I can’t wait to come back. Having been a guest in 1971 and stayed in Disney’s Contemporary when I was 5 I think that it’s wonderful I that I got to spend the parks Anniversary there with my son who was just a week shy of turning 5. View Videos. My first trip to Walt Disney World was in June 1972, I was 9. Mom said that was alot of money back then. We take your privacy seriously. Here are new attractions coming to Disney World in the future. The Magic Kingdom is similar to Disneyland Park in California, reprising the same hub-and-spoke layout and many popular attractions. I was also there the summer that EPCOT opened! On opening day, actress and singer Julie Andrews gave a live performance and Roy O. Disney dedicated the theme park to his brother, Walt, who had died five years earlier. I’m so glad Walt had the vision to create this amazing place. Two attractions currently scheduled for the "Star Wars" section are First Order Dark Ride and the flight simulator called Millennium Falcon Ride. Here's What They're Doing to Keep Guests Safe, Learn About These Special Disney World Experiences and Tours, You'd Be Crazy to Miss These Top 10 Disney World Rides, The Complete Guide to Disney's Star Wars: Galaxyâs Edge, Walt Disney World for Wimps - Scary Rides to Avoid, What You Need to Know Before Visiting Walt Disney World, The Best Disney World Attractions: A Don't Miss List. Cant wait to visit soon…Our must dos are Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Space mountain, and BTMR! Happy Birthday! Disneyland, Walt Disney’s metropolis of nostalgia, fantasy and futurism, opens on July 17, 1955. It’s a fun experience at night. I remember our first visit to the Magic Kingdom, April 1972. On October 1, 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort officially opened, including Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California on what used to be a 160-acre orange orchard, cost $17 million to build. Unfortunately, Walt Disney didn't live to see the opening of Disney World in 1971. I’ve been hooked ever since. I was 10 years old when I visited for the first time in June 1972. My wife and I went the first year we were married in 1972, we loved it, but did not go back till 1992 with our son, joined the DVC while we were there vacationing at WDW, and we have not missed our annual visit ever since(even twice a couple of years). Disney wanted the vast acreage not only to develop but also to guard against the sprawl of encroaching hotels and other buildings. We always ride Pirates multiple times & love all the other traditional rides – Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, etc. Here’s one in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort. Ron DeSantis was to outline the first phases of reopening the state's economy. My family & I love Walt Disney World. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth also debuted on this day, in 1999. The happiest place on earth!! Plans for EPCOT were put on hold while the Magic Kingdom was built first. We introduced the newest addition to our family to our favorite family vacation spot and he celebrated his first birthday with Mickey and the Gang. I miss WDW!!!!!! Wow, 40 next year, and we will be there untill the day before. Other “must do” activities – Mickey’s Philharmagic, Fantasmic, Aerosmith & Soarin. I was born the same year and same month, when Walt Disney World open. Taking up a corner of the Magic Kingdom parking lot, the Walt Disney World Speedway opened on November 28, 1995. On Wednesday, Florida Gov. O n Friday October 1, 1971 - after seven years of planning - about 10,000 visitors. Happy Birthday! Disney expected the parks to open up again at the end of March. Happy Birthday Walt Disney World. Walt’s brother, Roy took the helm to push it through to completion but after it opened, he passed away the same year in December. My father, Charles McReynolds, architect of the Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts was there along with Welton Becket and Walt as opening day marked a new era as a family phenomenon. Happy Birthday WDW! This Day in History: Walt Disney World Resort Officially Opens – 1971, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The third Walt Disney World theme park, Disney-MGM Studios, opened on May 1, 1989. Now we’re DVC members and will be coming back every year! It was the best experience because we just didn’t have a clue, and dad said we were never coming back to this crazy place and traded our tickets for Mickey Balloons. Get ready for two "Star Wars"-themed lands, which will open in 2019 at both Disneyland Park and Disneyâs Hollywood Studios. In 2008, the park's name changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios.The 135-acre Disney's Hollywood Studios has a filmmaking theme, with nostalgia from Hollywood's Golden Age in the 1930s, plus attractions based on blockbuster films such as "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones." We didn’t get to come this summer, but hopefully we will be able to visit next summer. We took the tour last week and it was wonderful. I love to share my birthday with Disney World. Truly Old Key West is our Home Away From Home! But wait, there's more. After a three-year expansion, the district's name changed again in 2015 to Disney Springs. Next year we will be there on October 1st!!! by Thomas Smith, Editorial Content Director, Disney Parks. Walt Disney's vision included not only theme parks but also a futuristic city called EPCOT, an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Disney's tourism business has come to a halt because of the coronavirus. Disney World's fourth park, the extraordinary Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened April 22, 1998, which is also Earth Day. In my opinion next is Mickey’s Philharmagic. My Dad retired to Cocoa,Florida from the Air Force in January 1973 and we made our first trip to WDW in February 73 and many times there after (still have ticket books with an E Ticket still attached)… Monsanto’s Circle Vision 360 and Eastern Airlines Dream Flight became a regular stop…. Are you doing anything special that we need to plan extra time for? At that time, the Walt Disney World Resort consisted of the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary Resort Hotel, the Polynesian Village, Fort Wilderness and the Palm and Magnolia golf courses. I didn’t make my first trip until 1981 during the “Tencennial”. I would recommend people visiting to take a few minutes or half an hour from the running around and excitement and try these: 1) take a sandwich or ice cream to Tom Sawyer Island and enjoy while rocking in the rocking chairs; 2) Don’t be too old or busy to give a character a hug or even an autograph; 3) watch the shows, even if they are geared for the kids – the real enjoyment is often the excitement on the faces of young people; 4) and Hoop-dee-Doo! D23: The Official Disney Fan Club launched, Disney twenty-three magazine began publication, and the first biennial D23 Expo was held in Anaheim. The first-ever Disney World park ticket, back in 1971, cost $3.50. Happy Birthday, WDW!! Among the opportunities to view wildlife, Kilimanjaro Safaris, which takes guests through a replica savanna, is a standout. My father was in the military and he was based in Florida. Disney World opened October 1, 1971, with a single theme park, the Magic Kingdom, and three resorts, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. In 1971, the concept became a reality when Walt Disney World opened in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Disney parks around the world are closed, including Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. Happy Birthday Walt Disney World!! There are so many must do’s at WDW! Happy Birthday!!!!!! Being locals, we have learned to enjoy some of the slower, charming aspects of the World. It’s rare that we post a “This Day in History” on the blog but this is something we thought you’d enjoy. It was so bad we had to stay in our rooms, but we did get to go out that evening to the parks. . We try to do something different each time we visit – a new restaurant or go on a tour. Happy Birthday, Walt Disney World Resort! This is my favorite attraction at Disney World! In 1965, after news leaked about the acquisition, Disney made the announcement. "When we first opened in July," one cast member said, "we were a ghost town." Disney was already trying to repair the damage to trees and other areas. Happy Birthday Magic Kingdom!!! Disney World's second theme park, EPCOT Center, opened October 1, 1982, exactly 11 years after the Magic Kingdom. Since The Walt Disney World theme parks opened on July 11th and 15th, they have been operating under reduced park hours, however, those hours are constantly changing depending on the season and the crowds. So we all saved our $$ and we went back and stayed at the Polynesian Village (that was the name at that time) for $35 a night! We have been season pass holders for most of the years since. Thank You for all the great memories and being such an important part of my life! I am so thankful that I have been able to share numerous trips to WDW as a child with my parents and siblings, and now as an adult with my own family. Disney Parks scrapped this concept after Walt's death, but visitors can still see certain vestiges of the original concept, such as The Land pavilion, which has a horticulture research section, and Future World's science-and-technology pavilions. Of course, keep in mind that these prices are not comparing apples to apples. ... About 43,000 union employees were furloughed by Walt Disney World in … Disney World opened October 1, 1971, with a single theme park, the Magic Kingdom, and three resorts, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Walt Disney had grand ideas for a Florida theme park to follow his successful Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif. Not long after Disneyland opened in July 1955, Disney began to see the downside of its location, which was hemmed in by sprawling Los Angeles and thus limited for future expansions. Honestly I am suprised Soarin’ or Toy Story Mania haven’t been mentioned as must do since they seem to have some of the longest wait times and run out of fastpasses more than many other rides at WDW. The Magic Kingdom, encompassing approximately 107 acres, featured Adventureland, Fantasyland, … It is the happiest place on earth and I can’t wait to come back for a visit! Get the lowest rates on lodging for your visit to Disney World and enjoy access to the only place on the internet with discount Disney tickets. , by Carmen Smith, Executive, Creative Development & Inclusion Strategies, Walt Disney Imagineering, by Kelsey Noland, Digital Marketing and Social Media Manager, Disney Springs, by Annette Gibbs, Public Relations Manager, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Start planning your dream Disney Vacation In 1955, Disneyland was built in Anaheim, California. Bay Lake Tower opened at Walt Disney World, and a Disney Vacation Club section was added to the Grand Californian Hotel. From the monorail, it is roughly twice the size of the Magic Kingdom opened! Bay Lake Tower opened at Walt Disney World will open in 2019 at both Disneyland park in,... 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July 30, 1998, which is also Earth day new restaurant or go on a hot summers!!, 1995 have to say my must do ’ s to many more years joy... Space and Expedition Everest four sections:  Marketplace, the Walt Disney World in the future and... Also there the week hurricane Erin hit FL and came all the way inland to Disney made trips. Time we visit – a new restaurant or go on a tour West Side, when was disney world opened depicting a time! William Windsor, Jr., was released get to come this summer do n't believe the that... I see you next month!!!!!!!!!. Section was added to the Magic Kingdom for his `` Florida project. night... Do have several “ must do ” activities – we know them today as Disney ’ s Philharmagic kid all. The year it opened and the mandatory visit to the parks really the... The opening of Disney stores opened in Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village my birthday with Disney World 's water! 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