Tikibird's April 1980 High School Band Trip Report: Hotel Royal Plaza - Completed About This Page:

[portagethecat]

Thanks for posting these pictures, they bring back lots of memories. I was class of '80 and our class trip was to Orlando during Easter week. I remember taking the ferry from MK at the end of the day, staring at the castle and promising that someday I would get myself back there. (which I did [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] )

[gumby74]

Tiki! Thanks so much for bringing back these early memories - I was also there in 1980 (admittedly, I was a little younger - only 6), but the images of the park are exactly as I remember them. What fun! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[tigger536]

Originally posted by tikibird:
An obsession begins!

This was the day, yes, this was the day - that we visited the Enchanted Tiki Room! Still my favorite attraction today, even though the one in WDW has been updated (prefer the original version, still in DL - guess I'm a purist!)
[/b]

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">I totally aggree! Now I'm going to have to visit DL to see it again, LOL! The new version, while good, just isn't the same.

Great report! Its so cool to see what things looked like back then! (I also visited the World in 1980, but was too young to remember anything! You have a great memory to still have so many details in your report (I'm having trouble with all the details from last summer's trip, LOL!)

Can't wait for more!

Jacquelyn

[allysonh]

Originally posted by tikibird:


(Note the SHOPPING bag!)

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">OH MY!!! I remember those shopping bags!! When we went for the first time in 1981, my mom brought home a few of those and I remember I cut out the Mickey and Minnie in the middle and put it between wax paper and I had it hanging over my bed for a long time!!

As a matter of fact, when we were there two weeks ago, I found myself wistfully remembering those shopping bags!!

They should bring them back for a limited edition or something!

Great trip report!!

[ 09-16-2002, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: allysonh ]

[tikibird]

Allyson, I agree they need to bring back those shopping bags!

And tigger, I don't have that great of a memory, just applied that golden rule of trip report writing - I took notes back in 1980 - which is what you now see in italics!

Now, on to the next-to-last installment...

Next - Scenes from a glass elevator and Dinner at the Kapok Tree

This evening we are headed to the Kapok Tree (near Tampa?) for dinner. Ever the budding photographer, I first decide to ride the glass elevator to snap some shots.


Looking at another hotel from the glass elevator after I pulled the emrgency stop at the top floor This is now the Best Western Lake Buena Vista, where we stayed in May of 2000!



And...looking the other way

It seemed like it took forever to get to the Kapok Tree. I ended up having to sit with the adults.



You can tell how enthused I was about sitting at the chaperones' table!



No comment on what I wrote for this one - but this was one of our chaperons [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] ! I also commented on the "delicious stake". STAKE!! 4 point something GPA, in the gifted program, and I could not spell - very sad!



Another NO COMMENT - but this shot was my idea, was taken by every underclass male in sight, and ended up on many a locker door! [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Speaking of underclassmen:



Some more of our motley crew

Last up The Trip and Arrival Home!

[ 09-16-2002, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: tikibird ]

[DVC_Don]

Those pictures are neat, thanks. Back when you were down there, I was getting ready for my wedding.

That's so [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img] . Tiki's a locker room pin up! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[tikibird]

WAS Done, WAS! Yep, that was one wild and crazy picture of some wild and crazy girls! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[DisneyDude]

I was a Wild and Crazy 8yr old at that time [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Great report just the same Tiki. Gotta love any pictures of Disney.

[Dumbo]

Sometime around there I had DS #2. I feel old with all you class of 1980 people. Thanks for the flashback. DH and I were at Disney in 1975 (honeymoon). I think I'll dig out my photos and look at them.

[joyjoy]

Oh. Oh. OMG. I busted out laughing over some your terrific photos and hilarious comments. WHO WAS THAT WOMAN WHO'S CAPTION WAS DELETED?? Sorry to shout, but seriously, that is the funniest picture ever. No wait, the short shorts and tall socks is the funniest. I love the 80s.

This has been an excellent report! You were a photojournalist as a teenager and didn't even know it. An observation: You could use my pics from "It's A Small World" from September 2002 in your photo essay and no one would ever know the difference. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Enjoy your stake!

[tikibird]

Originally posted by joyjoy:
Oh. Oh. OMG. I busted out laughing over some your terrific photos and hilarious comments. WHO WAS THAT WOMAN WHO'S CAPTION WAS DELETED??

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">Names have been deleted to protect the innocent - remember this woman had to spend several days putting up with over one hundred teenagers! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

The Trip and Arrival Home!

All too soon it was time to get up the next day and fly home to Pittsburgh. As you can see, we flew on the now defunct Eastern Airlines, which was, at the time, the official airline of WDW. As I stated earlier, Maryann sat on my hat on the way home, so this is the last picture of it as it once was!


Come on girls, I know you're tired, but just one more picture?

More band members... speaking of band members, I was proud to be a band "geek" We weren't the popular crowd, but boy did we have a great time together!


I hope I never meet these guys in a dark alley!

Once home, I give my brother Scott (there are just two of us - he was born when I was 15!) his goodies!


Welcome home Sissy - is this all you brought me?

(BTW - here is Scott - all grown up last December, 2001, on Main St.!}


My faithful dog, Fluffy, was there to greet me, too. She lived to be 17 years old. I miss her!

Can dogs be possessed?

And a parting thought...

A beautiful combination - a fantastic trip, and lasting memories

I have to say that I particularly cherish this trip, because less than a year later, I found myself in the very grown-up roles of wife and mother. The trip was a great way to cap off our senior year, and I will never forget it - thanks for strolling back to memory lane with me! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[BostonTeaParty]

Thanks for sharing that trip down memory lane with us Tiki. Between the glimpses of almost forgotten fads (the Farrah hair, boys in really short shorts), it really was laugh-out-loud funny.

I have to say that I particularly cherish this trip, because less than a year later, I found myself in the very grown-up roles of wife and mother.

So does this mean you and Andy have your 25th wedding anniversary coming up soon??? [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img]

[tikibird]

Originally posted by NancyW:

So does this mean you and Andy have your 25th wedding anniversary coming up soon??? [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">Yes, the Food Police and I will celebrate our 25th on November 29, 2005. I figure he owes me big time, since we never had a real honeymoon (2 nights at the local Marriot - he worked the day after our wedding, and I sat there watching Pink Panther cartoons), so I'm thinking Poly concierge! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Gonzo]

nice socks

[luvnwdwgal]

Thanks Tikibird for the fun trip report and for bringing back so many memories for me.
I got a kick out of the guys shorts and tube socks! And to think that we used to think they looked cute when they dressed that way! LOL