you for sharing this clip. This was the first year I went, going yearly in the following decade. I was both smiling. and longing for the past, in this video.

[@nsha2011]

So absolutely wonderful! I was there as a kid and it was even more spectacular in person back then! Thank you. I wish it resembled more of the place back then. It’s lost some of that wonderful charm and welcoming it once had. It still can be fun through some effort. Just because things get older, doesn’t mean they’re out of date. Just takes love and some upkeep. That’s part of what made the foundation of the Disney idea.

[@tommybombadil8651]

Everyone is trim, neatly dressed and mostly polite. They kept the place in pristine condition. There were so few foreign visitors that all the announcements were in English only. Even though there was only one park, the Magic Kingdom, it never seemed as crowded as nowadays. The rooms at the hotels were like 52 dollars a night. They go for 700 to 800 now.

[@waytoson]

Love this... Thank you.. New sub who is a complete Disnerd... It so fun to see what WDW was and where it all started...

[@brownsfamily24]

Amazing! Loved this.❤

[@Lambert1386]

Saw this in the movie theater with "Snowball Express." Finally went in 1981 on my first 'grown-up" vacation. The park was beautiful and there was hardly anyone there in early November.

[@Rlotpir1972]

How did they show this? Was it also in 35mm?

[@davidbennett3447]

My first time was 1981 also 🥰🥰🥰

[@patsadventures6381]

I visited in 1974 with college friends and we were blown away by the hotels and the park. I will never forget being in such awe!! We had to drive through the swamp land which seemed like forever....now it is all hotels!

[@donbailey6600]

I remember that. It was like driving across the county to get to the MK. O. They had a AM radio station you could tune in to get the latest news..

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

74 was my first time too!! I was 7 and it iwas truly magical. Never forget it. The 70s were really the true glory days of DW.

[@sgtcote1]

Such an amazing video. I was two when this came out, and It was 10 more years before We visited WDW for the very first time. Btw thanks for posting this amazing piece of WDW history.

[@glennw9927]

I was 8 in ‘73 and had been to WDW at least 3 times by then. In addition to the rides, my favorite stop was a shop on main street that sold magic tricks and masks.

[@Trucker2023]

Your videos bring back many memories from way back then. I have been going on and off since 1971 has it ever changed

[@veronicamdissues]

My dad took us there in 72 or 73. Though he was a cautious accountant and the ULTIMATE penny pincher, somehow we got him to Disneyland in Anaheim in 68. He LOVED it, more than anyone else in the car I think!!! So he eagarly returned to Disney World in 72ish. Also a wonderful time. One thing he LOVED were the A,B,C,D ticket books that you bought at entry, so you KNEW UP FRONT what you were paying, unless you were buying souvenirs or food or something. We were firmly told no souvenirs, no mickey ears UP FRONT, so my Dad the accountant knew his wallet wasnt wide open, he knew the total cost fr the day, so he could relax and have a ball himself!! Now Mom & Dad are gone of course, but they would be absolutely HORRIFIED at the prices there. We could circle the earth for their prices now, and with less traffic! I am soooo disappointed in Uncle Walt, as this was not what he wanted. DisneyCORP (and all their holdings) have become a money-eating ogre, and I don't think they can turn it around. They have gone to far down the smooth pavement of Money Avenue. i would not give Disney a DIME, at this point. I can make my own magic, thank you, without paying thousands and thousands. Or I can find first-hand magic all over the world, without Playing the Disney game

[@tenebrae23]

We went in 1976. Still had to pay with tickets for each ride. I was 8 and still remember a lot about it.

[@MannyEmm]

Thank you….this was awesome!

[@Waterboyofsuperman]

What a great film!

[@falards]

Country Bear Jamboree is exactly the same.

[@erinw6813]

Those ladies on the paddle boat mean business they’re like “out of our way! Come on!”

[@eddiec9756]

It feels so strange looking at this footage because I was brought there in the early 2000s and I don't remember any of it. So when I did the Disney College Program and got the opportunity to walk around the entire property it always made me wonder what the place was like decades past. Great video to see what used to be.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

The 70s were really the true glory days of DW. The 80s were really nice too.

[@scottfreeman3748]

I really appreciate the great video 😊😊

[@Trifelivin]

I was yet to be on this earth...but please take me back to this era

[@yesimadeitmyself]

Love seeing this video and recall being there for a first trip in 1977 . Have been a few times since, including a cruise and trip to Disneyland. It really is a huge expense to go these days and I worry about them making so changes to what was at the heart of the man who made it all happen ... maintain the magic 😍

[@cowpuddles4851]

Weird that they focused so much on the Bear Jamboree and completely skipped over Haunted Mansion aside from a brief mention.

[@luiscribeiro]

Sou do extremo-sul do Brasil. Nasci em 1973. Minha primeira vez no WDW foi em 1986, depois fui várias vezes, sendo as últimas com minhas filhas. Última vez foi nesse ano de 2024. Sempre maravilhoso, não importa a vez, o ano... Em todas as épocas haviam pessoas críticas e anti-sociais como muitas que criticam aqui. Mas a maioria é feliz e se diverte e tudo que o WD nos trás é uma diversão que dá sentido à vida. Obrigado Walt e a todos os funcionários que até hoje fazem desse local um sonho!

[@doreenkratzer6685]

Look how nice Disney was back then no fights breaking out everyone just having good old fashion fun. Just sad how everything has changed. 😢 Totally disgusting.

[@rocketrodlover]

our world has changed and not for the better. Take away the cell phones and being back human interaction

[@der22672]

My family went for the first time in July 1972. My mom was six months pregnant with my sister. What a trooper. 😂😂😉😉❤️❤️

[@driayoung710]

This is a masterpiece. What a great feeling 😌 to go back in time. So very different now. Not sure if Walt would approve 🤔.

[@lindabradford9591]

I guarantee he wouldn't. It was about families. Now families can't afford to go. Very sad.

[@Grimmnight16]

I guarantee he would approve. Disney is very family friendly. Very happy!

[@saltydog4759]

@@Grimmnight16 It's the other word that means "happy"

[@deborahmcdermott6927]

He wouldn't. All the new rides are coasters. His idea was a place for the entire family to have fun. A lot of people can't ride coasters as they age.

[@Grimmnight16]

@@deborahmcdermott6927 He would love the progress.

[@robertburdick2998]

It truly was a magical experience. You exit the highway driving through a forested road with a sense of excitement and anticipation and then the sign “Welcome to the Magic Kingdom”. Entering the Monorail Station the were plenty of employees dressed in sci-fi futuristic uniforms.Remember the Main St. Transportation Co? You could ride the fire truck, horse drawn carriages, old cars etc. That went away as did the double decker buses at EPCOT. No paying to cut in line (fast or speed past). You could sit down at various choices of restaurant’s without a reservation. Now everywhere, at the Magic Kingdom, it’s all fast food. No in park transport. They shove as many people as possible through the main gate, you can’t walk anywhere in a straight line or bumping into someone. The lines are so long you can only see a few attractions. And the price increases to see and do less is terrible. It truly was the “Happiest place on earth!”. Now it’s nostalgic to be there but they attach a vacuum hose to your wallet.

[@sherrystrawn7628]

Soo nostalgic, even though I didn't visit until 1980. I'd love to hop in there Delorean and go back to this much simpler time. ❤

[@People_of_the_Mouse]

That was awesome. My first trip was December 1974.

[@robertshabarekh610]

They showed this in the library at my elementary school when I was in the first grade right before summer break. We all thought it was amazing

[@barryrsmith70]

I first visited Disney World in 1974 (I was 4 years old) not too long after this film was made! I still have my home movies

[@wilkinsmusicfl4141]

I remember as late as the 80’s, Main Street was more about entertainment than merchandise. Less than a decade later it was gift shop galore.

[@texaswunderkind]

Not it wasn't. I went in 1976 and it was EXACTLY the same.

[@peregrino9154]

This is the year I first went there. It's the first memory I have in my life.

[@pamd1536]

So much changed yet so much the same! I went first in 1975 and now live in Florida with annual pass.

[@jerseyforhawks]

Yeah, I was there in '73. Before Space Mountain. Drove from Long Island to see grandma & grandpa in FL. Did we stay on property. Ah, no. Fast forward, have stayed on property in 2017, and visited several times in last 12 years with my family. ❤.

[@87jallen]

The hall of Presidents is one of my favorites!! We see it every time we visit!

[@cm1133]

One of my favorite memories of my daughter occurred at the Hall of Presidents back in May 2010 when she was 3 1/2 years old. While we were in the Hall of Presidents, my daughter noticed that they only mention Grover Cleveland being President on time. She said to me, “they are wrong daddy. Grover Cleveland was President twice. He was president. Then, Benjamin Harrison was President. Then, Glover Cleveland was President again.” This man sitting behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and asked me, “how the hell does she know all this?” I replied, “because I’ve taught her the lists of U.S. Presidents.” That man then turned to his wife and said, “Honey, we need to work with our kids!” I was so proud. I cannot help but wonder how many times he has told that story to people. My daughter is now a 17-year-old, home schooled straight A student, who is a level nine competitive gymnast. Her goal is to be a gymnast in college and become a orthopedic surgeon.