Once upon a time, a pair of incredible parents decided they should take a trip to Disney World with their two little girls, six and two years old…

Sometimes the past feels like a story, doesn’t it? I’ve always had a pretty good imagination, and I’m sure my parents struggled with the typical parenting issues at the time, but the 80’s were a little like Camelot for me.

My parents made vacations a priority and we explored different parts of the country each summer. Like many American families at the time, we sported a Volkswagon van for our adventures, a white and orange beauty. I remember one trip early on where Dad rigged up beds for us all to actually sleep in the van at a campground. It worked! We were little and they were creative. At some point they decided to invest in a pop-up camper and then the fun really started.

This trip was a big one… we were traveling East from our home in Tulsa, Oklahoma and going all the way to Florida, staying in multiple KOA’s along the way. Our itinerary included New Orleans, Louisiana, Vicksburg, Mississippi (primarily for the battlefields, Dad’s must-do), and Mobile, Alabama (touring the US Alabama and Bellingrath Gardens, Mom’s pick). Several stops in Florida were on the list, including Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral), Gulf Breeze, and Silver Springs.

One thing my parents always included on our road trips though was a theme park of some kind, for us! This time it was the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. I look back now and it’s nearly impossible to believe it was the lone park on property. The Polynesian and Contemporary Resorts were the only two Disney resorts at the time, and I’m sure they delighted guests, but we were headed to Disney’s campground, Fort Wilderness. And that is where my Disney World trip memories begin.

Fort Wilderness Campground

To this day, my parents are fans of Fort Wilderness and say it’s the nicest campground they’ve stayed in. In fact, they still love to stay there – in a different type of camper these days.

At the time, I don’t know if I noticed it was the nicest, but it was definitely the most fun. I know we stayed there at least twice as a family when we were little, and I have several distinct memories. One is sitting under the stars to watch an outdoor movie, a great tradition which still happens today. Another is a campfire sing-along, although Chip & Dale didn’t join us as they do for the Sing-alongs now. I remember sitting in a circle around a campfire with a cast member leading us in singing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song, “M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.” I bet we also roasted marshmallows, but I mainly remember the sound of the singing.

Above them all, my hands-down favorite Fort Wilderness memories are of River Country. Because Fort Wilderness didn’t just have beautiful campsites, clean bath houses, winding walking trails, and the Hoop Dee Doo dinner show (which we also enjoyed). But it also included its own amazing themed water park! Sigh….. (sorry, just lamenting a bit). It had slides, it had tube rides, it had play structures, it had water volleyball, it had a beach, it was AMAZING!!

All of the features were fed from the Seven Seas Lagoon, the body of water between the campground and the Magic Kingdom. Granted, it was 1980, and it would probably be dwarfed by today’s water parks, but I’m certain thousands of guests made magical memories in that lake water. I think it reminded me of the Swiss Family Robinson scene where they find water slides and fun pools of water on their island… a natural playground.

The Hoop Dee Doo, Disney’s longest running dinner show, was in full swing at the time. And according to my Dad’s 40 YEAR-OLD home bookkeeping records (did I mention he is an accountant?), we did attend a performance. I’ve had the pleasure of indulging in this show’s slapstick humor and mouth-watering menu several times, and I’m not sure I have specific memories of this first experience, but it’s continued to be a family favorite. The crazy thing is that apparently it only cost $12.50 for all of us to attend on this trip!

Magic Kingdom

Oh yeah, there was also a theme park! I wish I could reach back in my memory to the very first time I saw Cinderella’s castle at the end of Main Street. The fact that I can’t makes me so thankful for these photos.

What fun! Other Disney World trip memories of old include riding 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which was located where the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train stands now. I also remember the Skyway gondolas floating above Fantasyland. I love that the parks are always changing and updating, but it’s always fun to walk down memory lane.

Do you have any memories from this time? Please share them below, I’d love to hear!