Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World logo.svg
Walt Disney World Resort
Theme Parks

Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Other Attractions

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Disney's Blizzard Beach
Downtown Disney
ESPN Wide World of Sports
Disney's BoardWalk
Walt Disney World Resorts

The Walt Disney World Resort is the world's largest and most visited recreational resort, covering a 30,080-acre (47.00 sq mi; 121.7 km2) area just southwest of Orlando, Florida, USA and encompassing four theme parks, two water parks, 24 on-site themed resort hotels (excluding 8 that are on-site, but not owned by the Walt Disney Company), including a campground, two health spas and fitness centers, and other recreational venues and entertainment. It opened on October 1, 1971 with only the Magic Kingdom theme park and has since added Epcot (October 1, 1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (May 1, 1989) and Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park (April 22, 1998).

This world famous resort was inspired by the dreams of Walt Disney and his creation of Disneyland in California. Its original theme park, Magic Kingdom, is designed similarly to Disneyland. Walt Disney created "Disney World" in order to have a vacation resort that was much different from Disneyland's one-day visit; this includes a much wider variety of sports, recreation, uniquely-themed resort hotels and entertainment.

Contents

History and development

Cinderella Castle, the icon of the Magic Kingdom
The Sorcerer's Hat, the icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios
The Tree of Life, the icon of Disney's Animal Kingdom

In 1959, Walt Disney Productions began looking for land for a second park to supplement Disneyland, which had opened in Anaheim, California in 1955. Market surveys revealed that only 2 percent of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River, where 75 percent of the population of the United States lived. Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland and wanted control of a much larger area of land for the new project.[1] A more romanticized anecdote was that Walt Disney himself once encountered a family who left Disneyland early because they saw building congestion on the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) from the Skyway ride, an incident that committed him to producing a greater buffer from reality at future parks.

Walt Disney flew to the Orlando site (one of many) on November 22, 1963. He had previously flown over Sanford, Florida and approached the city council to allow him to build Disney World there, but was denied. Seeing the well-developed network of roads, including the planned Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, he immediately fell in love with the site. When later asked why he chose it, he said, "the freeway routes, they bisect here." Disney focused most of his attention on the "Florida Project" where he purchased land for Disney World, both before and after his participation at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, but he died on December 15, 1966, and never saw his vision complete.

To avoid a burst of land speculation, Disney used various dummy corporations (many owned by a "Mr.M Mouse") and cooperative individuals to acquire 27,400 acres (11,100 ha) of land. The first 5-acre (2.0 ha) lot was bought on October 23, 1964, by the Ayefour Corporation (a pun on Interstate 4). Others were also used with second or secret meanings which add to the lore of the Florida Project, including M.T. Lott Real Estate Investments ("empty lot"), also include in purchasing (retlaw investors) Walter spelled backwards.[2] Some of these names are memorialized on a window above Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom.

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 5-acre (2.0 ha) 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 swamp. 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.[2]

After most of the land had been bought, the truth of the property's owner was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper 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.[1]

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, before his vision was realized. His brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney, postponed his retirement to oversee construction of the resort's first phase. The Disney Company worked with Robert Hart, a New York architect and founder of Hart Howerton, an architecture firm that specializes in large-scale land use, to develop the initial master plans for the park. Hart had previously worked with John Carl Warnecke & Associates, which designed the John F. Kennedy memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

On February 2, 1967, Roy O. 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 district would have 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.[1]

The legislation 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 Walt Disney Productions.

The district soon began construction of drainage canals, 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 near the Magic Kingdom had opened a few weeks before.

Roy O. Disney dedicated the property and declared that it 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 responded, "I think Walt would have approved."

Roy O. Disney died on December 20, 1971, barely three months after the property opened.

Disney subsequently opened EPCOT Center in 1982, a theme park adapted from Walt Disney's vision for a "community of tomorrow". The park permanently adopted the name Epcot in 1996. In 1989, the resort added Disney-MGM Studios, a theme park inspired by show business, whose name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.

Meg Crofton was named president of the resort in August 2006, replacing Al Weiss, who had overseen the site since 1994.

Location

Despite marketing claims and popular misconceptions, the Florida resort is not located within Orlando city limits and is actually located about 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Orlando within southwestern Orange County, with the remainder in adjacent Osceola County. The property include the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake which are governed by the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The 25,000 acres (101 km2; 39 sq mi)[3] site 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), and Exit 8 on State Road 429 (Florida), the Western Expressway. At its peak, the resort occupied approximately 30,000 acres (120 km2) or 47 square miles (120 km²), about the size of San Francisco, or twice the size of Manhattan. Portions of the property since have been sold or de-annexed, including land now occupied by the Disney-built community of Celebration.

Attractions

Theme parks

Walt Disney World Resort features four theme parks. Each park is represented by an iconic structure

Water parks

Other attractions

Golf and recreation

Disney's property includes five golf courses. The four 18-hole golf courses are the Palm (4½ Stars), the Magnolia (4 Stars), Lake Buena Vista (4 Stars) and Osprey Ridge (4½ Stars). There is also a nine-hole walking course called Oak Trail, designed for young golfers. The Magnolia and Palm courses play home to the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Network Classic. Additionally, there 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 resort's lakes. 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.

Additional recreational activities include watercraft rentals, surrey bike rentals, and firework cruises that launch from several resort marinas.

Former parks

Resorts

On-site Disney Resorts & Accommodations

There are 33 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 24 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and Campground. A new concept was announced in June 2010 with the announcement of the Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort luxury residential community, featuring homes designed by the Walt Disney Company.

Residential Areas

Deluxe Resorts

Moderate Resorts

Value Resorts

Cabins and Campgrounds

Disney Vacation Club Resorts/Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Future Disney resorts

In May 2010, Disney Parks announced the development of Disney's Art of Animation Resort.

Expected to open in 2012, Disney's Art of Animation Resort will contain 1,120 suites that hold up to six people and 864 traditional rooms. The hotel will rise across from the Pop Century hotel. The hotel will be the first hotel on property announced in the last seven years.

The hotel will feature themes from four hit Disney animation films: Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Cars and The Little Mermaid.

Disney's Magical Express

Guests with a Disney Resort reservation arriving at Orlando International Airport can be transported to their Disney resort from the airport using the complimentary Disney's Magical Express service, 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.

On-site non-Disney hotels

Future resorts on Disney property

Never-built Disney resorts

Former Disney resorts

Executive Management

Former Executive Management

Attendance

The May 2008 issue of trade magazine Park World reported the following attendance estimates for 2007 compiled by Economic Research Associates in partnership with TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association):

Employment

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 "cast members". Today it employs more than 66,000, spending more than $1.2 billion on payroll and $474 million on benefits each year. The largest single-site employer in the United States,[7] Walt Disney World Resort has more than 3,700 job classifications. The resort also sponsors and operates the Walt Disney World College Program, an internship program that offers American college students the opportunity to live about 15 miles off site in 3 Disney-owned apartment complexes and work at 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.

Maintenance

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:

Transportation

A Disney bus, one of several transportation modes within the Walt Disney World Resort

A fleet of Disney-operated buses on property, branded Disney Transport, is available for guests at no charge. In 2007, Disney Transport started a guest services upgrade to the buses. SatellGPS systems controlling new public address 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. The Walt Disney World Monorail System also provides transportation at Walt Disney World.

Previously there were 12 operational monorails, although a crash occurring in July 2009 meant that the Pink and Purple monorails were taken out of service. Parts of the Pink and Purple monorails were used to create a new monorail with the colour Teal, which was put into operation in November 2009, taking the total number of monorails to 11. They operate on three routes that interconnect at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), adjacent to the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. One line provides an express non-stop link from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom, whilst a second line provides a link from the TTC to Epcot. The third line links the TTC and the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts.

Walt Disney World logo (1997-present)

During the resort's early planning stages, Walt Disney referred to the project as Project X, The Florida Project, Disney World, and The Disney World. Early visual references used the same medieval font as Disneyland. Walt Disney was very involved in the site selection and project planning in the years before his death. The secretive names were chosen because of the high confidentiality of the project during the initial planning. After Walt Disney's death, Roy O. Disney added the name Walt to Disney World as a permanent tribute to his brother.

The resort's original logo was an oversized "D" with a Mickey Mouse-shaped globe containing latitude and longitude lines, with the property's name presented in a modern, sans-serif font. Walt Disney World Resort retired its original font and symbol during its 25th anniversary celebration in 1996–97. The old "D" symbol still can be found in many places, however, including the front car of each monorail, manhole covers, select merchandise items and flags flown at several sites across the property.

Twin town

As part of a competition run by Disney for 2010, Walt Disney World Resort has an unofficial twinning (sister city) with Swindon, England, since 2009.[8][9]

Development timeline

1965 Walt Disney announces Florida Project
1967 Construction begins
1971 Magic Kingdom
Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Polynesian Resort
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
1972 Disney's Village Resort
1974 Discovery Island
1975 Disney's Village Resort
Walt Disney Village Marketplace
1976 Disney's River Country
1980 Walt Disney World Conference Center
Disney's Village Resort — Club Lake Villas
1982 Epcot
1988 Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
1989 Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Pleasure Island
1990 Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts
Walt Disney World Swan
Walt Disney World Dolphin
1991 Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
Disney Vacation Club
Disney's Old Key West Resort
1992 Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside
Bonnet Creek Golf Club
1994 Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
1995 Disney's All-Star Music Resort
Disney's Blizzard Beach
Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding Pavilion
Walt Disney World Speedway
1996 Disney Institute
Disney's BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas
1997 Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
Downtown Disney West Side
1998 Disney's Animal Kingdom
DisneyQuest
1999 Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
2001 Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
2002 Disney's Beach Club Villas
2003 Disney's Pop Century Resort
2004 Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
2007 Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas
2009 Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
Treehouse Villas
2011 Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort
2012 Disney's Art of Animation Resort

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fogleson, Richard E. (2003). Married to the Mouse. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp. 274. ISBN 978-0300098280. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Koenig, David (2007). Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure Press. pp. 334. ISBN 978-0964060524. 
  3. ↑ [http://wdwnews.com/viewpressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=99849&siteid=1 Walt Disney World News] Press Release on Resort Landscape Facts (2008)
  4. ↑ "Four Seasons to Anchor New Disney Luxury Resort". Walt Disney World Public Affairs. 2007-03-01. http://www.wdwpublicaffairs.com/ContentDrillDown.Aspx?DisplayItem=2d3569bf-daec-4512-96d1-eb3000608dfd. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  5. ↑ Clarke, Sara (August 26, 2008). "Walt Disney World sells land to Four Seasons, releases rendering". Orlando Sentinel. http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2008/08/walt-disney-w-1.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18. 
  6. ↑ "Treehouse Villas To Be Replaced By New Treehouses At Walt Disney World". Netcot.com. 2008-02-12. http://www.netcot.com/thesite/2008/02/12/treehouse-villas-to-be-replaced-by-new-treehouses-at-walt-disney-world/. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  7. ↑ "Disney Profile". Hospitality Online. http://profiles.hospitalityonline.com/206943/. Retrieved 2007-07-07. 
  8. ↑ "Walt Disney World to become twin town of Swindon". BBC News Online. December 7, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8399996.stm. Retrieved May 27, 2010. 
  9. ↑ Gammell, Caroline (2009-12-07). "Swindon twinned with Disney World". London: Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenpolitics/planning/6753758/Swindon-twinned-with-Disney-World.html. Retrieved May 27, 2010. 

External links

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Disneyland Resort
Disneyland · Disney California Adventure · Downtown Disney (California)
Walt Disney World Resort
Magic Kingdom · Epcot · Disney's Hollywood Studios · Disney's Animal Kingdom · Disney's Typhoon Lagoon · Disney's Blizzard Beach · ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex · Downtown Disney (Florida) ·
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay  · Disney's Animal Kingdom  · Disney's Hollywood Studios  · Epcot  · Legoland Florida  · Magic Kingdom  · SeaWorld Orlando  · Universal Islands of Adventure  · Universal Studios Florida