Have you ever wondered about the opening of Disney World and the history behind the parks?
Learn more about when did Disney World open, along with more fun facts and history about the most magical place on earth!
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In 1965, the man who brought family-friendly entertainment to California exactly ten years earlier with Disneyland park announced that an additional theme park would be built in Orlando, Florida.
Sitting in front of dozens of reporters at an Orlando conference, Walt Disney called this new theme park “the greatest attraction” in the state’s history.
There’s no doubt that Walt Disney was a visionary, particularly as Walt Disney World has grown to include multiple Disney parks, water parks, golf courses, resort hotels, and more.
But how did the modern-day Disney World we know and love start, and when did Disney World open?
Get ready to go back in time with me to Disney World’s beginnings. Let’s get started.
November 1963: Site Inspections for Disney World
Before Walt Disney could announce plans to build Disney World, he undertook several secretive site inspections to find a suitable property.
Often traveling under an alias, Walt Disney’s search took him across the continental United States, with possible theme park locations in Niagara Falls, St. Louis, and Aspen, Colorado.
Walt wanted to make Disney World different from Disneyland, so he was searching for large amounts of land that were somewhat isolated.
Ultimately, Walt Disney decided that the theme park would be awarded to the beautiful city of Orlando, in central Florida.
In November 1963, Walt Disney took a flight over the Orlando property for the Florida project.
From this vantage point, he could see developed roadways and interstates surrounding the property, choosing to purchase just over 27,000 acres of land, an easy one.
Disney World Construction Began in 1967
Disney World was Walt’s dream, but in an unfortunate twist, he did not survive to see it completed.
Walt Disney passed away from lung cancer on December 15, 1966.
Walt’s brother and business partner, Roy Disney, postponed his retirement from the Walt Disney Company to spearhead the first phase of construction on Disney World.
On May 30, 1967, the first ground was broken at Walt Disney World Resort.
The priority in this phase of construction was the completion of Magic Kingdom.
However, plans for the construction of Epcot were also unveiled in a press conference held by Roy O. Disney in February 1967.
Over the next four and a half years, crews would work around the clock building the first roadways to Magic Kingdom, two Walt Disney World Resort hotels, a campground, and many iconic rides still in operation today.
October 1, 1971: Magic Kingdom Opens To The Public
Magic Kingdom’s opening day was as big as the theme park itself.
Reports at the time estimated that 5,000 cast members were ready and waiting to welcome just over 10,000 park guests.
Admission prices for guests were $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for teens aged 13 to 17, and $1.00 for kids under 12. Wouldn’t you love it if ticket prices were still that low?!
I wonder how much Disney earned in a day back in 1971?
As the park’s first visitors headed towards Main Street USA, they were greeted with a 1076-member marching band parade.
Four thousand more entertainers were placed across the theme park to sing, dance, and delight their way into everyone’s hearts.
Of course, the magical, 189-foot-tall Cinderella Castle was built in time for the grand opening, as well as the 19 original rides, some of which included Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Jungle Cruise, Grand Prix Raceway, and It’s a Small World.
The ratio of staff to guests that day was 2:1, with marching band members at a ratio of 10:1.
While it may seem overwhelming now, the spectacle paid off with Magic Kingdom’s grand opening day parade appearing on the cover of Life magazine.
Magic Kingdom Resources:
- Ultimate Guide to Disney’s Magic Kingdom
- Where to Find Alcohol in Magic Kingdom
- The Best Magic Kingdom Quick Service Restaurants
Expansion of Disney World
Over the next ten years, the crews at Disney World would construct multiple projects simultaneously.
Major Magic Kingdom attractions like Tom Sawyer Island and Pirates of the Caribbean opened in 1973. Space Mountain, Walt Disney’s own idea for a space-themed roller coaster, quickly followed in 1975.
Epcot Opens on October 1, 1982
Perhaps the most significant undertaking over the 1970s was the construction of Disney World’s second theme park location.
Walt Disney initially conceived Epcot Center as a model community that would house 20,000 residents and serve as a testbed for future city planning.
In fact, Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow!
After Walt’s death, Disney abandoned the original plans for Epcot and refocused efforts on a park that would celebrate the emergence of new technologies, international customs, and cultures.
This version of Epcot took over three years to build and cost between $800 million and 1.4 billion dollars.
Epcot would open on October 1, 1982, with Spaceship Earth as its iconic structure.
Fun fact about Epcot Center: at the time of its build, Epcot was the largest construction project on earth!
Epcot Resources:
- Best Disney Rides at Epcot
- Best Breakfast at Epcot
- Best Epcot Quick Service Restaurants
- What to Do at Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays
MGM Studios Opens in 1989
Disney World’s third theme park is a tribute to film, television, animation, and the golden age of cinema.
Originally, Disney-MGM Studios was only supposed to be two pavilions in Epcot’s Future World.
However, Michael Eisner, Disney’s CEO at the time, requested that the pavilions be transformed into Disney World’s third anchor park.
In 1985, Disney and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) entered a licensing agreement that allowed Disney to use many MGM film clips and its iconic lion logo in their marketing materials.
When the park officially opened on May 1, 1989, the only two operating rides were the Studio Backlot Tour and the Great Movie Ride, which contained clips from MGM-produced movies.
Many do not know that MGM Studios contained working film and television production studios and full-service animation houses. In fact, Disney classics Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King were completed in part by the onsite studios!
MGM Studios continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1990s with the addition of Sunset Boulevard and The Tower of Terror.
In 2008, MGM Studios shut its doors. The newly renamed Disney’s Hollywood Studios would open the next day and eventually became home to fan favorites like Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Hollywood Studios Resources:
The Addition of Disney Water Parks
The first Disney water park to open was River Country, which opened in 1976 near the shores of Bay Lake and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.
In 1989, Typhoon Lagoon opened. It was an expansive water park with one of the world’s largest outdoor wave pools.
Blizzard Beach followed in 1995, using the unique theming of a winter ski resort.
Due to the popularity of Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, River Country was taking a backseat with Disney guests. This led to its ultimate closure in 2001.
April 22, 1998: Animal Kingdom Opens
Plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom began shortly after MGM Studios opened in 1989.
Animal Kingdom would distinguish itself from the other Disney World parks by creating space for attractions and hundreds of live animals.
Park designers traveled to Africa and Asia to study the landscapes and wildlife to create the most authentic animal enclosures.
The resulting park debuted on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and covers a whopping 580 acres of land – the largest Disney park to date.
Today, Animal Kingdom is the second most popular park in Disney World, behind Magic Kingdom.
There’s no doubt the hyper-realistic African landscapes, iconic Tree of Life, and the recent addition of Pandora – The World of Avatar have heightened visitor interest!
Learning About Disney World History
Now that you know when Disney World opened and a bit of history of the surrounding parks, you may be ready for a historical deep-dive.
Several excellent books about Disney World are available that detail the history of Disney World and its municipality of Lake Buena Vista, hidden gems in each park, and secrets yet to be uncovered.
You can even learn about the history of Disney Dollars, the currency-turned-collectible!
And did you know there’s a jail at Disney World?
Visiting the Disney amusement parks takes on a whole new appreciation when you know some of the history behind their creation!
Be sure to pin this to your Disney board on Pinterest!
