From astronauts to animals, Walt Disney’s imaginary world came to life 50 years ago
The public had never seen anything quite like it: On Oct. 1, 1971, the imaginary world of Disney came alive with the opening of Walt Disney World Resort. Mickey Mouse led the first lucky visitors – Lakeland, Florida, residents Bill and Marty Windsor and their two young sons Jay and Lee – into the Magic Kingdom while beloved characters danced and sang.
Setting the stage for what would become the East Coast destination for vacations and milestone celebrations, Maestro Arthur Fiedler conducted the 60-nation World Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood star Bob Hope led the dedication of the Contemporary Resort and “Music Man” Meredith Willson conducted the grand opening parade’s 1,076-piece marching band.
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The climax of the grand opening took place between Oct. 23 and 25, when top American entertainers and icons of business, government and industry flooded the resort.
Space Mountain welcomes real astronauts
A crew of astronauts landed at the Magic Kingdom on Jan. 15, 1975, joining 2,000 dignitaries for the grand opening of Space Mountain, StarJets (which became the Astro Orbiter) and the GE Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland. The rocket-men on hand included Scott Carpenter, an astronaut on the Mercury 7, Gordon Cooper, an astronaut on the Mercury 7 and the Gemini 5, and Jim Irwin, an engineer and astronaut on the Apollo 15. The $20 million indoor roller coaster became one of Disney’s signature attractions and the iconic mountain now stands at every Disney park in the world.
Epcot, a utopian dream
Epcot opened Oct. 1, 1982 with five Future World pavilions and nine World Showcases, celebrating the history and culture of Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The opening ceremonies featured music from Count Basie and his orchestra, Lionel Hampton and his big band and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. At the World Showcase Festival, performers representing 23 countries performed. The theme of unity was obvious: “To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome.”
Epcot – an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow – was conceived as a utopian city of the future, planned by Walt Disney and powered by cutting-edge technology. The park would also become a home for hugely popular annual events, including the International Flower & Garden Festival (born in 1994) and the International Food & Wine Festival (born in 1995).
Hello, Hollywood
Disney-MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989, the third of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort boasting 135 acres dedicated to the world of film, TV, music and theater.
Drawing heavily from the Golden Age of Hollywood, the park celebrated Tinsel Town. Michael Eisner called Hollywood “not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine.” The Great Movie Ride, a tribute to classic films such as “Casablanca,” was the last of the original attractions to close in August 2017.
By 2007, the sprawling theme park was hosting close to 10 million visitors in six themed areas, including the “Hollywood Boulevard” main entrance and a motion simulator ride based on the Star Wars movies. In 2015, a major expansion overhauled the backlot, adding Toy Story Land in 2018, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019 and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway in 2020.
Epcot’s lush, blooming affair
The First Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival was held from April 29 to June 5, 1994. Conceived in part to increase traffic at Epcot, the spectacular displays of plants and flowers that guests loved were highlighted at this special five-week festival. Originally presented by Better Homes and Gardens, the perfect Florida climate allowed flowers and topiaries of all kinds to thrive.
Behind-the-scenes, gardeners worked to make the landscape look effortless, and a nursery and tree farm supported the gardens with a healthy supply of foliage. The first year, staff planted an extra 165,000 flowering annuals in 250 flower beds. At least 75,000 impatiens decorated the World Showcase. The festival has grown to showcase outdoor cuisine and entertainment as well as garden design and eco-horticulture.
A world of animals comes to Orlando
Animal Kingdom, the fourth theme park at Walt Disney World Resort, opened April 22, 1998 to coincide with Earth Day. At 580 acres, the zoological theme park is the largest at Disney World, populated with wild animals like rhinos, hippos, giraffes, meerkats, zebras, Asian tigers, African lions and western lowland gorillas. They share the space with more than 4 million trees, plants, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, grasses and ground-coverings from every continent on the planet except Antarctica.
It took 10 artists and three "Imagineers" 18 months to create the 325 animal carvings on The Tree of Life alone.
Expedition Everest, one of 18 Disney mountain attractions worldwide, towered at nearly 200 feet high and covered a 6.2-acre site that raced guests through the Himalayan mountains on a speeding train.
In 2016, Disney introduced after-dark experiences at Animal Kingdom park, and in 2017, Disney opened Pandora–The World of Avatar, based on James Cameron's film "Avatar."
Today, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to one of the leading zoo hospitals in North America, with an emphasis on advanced imaging, digital radiology, ultrasound and endoscopy.
