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Don't blink!
They grow way too fast!
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A few weeks ago, I got the idea for this post that you are reading right now. The idea was to upload my favorite pictures of our family at the Disney parks taken throughout the decades.
To prepare for this, I gathered many photos from various online and physical locations.
Looking through decades of photos of my family in front of various favorite Disney landmarks, i.e., the castles and Spaceship Earth, I knew I would see the change in my kids over the years of photos. That's why I decided to gather them, so I could see each photo compared with each other in this blog format, and of course, show others too.
Over the years, when I took these photos in front of the various Disney landmarks, I took them thinking at the time that the landmark would be showcased, not necessarily the people in the photo. I used my family as beautiful models to make the landmark even more beautiful, rather than just take the picture of the landmark.
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| When I took this picture of my fourth oldest, I was taking a picture of the ferris wheel. Now that he is grown up and living in another state, this is a picture of my (then) 16 year-old. This picture means the world to me now. |
Having a model in front of a landmark is kind of a rule in our family. The rule originated from my grandma. When she and Grandpa traveled and took photos of landmarks, Grandma always stepped into the picture.
As a family, we would gather to watch their slide shows and here she was in all of the pictures that Grandpa took. One day, someone commented to Grandma about why there were so many pictures of her. She said, "Every picture needs a person in it no matter what." She's right, and I always try to remember Grandma's rule, but sometimes the models won't cooperate as well as Grandma did.
Anyway..... I looked at the photos I had gathered, not really thinking too deeply about things. As I did, it suddenly dawned on me that it was not the landmark that that had become important to me now that the years have passed. Strikingly, it was the people in the photos, despite the landmark! I now know why Grandma set the pattern of always having a person you love in the photo. See the difference? Here are two pictures of Monstro, Disneyland Fantasyland.
Having taken so many photos in the same place, provided consistent backgrounds just like school portraits, and showcased the change in each family member as time passed.
Also, more noticeable was the story of our family that the photos told. We started out with a very small family, and every other year or so, we had a new addition. Those babies quickly grew up in a blink of an eye, and then they left. Mom and Dad were sad. But then! they came back, and brought more children, friends, and spouses; more people to love with them.
Looking at the photos of my kids growing up in front of these backgrounds made me realize how precious each of those trips was for making precious memories together, knitting our hearts together. In many cases, it's our vacations that we remember the most, and I am very, very glad we made our vacations a priority over everything else material that we could spend our money on.
We have also had the blessing to meet with my sisters at Disney and we have pictures of our kids enjoying time together at Disney as well.
Also, seeing the few photos I have of grandparents on our Disney trips, makes me really glad I took those pictures, as few as they are. Two grandparents are now in heaven, and one can no longer go with us. Grandma Maxine never complained about having her picture taken and I love her for it!
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| This is Grandma Maxine, the one who said every photo should have a person in it. I have many memories of going to Disneyland with Grandma Maxine. In 1995, she was able to go with my kids. She offered to push my two year-old (oldest son) to give support to her back that in the years to come would break several times from osteoporosis. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 92. |
Disney has been a part of our family since I was a toddler. In fact, as you will learn by the end of my post, Disney was a large reason our family was able to get our start together.
My first Disney trip was to Disneyland in 1969 when I was three years old. During that time, the Disneyland entrance fee was under $5.00!
Growing up, I was able to go often since we only lived 35 miles away. I had invitations from friends for their birthday parties. We went on school fieldtrips, Mormon Nights at Disneyland, and for my husband and myself, back when we were dating, Disney was a favorite place for date night.
As students, most of the time we couldn't afford to pay to go into the park, so we often went to the Disneyland Hotel Dancing Waters show, explored the hotel, did window shopping at the hotel shops, and we rode the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland to the hotel; anything to get some Disney Magic!
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| This is a postcard picture of the Dancing Waters show. We didn't have good enough cameras back then to actually get a good picture. |
Back then, The Disneyland Hotel was a miniature Downtown Disney, or Disney Springs, and was a good place to get some Disney atmosphere even when you couldn't afford to pay to go to Disneyland.
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Taken in the day, not too long ago,
when you didn't need to stand
in line or have a Fast Pass to
interact with a character.
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The first time my hand was ever held by my husband, years before we got married, was on the way home from a high school choir concert that we had both participated in at Disneyland 1981.
Our first date was at Disneyland Mormon Night in 1982, and our first kiss was after a date we went to at Mormon Night Disneyland in 1985.
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Look at that ticket price! I possibly attended in 1978.
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Together we performed at the Disney Christmas Candlelight Procession in the winter, and in the spring we sang together in our high school choir on the steps of the castle.
In the mid 1980s we attended a Disneyland Osmond's concert, a concert with the Letterman, and we were in one of the first groups to see Captain EO, and ride Star Tours.
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| Captain EO was the first interactive theater that I had ever been to when the theater moved and responded to the movie. It was also my first 3D movie. It was shown at Epcot until last year, and has since been replaced by the Pixar Movie Film Festival, which is a good change for children. Captain EO, while it had it's positive messages, was pretty scary for the kids and, admittingly, for me too. But for us teenagers back in the day, it was pretty amazing. |
The Disney tradition continues through both generations of my children and my grandchildren.
In 2015, when my husband was recruited to take a position in Lake Mary, Florida, which he took, we ended up living, again, 35 miles from Disney. Now, we live near Walt Disney World, and fortunately, we are able to carry on the traditions that started many years ago.
Here's an interesting fact: We moved to Iowa in 2001, very far from both coasts and both Disney's. One day, an Iowa friend told me about their recent trip to Disney World.
Because I'd been to Disneyland so many times, I didn't have any inclination to travel to Disney World, but hearing her trip report, I changed my mind. I really wanted to see Epcot.
When we finally made it down, I was hooked both to Central Florida and Disney World. Epcot was more amazing than I had dreamed....and I experienced it food
and alcohol free. 😉
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| Epcot 2012 |
Obviously, due to all of these conditions that have brought us to both Disney resorts, we have many family pictures at both resorts.
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| In 2015 we took a last minute trip to California to help out Grandma R. We took a day off to visit DL. It was 110 degrees that day, but we still enjoyed ourselves. It was the Disneyland's 60th birthday that year, and it was decorated for Halloween. |
Even if you are a frequent visitor, there's always that desire to take the family photo in front of " The Castle" or Spaceship Earth. And if you are like me, you might feel a little silly about about it, because you know you have already taken that picture at least a half dozen times.....and I have.
Many people have a hobby of collecting things, Christmas ornaments, figurines, coins, fossils, rocks. I collect pictures of my kids in front of The Castle, Everest, and Spaceship Earth. For many years, I have felt both guilty and silly for taking so many pictures in front the same Disney Kodak Picture Spots over and over again.
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| This is one of many, but one of our best, although we are missing our oldest here. Taken in 2012. |
But, now that I have finished this project I realize there is nothing silly about it. I have realized that when time passes and situations in your family change, your pictures will bring up great memories and tender feelings.
If you are younger than I am and thinking it would be silly to take too many pictures on your Disney trips. Don't worry about it any longer! You won't be sorry! It will be one of the smartest things you ever did.
Below are many of my favorites, and as you scroll through them, they tell a story of a family that grew as we had more children, got smaller as the older children grew up and left, and then grew again as they came back with their families. They tell the story of an eternal family where each family member is loved and valued.
For my family, especially my kids, I hope you enjoy the memories!!!!!
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| Grandma Rosmary went with us to Disneyland many times throughout the years. |
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This was on our only trip with Grandpa Frank who passed away in 2001. Here he is holding our oldest son at the age of 3 sitting at the Train Station.
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Our three oldest at California Adventure in 2006.
This was the one of the first trips Grandma R. joined us after Grandpa passed away. My sister and I have a knack for planning our vacations in the same places and at the same times, so we were able to meet up with them on this trip as well. You can see her husband on the far left, and her oldest son in the red and yellow. Grandma, no doubt, was hot and tired, but she never gave up spending time with her family. As miserable as she looks, she insisted on it every year. |
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| Disneyland 2006. I always dressed the younger kids in matching shirts to make navigating the crowds and being able to do a quick count easier. I never lost a kid. The little guys were tied to me by baby leashes. They didn't like it, but getting lost is no fun either. |
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| A nice stranger offered to take a picture of the whole family. We didn't realize at the time how quickly our princess would grow up and how priceless any Disney photos with her in them would become. |
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This is our awkward family photo taken at the Magic Kingdom in 2007. The lady taking the photo had tremors and struggled to keep the camera still. We were all concentrating on her instead of concentrating on smiling. Our daughter is standing close to my husband and I'm off to the side. She looks like his wife, and I look like the mother-in-law. My four-year-old, don't know what he was thinking! We bust up everytime we look at this one.
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We had camera issues on our first trip to Walt Disney World. I think I had something happen with the camera as we have only about ten photos of this historic trip. Walt Disney World was celebrating the Year of a Million Dreams and they were granting surprises to one million visitors that year. We were randomly chosen to all get free Mickey Hats commemorating the celebration. Here we are taking the boat across the World Showcase Lagoon.
This photo shows why it's important to take these pictures. The Sorcerer's hat at Disney Hollywood no longer exists, and my fourth son is all grown up and living on his own now.
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| And back to Disneyland in 2009. Goofy kids. |
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| Can't see the baby here, but he's there, in the stroller. |
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| They grow up so fast. This was our oldest's last Disney trip with us until 2016 when we took her and her children with us to Magic Kingdom. |
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| Here is Daddy and our three youngest at the Animal Kingdom in 2012. The little guy was having a horrible reaction to sunblock. |
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| Cute but feeling miserable due to the sunblock sensitivity at the Animal Kingdom petting zoo. |
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| Epcot 2012 |
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| Which one is the fish and which one is the boy? |
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| Here he looks more like himself. |
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| At the entrance to Rafiki's Planet Watch and still breaking out. |
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| Rockin' Rollercoaster. This one is currently serving a church mission. We miss him so much. This photo is precious to us right now. |
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| I love this one! These two were always good with using props. |
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| Taken in Ellen's Universe of Energy at Epcot 2012. This attraction is currently being evaluated for replacement. |
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| He was terried of Chip and Dale. |
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| Got it figured out now. We're okay. |
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In 2007, my sister and I planned our family vacations at WDW. Here is a log full of my family and hers. The two boys in the back turned Mom and Dad into props.
Here's a picture of my sister and me at Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland. |
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| And my sister's oldest holding hands with my youngest. This is special. |
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| Our oldest son and his Dad in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle WDW. |
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| The big kids went off to ride Everest Single Rider. We didn't feel like the younger kids were old enough to do it yet, but they are now! |
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| A few months later we went to visit Grandma R. in California. Here we are at the Rivers of America in Disneyland in 2013. |
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| This one has since flown the nest too. |
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| Waiting outside the Tiki Room at Disneyland 2013. The group of our kids now able to go with us is getting smaller! :( |
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He was recovering from two heart surgeries that had happened six weeks earlier. He was and is still doing well. ~2013
Outside of Toy Story Mania at California Adventure.
With Walt and Mickey at California Adventure
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| Our oldest son had just come back from a two-year mission which he served for our church, and our third oldest was getting ready to leave. What better place to spend a good vacation together than Walt Disney World in 2015? |
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| The chance of getting soaked on Kali River Rapids is very high. Usually, we just let it happen, but not when it's 50 degrees outside! |
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| Everyone together except for our daughter. Still the same 2015 trip, as are the following photos. |
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| The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Epcot |
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| Disney Hollywood Studios. The sculptures were on loan from the Academy of Arts and Television and have since been returned. |
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| Animal Kingdom |
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One of my most favorite rides and favorite pictures of the boys here at Rockin' Rollercoaster, Disney Hollywood.
For college, my daughter's husband was an intern at Animal Kingdom where he made friends with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He joined the church, went on a mission, then went to BYU, Idaho, where he met my daughter. If he had not gone to work for Disney, they never would have met, married, and given us our grandchildren! Disney has blessed our lives over the years in many ways!
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The years continue with us living in Florida, as do the pictures of our family at Disney.......
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| We bought a small house so we could afford to fly the college students home for Spring Break and take them to Disney. |
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I'm always stopping them for a picture. Here they are last year in front of Thunder Mountain.
Our third oldest son's girlfriend had her first trip to Disney with us last year. We loved showing her around.
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Month's later our oldest son's fiance, now our daughter-in-law joined us for her first trip to Walt Disney World.
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And then our princess returned with her little prince and princess. What a great feeling it was to have her back with us with our grandchildren at the Happiest Place on Earth
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