Destination Wally World: Here comes the real Griswolds!

If you were a fan of movies in the ’80s, you surely remember the iconic station wagon from National Lampoon’s “Vacation” — the Wagon Queen Family Truckster with its metallic pea paint and handsome wood side panels.

But if you saw the vehicle whizzing past on the highway now, you’d surely do a double take like many people did in the Orlando area. Don’t worry. You haven’t stumbled into a time warp going 30 years in the past. 

According to HLN affiliate Bay News 9, Lisa and Steve Griswold (yes, that’s their real name) were already fans of travel when they decided to take on a new project: restoring a 1984 Ford station wagon to its full glory and recreating the famous car down to the most finite details.

Nearly six months and $15,000 later, the Griswolds had a perfect replica of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster (not the Antarctic blue Super Sportswagon with the CB and optional rally fun pack like Clark Griswold wanted) and a reason to go to Walt Disney World.

“It really hit home on our honeymoon when we were checking in under the Griswold reservation, and then the clerk at the desk busted out laughing,” Lisa recalls.