| Much has been written about Walt Disney World in
books and as articles posted on the WWW. In this page we
merely present a short synopsis of the history of WDW and
its main theme parks. Shortly after the 2nd World War, Walt Disney's doctor suggested that he find some leisure activity that would give him a chance to escape the pressures of running his animation Studio. Walt started taking his two small daughters to amusement parks but was never impressed with what he found. Walt started thinking about a park where the parents and the children could have fun together. When Disneyland in California opened on July 17, 1955 thirty thousand guests thronged Main Street and millions more witnessed the ceremony on television. Disneyland became an instant success with over 4 million visitors in its first year. Disney quickly became convinced that a second park was desirable. He wanted his new park to serve the Eastern states and Florida offered the best environment. Its climate - like that of Southern California - would permit year-round operation. However, Walt was not the kind of man who could be satisfied with merely repeating himself. His new project would be a complete holiday experience, providing hotels and camp sites as well as all kinds of recreational activities, from boating to bird watching to golf. In 1964 Disney bought 43 square miles of central Florida close to Orlando. Over the next five years the project became the world's largest private building venture. Sadly, Walt died on 15 December 1966 but his dream had already been realised on paper. Walt Disney World was opened, on schedule, in October 1971 by his brother, Roy and continues to enthral the millions of visitors who visit each year. Walt Disney World now houses four main theme parks; the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney-MGM studios & Animal Kingdom. In addition three smaller water theme parks, a market village, several championship golf courses, a nature reserve and over 20 hotels are found within the 43 square miles of "the World". It has its own Fire Fighters and Police Force. The first and perhaps the most famous of Walt Disney World's theme parks. The home of Mickey and the rest of the gang. Mickey's house is open to the public every day and Mickey himself can be visited in his dressing room before and after his shows. The Magic Kingdom is divided into 5 lands; Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Each has its own rides, shows and attractions. Here, as in all the Disney Parks, one entrance fee covers all attractions, shows and parades. A highlight of the daylight hours is the Main Street Parade while in the late evening the spectacular, Spectromagic parade, follows the same route. Seasonal parades,are also held at appropriate times throughout the year. Disney's "Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow" has two main sections. The futuristic EPCOT center houses seven huge pavilions dedicated to science and technology, including The Living Seas, The Wonders of Life and The Land. Surrounding showcase lagoon (into which California's Disneyland would fit in its entirety) is World Showcase. 11 nations are represented by shows and attractions hosted by young people from the various countries on educational excursions. The highlight of the evening is a spectacular display of lasers, fireworks and dancing fountains which takes place around the lagoon and is entitled "Reflections of Earth" The Disney-MGM studios house film production soundstages and animation workshops. Approx. a third of "Aladdin" was produced here. Visitors can relive some of the Disney-MGM motion pictures including The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and Star Wars. The Muppet 4D (yes 4D) movie has to be seen to be believed! The main swimming area spreads out over two and a half acres and contains 2.75 million gallons of water. The Caribbean blue lagoon is surrounded by a white sand beach, and its main attraction is the four foot waves that come crashing to the shore every 90 seconds. If this is not adventurous enough for you then try Humunga Kowabunga a 214 feet long slide with a drop of 51 feet and top speed of 30 miles an hour. For the less daring why not gently drift in large floatation rings around the 2,100 feet of castaway creek, a circular river that winds its way through the park? Walt Disney World's latest water attraction is Blizzard Beach. A huge new water theme park built around a winter ski holiday theme! If Typhoon Lagoon's water slide seems tame, why not try Blizzard's chute? A 120 foot drop with a top speed of 60 miles a hour! Walt Disney World's latest theme park is devoted to wildlife exploration. It is an accredited zoological park with hundreds of wonderful animals, exhibits, and rides. The centre piece of the entire park is a fabulous structure called the Tree of Life. It is 14 stories tall and is covered with over 300 different animal carvings. It is a true work of art. |
