Making My Way to Disney!

Part One 

Dale and I in Frontierland, Magic Kingdom, circa 1972

Doesn't this photo just scream the seventies?  The year was 1972 and this was my first trip to Walt Disney World. I saw Dale in Frontierland, and snagged him for a photo.  This was somewhat of a big deal.  Not because of the character op but because of the cost of buying, and developing film.  I know, right?  How archaic!  

I remember nothing about this encounter, so I'm thankful for the photo.  In case you are scratching your head and thinking to yourself, "this sure doesn't look like Frontierland", well, you would be correct, sort of.  Behind me is the train station; don't you just love the decorative rocks lining the sidewalk?  In today's Frontierland, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain would be behind me.

I won't tried to explain my fashion sense, it was the seventies for heaven's sake!  But I will say, I made this outfit with sewing skills honed during my 4-H years.  

Although I don't remember meeting Dale, I do remember how excited I was to visit the Magic Kingdom. Driving up the main entrance road, my head was smooshed against the car window, in the backseat, trying to see something, anything; I especially wanted to get a glimpse of Cinderella's Castle.  Little did I know at the time, we were not actually near the Magic Kingdom! Oh my, seems silly now!  

When it came to attractions, the steam train was incredibly cool to ride; Small World was amazing and gave us a tune to sing on the two hour car ride home, mom and dad loved that; Cinderella's Castle was the most beautiful sight ever imagined and County Bear Jamboree, oh my, what a hoot! The Haunted Mansion was so scary and the Jungle Cruise with the backside of water and the skippers with their silly jokes, so funny. During the early days of the Magic Kingdom, all the skippers were guys and boy were they cute! The Hall of Presidents was amazing, after all, Lincoln stood up to speak!  

Those early guests to the Magic Kingdom, including me, could not help but be in total awe of the place, because the experience was something so different, so surreal, so new, that no one could even imagine such a place.  Well, except Walt Disney! This is the stuff that dreams are made of! Hmm, I think that was a line from a Hillary Duff movie!

​