Walt Disney World @50 - A Retrospective

For the next eighteen (18) months, much of the focus at Disney World will surround it's 50th anniversary celebration.  As someone who was at the parks in 1996 for the 25th anniversary, I can still recall the enormity of the occasion (I mean, Cake Castle?)  Disney is building up it's golden anniversary to draw guests and visitors down for a year and a half long celebration at the Most Magical Place on Earth. 

To celebrate 50 years of Walt Disney World, we decided to look back at the park when it opened versus how it looks today.  In 1971, Walt Disney World consisted of just the Magic Kingdom, 2 resorts, and a campground - a far cry from the 4 theme parks and 25 Disney operated resorts that exist today.  For millennials like myself, we weren't at Disney World when it opened since, well we weren't born.  But thanks to the magic of the internet and television, we are able to be transported back to the resort's grand opening.  Disney, both as the person and as a corporation, have always understood the power and influence of television.  Walt used this medium to promote the opening of Disneyland by airing a number of television specials.  Walt served as the literal guide for Disneyland by providing updates and behind the scenes videos.  These specials led, in part, to the incredible demand and record attendance for the park when it opened in July 1955. In some ways, Disney's specials were some of the earliest infomercials - used to generate hype for it's original theme park. 

Sadly, Walt passed before Walt Disney World opened.  His passing left a void, not just as the visionary for the company he created, but in millions of homes that welcomed Walt and his many television programs.  But despite the loss of Walt, Disney was not about to abandon showcasing it's newest theme park to a worldwide audience.  

via disney.fandom.com

On October 29, 2021, 4 weeks after Walt Disney World opened, NBC aired a 90-minute television special title The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World.  It starred, amongst others, Julie Andrews, Glenn Campbell and Bob Hope.  The special took viewers around the Magic Kingdom and surrounding resorts including the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness Campgrounds.  The special featured commercials from some of Disney World's earliest corporate partners.   Viewers were led around Magic Kingdom by Mary Poppins herself as she danced and sang alongside the opening day attractions.  Viewers were able to see what was in store for them before traveling to Walt Disney World.  

When we stumbled across this video, we were immediately stuck by just how different the Magic Kingdom looks today, and yet, how many things remain virtually untouched.  This television special almost serves a time capsule to be able to compare Magic Kingdom at it's opening and how the park looks today.  So let's take a look at a few of the notable changes over the year.   

Perhaps no attraction has changed more than Cinderella Castle.  Structurally she still looks the same, but starting in 2020, she was splashed with a new color scheme and decorations to celebrate the 50th. 

Next week look back at one of Disney's most iconic attractions: it's a Small World.  Virtually every Disney park around the world has a version of this timeless ride.  The Magic Kingdom iteration is distinct as the classic Mary Blair facade is housed entirely inside (as most queues and attractions are indoors due to the unpredictable Central Florida weather) In the 1971 television special, Julie Andrews boards a boat and embarks on the happiest little cruise that ever sailed signing the Sherman brothers classic song.  

Did you know that Julie Andrews was the first person to use Genie+ at it's a Small World?  Just look at that line - no wait! 

Just Kidding! 

With the exception of some new paint schemes (which very recently featured a return to the original color palate of the original 1971 version, not a whole lot has changed with this Disney classic.  The same cannot be said for the Skyway which was an opening day attraction.  The Skyway was the predecessor to the Skyliner and would transport guests from a station in Tomorrowland to a station in Fantasyland.  The gondolas inside the Magic Kingdom are gone and the Fantasyland station has been converted into, well.....

 

Yup - a bathroom.  The old Fantaysland Skyway station is now home to the most immersive restroom experience ever - The Urinals of Corona!  Putting aside the fact that Tangled deserves so much more than a bathroom, the Skyway was a great attraction that provided exceptional views of Magic Kingdom.  And if the nostalgia bug should bite, you can still check out one of the gondola buckets at the DisneyStyle store at Disney Springs. 

 

 One of the original attractions premiering at Magic Kingdom was the Hall of Presidents.  This was from Walt himself and a way to pay tribute to America's leaders.  Since the opening of the Hall of Presidents, 9 new animatronics have been installed for each President elected (or in the case of Gerald Ford, succeeded).  

 

And speaking of Liberty Square, despite some growth of the trees and landscape, the Rivers of America with Haunted Mansion overlooking has remained relatively unchanged.  

Another opening day attraction that was borrowed from Disneyland is the Mad Tea Party. This attraction looked very similar to the original, until Disney realized that Central Florida rain and storms would cause the ride to frequently shutdown.  Now the ride has a covering which allows the party to continue even when the weather does not cooperate.  

And right next the Mad Tea Party sits the Grand Prix Raceway.  Wait, the what?  Yep - what we know today as the Tomorrowland Speedway was originally titled as the Grand Prix Raceway.  Over the years, the track has been modified (largely to make room for new attractions like Space Mountain), but the style is largely the same. 

Finally, we go outside of the Magic Kingdom to one of the original Disney World resorts: The Contemporary.  Over the years Contemporary has undergone a number of changes (and no, not just the recent renovation to Incredibles themed rooms).   Who could forget the Fiesta Fun Center? But one thing has remained a constant: the Mary Blair mural in the Grand Canyon Concourse.  It has remained unchanged in the 50 years since Walt Disney World opened.  

These were just a few of our then and now images, but there are lots more.  Thanks to the power of the internet, you can watch the original broadcoast on YouTube.  

Oh, before we go, one last "then and now" thanks to Jonathan Salazar and his incredible aerial photography.   Look at how much the Magic Kingdom hub has changed: