By: Tara 

On this day, 49 years ago, Walt Disney World opened! With humble beginnings, the resort consisted of Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

While much of the Magic Kingdom’s layout and attractions are based off of it’s sister park, Disneyland in California, Walt had a specific plan in what in envisioned for his new project. He was determined not to make the same mistakes that he did with Disneyland. 

A Vision

Walt kept his plan a secret from the public and most of his staff, enlisting a small team of trusted individuals. Together they began to look for the perfect park location; Walt wanted a location with ideal weather year round, a highway system that could handle large amounts of traffic, and A LOT of land. He not only wanted a bigger and better park, but he also wanted to control the area around it. On November 22, 1963, Walt found that perfect location in Central Florida. Once it was determined, Walt’s team devised a plan. To keep cost down, their lawyer, Bob Foster, worked under a pseudonym, Bob Price, and began to purchase land under fake shell companies. 

Many of the companies had believable names;  Bay Lake Properties, Reedy Creek Ranch Inc., Tomahawk Properties Inc., and Madeira Land Company. They also had creative names such as, M.T. Lott (empty lot) Real Estate, Retlaw (Walter spelled backward), and Ayefour (I-4) Corporation. Even with the punny (see what I did there?) names, over a span of 18 months, Bob and his team were able to purchase 27,443 acres of land at an average price of $180. To put that size into perspective, 27,443 is twice the size of Manhattan! 

Despite their carefulness; internal memos, secrete phone relays, different flight routes from California to Florida, a reporter figured out who the mystery buyer was. After that, land price skyrocketed from $200 to $80,000 per acre.

Once word was out, Walt made a formal announcement about the “Florida Project” and his city of tomorrow.

Sadly, Walt would never see his vision come to light. He passed away on December 15, 1966 of lung cancer. Unwilling to let his brother’s dream die with him, Roy postponed his retirement to oversee the completion of what he would name, Walt Disney World. Construction began in 1967 in the swamplands of Central Florida. 

Central Florida provided a set of it’s own challenges. Set at sea level, with a high water table, tunnels could not be constructed underground. Instead, dirt was removed from the construction of the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon, and placed on top of the designated Magic Kingdom land, elevating it. That means when you are walking down Main Street, U.S.A., you are actually walking on the second story! Below is a set of ultilitdors or underground corridors, which allows Cast Members to move around the park while staying out of sight from guests. Other backstage operations, such as trash removal, deliveries, etc. are performed through these systems. 

It took more than 9,000 construction workers, $400 millions dollars, and just under five years to complete what was then named, Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, and the two resorts. 

Opening Day

October 1, 1971, marked the soft opening for the parks. Learning from their Disneyland opening day fiasco, the company wanted time to work out any kinks before the official grand opening celebration. Even though the 1st was considered a soft opening, the park still hosted 10,000 guests that day! 

An entry ticket on opening day cost a measly $3.50 per person! Instead of the FastPass+ system, ticket books were purchased for $5.75 and allowed a guest to ride up to eleven adventures. Each attraction was categorized by a letter, or degree of thrill. Guests were able to pick out a number of attractions in each lettered category: 

• A Coupon (lowest degree of thrill)- choose 1
• B Coupon- choose 1
• C Coupon- choose 2
• D Coupon- choose 3
• E Coupon (highest degree of thrill)- choose 4

Source: themousemuseum.com

Majority of attractions are still active today, while some attraction venues, such as The Penny Arcade, have been turned into retail shops. 

Grand Opening Celebration

October 25, 1971 marked the official grand opening celebration of the park. On that day, Walt’s older brother and CEO of the Walt Disney World Company, made this dedication:

“Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney… and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney’s dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place…a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn together.”

The celebration included journalist from across the country covering the official dedication and parade. The Walt Disney World on Parade included performers, characters, and a 1,076 piece ceremonial marching band. 

After the park opening, Roy planned to finally enjoy retirement. He even booked a cruise for him and his wife for the following February. Sadly, Roy passed December 20, 1971, just two months after his dedication speech.

49 years later and Walt Disney World continues to expand and welcome millions of visitors from around the world! On this day, let us remember that it would not be possible without the vision of an extraordinary man and dedication of his brother.