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

[tikibird]

Okay, now that I have finally finished my June/July report, and have no trips planned in the near future, I would like to share with you some pictures I recently found when looking for old pictures of Gonzo.

Flashback to the age of disco and polyester - it is the Spring of 1980 and I am 17 years old. A Senior in High School that knows it ALL! The Food Police and I have already been dating for over a year, but he is not in the band, so is home during this trip. I am the drum major in the band, after playing alto saxophone for 4 years previously.

As seniors, my friends and I thought we were the absolute coolest, and walked through the World like we owned it! We had all been once prior, in 1978, so we pretty much knew our way around our hotel, the Hotel Royal Plaza, and the Magic Kingdom, which was the only park at the time. We watched BTMRR being built!

I actually was a budding trip report writer at the time, as my passion in life was to become a travel agent. So, the words you see in italics were actually written by me as a 17-year-old. I will interject as an older, wiser tikibird in regular print.

And no commments about how SKINNY I was then, okay? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

So, now it is time for:

The Departure

I asked my parents to take a picture of me in my shades, with my beloved teddy bear (Andy Panda, who is really not a panda, obviously), prior to leaving.



April 23, 1980 Me ready to leave for the bus with my faithful companion


My carryons

We met in the Brentwood Park parking lot to take off on our long-awaited trip. Many a candy bar and hoagie were sold to finance this excursion!



Left to Right - Mary Ellen, Eve, Good SQUAD (Maryann) & Shari We all had these real cool hats, but Goon Squad sat on mine on the plane on the way home!

On to Pittsburgh airport and boarding the plane



Me, little Andy Panda and Shari preparing for take-off



Eve and Maryann looking weird (as usual!)

We made it safely to Orlando, and to the Hotel Royal Plaza. I remember that as part of our package, we had a yummy breakfast buffet there each day, and were also given vouchers to get meals in the parks. There was a cool disco that I was dying to be old enough to go into, as well. Someone in the room had a crush on a pizza delivery guy, so we kept trying to place orders. I distinctly remember dancing to Michael Jackson's Off the Wall by the pool at night.

Next up - A Day at Wet and Wild water park

[ 10-24-2002, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: tikibird ]

[tikibird]

A Day at Wet and Wild water park

This day was a blast! Most of us had never seen a water park before, and were amazed at the slides, as well as the wave pool.



Dave and JimTwo eighth graders that liked to hang out with us!



Me in my favorite habitat (all we need is an ocean!)



The "Kamakazi" You're crazy if you think I would have waited up there to go on that thing!



"Bathing Beauties" L to R Maryann, Eve, Shari, and yours truly!



At least I was adventurous enough to try this slide - twice! It was great!



The "wave pool" - We all hung on to a raft that ______ name removed here! stole from someone - it was a blast Okay - remember I was a teenager - but it wasn't me - honest!



The "bumper cars" (At $1.50 for 7 minutes, I was too cheap to try one!

Wow, I guess inflation really HAS gone up!

That was our day of fun in the sun - next up -

A Day at the Magic Kingdom

[mom2mudmonsters]

Tiki I am so looking forward to the rest of your report, this should be really interesting to see your perspectives & how they have changed!!!

[waterbug62]

Hi Tikibird!

What a blast from the past! I loved the pics, especially since I was a senior in HS in 1980 too. Love the outfits and cool hair! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] AND to top it off, (now this is really bad) 1980 was the last time I was at WDW. We (DH, DS and myself) are FINALLY going back in December! I bet things have changed a little, huh? Great trip pictures. I remember going to Wet 'n Wild too and thinking it was just the greatest thing in the world! Thanks for the chuckle!

[Heidi]

Boy did that hair bring back memories. Glad you started posting this past trip report.

Looking forward to more!!! [img]graemlins/puter.gif[/img]

[tikibird]

Well, since y'all had to mention the HAIR, time out for the ultimate hair picture (but I have to say this was WAY better than the mid/late 80's do I sported!) [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]



Here I am - on the balcony of our room at the Royal Plaza Hotel at Lake Buena Vista, Florida!

waterbug, I wasn't at WDW from 1980 until 2000, and was AMAZED at how different things are - you are going to have a blast!

[PS - I LUV WDW]

Sandy - thanks for the early 80's memories! I was one year behind you (1981) so a lot of the styles are really hitting home!

[BostonTeaParty]

Oh, the Farrah Fawcett hair is a riot!!! Didn't we all have that 'do for awhile? Curling irons were all the rage. And yes, I had all the answers to life back then too. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

I love the look back Tiki. Thanks for doing this. Looking forward to more installments!

[ 09-13-2002, 07:16 AM: Message edited by: NancyW ]

[DisneyFan101]

Oh I loved your photos. I was the class '81, and your photos brought back lots of memories. I also had a the perm with lots of layers. We went to WDW to for our senior trip; we also went to Wet and Wild. No, I was a wuss, and did not do the kamakazi slide. We also went to a roller disco, and a luau/disco at Sea World. I do believe I am dating myself. I still have my old ride tickets from WDW in a scrapbook. Oh, the "Glory Days". [img]graemlins/usa.gif[/img]

[DisneyNutMary]

Tiki, thanks for sharing your memories with us. I have to say, even though I was just a kid in 1980, my sister was in high school, and looking at your pictures reminds me of how I remember her and her friends back then! I can't wait to see the pics of MK and see how different things looked. I was there for the first time in 1982 with my grandparents, and although I know there were lots of pictures I don't know where they've gone since my grandparemts passed. It must be cool to be able to look back at them now

[Shell_of_the_South]

This is too fun! Can't wait to see more pictures, especially of MK back then!

Let's see, I went in 73 and 77, wonder where those photos are...?

[luvnwdwgal]

Thanks for the memories Tikibird!
I was an 1980 graduate too and your trip report is hitting home with me!
Love the hair! You just weren't cool if you didn't have those feathered bangs!
Can't wait for more! Hurry!
[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[TINKN]

Thank-you Tiki! This is awesome!

[waterbug62]

Yes! The hair! I can remember spending so much time doing my hair in the morning. AND this was before hair products were in the store (you know, gel, mousse, etc). What did we do then without hair products? I think the only thing available was White Rain or Aqua Net hairspray and we can't forget "Dippety-Do"!!!!

Sorry about getting way off-topic, but these pictures are too funny! I know you were the height of fashion back then!

[Marv]

This is great! I also graduated from high school in 1980. I didn't have long hair so I never had the Farrah look, but a few years earlier,does anyone remember the Dorothy Hamil look? That's what I had. Anyway, I didn't go to Florida until spring break in college in 1981. We went on the bus from Minnesota. Oh, how did we ever do that? I took a look back at those pictures, we did wet and wild, too. In 1981, it was the tencennial (1971-81) at MK. About the only photos I could put in a scrapbook are the ones from MK (no alcohol served there, if you get my drift [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img] ). I dont want my kids to grow up! And if they do, they are never going on spring break!!!!!
Thanks for posting this report. You've brought back a lot of fun memories for a lot of people. Now it's our turn to tell you we can't wait for the next installment! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]