History of The World

This is an amazing story of how Walt Disney World came to be, I came accross this page a while ago and just had to read it all! I know there is a lot of infomation but if you read it all I guarentie you that you'll be a much whiser Walt Disney World nut!

This Infomation was donated by the Kind people at WDW magic.com if you want to visit them for your self click here

"There will never be another DISNEYLAND®," Walt Disney used to say. As the mastermind behind creations like MICKEY MOUSE, the Davy Crockett television series, and the motion picture Mary Poppins, Walt hated repeating himself. He stayed away from producing sequels, and insisted each new film, television, and animation project was different and more innovative than the last. After DISNEYLAND® Park opened in 1955, he was approached many times to build another Magic Kingdom. Offers of free land came from all over the United States, as well as several foreign countries. Building "just another theme park" was not what he wanted to do. All that changed when Walt began developing four attractions for the 1964 New York World's Fair: General Electric's Carousel of Progress, Ford's Magic Skyway, Pepsi-Cola's It's a Small World, and the State of Illinois' Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. He became absorbed with the amazing technological achievements created by his staff of designers, artists, and builders, whom he called "Imagineers." As the attractions were unveiled to the public, he was still mulling over those concepts, looking for ways to expand them further into the public domain. The idea of an East Coast “project” became more interesting now, and more feasible. Although he was uncertain about what would be featured in this project, Walt decided to go ahead. His ideas would eventually crystallize into theme parks, resort areas, and a city of the future, but if Disney was to accomplish all these feats, he needed land. Whatever would be built would have to be big enough to let Guests escape from the real world. Walt learned this valuable lesson at the DISNEYLAND® Park. When planning the California attraction, he bought only enough land to build it on. The expanding Los Angeles population and subsequent tourist hotels and restaurants grew up around the theme park in the years that followed, crushing his desired plans to keep the real world away from his land of make-believe.

THE SECRET MISSION

As early as 1963, Walt sent his brother, Roy, with several close friends and business associates to find a place where he could build his park. His team traveled across the country in secrecy, checking into hotels under assumed names, and making anonymous inquiries on available land. They knew that if anyone heard Disney was interested in buying land, prices would skyrocket and adjoining land would be bought up too quickly. Several parts of the United States were considered, among them St. Louis, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Niagara Falls. Walt's team eventually set their eyes on Florida. Although Walt had no desire to build an oceanfront resort, Florida was an excellent draw for tourists. The weather was almost perfect all year round, and its roads were very accessible. Most of all, there was land--untouched and plenty of it. Especially in Central Florida. The only purpose it was serving at the time was cattlegrazing. Back in California, Walt had already begun preliminary design work for "Project X," including his city, administration buildings, recreational areas, and even a theme park. He kept all his work in a large, windowless room next to his office at the studios. This room was always locked and he had the only key. The walls, floors, and tables were literally covered in sketches, maps, diagrams, models, and charts. Disney was excited by the news of available land in Florida and wanted to see it for himself. His associates worried that he would be spotted while on the trip, bringing attention to himself and their intentions, so Walt always stayed on the plane whenever they stopped to refuel. Once he even denied who he was when a curious flight mechanic asked him if he was the famous Walt Disney. They made several fly-overs. As the swamps and pine forests drifted beneath him, Walt was envisioning where all his designs would go. Many Central Florida counties were under consideration. He finally approved the purchasing of land in Orange and Osceola Counties. The actual border line of the two counties splits the property almost in half. Walt's representatives used false company names to buy the property. The exact number of names is not known, but some of those used were Tomahawk Properties, Latin American Development, and Retlaw Enterprises ("Walter" spelled backward). They kept in constant contact with Walt back in California, informing him on every buy and how much land they had accumulated. The average price per acre was around $180. When the number of acres owned reached 12,500, the Florida team thought they had acquired enough, but Walt, remembering the DISNEYLAND® lesson, said to keep buying. The price was too good to pass up, and the more land he had, the more he could keep the outside world from barging in on his property. And of course, the more space he could develop. Meanwhile, the locals were talking about the secret group buying up all that swampland. The rumors of its identity ranged from the Ford Motor Company to Howard Hughes to Disney. Land prices began climbing, until finally, Walt decided to announce his intentions to the world. The final price tag to the Disney company: a little over $5 million for 27,443 acres, about 43 square miles: twice the size of Manhattan Island, or the same size of San Francisco. Now the Disney organization could build all the dreams it could possibly imagine. On November 15, 1965, Walt held a press conference in Orlando with Roy and the governor of Florida. His exact plans for Disney World were still sketchy, but he described them as his city of the future, along with a vacation retreat with parks, resort hotels, and golf courses. At least 7,500 acres would be permanently kept in their natural state (the total number of acres set aside today is 8,300). Walt strongly believed in preserving the environment. This would be the EPCOT commitment to the planet's future. Only days after Walt made his announcement, the price of land surrounding Disney property shot up to $80,000 per acre. Unfortunately, Walt passed away before any construction took place. Many within the Disney organization questioned whether they could accomplish the near-impossible goals set forth by the company's founder, but Roy believed they could. He also changed the name of the Florida Project from Disney World to WALT DISNEY WORLD®, so everyone would remember that its creation and purpose represented the dreams of his amazing brother.

THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Walt wanted total control over the design and construction of his city and recreational facilities. This would not only enable his team to create and build whatever they wanted without going through local government approval, but could demonstrate how a completely self-sufficient city like EPCOT could run. However, they would have extreme difficulty under existing conditions. The property was in two different counties, each with separate building codes and zoning ordinances. EPCOT needed its own governing body that would oversee public services, such as fire protection and utility services, including environmental protection, and at the same time self-legislate and regulate its own building methods and the use of new technologies and materials for every project taking place inside the property. The Disney company created a proposal for a self-controlled governing district with the assistance of Orange and Osceola county legislators. This proposal was presented to the Florida legislature and approved on May 12, 1967, forming the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Out of this district, two cities were established: Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake. Now Florida taxpayers would not have to spend public money on Disney construction, and the Disney company would not have to rely on state agencies for approval of anything it built.

Because Walt had so many plans for Disney World, the company decided to build it in phases. The ability to create a city of the future was still a long way from becoming reality. Phase One would consist of a theme park, two resort hotels called the "Tempo Bay Resort Hotel" and the "Polynesian Village Resort," and a campground. The theme park would be a larger version of the DISNEYLAND® Park, bringing the California park's popular wonders to the East Coast. It and the two hotels would be situated around a large, man-made lagoon. Actual construction began in April 1969. The first task for the Reedy Creek Improvement District was finding a way to drain areas of swampland for construction without damaging the environment. Since the whole Central Florida area basically floats on a body of fresh water, any depletion or damage to one part of this water supply would cause environmental devastation to the region's entire supply. Over fifty miles of canals and levees were constructed on property to control water levels without losing the supply. Water control structures, such as the French-designed Emile Gate, keep levels under control by automatically floating open when water reaches certain peaks and close when peaks subside. They require no electricity or human monitoring, and greatly reduce the risk of flooding or drought. These canals were the first "themed" illusion on property: they curve through the natural landscape much as a stream would, instead of following the straight lines of artificial canals.

Once they had a way to control and drain whatever land areas they needed for construction, Imagineers in Florida and California began various projects simultaneously. The Disney staff wanted the resort built in two years. They hired an outside group of engineers to oversee construction, but this group said it would take at least five years to complete the project. The Disney staff subsequently let that group go and created their own team. At the time, Bay Lake was the only natural body of water on property. It was also one of the first areas of property Walt wanted to buy (along with an island in the middle of it, now called Discovery Island). In early planning stages, designers decided to build a man-made lagoon adjacent to it. There would be plenty of space for water recreation, and the lagoon would complement the setting of the Polynesian Village Resort. It could also offer Guests the feel of an exotic journey to the theme park's faraway lands. Bay Lake was first drained with pumps and its bottom layer of muck scooped out. Next to it, over seven million cubic yards of earth were dug up for the lagoon and used as a foundation for the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park. Sand found underneath all the muck was used to line the four and a half miles of beach around the newly created Seven Seas Lagoon. Bay Lake and the 172-acre lagoon were then refilled with water from the surrounding wetland and stocked with more than 70,000 fish.

The concepts of EPCOT moved forward. In the spirit of a self-sufficient city, the resort built its own energy plants, maintenance shops, food center, and laundry to handle the massive needs of Cast Members and Guests. Miles of sewage, water, and electrical lines and pipes were laid, paving the way for future utility plants. The theme park's and resorts' utility systems were constructed with unique and advanced methods to supply electricity and hot water for heating and cooling. A wastewater treatment plant was built to treat effluent and direct it to a nearby tree farm and golf courses.

A highly advanced computer system was installed in the central energy plant to monitor and control the distribution of power across the property. The system instantly and automatically recognizes any problem occurring in the parks or hotels, and usually adjusts the problem from there. The plant also produces part of the WALT DISNEY WORLD® power needs. This is a necessity since thunderstorms are common in Central Florida. If there is a power outage, the resort can rely on emergency power from its own plant. Another monitoring system was installed to detect smoke, fire, floods, or unusual water flow. It covers over 3,000 spots across property and automatically alerts the appropriate response personnel if needed.

Most of the support facilities were built north of the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park. Central Shops was created to serve as a major center for fabrication, for everything from trash cans and ride vehicles, to signs and ornamental iron and wood work in and around the themed buildings. It is divided into many different areas: the Machine Shop, Metal Shop, Maintenance Services, Electrical, Plumbing and Air Conditioning, Staff Shop, Mill Shop, and Paint Shop. Built next to Central Shops was a dry dock for building and servicing WALT DISNEY WORLD® watercraft.

There was no food distribution center in the Central Florida area large enough to support the volume of the resorts' and theme park's Guests, so the Disney company built its own. Almost all food was shipped there before going out to various locations on property. It had its own bakery for breads and pastry items, and a main kitchen for preparing soups and sauces, produce, meat, pizza, sandwiches, and salads. A quality control kitchen allowed chefs to keep recipes consistent throughout property and evaluate menu items going in and coming off the line. The world's largest working wardrobe, with offices in the park and separate hotels, was assigned to create and perform maintenance on Cast Member and Audio-Animatronics® figure costumes. To clean all those costumes, the world's largest laundry facility was constructed. It not only cleans costumes, but resort towels, sheets, and napkins handled by Cast Members and Guests . . . about 100,000 pounds of linen each day.

At the tree farm just a few miles away, landscape designers and horticulturists tended thousands of plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers needed for WALT DISNEY WORLD® greenery. The original inventory of trees numbered over 8,000. Some exotic plantlife comes from as far away as Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and Africa. Many species require three years of acclimation to Florida soil before they are transplanted onstage. Also, about 1,500 existing trees growing in areas destined for development were moved and transplanted in other locations.

Monorail beams, made of concrete with a special polystyrene core to lighten their weight, came by rail from the state of Washington. The monorail trains themselves were constructed in California. Plans already called for two monorail tracks to circle the Seven Seas Lagoon. One would go straight to the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park from the main parking lot, the other stopping at the resort hotels around the lagoon. Future plans called for beams to extend all the way to Lake Buena Vista, where the Disney Village Resort was under development. This particular monorail route never made it past the planning stages.

There were no telephone lines or telephone system on property before it was purchased. The Disney company formed a partnership with the Florida Telephone Company to create a completely new state-of-the-art telephone system. Vista-United Telecommunications was designed to serve resort, park, and administration telephones, as well as transmit computer data and video signals all over property. It became the first totally electronic telephone system using underground cable instead of standard poles with overhead lines. It would be the first to use a fiber-optics system in a commercial venture, and the first in Florida to use the 911 emergency system.

The resort hotels used a method of construction never before implemented. While the hotels' main skeletal structures were being erected, their rooms were manufactured at an assembly plant miles away. Each one was built as a lightweight steel module and completely outfitted with wall coverings, bath fixtures, and mirrors. They were then trucked to the site and individually "plugged" into the resorts' framework with the help of giant cranes. Theming was key to their design. Walt wanted the entire property to be a themed experience, not just the theme park. The resorts not only had their own individual look, but were specifically planned and positioned as extensions of the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park. This way, all architecture surrounding the Seven Seas Lagoon would be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and each hotel would reflect its own highest standards of Disney quality and entertainment. The Tempo Bay Resort Hotel became the Contemporary Resort (now Disney’s Contemporary Resort) and was placed as a compatible backdrop to Tomorrowland. Disney's Polynesian Resort (formerly Polynesian Village Resort) is an extension of Adventureland. Farther back in the surrounding forests, the campground known as Fort Wilderness (now Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground), named after the fort on Tom Sawyer’s Island in DISNEYLAND® Park, features the quiet country atmosphere of Frontierland. (The same care used to preserve trees in other areas of development took place at Fort Wilderness as well. Subsequent planning of resort campsites and roads saved fifty percent more trees, including 300-year-old cypress trees). Further plans included at least three more resorts around the lagoon, with Venetian, Asian, and Persian styles. Space was also left open for a large movie theater complex, and a Western town resort near the Fort Wilderness Campground.

On the foundation where the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park was to stand, a network of warehouse-sized rooms, hallways, and office space was built, then covered with more dirt. This nine-acre tunnel system, called "utilidors," forms a unique support basement. The MAGIC KINGDOM® Park that Guests see is actually the second and third stories. The utilidors provide easy, behind-the-scenes access to utility systems, offices, and storage areas, and also backstage passage to Cast Member work locations. Located in the utilidors is the nerve center for the park's computer systems. The Digital Animation Control System (DACS) virtually controls everything in the park, from the hundreds of playback recordings in each attraction to the water pressure needed to push various boats through each ride track--all of it simultaneously. Computers also control all the projection systems, fireworks, and parade operations . . . even park cash registers. The Swedish-built Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection (AVAC) was the first waste system of its type installed in the United States. It is an integral part of waste collection for the theme park, intricately linked through the utilidors by pneumatic tubes. Trash is deposited in several collection points around the park. Every fifteen minutes it is drawn through the tubes at speeds up to 60 miles per hour and sent to a central compactor station.

Meanwhile, Imagineers were putting other elements of the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park together in California. The park attractions went through months of meticulous planning before actually being built. Each ride and show was given a storyline, with a beginning, middle, and end. Extensive historical backgrounds were researched to bring authenticity to the stories, from Pirates of the Caribbean to The Hall of Presidents. Then, sketches and a script of each scene, in order of the story, were drawn up on a storyboard to get visual impressions of what the attraction would look like in sequence. With the storyboard and hundreds of sketches as visual guides, Imagineers then crafted scale models of the entire ride or show so they could see and experiment with what Guests would see during their experience. Every angle of view had to be taken into account, including what would be seen if Guests turned around. The models provided a guide for the full-size clay sculptures of animated figures and props. These sculptures were used to create molds for the actual show pieces. As the pieces were fabricated and assembled, audio tracks of voices and sound effects were recorded in studio booths, and background sets were constructed and painted. Thousands of set props, such as old tables and chairs, firearms, window shades, curtains, doors, bird cages, carriages, lanterns, and artificial trees and rocks, were found, purchased, or made from scratch in Imagineering shops. After each attraction building was constructed, the ride system or show equipment was installed. The sets, props, Audio-Animatronics® figures, and special effects went in next, followed by the final audio recordings. Finally, each scene's visual and audio effects were programmed to play back in sync, thanks to the massive computers of DACS. The old-fashioned steam locomotives which circle the park were found in Mexico and refurbished in Tampa, Florida. Paddle-wheelers, ferryboats, and submarines were also built there for the planned naval fleet. The MAGIC KINGDOM® Park would open with six themed lands: Main Street, U.S.A.; Adventureland; Frontierland; Liberty Square, a land originally planned for the DISNEYLAND® Park in 1955; Fantasyland; and Tomorrowland. Mickey's Birthdayland was created in 1987 to honor MICKEY MOUSE's 60th birthday, and eventually changed its name to Mickey's Starland in 1990. In 1996, the land changed again into Mickey’s Toontown Fair with the addition of more interactive play areas, character greeting locations, and a kiddie roller coaster called The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacres Farm.

Above-ground construction of the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park began in early 1970, starting with Main Street, U.S.A., and the Cinderella Castle. Years of research went into the planning and design of the WALT DISNEY WORLD® signature castle. Imagineers used several French castles for inspiration, among them the Chambord, the Usse, and the Chenonceau. Inspiration also came from the castle in Walt Disney's own film Cinderella. Since no one had built a 189-foot castle in America, there was difficulty finding craftsmen experienced in the field. There were no local gargoyle or trellis makers in the area, so Imagineering fashioned its own. It took eighteen months to complete. Six hundred tons of steel were used in the framework. Imagineers then sculpted exterior and interior fiberglass walls to resemble solid granite. The ten towering spires, fabricated and finished on property, were then slid into place above the main building and permanently attached (contrary to some myths, the castle cannot be, nor has ever been dismantled in the event of a hurricane). Finishing touches applied to this architectural marvel included the Cinderella mice carved into decorative columns, family crests of Walt's family and friends in the stained glass windows of King Stefan's Banquet Hall, and Walt's own family crest in stone above the breezeways.

Eventually, all the lands came together with their own unique themes. Buildings were cloaked with themed exteriors and interiors. Details were installed and the final coats of paint were put on. Imagineers used an architectural trick called "forced perspective" to make buildings look taller than they actually are. They shrunk windows, balconies, and even furniture on the second floors and even further on any existing third floors, to achieve the illusion of those floors climbing farther away in the sky. To complete the feeling of being in a three dimensional movie, background music was created for each particular land, as if it was part of any film's soundtrack. In the end, it took more than 9,000 workers to build the world's most famous vacation resort, at a cost of just more than $400 million.

In Lake Buena Vista, the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Preview Center hosted more than one million Guests prior to park opening. For eighteen months, a staff of tour guides used artists' renderings, slides, and film to show what the Vacation Kingdom would be all about. Without question, anticipation for this resort was enormous.

OPENING DAY: OCTOBER 1, 1971 Resort planners scheduled the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort to open in October when the crowds were slower. They wanted everything to move slowly at first, so any problems that sprang up could be fixed with minimal Guest inconvenience. Yet some outside estimates predicted as many as 100,000 people would attend. Extra Florida State Troopers were brought in to deal with snarling traffic jams, but in the end had little to do. The early morning on opening day had Guests driving around the toll plaza over and over again, trying to steer their way in to be the first visitors to the park. Ultimately, though, less than 10,000 Guests visited the park that day. Although everyone else called the opening day a bomb, those in charge of the resort felt it was a good beginning. No major problems cropped up, and all operations ran smoothly.

The dedication of the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park was held on October 25, 1971. Many celebrities were on hand for the festivities, as well as Walt's entire family. Arthur Fiedler conducted the World Symphony Orchestra at the base of Cinderella Castle. Roy O. Disney stood with MICKEY MOUSE in Town Square and read the dedication plaque:

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 plaque still rests below the Town Square flagpole on Main Street, U.S.A. On October 1, 1991, Roy E. Disney, Roy O. Disney’s son and Walt's nephew, rededicated the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort by reading the same plaque his father read twenty years ago.

EARLY GROWTH

Slow but steady crowds came into the park during the ensuing weeks. The MAGIC KINGDOM® Park was barely a month old when on the day after Thanksgiving, the parking lots filled up quickly and the staff reluctantly closed the gates. Cars were backed up on the four-lane interstate for miles in what many locals called one of the worst traffic jams in history. And it proved that the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort was a success.

Shortly after the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort opened, two side-wheel steamboats made nightly moonlight cruises around Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon. Guests could enjoy music, cocktails, and a quiet, serene view of the illuminated resorts.

Some ideas for the resort made by Imagineers worked better on paper than in reality. Several attempts to make a wave machine work near the Polynesian Village Resort resulted in failure. The plan was to have artificial waves crash along the resort's beach like real Pacific Island beaches. At one point during testing, the waves were large enough for surfing; however, they also caused massive beach erosion, and the wave machine was permanently switched off only a few months after the resort opened. Parts of it still lie beneath Seven Seas Lagoon as a habitat reef for resident fish.

Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake also became a vast, watery stage at night for the Electrical Water Pageant. Colorful creatures of the deep and mythical characters floated past the hotel and park shores every evening. Giant wire screens were built on fourteen separate barges and supported by an intricate electrical system. On each screen are hundreds of Christmas lights arranged in a particular shape, such as a dragon's head, a munching apatosaurus, or playful dolphins. A large sound system has stereo speakers set up on each barge, so that each character making its appearance has its own theme. At the end of the "parade" is a star-spangled salute to America, with flags and twinkling stars. For several seasons, fireworks were shot over the lagoon during the finale. The parade is a favorite for resort and park Guests alike. Only canceled during high winds or bad weather, it has been running since October 26, 1971. Its colorful appeal and synthesized music inspired the same show designers to create a whole new nighttime presentation for DISNEYLAND® Park and later the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort: the “Main Street Electrical Parade.” Floats representing many Disney images tell several stories along the park's parade route. There is a circus, a walk-through Wonderland, a pirate ship, a royal procession for Cinderella, and so forth. Synthesized music accompanies each segment, and is tied together with an overall score called "Baroque Hoedown." The floats themselves are small, battery-powered vehicles covered in wire mesh frames. The frames were fashioned into many shapes, like animals, bugs, and clock towers, then covered in dark or reflective cloth to hide drivers, speakers, and equipment. Tiny colored light bulbs were attached to the frames in massive strands, creating lighted outlines of these fantasy characters. The “Main Street Electrical Parade” made its DISNEYLAND® debut in 1972. The WALT DISNEY WORLD® version premiered June 11, 1977, and continued until 1991.

The first hotels in Lake Buena Vista opened in 1972 and early 1973. The hotels of Dutch Inn (10/72), Royal Inn (10/72), Travelodge (11/72), and Howard Johnson Hotel (2/73) formed the Motor Inn Plaza, which later became the Hotel Plaza. These hotels were not owned by the Disney company. The entire complex eventually became part of the Disney Village Resort.

The Golf Resort at the Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses opened in 1973. These courses were already made famous hosting the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Golf Classic, which began in 1971. The resort's name changed to The Disney Inn in 1986, and then to Shades of Green on the Walt Disney World Resort in 1994, when the U.S. Army leased the hotel from the company in a 100-year contract. It is now reserved for vacationing military personnel.

Old-time steam trains chugged through the woods of the Fort Wilderness Campground for the first time in 1973. A form of interior transportation for campers, they were eventually decommissioned in 1977. Parts of the track can still be seen around the campground.

A collection of vacation villas, clubhouses, treehouses, and a golf course became the Disney Village Resort in 1974. They were joined the following year with a relaxing, waterside collection of shops called the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village (now the Disney Village Marketplace).

Discovery Island, located in Bay Lake between Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, was originally called Blackbeard's Island, but did not open to Guests until 1974, as a relaxing bird retreat renamed Treasure Island. Its name was changed for the final time in 1976. It became a zoological park in 1979 when it received accreditation from the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums. Discovery Island is home to many exotic birds and animals, and participates in international Species Survival Plans for endangered animals. There is also a training colony of Capuchin Monkeys for the Boston program, Helping Hands: Simian Aids for the Disabled.

In late 1975, construction began on the first "mini" theme park opened at the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. River Country, a Disney version of an old-fashioned swimming hole, rests on the edge of Bay Lake in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. It features flume and raft rides, a nature trail, and a large beach. This park gets its water supply from an intake/filter pipe in Bay Lake. Water is sent along the lake bottom into a pump system located inside River Country's artificial mountain. From there it is forced down the flume troughs at about 8,500 gallons per minute, providing water for the flumes, and continually replenishing River Country's water supply. A large rubber "bladder" separates the park's water from regular lake water, with the help of a sensor system that keeps it inflated exactly six inches above the lake. Excess water from River Country spills over the bladder, replenishing Bay Lake. River Country opened in June 1976.

A CITY OF THE FUTURE

The year 1975 was a turning point for the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. After completing Phase One, the company studied the economic and creative feasibilities of building Walt's ultimate dream. On July 14, the Disney company announced plans to build an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). However, this project would be different from the original plans Walt had envisioned. Instead of an actual working city of the future, EPCOT would be a showcase of ideas, a place for people to come and learn about themselves and the world around them, through the use of Disney technology and entertainment. Two key points of Walt's beliefs would remain constant. First, the past would be explored as well as the future, for the past taught mankind where it had been and where it could go. Second, there had to be an "international neighborhood," where an atmosphere of understanding could promote communication, peace, and prosperity between all the cultures of the world. EPCOT Center was the chosen name given to the second theme park. In early planning stages, World Showcase, the salute to countries around the globe, was to open first, followed by Future World. Soon, though, it was apparent the futuristic side to the EPCOT Center attractions could and should open simultaneously. The design of the park went through countless changes before its current form was selected. One of the original concepts was to house all of the attractions from Future World and World Showcase in one gigantic building.

Meanwhile, a beautiful new landmark for the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort was unveiled at the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village in 1977. The Empress Lilly, an historic replica of a three-decked Mississippi sternwheeler, was "permanently docked" at Lake Buena Vista to provide a whole new restaurant/lounge complex for the shopping village. Measuring 220 feet long and sixty-two feet high, this riverboat took just over a year to construct, but it was quite a task. First, the area where it would be docked was dredged and barriers were put up around the open space. Pumps kept the land dry while workers built the foundation, or "hull" of the boat, then the rest of the body. The same elegant interior detailing found on steamers of old were re-created here in grand style. Eventually, the earthen barriers between the Empress Lilly and the lake were removed, giving the ship the appearance of being moored to a dock. In a dedication ceremony held May 1, 1977, the boat was christened by Walt Disney's widow, Lillian, for whom it was named.

Construction for EPCOT Center began in October 1979. Its immense scale was regarded as the largest construction project in the country. Over 10,000 workers were ultimately involved in bringing this theme park to life. Many of the same Imagineers that planned, designed, and oversaw the creation of the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park returned for this project. Instead of building pirates and flying elephants, their task was to create dinosaurs and space colonies, advanced greenhouses and marine habitats. The experiences in EPCOT Center had to be the closest Guests could come to the real thing--past, present, or future. Hundreds of scientific and historical experts were consulted to ensure consistent detail and accuracy of technology used and displayed. The various films in each attraction required over sixteen production crews to produce. With new and improved fiber optics, lasers, computers, and water controls, the park would have five times the amount of special effects used in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park. Imagineering teams traveled to foreign countries selected to open World Showcase. Along their journeys, they studied history, culture, and world contributions of each nation, then based the theme of each showcase on either a time-line, historical landmark, and/or famous cities familiar to the entire world. Merchandise, food, and even Cast Members working in the showcases would be authentic. Chefs were imported to create the perfect dining experiences for table-service restaurants. Again, Imagineers used forced perspective on buildings to make them appear taller than they really are. The only exception in the park was The American Adventure. It was originally intended to have a contemporary style, but later changed to the historical, Georgian style typified in America's colonial days. An actual building from that time period would be too small to be seen from across the lagoon, so Imagineers used inverted forced perspective, making it much larger than it should be to achieve the far away effect. The pavilions in Future World had corporate sponsors which helped fund and provide technical assistance in putting them together where necessary. For World Showcase, governments of those countries participated in the creation of the showcases, and also helped finance their construction. The EPCOT Center landmark, Spaceship Earth, took two years and two months to build. As the symbol of the park and its statement of world peace, it needed a design found nowhere else on earth. Thus, the world's first geodesic sphere was created. It is 180 feet in height. Innovative building techniques had to be used for Spaceship Earth. Support pilings are buried from 120 to 185 feet deep. The sphere is actually composed of two spheres, one inside the other. The inner sphere contains the track and rooms of the attraction, plus maintenance decking. The outer sphere is held about two feet away from the inner sphere by aluminum hubs. About 1,700 tons of steel were used to build the sphere. A special form of aluminum called alucobond was used for the 12,000 panels covering the entire globe. This material can withstand the Florida climate and essentially clean itself. A special gutter system was developed to prevent rain from cascading off the sphere. Water is channeled through the structure and sent to underground drains, where it replenishes the World Showcase Lagoon. During construction, a group of endangered birds called the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker was discovered nesting in a wooded area destined for development. The entire construction site had to be moved 300 feet in order to preserve that area's natural state. A back service road was named after the birds as a reminder of the company's conservation efforts.

The Walt Disney Story on Main Street, U.S.A., over in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park became the EPCOT Preview Center. It informed Guests of the new park with a film and concept artwork. Once the monorail track to EPCOT Center was completed, trains took Guests to the site for a view of the construction progress.

October 1, 1982, was the EPCOT Center grand opening. More than 100 television crews from all over the world descended on property. Bands and orchestras played before huge crowds. Celebrities and dignitaries, including Walt's wife, Lillian, helped dedicate areas of the park. The International Ceremony of the Waters took place in the large fountain behind Spaceship Earth. Young adults from 23 nations each poured a gallon of their country's water into the fountain, symbolizing the unity of world friendship. Water came from as far away as the Arctic Ocean, the Nile River in Africa, and Yangtze River in China, and as close as the Mississippi. The dedication plaque was read by Card Walker, then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Walt Disney Productions:

To all who come to this Place of Joy, Hope and Friendship, Welcome. Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney's creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere. October 24, 1982

CONSTRUCTION BOOM

During the mid-eighties, construction began on many WALT DISNEY WORLD® projects to benefit not only Guest experience, but serve the resort and its mission of EPCOT itself. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Michael Eisner, guided the growth by planning additional resorts so more Guests could stay on property and projects that would surpass WALT DISNEY WORLD® reputation for outstanding entertainment.

The first luxury resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort, opened in 1988. Its elegant wood siding and details, ornate balconies, and Victorian windows takes Guests back to turn-of-the-century Florida. The first moderately priced resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, debuted later in 1988. Each series of buildings is named after different islands of the Caribbean.

EPCOT Center hosted several entertainment extravaganzas throughout its history. Previous shows included the EPCOT Intergalactic Daredevil Circus Spectacular (in the CommuniCore area); Skyleidoscope (dragon boats); New World Fantasy (picture barges); and the “Laserphonic Fantasy” (fireworks and lasers) in the World Showcase Lagoon. On January 30, 1988, the theme park debuted its most popular presentation yet: "IllumiNations." This epic show begins with an international festival from nine of the nations around World Showcase. Spotlights, special-effects projectors, themed music, and lights illuminate each showcase with color and sound. The second part of the show ignites the sky with fireworks and classical music. Several barges which contain water jets and fireworks are towed into the lagoon every evening. Epcot Computer Central keeps the entire program in sync. Along with the musical score, it simultaneously controls thirteen projectors, six lasers, eleven searchlights, 108 water nozzles on the barges, more than 700 pieces of fireworks, and 50,000 bulbs lining every showcase. During the Christmas season of 1994, the show was transformed into a festive program called "Holiday IllumiNations" and has continued since.

HOLLYWOOD COMES TO FLORIDA

The year 1989 brought the opening of the third major theme park in the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. The Disney-MGM Studios is a tribute to the world of Hollywood magic. The idea for a Disney-styled, Hollywood theme park had been circulating around the company since the 1950s. Walt's original design for the DISNEYLAND® Park was to be a small park on the Disney studio lot. Not only could Guests enjoy themselves on park rides, but also watch movies being made on the studio lot. The Disney-MGM Studios would be designed to do just that, using classic films past and present to entertain and educate Guests of all ages. Plans called for several rides and shows that paid tribute to famous movies, or were entirely based on one film. But the theme park would do more than entertain. It would also include actual working soundstages and production buildings, where real filming and taping could take place. The Florida film industry had grown tremendously in the previous few years. Here was an opportunity for the Disney resort to be part of that growth. The working studios would be intricately linked with the park, using attractions and audience opportunities to bring Guests into the soundstages and the middle of the action. Facilities would include several soundstages, complete with lighting and camera storage, sound booths, and editing rooms, all with the latest in equipment technology. These buildings were planned with glass-partitioned accessways so Guests could watch daily studio activities taking place. Dominant theme park architecture would feature the glitz and glamour of Hollywood from the 1930s and '40s. Imagineers watched thousands of hours of film and television to create certain atmospheres, landscaping, and interior designs for buildings. Particular streets such as Hollywood and Vine were to be re-created for authenticity. Familiar Los Angeles landmarks that typified the era were photographed and analyzed. Imagineers scaled down building plans so they would fit inside the park. Other designers brought in ideas featuring "California Crazy" architecture, like oversized boats and dinosaurs for retail space. Since television programs could be produced in the working studios, the entire broadcasting medium would be showcased as well. A fully functioning radio station was planned inside the park which could broadcast local or visiting stations' programs. The Disney company signed an agreement with MGM Studios, one of the most prestigious movie studios in history, for the use of its name and logo. This added an extra touch of class to the theme park's title and instant recognition to anyone familiar with many of Hollywood's greatest films. The announcement for the theme park was in 1985, and construction began in 1986. Consultants were brought in to bring some of the working facilities to life. George Lucas of Star Wars fame became a major addition to the Disney family. His knowledge of story-telling on film, combined with the technical magic of Imagineering, helped create thrilling attractions based on his films. One of the most important additions to the park was the Walt Disney Animation Florida division of the Disney animation industry. Guests could now see how classic and current cartoons were made in a working studio. With the help of Disney animators, old and new, Imagineers came up with a facility that complimented the animation studio's workplace, while allowing Guests to view each aspect of production from start to finish. Classic Disney films set the tone for imagination and adventure on the big screen and in the creative processes. The movie studios in California used to have water towers on their lots for heating and cooling purposes, so one was designed for this park's own studios. Though the Earffel Tower does not function as its predecessors did, it is the theme park's landmark. It stands 130 feet tall, and the eye-catching mouse ears weigh 5,000 pounds each. They were constructed on the ground and then lifted to the top by crane. The Chinese Theater, America's most famous and recognizable Hollywood movie house, is the visual draw for Guests to journey deeper into the park. Unlike most attraction buildings, this theater has no forced perspective. Imagineers used the actual architectural drawings of the original theater and built Florida's to the same scale. Even the lobby is an exact reproduction. The 22-ton copper shingle roof in the center of the building was installed separately. The courtyard was designed to be slowly filled by cement handprints of visiting stars. Practically all of the attractions would use the most high-tech computer and special-effects equipment in existence. There were endless trial runs for the "natural" disasters occurring in Catastrophe Canyon. Computers had to be adjusted perfectly so the effects would happen just at the right moment, equipment would not toss any Backstage Shuttles into the water pit, or heat wouldn't melt the metal parts involved in the oil drill explosions. An actual oil tanker was lifted into the canyon, stripped of its insides, and fireproofed. Similar tests had to be performed at the Indiana JonesTM Epic Stunt Spectacular! Visual and audio controls had to be recorded and timed perfectly for the Audio-Animatronics® cast of The Great Movie Ride. Permission to use certain actors' and actresses' voices was obtained for some attractions, while other voices were computer-created. The Walt Disney Story in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park became a preview center again, this time for the Disney-MGM Studios. The preview film featured what a typical family's visit to the park would be like. May 1, 1989 . . . The opening day press event for the Disney-MGM Studios was the largest in WALT DISNEY WORLD® history. Although it rained throughout the day, the park was packed. The parking lot closed an hour after opening, and traffic backed up for miles. Hundreds of radio and television broadcasts took place around the attractions. "Streetmosphere" characters and bands kept the large crowds and long lines entertained. Celebrities were on hand to dedicate each attraction. Michael Eisner read the dedication plaque:

The world you have entered was created by The Walt Disney Company and is dedicated to Hollywood--not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was--and always will be.

The Disney-MGM Studios was an instant success. It proved so popular that park officials quickly opened up backstage sections to increase crowd flow. This soon led to more attractions planned in those newly traveled sections. Future park expansion plans were immediately put into action. With the help of several popular live shows, the park was able to handle crowds while still developing more attractions. Trailers were brought in to make room for the already-expanding animation department. Long-range plans included building more studios across the main highway alongside the park, connecting it with access roads and walkways. An entirely new street opened in 1994: Sunset Boulevard, which pays tribute to the theater district of Hollywood. The theaters on the block are actual reproductions of several found in California, including the Carthay Circle, where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered. It is also home to two feature attractions: “The Twilight ZoneTM Tower of Terror,” the tallest attraction on property at 199 feet, and a large amphitheater for the live “Beauty and the Beast” stage show.

ONE HURRICANE = TWO PARKS

Two more small-scale theme parks also opened in 1989: Pleasure Island, a nighttime entertainment complex, and Typhoon Lagoon, the second WALT DISNEY WORLD® water park. Pleasure Island opened officially on May 1, 1989, the same date as the Disney-MGM Studios. Walt Disney Imagineers created an extensive legend for the island's history and former owner, Merriweather Adam Pleasure. Pleasure was an entrepreneur who enjoyed traveling around the world. He had a flourishing sail-making business, but in 1941 disappeared at sea trying to sail around the globe. The island fell into ruin in the following years, and a hurricane severely damaged the existing buildings. Imagineers cleared out the overgrown jungle and rebuilt the island, using the original "funmeister's" philosophy for good entertainment to turn the old buildings into innovative nightclubs. A large movie theater complex, using the latest in presentation technology, was built next door. The theater has hosted several film premieres, such as Dick Tracy, and special screenings of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Father of the Bride. Plaques detailing Pleasure’s original use for each building are posted throughout the island. Pleasure's large greenhouse became the country dance bar, the Neon Armadillo Music Saloon. Imagineers converted his engine factory into Mannequins Dance Palace, a hot dance club similar to those found in New York. Magician Doug Henning contributed to the special effects found at the Adventurers Club, a throwback to the English safari clubs of the thirties. Memorabilia from around the world (that were given to Pleasure or brought in by international friends) cover the walls, hallways, and strange rooms. Two unique table-service restaurants opened with the island. The Fireworks Factory used to be Pleasure's own fireworks-making facility. Inside, tables and chairs have been arranged around blackened metal siding and blown-out brick walls. The Portobello Yacht Club has a nautical setting, with model boats and sailing paraphernalia decorating its interiors. A few changes have been made since Pleasure Island opened. The under-21 dance club Videopolis eventually became a progressive club called Cage, then the retro '70s club, 8TRAX. XZFR Rockin' Rollerdrome, a dance club and skating rink, was converted into the Rock & Roll Beach Club. A food market area is now the Pleasure Island Jazz Company. In December 1994, Planet Hollywood, an international restaurant chain owned by actors Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis, and Demi Moore, opened with a gala press event. This sphere-shaped building is 95 feet tall, and rests in Village Lake, between the AMC Pleasure Island 10 movie theaters and Pleasure Island. To achieve that effect, water was drained from the area of construction. Two hundred steel pilings were pounded into the ground to establish a solid foundation, and then a concrete slab was poured on top of that. The rest of the restaurant was completely built and watersealed before water was returned to the lagoon around it. Inside is a treasure trove of movie memorabilia: props, costumes, and models housed in wall cases or hung from the ceiling. There is even a full-size Herbie the Love Bug Volkswagen suspended high above the floor.

Typhoon Lagoon was created, according to some, by the same hurricane that swept through Pleasure Island:

A furious storm once roared 'cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon . . .

The huge wave of wind and water left nothing in the tropical village untouched. Surfboards were embedded in trees. Parts of boats and buoys dangled in thatched roofs of surviving buildings. Miss Tilly, a small shrimp boat caught in the typhoon, was left precariously atop a nearby volcano called Mount Mayday. Originally called "Splash" in preliminary designs, this water park is four times larger than River Country. It contains more slides (including one of the world's tallest and fastest), a giant wave pool, and a large children's water area. Special heaters are strategically placed around the landscaping and in pools to keep the "tropical waters" warm year round. Typhoon Lagoon opened June 1, 1989, providing Guests with even more cool relief from the Florida summer heat.

THE EPCOT RESORTS

Plans to add hotels around EPCOT Center had been on the drawing boards for some time. In fact, Walt always intended to build his resorts near the theme parks for Guests’ convenience. First workers dug the 25-acre Crescent Lake to be encircled by hotels. At one time, a nighttime water show called "Noah's Ark" was planned to take place in the middle of the lake, but never went past design stages. Crescent Lake was attached by water channel to the World Showcase Lagoon to allow resort Guests easy access to EPCOT Center through the International Gateway. This channel would later be connected for boat travel to the Disney-MGM Studios. The first resorts to open around Crescent Lake were the Walt Disney World Swan and Walt Disney World Dolphin in 1990. Not owned or operated by the Disney company, these two hotels were designed by architect Michael Graves. Their eye-catching architecture features oversized geometric buildings and windows, and five-story statues of swans and dolphins on the rooftops. Next door came Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, both opening about the same time in late 1990. In this Disney resort "first," the two hotels share similar themes and are physically connected together by a common recreation area, health club, and restaurant. Disney's Yacht Club Resort is styled after New England's summer cottages of the 1880s. The nautical theme is unmistakable, with oak wood floors, porthole-styled windows, antique chandeliers, and brass fixtures. Disney's Beach Club Resort returns to the seaside hotels of the 1870s. This casual setting features ceiling fans, wicker furniture, and seashell motifs. The unique swimming area between them is called Stormalong Bay. It features a winding, sand-bottom lagoon and a 150-foot water slide originating from a shipwreck on the beach of Crescent Lake.

“ENVIRONMENTALITY”

Also in 1990, The Walt Disney Company created a new corporate office for its expanding responsibility in protecting our natural resources. Since the beginning of the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort, all projects have been carefully arranged around protected wetlands. Company biologists go into the field and examine any area under consideration for development. Their goals are to determine that construction will not harm or destroy any endangered species or water environment necessary to Florida wildlife. Other scientists continually take water and soil samples, monitoring property-wide natural resources. Throughout WALT DISNEY WORLD® history, the resort has experimented with different ways to save energy and fuel for utilities and its parks. Environmental Affairs was established to implement and oversee recycling programs across the corporate board. The WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort put extensive recycling programs on line, beginning with backstage areas and a few resorts. Soon several types of Cast Member and Guest handouts were being printed on recycled paper. Recycling programs expanded to all the resorts and parks and backstage areas were soon outfitted to handle recyclable materials, such as separate barrels for different colored glass, plastics, etc. All areas now receive monthly report cards comparing how well they did during the current month to the previous month. Jiminy Cricket is the "Environmentality" program mascot, promoting preservation of the environment. Chip 'n Dale are the official recycling mascots.

Nightlife in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park would never be the same after October 1991. The “Main Street Electrical Parade” made its final run before record crowds in September and a new parade appeared to take its place: "SpectroMagic." Show technology had improved dramatically in the past twenty years. This parade uses the same lighting and synchronized show concepts as the previous one, but includes the latest in holographic images, military lighting, fiber-optic cable (over 100 miles), video projectors, and liquid-nitrogen smoke. Scenes from the Silly Symphonies, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and Fantasia are brought to life in several series of floats, live performers, and characters. The “Main Street Electrical Parade” moved to Disneyland Paris and can still be seen there.

LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI AND OLD FLORIDA

The Walt Disney Company moved into the vacation ownership trend by creating the Disney Vacation Club. This was the first of several vacation clubs opened throughout the country. Each resort would be uniquely themed after traditional styles found in the region in which it was built. This particular resort is named Disney’s Old Key West Resort, representing that South Florida style of community around the turn of the century. Condominium-style vacation homes feature pastel colors with white trim and balconies. The entire resort is also linked to the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. This resort opened in 1991.

Two more moderately priced resorts made their debut in 1991 and 1992. Similar to Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, they are similar in theme, yet contain atmospheres unique to themselves. They are not physically connected, but rather are separated for theming purposes. In the tradition of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, they feature rooms with a central check-in, food court, and swimming areas. Opened May 17, 1991, Disney's Port Orleans Resort re-creates the streets and rowhouses of New Orleans' French Quarter. Various ornate house styles are decorated with wrought iron railings and typical Southern landscaping. Oak trees, crepe myrtles, and magnolias are abundant throughout the riverside buildings. The large food court area is fashioned after warehouses where float pieces and decorations are stored for the city's Mardi Gras celebrations. The waterway which slowly curves around the resort banks is called the Sassagoula River. It provides access to the Disney Village Marketplace and Pleasure Island by water taxi. The journey follows the lazy water channel through some of the resort's more quiet, natural areas, and the Disney Village Resort. Just up the Sassagoula River is Disney's Dixie Landings Resort. It represents several styles of Louisiana homes found farther up the Mississippi. There are three styles of dwellings, ranging from the small cottages of the rural bayous, cracker-style houses, and the elegant manors found on many southern plantations. The story behind the resort, a once-bustling riverfront community, begins with an individual known as the Ol' Man. He was the first settler in this area in 1835. He built a small home, a well with a water flume, and a dock on a small island near the river. He lived all alone for some time, building his own bridges and walkways, until the area went under massive growth. River commerce brought in new settlers and businessmen. A small community, complete with a steamboat company, cotton mill, and a boatwright shop, was soon built. The Ol' Man created a play area for children and opened his fishing hole to everyone. Disney's Dixie Landings Resort opened on February 2, 1992. All the buildings built at this prosperous river hub remained intact, so they were used as the hotel's main facilities. Even the old fishing hole is stocked for Guests to try their luck. Imagineers wanted a very large, old oak tree for the recreation area's swimming pool. They finally found one more than one hundred years old, located twelve miles away. No problem for Disney engineers and horticulture experts to move it. A special cypress box 22 feet square was built to hold the tree's immense and delicate root system. The tree-moving team slowly unearthed the tree, keeping it hooked to cranes above. The 85-ton oak was then lifted onto a flatbed tractor trailer and moved at a cautious speed of four miles per hour. It took three days to reach the resort, and because of its height and branch span, 108 light poles and six traffic signals had to be moved out of its path. This resort is also connected by water taxi and can transport Guests up the lazy river to the Disney Village Marketplace and Pleasure Island.

The Bonnet Creek Golf Courses opened in 1992. The two championship courses, Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge, were designed by noted course architects Pete Dye and Tom Fazio. The courses took two years to construct around the natural woodlands near Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

Also in 1992, the 28,000-square-foot Materials Recovery Facility opened its doors near the tree farm. The facility separates and processes many materials, such as office paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, and steel. Separated materials are bought by vendors, used as compost, or taken to landfills.

SAVING THE RANCH

Celebration, a brand new city in Central Florida, would be the company's next large project. Themed after a typical small American town of the 1940s and ‘50s, it would feature residential neighborhoods, its own school, office buildings, hospital, and mall, but using advanced technologies to operate and educate daily. Preliminary community designs began, but 500 acres in the area of development were natural wetlands. These state-protected areas were bound by law to be preserved, and prevented companies across the state from developing on their own land. The Walt Disney Company and the South Florida Water Management District came to an unprecedented agreement in 1992. The district would allow the company to develop on the designated acres if it would purchase and preserve Walker Ranch, 8,500 acres of wetlands located twelve miles south of the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. The ranch is home to two endangered species, the bald eagle and the wood stork, as well as several other threatened species. More than sixteen separate plant communities exist there in forms of swampland, pines, and prairies. Its natural state had been decaying for some time due to overgrazing, lumbering, and digging. Once the ranch has been completely restored to its original state, the Disney company will turn it over to the Nature Conservancy. The deal was approved by the state in January 1993. At a dedication service on April 23, 1993, Walker Ranch officially became Disney Wilderness Preserve. Since the agreement, several other companies have followed suit, agreeing to purchase protected wetlands in Florida for permission to develop acreage already on their property.

On the cold January morning of the 16th, 1994, approximately 8,200 runners from around the world lined up for the first annual Walt Disney World Marathon. Regular Cast Member and Guest pathways were blocked or detoured to form an ingenious and captivating course. The 26.2-mile route ran along normal and backstage roads, past several resorts, and literally through all three theme parks. Now the marathon course includes music played in selected areas, light shows, bands, and of course, waving Disney characters and Cast along the route to keep participants alert and motivated.

TENNIS BALLS AND TOTEM POLES

The WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort opened three resorts in 1994. Once again, to fill the need of moderately priced resorts, a unique concept was brought to life. This time, it would feature an innovative salute to two of America's popular entertainment themes. With rooms comparable to Disney's Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans, and Dixie Landings Resorts, Disney's All-Star Sports and Music Resorts would be surrounded by larger-than-life icons familiar with each genre. Disney's All-Star Sports Resort opened in May 1994. Each building section features a specific section. Touchdown! has giant footballs and team helmets, with large Xs and Os lined up on a football field for the hotel courtyard. The Home Run Hotel pays tribute to baseball, with towering bats and drink cups. The Hoops Hotel theme features basketball goals, whistles, and megaphones. Center Court has a tennis theme, with referee chairs and tennis ball cans. Finally, Surf’s Up! features gigantic surfboards and shark fins. Along the top of each building are cutouts of spectator heads, as if a crowd were watching the games below. The All-Star Music Resort, which opened in November 1994, has five themed areas. Calypso features giant maracas and conga drums. Jazz Inn has saxophones and spotlights. Juke boxes and guitars represent the Rock Inn, and cowboy boots are the predominant theme for Country Fair. Finally, Broadway Hotel is highlighted with top hats and ticket booths. The pools at the music resort are shaped like a guitar and a piano.

After twenty-four years of sitting on the drawing boards, the Fort Wilderness resort hotel finally made its debut as Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Original plans called for a large, rustic fort with timber walls. The early designs of this fort are strikingly similar to the current resort. Future plans are still scheduled for a Wild West town to be built between this resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Disney's Wilderness Lodge is themed after the national park lodges of the Northwest, such as Yosemite and Yellowstone, circa 1860-70. The spirit of the West is captured in many designs, paintings, and artifacts of Native American culture decorating the resort. Totem poles with carved deer, buffalo, and other animals rise majestically toward the seven-story ceiling in the lobby. Some of the tribes represented here are the Blackfoot, the Cheyenne, the Crow, and the Sioux. There are also many maps and paintings of Western explorers advancing into the wilderness. Much of the material used to construct the lodge was shipped in from the West. Hundreds of lodgepole pines decorate the interior or are outside, supported by a foundation of granite flagstone. In the lobby, a bubbling pool flows out into the back promenade, where outside, it becomes a small river, meandering around a forest landscape. The river flows over rocky outcroppings and into the main swimming pool. Disney's Wilderness Lodge opened in May 1994. A similar-type resort has already been built at Disneyland Paris called the Sequoia Lodge.

FUTURES PAST AND PRESENT

Two dramatic changes occurred in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park and EPCOT Center in 1994 that promise lasting effects on both parks' entertainment and education value. Tomorrowland in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park had been growing out of date ever since opening in 1971. Its original purpose was to showcase and demonstrate new technologies mankind would be using someday, a bit more serious theme than the park's other lands. Clearly the architecture and attractions represented how we viewed the future in the 1970s. Visions of how the future could appear constantly changed every year, while Tomorrowland stayed the same. One attraction, Flight to the Moon, lasted only four years because traveling to the moon was no longer an unfathomable goal. Mission to Mars was the next step into the solar system, but even its technology grew old quickly. Numerous refurbishments were planned throughout the years, but no one had a perfect angle to keep Tomorrowland up to date while adding more entertainment. The answer finally came from Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris. It pays tribute to the world of visionaries like Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Their view of what the future would look like included one-man rocketships, time machines, and gigantic, oddly shaped city buildings. Tomorrowland took that theme even further. Using futuristic images created by science fiction writers and filmmakers of the 1920s and '30s, it would become a specific community. This city has oversized, machine-like architecture, neon towers that light the night sky in a multitude of colors, and attractions that could only have been invented in "the future that never was." It has its own mass transportation system (the Tomorrowland Transit Authority), electric company (Tomorrowland Light & Power Co.), and convention center (Metropolis Science Centre).

EPCOT Center modified its technology displays in the CommuniCore pavilions into dynamic, innovative exhibit areas known as Innoventions that will constantly change as new products are created. Innoventions showcases the latest home, work, and entertainment technologies with hands-on demonstrations. Guests can try out the hottest new computers, gadgets, and games, some of which are not even on the market yet. In 1996, "Center" was dropped from the theme park's name and is now simply Epcot®.

FROSTBITE IN FLORIDA

Up until now, River Country and Typhoon Lagoon had experienced record crowds summer after summer. Water recreation parks were gaining popularity across the country, especially in Central Florida. With the two water parks on property closing their doors due to capacity every day, the Disney company decided to create a third: Blizzard Beach, the largest water park at the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort and the most unusually-themed resort attraction in Disney history. According to Imagineering legend, a freak winter storm blew ice and snow over fifty-seven acres of land near Disney's All-Star Resorts. But intended plans for Florida's first snow-ski resort ground to a halt when summer temperatures began melting the snow-covered area. The resort operators were about to close the lodge when they noticed an alligator sliding down the slopes on "liquid ice." They soon discovered what the alligator already knew: the melting snow had actually created thrilling water-park attractions out of the ski and sledding courses. The 120-foot-high Summit Plummet, the ski jump on top of resident mountain Mt. Gushmore, is the world's tallest and fastest free-fall speed slide. Several other slides, toboggan runs, and flumes twist and turn along the mountain's half snow/half tropical slopes. There are pre-teens' and children's play areas, as well as a lazy creek circling the entire park, and a beach area. Blizzard Beach opened in April 1995.

On June 20, 1995, Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner announced that a fourth theme park would open in the western portion of the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort in 1998. Disney's Animal Kingdom would be a tribute to the animal world and conservation. Exotic habitats from around the world will be re-created here in Florida on 500 acres of land, hosting a colorful array of birds, mammals, and reptiles. The park will also feature imaginative and breathtaking attractions, celebrating animals of today, the mythical, and the extinct. Ground was broken for the newest theme park on August 4, 1995. CATERING TO THE WORLD

For the past few years, the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort had an increasing amount of Guest groups coming to the resort for pre-arranged events. Out of this need to accommodate these large numbers of people and events, a convention department was created specifically to coordinate everything from hotel room reservations to hall arrangements to catering. Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort and Disney's Contemporary Resort opened their own convention centers to join the already packed convention space across property. The most popular events requested on property are weddings. The "Fairy Tale Wedding" department evolved out of convention sales, again coordinating each event with the Guests involved. It eventually developed entire packages for Guests so that they didn't have to plan their own at all. The centerpiece for this department is the Disney Wedding Pavilion, which opened just down the beach from Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort on July 15, 1995. Featuring the same Victorian-style architecture as the nearby beach resort, this pavilion is large enough to host weddings of 250 Guests or more and can be rearranged for smaller, intimate ceremonies.

1995 was also the beginning of the largest expansion at the Disney Village Marketplace and Pleasure Island had ever experienced. Additional shops, restaurants, nightclubs, movie theater screens, and a 1,500-seat performing arts theater were announced that would double the size of the entertainment areas by 1997. The first major change was refurbishment of the riverboat Empress Lilly. After remodeling, it reopened in March 1996 as Fulton's Crab House.

On January 27, 1996, the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort hosted the inaugural Indy 200 race in the new, state-of-the-art Walt Disney World Speedway. The race was put together by the resort's new sports department and the Indy Racing League. From design to reality, the racetrack took about ten months to construct next to the MAGIC KINGDOM® parking lot. Each curve in the one mile track has its own unique banking, providing a bigger challenge to veteran drivers. A collection of old-growth trees were located in the middle of where the track was to be, but they were spared and moved near the backstretch. The track was designed for temporary seating. With an internationally recognized marathon and auto race set as annual traditions (in addition to its long-standing golf classic), the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort firmly established itself in the sports world. It took a giant leap further with the announcement of an international sports center to be built just south of the Disney-MGM Studios. The center, scheduled to open in 1997, will contain a main event stadium, a multi-sports field house for basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics, a tennis arena, baseball diamonds, field hockey and soccer fields, and outdoor tracks. There will also be weight rooms, racquetball courts, classrooms, and broadcast facilities. This wealth of available facilities will host many different events, from college, high school, and youth team levels, to amateur and individual professional athletes.

A unique vacation experience opened next to the Disney Village Marketplace on March 2, 1996. The Disney Institute, described as a "discovery resort," was designed to let Guests explore their own creative abilities through 80 different educational programs. Guests have the opportunity to be a chef, television producer, artist, interior designer, and more by choosing their own set of classes, ranging from entertainment arts (like animation, television, and radio production) to environment (bird-watching, gardening, topiary growing, and wilderness study), from fitness (sports medicine, aerobics, and outdoor programs) to culinary (cooking techniques, healthy dining, and planning for parties), and others. Featured program facilitators include celebrities from each field, such as recognized actors and actresses, musicians, and chefs. Disney designers built a complete set of classrooms, audio/visual studios, a fitness center, and theater for the institute's learning facilities. The entire area is themed as a 'quintessential’ rural American town, with tree-lined streets and many garden areas. Architect Tom Beeby used specific country building architectural styles to create a quiet, relaxing atmosphere. Now Guests not only have the opportunity to visit a world where dreams come true, but produce their own in an environment catering to their every need. The villas at Disney Village Resort were renamed the Villas at the Disney Institute. Although a section of rooms has been designated as campus housing for the institute, the rest are still open to Guests. With a brilliant swirl of color, Roman architecture, and Disney magic, another hotel amenity designed for Guests and conventioneers appeared between the Walt Disney World Dolphin and Walt Disney World Swan on May 20, 1996: Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf. There are two putting courses, Fantasia Gardens and Fantasia Fairways. Fantasia Gardens re-creates five different scenes of the Disney animated feature Fantasia, complete with Gothic statues and dancing fountains. Set in the traditional style of miniature golf, this course is interactive, requiring Guests to putt around hopping mushrooms, falling snowflakes, and pirouetting ostriches in a variety of challenges. Fantasia Fairways is a regular putting course, but designed to challenge even the most skillful golfers. It is literally a miniaturized golf course complete with exaggerated contours, water hazards, and tricky sand traps. There is also a 22,000-square-foot meeting facility for outdoor events next to the courses.

The last of the Epcot® resorts planned around Crescent Lake opened July 1, 1996. Disney’s BoardWalk re-creates the vacation charm of the Mid-Atlantic coastal cottages of the 1930s. The resort complements the similar atmosphere found across the lake at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts (all three were in fact designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern). This resort is unique in that it combines a regular Guest room section named Disney’s BoardWalk Inn with a number of units belonging to the Disney Vacation Club named Disney’s BoardWalk Villas. The buildings wind along a large, wooden promenade (made of Ekki wood from South America) overlooking Crescent Lake. There Guests can enjoy an entertainment district featuring a lively collection of restaurants, merchandise shops, a sports bar, a dueling piano bar, and a 1940s-style dance hall which showcases music from the ‘40s to the ‘90s.

WHERE WE ARE TODAY

The WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort has come a long way from swampland to vacationland. Through several more land purchases in the past twenty years, it now covers 30,500 acres, or about 47 square miles. Its original number of Cast Members has grown from 5,500 to 36,000. Resorts, attractions, and even additional theme parks are in development for years to come. The Vacation Kingdom of the World has entertained and enlightened people young and old from all over the globe. Nowhere else on earth can one meet a snow skiing alligator or robot shuttle pilots . . . fly a magic pirate ship above the clouds, or ride an authentic steam train through the Old West . . . or explore a haunted hotel or sophisticated greenhouses, where growing techniques showcase the future of our planet's food supply. It promises every visitor that anything can truly happen when they wish upon a star. And it is the realized dream of one man who believed that anyone can accomplish what they set their mind to: Walt Disney

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