Thank You for all the great memories and being such an important part of my life! I will never forget how I felt the first time I saw the castle in the distance from the monorail, it was magical! I am hoping to go Walt Disney World next year for my 40th birthday. Disney World has become such a part of our popular culture it seems as if it’s been open forever, but the Magic Kingdom – the first of Disney’s Florida theme parks – opened to the public on October 1, 1971. (WTXL) — On this day In 1971, Walt Disney World opened near Orlando, 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. The best way to find out about Disney World and Walt himself is to pay a visit to the area yourself. All the Disney World theme parks closed to guests March 16, 2020. Hearing it takes me right back to the summer I worked there. Now we’re DVC members and will be coming back every year! My aunt brought me back a small change purse when she visited in the 1960’s. See you in a couple of hours Mickey! Now Disney has just announced the theme park hours through March 20. Get ready for two "Star Wars"-themed lands, which will open in 2019 at both Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There are just too many attraction must-do’s to list. Happy Birthday!! The parks delayed opening that day until about 3:00 p.m. 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. Happy Birthday Magic Kingdom!!! Of course, keep in mind that these prices are not comparing apples to apples. I must have seen it about 20 times, and it never got old. I mean, you aren’t as old as your West coast cousin, but you are getting up there. Actually, everything in WDW is a “must do” for us. Opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. converged near Orlando, Florida, to witness the grand opening of Walt Disney World. I miss WDW!!!!!! Cant wait to visit soon…Our must dos are Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Space mountain, and BTMR! Wow. O n Friday October 1, 1971 - after seven years of planning - about 10,000 visitors. It was the first time Disney every had to close the parks any for the weather. 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. Other “must do” activities – Mickey’s Philharmagic, Fantasmic, Aerosmith & Soarin. We have been season pass holders for most of the years since. The must do for all people in the US is Kilimanjaro Safaris, I know its in Animal Kingdom, but man, can you really beat that ride. Can’t wait til I see you next month!! Happy Birthday Walt Disney World! We didn’t get to come this summer, but hopefully we will be able to visit next summer. Ron DeSantis was to outline the first phases of reopening the state's economy. It has been expanded and renamed many times since. I always wanted to go to Disneyland when I was a small child, but never got to go. He took picturs of Disney being built. He died on December 15, 1966, and his brother, Roy, took over the construction of the park. Is WDW doing ANYTHING special for the 40th?? Can’t wait! In 1996, the Disney Institute opened on February 9, and Disney's BoardWalk opened on July 1. In Walt Disney World's first 2 years, the attraction drew 20 million visitors and employed 13,000 people. Once the Orlando location was chosen—inland, to limit the risk of hurricanes—Disney acquired 27,258 acres (43 square miles) using dummy corporations to keep the project quiet while the land acquisition was in the works. We try to do something different each time we visit – a new restaurant or go on a tour. Disney World's first water park, Typhoon Lagoon, opened exactly a month later on June 1, 1989. The Cinderella Castle at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando pictured on December 6, 2013. “IllumiNations: Reflection of Earth”… a MUST see! 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: Galaxy’s 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. We take your privacy seriously. Two attractions currently scheduled for the "Star Wars" section are First Order Dark Ride and the flight simulator called Millennium Falcon Ride. 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. Ooooh look how young the castle looks :)). I always do a breakfast at Crystal Palace with Pooh & Friends in the MK. At 300 acres, it is roughly twice the size of the Magic Kingdom. The first of the World of Disney stores opened in the Disney Village Marketplace on October 3. 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. Are you a Walt Disney World fan? If you're planning a trip to any of Disney World's parks, before you go, scroll through this timeline to learn about the history of this magical place and the new attractions to come.Â. Disney Springs closed all of the Disney-owned shops and restaurants on March 17, 2020, and the Disney Resort hotels quickly followed suit by closing on March 20, … Even though I did not start visiting until 1994, I have been around 20 times, and will see you in about a week! D23: The Official Disney Fan Club launched, Disney twenty-three magazine began publication, and the first biennial D23 Expo was held in Anaheim. Jim, the tour guide was a lot of fun and told great stories about Disney. Happy Birthday WDW!!! If so, then you already know—and have probably seen for yourself—that Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., just outside Orlando, is by far the largest of all the Disney resorts around the globe. In 1971, the concept became a reality when Walt Disney World opened in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. My first visit was in 1977 wow that’s along time ago how o wish o could go back and take my daughter let her see what I saw it was past the WOW factor it was amazing, It is funny, I was just telling my daughters that I was born the day Disney opened and we searched this on the internet. Happy Birthday Walt Disney World. I remember our first visit to the Magic Kingdom, April 1972. Disney World announced on Wednesday that it plans to open beginning July 11, months after first shutting its gates amid the COVID-19 pandemic Guests will leave the galaxy and be transported to a never-before-seen planet with a remote trading port. July 30, 1998 Happy Birthday!!!!!! Walt Disney World Guide: Planning Your Trip, The Best of Walt Disney World-Orlando's Three Dozen Hotels, Your Guide to Visiting Walt Disney World During the Pandemic, The 10 Best Under-the-Radar Disney World Attractions, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year at Florida's Theme Parks, The Ultimate Guide to Character Experiences at Disney World, Disney Has Reopened. We took our sons, ages 5 and 8 that summer. In summer 2018, Toy Story Land is scheduled to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Disney's tourism business has come to a halt because of the coronavirus. Disney World's shopping-and-entertainment area opened March 22, 1975, as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. Can you imagine! 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. Disney World's second theme park, EPCOT Center, opened October 1, 1982, exactly 11 years after the Magic Kingdom. Disney parks around the world are closed, including Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. My father was in the military and he was based in Florida. A Saturday, May 16 Disney Parks blog post details how Walt Disney World plans to tackle the first phase of re-opening. You can withdraw your consent for these messages at any time. In 1955, Disneyland was built in Anaheim, California. 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. On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened for a few thousand specially invited visitors; the following day, Disneyland officially opened to the public. I’m really excited about our trip, but just wondering if there’s anything special going on to ‘plus it up’ for the 40th! 3 Reasons Disney World Will Open This Summer Don't believe the chatter that Disney World will wait until 2021. Happy Birthday Disney World. June 24, 1998: 600,000,000th guest welcomed at Walt Disney World. Some blocks for July were gone in minutes when Disney opened the site on June 24. I have never loved going anywhere else more than I love going to Disney World (and I have traveled to 6 other countries). The third Walt Disney World theme park, Disney-MGM Studios, opened on May 1, 1989. This is my favorite attraction at Disney World! Needless to say we had lots of rain and wind that week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST THEME PARK IN THE WORLD. I wanted to visit Disney World when it opened, but never got to until 1995. We can’t wait to do it again. The Magic Kingdom is similar to Disneyland Park in California, reprising the same hub-and-spoke layout and many popular attractions. By providing my email address I'd like to receive updates, special offers, and other information via electronic messages and postal mail from Disney Destinations, LLC and other members of The Walt Disney Family of Companies. I’ll be buying you over-the-hill novelties soon enough. After a three-year expansion, the district's name changed again in 2015 to Disney Springs. I visited Walt Disneyworld the year it opened and the MAGIC just mesmerized me. Disney World's fourth park, the extraordinary Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened April 22, 1998, which is also Earth Day. Some of the best memories in my life were spent at the park!!! 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! Happy Birthday, WDW!! I can’t wait to come back. I was 11 weeks old when Walt Disney World opened. I was 10 years old when I visited for the first time in June 1972. Planning Your Trip to Disney World: A Guide, How to Make Dinner Reservations at Disney, The Best Disney Hotels for Large Families. Disney was already trying to repair the damage to trees and other areas. Walt Disney's vision included not only theme parks but also a futuristic city called EPCOT, an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) was the next theme park to open on October 1, 1982. The Magic Kingdom is similar to Disneyland Park in California, reprising the same hub-and-spoke layout and many popular attractions. As early as 1959, Walt Disney began looking to acquire land for his "Florida Project." I am going to have to ask them to dig them out so my children can see our favorite place in the world being built. Are you doing anything special that we need to plan extra time for? 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. Happy Birthday! It includes four sections: Marketplace, The Landing, Town Center, and West Side, each depicting a specific time period. 20+ trips later, we are heading back next year for 4th of July weekend and then boarding the Disney Dream to celebrate my 40th birthday. Disney announced earlier in March that it would close down Disneyland and Walt Disney World, along with a number of its other parks and cruise lines. 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…. 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Mail your email address at any time and forget about everything else!!!...