From WDWHistory
Location: Magic Kingdom
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| Magic Kingdom |
| Announced | |
| October 25, 1965 | |
| Construction | |
| May 30, 1967 | |
| Soft Opening | |
| September 7, 1971 | |
| Opening | |
| October 1, 1971[1] | |
| Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 | |
| Latitude — 28.4186745 | |
| Longitude — -81.5812500 |
| Construction Cost | |
| $400,000,000.00 | |
| Theme — Magic | |
| Park Size — 107 |
| Click Here |
The Magic Kingdom was originally based on Disneyland in California but there has been little duplication of the park. Most things at the Magic Kingdom have been enlarged from Disneyland, for example the castle is 189 feet, over 100 feet taller than the one in California. The first promotional information for the Magic Kingdom were to show the differences between Disneyland and the new park. Because of this, Country Bear Jamboree, Liberty Square, Hall of Presidents, Space Mountain, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and the Mickey Mouse Revue were opened first at the Magic Kingdom. There are over 1,100 audio-animatronics at the Magic Kingdom and they use over 1 million fireworks annually in order to perform their nightly Wishes fireworks show.
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[edit] Construction
One of Walt Disney's major qualms with the construction of Disneyland was the guests' ability to see the everyday operations of the park - ie. garbage collection and Cast Members walking to different areas of the park in different uniforms. (Imagine seeing a cowboy from Frontierland walking through the deep space of Tomorrowland!). The Imagineers were challenged with the task of designing the park so these functions could take place out of sight. Because of the water table in central Florida, however, digging underground was impossible. Any hole they dug immediately began filling up with water. With the development of the "Florida Project", the imagineers came up with an ingenious idea - Instead of building the Magic Kingdom on the ground, why not build it ABOVE the ground?
The result of this idea were the Utilidors, or utility corridors. Built on the ground level of the north shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon, the utilidors allow for food, cast members, and garbage to be delivered or removed out of view of guests of the park. The park itself is actually 14 feet above the original ground level of the area, making the park the second floor. Thanks to the utilidors, cast members can walk from one side of the park to the other in 10 minutes without being seen by guests. Aside from everyday operations of garbage and food, the park's attractions' operating systems are housed here, as are offices and cafeterias for the Cast Members.
[edit] Walt's Death
Unfortunately, Walt Disney did not live long enough to see the park completed. He died on December 15, 1966. His brother Roy O. Disney took over construction of the park. The park became his passion to complete and to continue his brother's legacy. He officially had the name changed from orginally Disney World to Walt Disney World in his honor. Roy O. Disney died two months after the opening of the park on December 20, 1971.
[edit] Opening of the Park
From Labor Day to the end of September, employees, construction workers, local leaders, business leaders, and their families were allowed in the park for the first 'soft opening'.
On opening day, Roy O. Disney gave the opening dedication for the park in Walt's stead. On October 25, 1971, Roy O. Disney gave a tribute in Town Square alongside Mickey Mouse.
On opening day, many feared the crowds would be unmanageable so the directors called in extra Florida state troopers to deal with the crowds. Up to 100,000 visitors were expected on the day but only 10,000 showed up. Many were scared off by the news saying that traffic would back up on Interstate 4, then only four lanes. Many pundits claimed this showed the park would be a flop but by Thanksgiving that year, cars were backed up for miles to get in.
The grand opening peaked between October 23, 1971 and October 25, 1971 with a gala concert by the 60-nation World Symphony Orchestra and was directed by Maestro Arthur Fiedler. There was also a grand luau at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort along with Bob Hope dedicating Disney's Contemporary Resort. There was also a 1,076-piece marching band directed by "Music Man" Meredith Willson. Julie Andrews, Glen Campbell, Buddy Hackett, Jonathan Winters also attended the opening.[2]
[edit] Videos
[edit] Related Items
[edit] References
- ↑ "Chronologoy of Walt Disney World".
- ↑ "Walt Disney World Resort - World History". Walt Disney Company. Retrieved on March 24, 2009.