It may have been a bleak year for theme parks but it will never stop us from celebrating their incredible history. As Walt Disney World marks its 49th anniversary this week we delve into how the flagship theme park was more than a decade in the making, how it remained one of the US’ greatest secrets for years and why it was known as the Happiest Place in Earth long before the grand opening…
1. After the success of Disneyland California opening in 1955 Walt Disney Productions was keen to open a second resort in the East Coast of the US. In 1959 Walt Disney and his team began looking for new land, with the proposal the next Disney project needed more space than the original Disneyland California site.
2. 30,000 acres of land was bought by Disney near Bay Lake, Orlando at cost of $1.5 million. The site was chosen due to its well-developed network of roads and position with Florida’s turnpike.
3. Disney Imagineers worked in secret for the next six years to bring the new magical attraction to life. Lots of speculation surrounded a second park, with Walt Disney denying he had any interest of developing a new addition at an interview at the Kennedy Space Centre in 1965.
4. Walt Disney World was finally revealed on October 25 1965, with Florida State Governor Haydon Burns announcing it to be ‘the greatest attraction in the history of Florida’
5. Sadly, Walt Disney never saw his spectacular envisions of the attraction brought to life as he died in 1966 from lung cancer. His brother Roy Disney stepped in to oversee the construction.
6. The project employed 9000 construction workers and took 18 months to build, the final development costs totalled $400 million.
7. Magic Kingdom opened October 1 1971. Admission price was $3.50 for adults, $2 for teenagers and $1 for children 12 and under.
8. With the grand launch of Cinderella’s Castle, Main Street and the ample of magical attractions, Walt Disney World welcomed 10,000 visitors on the opening day.
The most popular attraction in the 21st century
- Fast forward almost 50 years Disney is now home to three more theme parks and two water parks – EPCOT (1982), Hollywood Studios (1989), Typhoon Lagoon (1989), Blizzard Beach (1995) and Animal Kingdom (1998)
- GoBankingRates estimated the Disney brand to be worth an eyewatering $130 billion in 2019, its not known how much Walt Disney World is worth alone
- Pre-COVID, Walt Disney World attractions welcomes 58 million guests a year, with Magic Kingdom being world’s most visited experience attracting 21 million annual visitors
In other theme park news, Universal Orlando Resort has announced plans for a new Jurassic World rollercoaster.
