Coordinates:
28°25′7″N, 81°34′52″W
Walt Disney World Resort is the largest and most visited recreational resort in the world, containing four
theme parks, many themed hotels and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and
recreation venues. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
segment of The Walt Disney Company, it is located in Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Florida, outside the city limits of Orlando. The property often is
abbreviated Walt Disney World, Disney World or WDW.
Construction began in 1967, less than a year after Walt Disney's death. It opened on
October 1, 1971, with the Magic
Kingdom theme park, and has since opened Epcot (on October
1, 1982), Disney-MGM Studios (on
May 1, 1989), and Disney's
Animal Kingdom (on April 22, 1998).
The 25,000 acre (101 km²) property is the world's largest theme park resort, although significant land has been sold off
for housing and other developments, including land now occupied by the Disney-built (but not owned) community of Celebration. It once covered approximately 30,000 acres or 47 square miles (120 km²), about the
size of San Francisco or Manchester, or
twice the size of Manhattan.
It is accessible from Central Florida's Interstate 4 via Exits 62B (World Drive), 64B
(US 192 West), 65B (Osceola Parkway West), 67B
(SR 536 West), and 68 (SR 535
North). In addition, in 2006 a new western entrance opened from Exit 8 on State Road 429
(Florida), the Western Expressway. It also runs a bus line that connects the resort to Orlando International Airport and the Disney Cruise
Line terminal in Port Canaveral.
Meg Crofton was named president of the resort in August 2006, replacing Al Weiss, who had overseen the site since 1994.
History and development
In 1959, the Walt Disney Company, under the leadership of Walt Disney, began looking for
land for a second resort to supplement Disneyland, which had opened in Anaheim, California in 1955. Market surveys revealed that only 2% of Disneyland's visitors came from
east of the Mississippi River, where 75% of the population of the United States lived.
Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland (the "neon jungle"), and wanted control of
a much larger area of land for the new project.
Some rumors, told as legend to incoming Disney World cast members, suggest that Disney wanted the large amount of land so that
visitors could be better isolated from the trappings of the real world. Most common of these is the story of a family that left
Disneyland early because they saw building rush hour traffic on the Santa Ana Freeway from the Skyway ride.
Walt Disney first flew over the Orlando site (one of many) on November 22, 1963, the day John F. Kennedy was
assassinated. He first flew over and appealed to the Sanford, Florida city council to
allow him to build Disney World in Sanford, but his appeal was declined. The citizens of Sanford did not want the crime that was
sure to come with tourism. He saw the well-developed network of roads, including Interstate
4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy
Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east,
and immediately fell in love with the site. When later asked why he chose it, he said, "the freeway routes, they bisect here."
Walt Disney focused most of his attention on the "Florida Project" both before and after his participation at the 1964-1965 New
York World's Fair, but he died on December 15,
1966, five years before his vision was realized.
To avoid a burst of land speculation, Disney used various dummy corporations and
cooperative individuals to acquire 27,400 acres (110 km²) of land. The first five-acre (20,000 m²) lot was bought on
October 23, 1964, by the Ayefour Corporation (a pun on Interstate 4). Another
dummy corporation name which land was bought under was RETLAW which spelled backwards is WALTER. Others were also used with a
second or secret meanings which add to the lore of the Florida Project.
In May 1965, major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. Two large tracts totaling $1.5 million were sold, and smaller tracts of
flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotic-sounding companies such as the Latin-American Development and Management Corporation and the Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation. In addition to three huge parcels of land were many smaller
parcels, referred to as "outs."
Much of the land had been platted into five-acre (20,000 m²) lots in 1912 by the
Munger Land Company and sold to investors. In most cases, the owners were happy to get rid of the
land, which was mostly swampland. Yet another problem was the mineral rights to the land,
owned by Tufts University. Without the transfer of these rights, Tufts could come in at
any time and demand the removal of buildings to obtain minerals.
After most of the land had been bought, the truth of the property's owner was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel on October 20, 1965.
A press conference soon was organized for November 15. At the presentation, Walt Disney
explained the plans for the site, including EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which
was to be a futuristic city (and which was also known as Progress City). Plans for EPCOT would drastically change after Disney's
death. EPCOT became EPCOT Center, the resort's second theme park, which opened in 1982. Concepts from the original idea of EPCOT
would be integrated into the community of Celebration much later.
The Reedy Creek Drainage District was incorporated on
May 13, 1966 under Florida State Statutes Chapter 298, which gives
powers including eminent domain to special Drainage Districts. To create the District,
only the support of the landowners within was required.
Walt Disney himself died on December 15,
1966, before his vision was realized. His brother Roy Disney
postponed his retirement to oversee construction of the resort, passing away in December 1971, barely two months after it
opened.
On February 2, 1967, Roy Disney held a press conference at
the Park Theatres in Winter Park, Florida. The role of EPCOT was emphasized in the
film that was played, the last one recorded by Walt Disney before his death. After the film, it was explained that for Walt
Disney World to succeed, a special district would have to be formed: the Reedy
Creek Improvement District with two cities inside it, the City of Bay Lake and
the City of Reedy Creek (now the City of Lake Buena Vista). In addition to the standard powers of an incorporated city, which
include the issuance of tax-free bonds, the Improvement District would have total immunity from any current or future county or
state land-use laws. The only areas where the District had to submit to the county and state would be property taxes and elevator inspections.[citation needed]
The laws forming the District and the two Cities was signed into law on May 12,
1967. The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that
the District was allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds for public projects within the district despite the sole beneficiary being
The Walt Disney Company.
Construction of drainage canals was soon begun by the Improvement District, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic
Kingdom. Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground were also completed in
time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971. The Palm and
Magnolia Golf Courses (located across the street from the Magic Kingdom) were actually opened a few weeks before.
Roy O. Disney, Walt Disney's older brother, dedicated the property and declared that it
officially would be known as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honor. In his own words: "Everyone has heard of
Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford,
who started it all? Walt Disney World is in memory of the man who started it all, so people will know his name as long as Walt
Disney World is here." After the dedication, Roy Disney asked Walt's widow, Lillian, what
she thought of Walt Disney World. According to biographer Bob Thomas, she replied, "I think Walt would have approved."
Walt Disney World had its own aircraft runway located just
east of the Magic Kingdom parking lot. When the resort opened in 1971, Shawnee Airlines began
regular passenger service from Orlando's McCoy Air Force Base (now Orlando International Airport) directly to Disney World's STOLport (Short Take Off and Landing) on a daily basis, with flights lasting only a few minutes. Today, the
runway is mostly used as a staging area for buses and is no longer in service for aircraft.
Development timeline
Properties
A popular misconception is that the resort exists in Orlando. In fact, the entire
Walt Disney World property is outside Orlando city limits; the majority sits within southwestern Orange County with the remainder in adjacent Osceola
County to the south.
Most of Walt Disney World's Central Florida land and all of the public areas are located in the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, located southwest of
Orlando and a few miles northwest of Kissimmee.
The creation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is
separate from any other municipality, has allowed Disney to influence governmental powers over the area and not be impeded by
local governments. For example, Disney rides cannot be closed down by the state's Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection [1] and are exempt from state safety inspections [2], though this is not to imply that they are not inspected or are
unsafe. Residents largely live in timeshares and cannot vote for the Reedy Creek board allowing Disney influence of the board
that it helped to create. [3]
Features
Walt Disney World Resort features four theme parks, each represented by an iconic structure:
Other attractions include:
- Downtown Disney consists of three sections, Marketplace, Pleasure
Island, and West Side, that contain many shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. They include the DisneyQuest indoor arcade, a House of Blues restaurant and
nightclub, a Planet Hollywood restaurant and a Cirque du Soleil theater and original production, La
Nouba.
Golf and recreation
Disney's property includes five golf courses. The four 18-hole golf courses are the Magnolia, the Palm, Lake Buena Vista, and
Osprey Ridge. There is also a nine-hole walking course called Oak Trail, designed for young golfers. Additionally, here are two
themed miniature golf complexes, each with two courses, Fantasia Gardens and
Winter Summerland.
Catch-and-release fishing excursions are offered daily on the Walt Disney World Resort lakes.
There is an extra charge associated with these excursions but a Florida fishing license is not required because it occurs on
private property. Cane-pole fishing is offered from the docks at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Disney's Port Orleans Resort.
Employment, maintenance and statistics
When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort employed about 5,500 "cast members". Today it employs more
than 61,000, spending more than $1.1 billion on payroll and $478 million on benefits each year. The largest single-site employer
in the United States [4], Walt Disney World Resort has more
than 3,000 job classifications.
The Walt Disney World Resort also sponsors and operates the Walt Disney
World College Program, an internship program that has American college students live on site and work for the resort,
providing much of the theme park and resort "front line" cast members. There is also the Walt Disney World International College
Program, an internship program that has college students from all over the world. Living, working and learning.
In a March 30, 2004, article in The Orlando Sentinel, then-Walt Disney World president Al Weiss
gave some insight into how the parks are maintained:
- More than 5,000 cast members are dedicated to maintenance and engineering, including 750 horticulturists and 600
painters.
- Disney spends more than $100 million every year on maintenance at the Magic Kingdom. In 2003, $6 million was spent on
renovating its Crystal Palace restaurant. 90% of guests say that the upkeep and cleanliness of the Magic Kingdom are excellent or
very good.
- The streets in the parks are steam cleaned every night.
- There are cast members permanently assigned to painting the antique carousel horses; they use genuine gold leaf.
- There is a tree farm on site so that when a mature tree needs to be replaced, a thirty-year-old tree will be available to
replace it.
There is a fleet of Disney-operated buses on property, branded Disney Transport that
is available for guests at no charge. In 2007 Disney Transport started a guest services upgrade to the busses. GPS systems
controlling new public addresses systems on the buses give safety information, park tips and other general announcements with
music. They are not to be confused with the Disney Cruise Line and Disney's Magical Express buses which are operated by Mears
Transportation. Taxi boats link some locations.
Walt Disney World has the seventh largest navy in the world with over 200 watercraft ranging from guest operated (rented)
boats to Disney operated guest transportation craft.
A fleet of 12 monorails also operate at Walt Disney World Resort
linking the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts, and the Transportation and Ticket
Center (TTC). An express monorail line connecting the TTC and the Magic Kingdom also exists.
According to Disney's MouseMail e-mail newsletter, 150 truckloads of holiday decorations adorn the Walt Disney World
Resort and 300,000 yards of ribbon and bows drape over 1,500 Christmas trees during the yuletide season. A popular attraction
during the holiday season is The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, which displays over 5 million lights located in Disney-MGM
Studios. Walt Disney World pastry chefs use more than 1,049.4 pounds (476 kilograms) of honey, 99.2 pounds (45 kilograms) of
sugar and 48.5 pounds (22 kilograms) of dark chocolate to bake gingerbread houses and other items for the holidays.
In 2006, the Walt Disney World Resort and its employees donated more than $22 million to Central Florida organizations and
charities, along with 200,000 hours of service through the VoluntEARS program.[5]
Hotels
On-site Disney hotels
There are 32 resorts located on the Walt Disney World property. Of the 32, 22 are Disney
owned and operated resorts. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe (priced from $205-$805), Moderate
(priced from $139-$199), Value (priced from $79-$127), Disney Vacation Club (priced
from $269-$1,790), and Campground (priced from $39-$319). Another notable aspect is the large number of hotel resort complexes on
the Walt Disney World property. The non-themed hotels are owned by private, non-Disney hospitality companies such as
Starwood (Westin and
Sheraton), Holiday Inn,
Best Western, and Hilton.
Guests arriving at the Orlando International Airport can be transported
to their Disney resort (or Vacation Club resort) from the airport using Disney's Magical Express program, and have their bags
picked up and transported for them through a contract with BAGS Incorporated. Guests board custom
motor coaches, watch a video about the Walt Disney World Resort, and their luggage is later delivered directly to their
rooms.
Themed resorts and opening year
On-site Disney Vacation Club resorts and opening year
-
On-site non-Disney hotels
Future resorts on Disney property
- Four Seasons: On March 1, 2007, Disney announced plans to convert its Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge golf courses into a new 900-acre luxury resort
that will include a Four Seasons hotel, an 18-hole championship golf
course, plus single- and multi-family vacation homes and fractional ownership vacation homes. The hotel is estimated to open in
2010.
Never-built Disney resorts
Attendance
The April 2007 issue of trade magazine Park World reported the following attendance estimates
for 2006 compiled by Economic Research Associates in partnership with TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association):
- Magic Kingdom, 16.6 million visits (No. 1 worldwide)
- Epcot, 10.5 million visits (No. 6)
- Disney-MGM Studios, 9.1 million visits (No. 7)
- Disney's Animal Kingdom, 8.9 million visits (No. 8)
Name and logo
No official documentation exists to show that the Walt Disney World Resort was originally to be spelled "Disneyworld". It was
going to be very different from "Disneyland". Walt Disney referred to the Walt Disney World Resort as both "Disney World" and
"The Disney World" using the same font as Disneyland's.
After Walt Disney's death, the name "Walt Disney World" was chosen by Walt's brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney. The
name was presented in a modern font instead of the original Disneyland font. To reinforce the updated name and image, Walt Disney
World's official symbol was to be an oversized "D" with the face of Mickey Mouse depicted as the lines of latitude and longitude
of this new World.
While Disneyland has kept its original font, it has lost nearly all references to its official symbol. Walt Disney World put
an end to use of both its original font and official symbol at the conclusion of its 25th anniversary in 1996. The official
symbol can still be found in many places around the resort as well as in recent merchandise that uses it once again.
Inexplicably, the old logo still remains on the head float of the SpectroMagic parade, even
though the parade was rehabbed extensively before its return in 2001, well after the January 1996 logo change. The 1971 logo is
still used on the trip backdrop on The Price Is Right. The
original "D" logo can still be seen on the front car of each of the 12 monorails and on flags flown at several sites across the
property.
See also
References
- ^ http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002340112_thrill18.html
- ^ Allman, T. D.. "Orlando Beyond Disney",
National Geographic, 2007-04. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
- ^ Allman, T. D.. "Orlando Beyond Disney",
National Geographic, 2007-04. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
- ^ "Disney Profile", Hospitality Online. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
- ^ Disney gives more than $22m in 2006, Orlando Sentinel, 2007-01-12
External links
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