Here's mine:
That's me, at the bottom of the photo, chowing down on the ice cream bar my mom is holding. My grandfather is to the left, and I will leave to the reader to determine the park and attraction we just visited. (Degree of difficulty: 0.2)
Actually, that's not the exact moment I remember. My only memory of that first trip to Disneyland (darn, gave it away!) was later that night, walking under the monorail beam in the old parking lot as my grandfather carried me and my parents tried to remember where the car was parked.
To humiliate myself in the hopes of sparking a few more memories among TPI readers, here I am, decked out in my Disney finest, a few years later.
Not to leave out the regional parks, here's a mid-1970s view of Kings Island (anyone recognize the rides in the background?), as I chow down again, this time on cotton candy.
What's your first theme park memory?
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WORD!!!!!!!!!!!
Though I don't remember it, my kindergarten teacher claims I used to watch the annual carnival being constructed, then draw pictures of the rides being set up. Guess I was destined for this.
I have some great memories, too, of our first and second trips to Disney World (Space Mountain was my favorite), the first time I went to Cedar Point (Magnum was pretty new still, and it was CRAZY!), and the first time I went to Six Flags (Batman: The Ride was new and it blew my mind). Some of those trips happened because of Michigan's Adventure.
My first theme park memory involves my parents taking me to Santa Claus Land (now Holiday World) during a huge snowstorm. All the rides were closed due to the freak snowstorm, but I didn't even know they had rides at the time. I thought they had taken me to the actual NORTH POLE! We looked at a room full of vintage toys (which I thought was Santa's toyshop), and I vividly remember seeing a large mini circus display with moving parts. I rode on a playground dolphin (or some animal) after dad cleared off the snow, and then we had hot chocolate in Santa's house and I met the real Santa Claus!
They finally gave in and I climbed in my 'copter.
When it started moving and lifted up, oh probably 3-4 feet, I was terrified and immediately started screaming.
The had to *stop* the ride and let me off. Hardly more than a toddler, I vowed to never ride another amusement park ride.
And here I am, 19 years as Holiday World's PR director, looking forward to another season and trying out those new Voyage trains.
How the worm doth turn. :0)
Also remember my first visit to Knotts Berry Farm and not being tall enough to ride a coaster called "Corkscrew." Cried my eyes out.
The Knotts trips were with Cub Scouts since enterance was free, we only had to pay for the rides we went on. Disney was special, that's why it was only once a year.
I also met Mary Poppins at the Grand Floridian. I literally stopped breathing because I was so excited.
That was last year.......no I am kidding, I was like 4 too!
It must have been the 4th of July, because when the fireworks go off (I think Coney wasn't doing fireworks every night like King's Island does)I scream and scream from the noise because it frightens me. Dad is holding me, and it's time to go home.
I remember a sun soaked, crowded, festive day.
To this day, every time I smell creosote, I'm 5-years-old at Six Flags and life is really groovy.
Sadly, that year was the last time I went to Americana. I'm not really sure why we stopped going, as that was in the late 80's. For some reason Kings Island, which was further away, became our new home park. I have never ridden the Screechin' Eagle, something I always have deeply regretted.
Anyway, we were at Busch Gardens we were heading towards Tanganyika Tidal Wave, the tour guide then said to us and a couple of others that were leading at the front of the group, to hurry. Hurry, hurry!!! The line is short he said pointing towards the bridge. They were people at the bridge and no ones was moving so my family and a couple of others figure it was a queue and hurried. I didn't, cause i was in that good of a mood.
What happened next?
You heard the rumble of the big log coming down the ramp and you get soooaked!!!
I didn't, but my family were foooooled!!! Badly. When my mom came back with water dripping of her hair the tour guide ask her:
Did you get wet?
Needless to say my mom was really piss off. It wasn't my first memory, but it was the funniest that first trip.
~The next year we went again and a different tour guide tried to pull that stunt again. I rat him out!!!
I was six. We were fishing at the trout pond and I had already caught a fish, so I was standing near the edge.
Just a my father told me to back away from the edge before I fell in...I fell in.
My dad grabbed me by the arm as I sunk and pulled me back up. And both my parents were irritated at me for the rest of the visit.
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