.:The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World and Disney World, is an entertainment complex in and, in the United States, near the cities. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is owned and operated by, a division of. It was first operated. The property, which covers nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km 2), of which only half has been used, comprises four (consisting of, and ), two, 27 themed, nine non-Disney hotels, several golf courses, a camping resort, and other entertainment venues, including the outdoor shopping center.Designed to supplement, in, which had opened in 1955, the complex was developed by in the 1960s. 'The Florida Project', as it was known, was intended to present a distinct vision with its own diverse set of attractions.
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Walt Disney's original plans also called for the inclusion of an ' (EPCOT), a intended to serve as a test bed for new city-living innovations. Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, during construction of the complex. Without him spearheading the construction, the company built a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning the experimental concepts for a planned community. Was the first theme park to open in the complex, in 1971, followed by (1982), (1989), and (1998).Today, Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, with average annual attendance of more than 52 million. The resort is the flagship destination of Disney's worldwide corporate enterprise and has become a in. Walt Disney (left) with his brother (right) and then (center) on November 15, 1965, publicly announcing the creation of Disney WorldIn 1959, began looking for land to house a second resort to supplement in, which had opened in 1955.
Market surveys at the time revealed that only 5% of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the, where 75% of the population of the United States lived. Additionally, disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland and wanted more control over a larger area of land in the next project.Walt Disney flew over a potential site in —one of many—in November 1963. After witnessing the well-developed network of roads and taking the planned construction of both and into account, with (later ) to the east, Disney selected a centrally-located site near. To avoid a burst of land speculation, used various to acquire 30,500 acres (48 sq mi; 123 km 2) of land. In May 1965, some of these major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of in. In addition, two large tracts totaling $1.5 million were sold, and smaller tracts of flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotically-named companies such as the ' Corporation', 'Latin-American Development and Management Corporation' and the 'Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation'.
Some are now memorialized on a window above Main Street, U.S.A. The smaller parcels of land acquired were called 'outs'. They were five-acre (2 ha) lots in 1912 by the Munger Land Company and sold to investors. Most of the owners in the 1960s were happy to get rid of the land, which was mostly at the time. Another issue was the to the land, which were owned. Without the transfer of these rights, Tufts could come in at any time and demand the removal of buildings to obtain minerals. Eventually, Disney's team negotiated a deal with Tufts to buy the mineral rights for $15,000.Working strictly in secrecy, real estate agents unaware of their client's identity began making offers to landowners in April 1964 in parts of southwest Orange and northwest Osceola counties.
The agents were careful not to reveal the extent of their intentions, and they were able to negotiate numerous land contracts with some including large tracts of land for as little as $100 an acre. With the understanding that the recording of the first deeds would trigger intense public scrutiny, Disney delayed the filing of paperwork until a large portion of the land was under contract.Early rumors and speculation about the land purchases assumed possible development by in support of the nearby, as well as references to other famous investors such as, the,. An news article published weeks later on May 20, 1965, acknowledged a popular rumor that Disney was building an 'East Coast' version of Disneyland. However, the publication denied its accuracy based on an earlier interview with Disney at Kennedy Space Center, in which he claimed a $50 million investment was in the works for Disneyland, and that he had no interest in building a new park. In October 1965, editor from the Sentinel visited Disneyland during the park's 10th-anniversary celebration. In an interview with Disney, she asked him if he was behind recent land purchases in Central Florida. Bavar later described that Disney 'looked like I had thrown a bucket of water in his face' before denying the story.
His reaction, combined with other research obtained during her Anaheim visit, led Bavar to author a story on October 21, 1965, where she predicted that Disney was building a second theme park in Florida. Three days later after gathering more information from various sources, the Sentinel published another article headlined, 'We Say: 'Mystery Industry' Is Disney'.Walt Disney had originally planned to publicly reveal Disney World on November 15, 1965, but in light of the Sentinel story, Disney asked Florida Governor to confirm the story on October 25. His announcement called the new theme park 'the greatest attraction in the history of Florida'. The official reveal was kept on the previously-planned November 15 date, and Disney joined Burns in Orlando for the event. Roy Disney's oversight of construction.
Disney inspecting design plans on-site in Florida.Walt Disney died from circulatory collapse caused by on December 15, 1966, before his vision was realized. His brother and business partner, postponed his retirement to oversee construction of the resort's first phase.On February 2, 1967, Roy O. Disney held a press conference at the Park Theatres in. The role of EPCOT was emphasized in the film that was played. After the film, it was explained that for Disney World, including EPCOT, to succeed, a special district would have to be formed: the with two cities inside it, and Reedy Creek, now. 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 and inspections. The legislation forming the district and the two cities was signed into law by Florida Governor on May 12, 1967. The then 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. The and were also completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971. The Palm and Magnolia golf courses near Magic Kingdom had opened a few weeks before, while opened one month later. Twenty-four days after the park opened, 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 cars. But have they all heard of, 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, what she thought of Walt Disney World. According to biographer Bob Thomas, she responded, 'I think Walt would have approved.' Roy Disney died at age 78 on December 20, 1971, less than three months after the property opened.Admission prices in 1971 were $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for juniors under age 18, and one dollar for children under twelve.
Recent history Much of Walt Disney's plans for his were abandoned after his death and after the company board decided that it did not want to be in the business of running a city. The concept evolved into the resort's second theme park, which opened in 1982 (renamed in 1996). While still emulating Walt Disney's original idea of showcasing new technology, the park is closer to a than a 'community of tomorrow'.
One of EPCOT's main attractions is their world's showcase which highlights 11 countries across the globe. Some of the urban planning concepts from the original idea of EPCOT would instead be integrated into the community of much later. The resort's third theme park, (renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008), opened in 1989 and is inspired by show business. The resort's fourth theme park, opened in 1998.was named president of the resort in December 2012, replacing, who had overseen the site since 2006.On January 21, 2016, the resort's management structure was changed, with general managers within a theme park being in charge of an area or land, instead of on a functional basis as previously. Theme parks have already had a vice-president overseeing them. And Disney Sports were also affected.
Now hotel general managers manage a single hotel instead of some managing multiple hotels.On October 18, 2017, it was announced that resort visitors could bring dogs to, – Riverside,. Timeline. One of four arches welcoming guests to the resortThe Florida resort is not within city limits but is southwest of Downtown Orlando. Much of the resort is in southwestern, with the remainder in adjacent. The property includes the cities of and which are governed by the. The site is accessible from Central Florida's via Exits 62B (World Drive), 64B ( West), 65B ( West), 67B ( West), and 68 ( North), and Exit 8 on, the Western Expressway.
At its founding, the resort occupied approximately 30,500 acres (48 sq mi; 123 km 2). Portions of the property have since been sold or de-annexed, including land now occupied by the Disney-built community of. Now the resort occupies nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km 2). See also:Of the thirty-four resorts and hotels on the Walt Disney World property, 28 are owned and operated.
These are classified into four categories—Deluxe, Moderate, Value, and Disney Vacation Club Villas—and are located in one of five resort areas: the, or resort areas.While all of the Deluxe resort hotels have achieved an AAA Four Diamond rating, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is considered the highest-tier flagship luxury resort on the Walt Disney World Resort complex. Disney's All Star Movies Resort, one of five value resortsOn-site non-Disney hotels Hotel nameOpening dateThemeNumber of roomsOwnerAreaNovember 21, 1972None325Hotel Plaza Boulevard, close to Disney SpringsMarch 15, 1987229October 15, 1972626November 23, 1983787February 8, 1973323October 1, 1972394B Hotels & ResortsMarch 10, 19831,014August 3, 2014450Magic KingdomVariousVarious, 3,000 total,EpcotJune 1, 1990Seaside Floridian Resort & Under the Sea1509January 13, 1990Seaside Floridian Resort & Under the Sea756December 1973Upscale Country Club586Magic Kingdom. The Hilton at Walt Disney World, located at Hotel Plaza BoulevardFormer resorts. The Golf Resort — Became The Disney Inn, and later became. Disney's Village Resort — Became the and then. The 'Tree House' Villas were decommissioned for a time because they were not accessible to disabled guests.
Until early 2008, they were used for Cast Member housing. In February 2008, Disney submitted plans to the to replace the 60 existing villas with 60 new villas. Main article:Guests with a Disney Resort reservation (excluding the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin) that arrive at can be transported to their resort from the airport using the complimentary Disney's Magical Express service, which is operated by Mears Destination Services. Guests can also have their bags picked up and transported to their resort for them through a contract with BAGS Incorporated on participating airlines. Many resorts feature Airline Check-in counters for guests returning to the airport. Here their bags will be checked all the way through to their final destination and they can also have boarding passes printed for them.
Some participating airlines are, and.Attendance. The world's most visited theme parkIn 2014, the resort's four theme parks all ranked in the top 8 on the list of the 25 most visited theme parks in the world; (1st) Magic Kingdom—19,332,000 visitors, (6th) Epcot—11,454,000 visitors, (7th) Disney's Animal Kingdom—10,402,000 visitors, and (8th) Disney's Hollywood Studios—10,312,000 visitors. YearOverallRef.200817,063,00010,935,0009,608,0009,540,00047,117,233,00010,990,0009,700,0009,590,00047,516,972,00010,825,0009,603,0009,686,00047,017,142,00010,826,0009,699,0009,783,00047,417,536,00011,063,0009,912,0009,998,00048,518,588,00011,229,00010,110,00010,198,00050,119,332,00011,454,00010,312,00010,402,00051,520,492,00011,798,00010,828,00010,922,00054,020,395,00011,712,00010,776,00010,844,00053,720,450,00012,200,00010,722,00012,500,00055,820,859,00012,444,00011,258,00013,750,00058,311,000Total overall1,405,407,000Operations. The provides free transport across the resort.The Walt Disney World Resort is serviced by, a complimentary allowing guest access across the property. The provides free transportation at Walt Disney World; guests can board the monorail and travel between the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, including select on-property resorts such as.
The system operates on three routes that interconnect at the (TTC), adjacent to the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. Disney Transport owns a fleet of Disney-operated on property, that is also complimentary for guests.Disney Transport also operates a fleet of watercraft, ranging in size from, up to the that connect the Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Disney Transport is also responsible for maintaining the fleet of that are used for shuttling visitors between the various theme park parking lots and their respective main entrances.A system, dubbed, is expected to open in late 2019. The system's three lines will connect Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot with four resort hotels. One can see many of the posts for the gondolas being put up and the construction on the stations is underway, and in some cases, already finished.In addition to its free transportation methods, in conjunction with, Walt Disney World also offers an for a fee. The Minnie Van Service are dressed in a red-and-white polka dot design that can accommodate up to six people and have two carseats available to anyone that is within the Walt Disney World Resort limits.Walt Disney World previously had its own small airport: the which was also known as the Lake Buena Vista.
During the early 1970s, scheduled passenger service was operated by Shawnee Airlines with small commuter turboprops which had (short takeoff and landing) capabilities on flights to Tampa and Orlando. The airport is no longer in operation.Employment When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 'cast members'.
Today, Walt Disney World employs more than 74,000 cast members, spending more than $1.2 billion on payroll and $474 million on benefits each year. The largest single-site employer in the United States, Walt Disney World has more than 3,700 job classifications. The resort also sponsors and operates the, an internship program that offers American college students (CPs) the opportunity to live about 15 miles (24 km) off-site in four Disney-owned apartment complexes and work at the resort, and thereby provides much of the theme park and resort 'front line' cast members. There is also the, an internship program that offers international college students (ICPs) from all over the world the same opportunity.Energy use Walt Disney World requires an estimated 1 billion kilowatt-hours (3.6 billion megajoules) of electricity annually, costing the company nearly $100 million in annual energy consumption.
In addition to relying primarily on fossil fuels and nuclear energy from the state's power grid, Walt Disney World has two on property; a 22-acre (0.034 sq mi; 0.089 km 2) -shaped farm near Epcot, and a 270-acre (0.42 sq mi; 1.1 km 2) facility near Disney's Animal Kingdom. The larger facility produces enough to provide electricity to two of the resort's theme parks. The sites are operated by and the, respectively.The entire bus fleet uses R50 renewable, obtained from used cooking oil and non-consumable food waste from the resort. Corporate culture Walt Disney World's corporate culture uses based on. For example, park visitors are always 'guests', employees are called 'cast members', rides are 'attractions' or 'experiences', cast members costumed as famous Disney characters in a way that does not cover their faces are known as 'face characters', jobs are 'roles', and public and nonpublic areas are respectively labeled 'onstage' and 'backstage'. Security Disney's security personnel are generally dressed in typical security guard uniforms, though some of the personnel are dressed as tourists in plain clothes.
Since, uniformed security has been stationed outside each Disney park in Florida to search guests' bags as they enter the parks. Starting April 3, 2017, bag checkpoints have been placed at Magic Kingdom's resort monorail entryways and the Transportation and Ticket Center's ferry entry points prior to embarkation as well as the walkway from Disney's Contemporary Resort. Guests arriving the Transportation and Ticket Center by tram or tour bus will be screened at the former tram boarding areas. Guests arriving by Disney Resort hotel bus or have their own bag check just outside the bus stops. Guests arriving via Magic Kingdom Resort boat launch will be bag checked on the arrival dock outside Magic Kingdom. Disney Security Vehicle, picture taken July 2, 2009 in front of EpcotThe land where Walt Disney World resides is part of the (RCID), a governing jurisdiction created in 1967 by the State of Florida at the request of Disney.
RCID provides 911 services, fire, environmental protection, building code enforcement, utilities and road maintenance but does not provide law enforcement services. The approximately 800 security staff are instead considered employees of the Walt Disney Company. Arrests and citations are issued by the along with the and Osceola County sheriffs deputies who patrol the roads. Disney security does maintain a fleet of security vans equipped with flares, traffic cones, and chalk commonly used by police officers. These security personnel are charged with traffic control by the RCID and may only issue personnel violation notices to Disney and RCID employees, not the general public.Despite the appearance of the uniformed security personnel, they are not considered a legal law enforcement agency. Disney and the Reedy Creek Improvement District were sued for access to Disney Security records by Bob and Kathy Sipkema following the death of their son at the resort in 1994.
The court characterized Disney security as a 'night watchman' service not a law enforcement agency and was not subject to Florida's open records laws. An appeals court later upheld the lower court's ruling.In late 2015, Disney confirmed the addition of randomized secondary screenings and dogs trained to detect body-worn explosives within parks, in addition to metal detectors at entrances. It has also increased the number of uniformed security personnel at Walt Disney World and Disneyland properties.Disney Security personnel in Florida have investigated traffic accidents and issued accident reports.
The forms used by Disney Security may be confused with official, government forms by some. The maintains an office on Disney property, but this is primarily to process guests accused of by Disney security personnel.Although the scattering of ashes on Disney property is illegal, reported in October 2018 that Walt Disney World parks were becoming a popular spot for families to scatter the ashes of loved ones, with the at Magic Kingdom being the favorite location. The practice is unlawful and prohibited on Disney property, and anyone spreading would be escorted from the park. Closures Walt Disney World has had seven unscheduled closures:. September 15, 1999, due to.
In 2001, after the. August 2004, due to. September 4-5, 2004, due to.
September 26, 2004, due to. October 7, 2016, due to. September 10–11, 2017, due toLike, the park may close early to accommodate various special events, such as special press events, tour groups, VIP groups, and private parties. It is common for a corporation to rent the entire park for the evening. In such cases, special passes are issued which are valid for admission to all rides and attractions. At the ticket booths and on published schedules, the guests are notified of the early closures. Then, cast members announce that the park is closing, sometime before the private event starts, and clear the park of guests who do not have the special passes.See also.References.
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