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Walt Disney World Resort

Cinderella Castle, at the center of the Magic Kingdom, is freshly decorated for the 18-month Happiest Celebration on Earth The Spaceship Earth sphere is the symbol of Epcot. The Sorcerer's Hat is the symbol of Disney-MGM Studios. The Tree of Life is the symbol of Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The Walt Disney World Resort, often referred to as simply Walt Disney World or Disney World, is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. Walt Disney World Resort is a theme park destination resort owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt Disney Company.

It opened on October 1, 1971 with the Magic Kingdom, and has since added Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. In addition to these four main theme parks, the resort contains two water parks, six golf courses, a sports complex, an auto race track, more than twenty resort hotels, and numerous shopping, dining, and entertainment offerings. The 47-square-mile (122 km2) property is the largest theme park resort in the world.

Concept

Walt Disney originally envisioned what would eventually become the Walt Disney World Resort as a resort that would have a Magic Kingdom somewhat larger and more elaborate than the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland. There was also to be of course various housing for guests to the resort, along with an industrial park, main resort terminal, and a futuristic airport, but most importantly was Walt Disney's "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow", or EPCOT as it is better known with respect as an acronym. EPCOT was also known as Progress City. However plans for EPCOT would drastically change after Walt Disney's death. EPCOT became EPCOT Center, the second theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Much later, concepts from the original idea of EPCOT would be integrated into the community of Celebration, Florida.

Walt Disney focused most of his attention on the "Florida Project" both before and after his participation at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, but died in December of 1966, almost five years short of seeing his vision realized.

There is no official documentation showing that the Walt Disney World Resort was originally to be spelled "Disneyworld", for it was already going to be far different than "Disneyland". However Walt Disney did make reference to the Walt Disney World Resort as both "Disney World" and "The Disney World", with both of these versions using the same font that was used in the spelling of Disneyland.

After Walt Disney's death, the title of "Disney World" was settled upon, to be presented in a modern font instead of the original Disneyland font. To reinforce the updated name and image, Disney World's official symbol was to be an oversized "D" with the face of Mickey Mouse depicted as the lines of latitude and longitude of this new World.

While Disneyland has kept its original font, it has lost nearly all references to its offical symbol. Walt Disney World put an end to use of both its original font and official symbol at the conclusion of Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Celebration in 1996. The official symbol, however, can still be found in many places around the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as in recent merchandise that uses it once again.

In the end, it was Roy O. Disney, Walt Disney's older brother, who would dedicate the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World, and would officially proclaim "Disney World" as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honor.

Properties

A popular misconception is that the resort exists in Orlando, Florida. In fact, the entire Walt Disney World property is outside Orlando city limits; the majority sits within southwestern Orange County, with the remainder in adjacent Osceola County to the south.

Most of Walt Disney World's Central Florida land, and all of the public areas, are located in the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, located southwest of Orlando and a few miles northwest of Kissimmee. The land within Walt Disney World Resort is part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District which allows the Disney corporation to exercise quasi-governmental powers over the area.

Walt Disney World Resort is the largest theme park resort in the world.

Walt Disney World Resort features four major theme parks, each with a main attraction that serves as its symbol:

  • The Magic Kingdom (Cinderella Castle)
  • Epcot (Spaceship Earth, the geodesic sphere.)
  • Disney-MGM Studios (The Sorcerer's Hat, though formerly the 'Earful Tower' water tower represented it)
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom (the Tree of Life)

There are also two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (a third, River Country, is permanently closed), as well as the Disney's Wide World of Sports athletic complex.

The Downtown Disney area contains many shopping, dining, and entertainment venues, including DisneyQuest (a "virtual theme park" inside a building), the House of Blues, and a permanent Cirque du Soleil show (La Nouba).

Another notable aspect is the large number of hotel resort complexes on the Walt Disney World property. The non-themed hotels are owned by private, non-Disney hospitality companies such as Starwood, Holiday Inn, and Hilton. The themed resorts include:

  • Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
  • Disney's All-Star Music Resort
  • Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Disney's Beach Club Resort
  • Disney's Beach Club Villas
  • Disney's BoardWalk Inn
  • Disney's BoardWalk Villas
  • Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
  • Disney's Contemporary Resort
  • Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
  • Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
  • Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
  • Disney's Old Key West Resort
  • Disney's Polynesian Resort
  • Disney's Pop Century Resort
  • Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside (formerly Dixie Landings)
  • Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter (formerly Disney's Port Orleans Resort)
  • Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (formerly the Disney Institute)
  • Disney's Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney's Yacht Club Resort
  • Shades of Green (named because of its location between two golf courses; it's currently leased by the United States Department of Defense and used for vacationing active and retired military personnel and their families)
  • The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
  • Walt Disney World Dolphin (operated by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts)
  • Walt Disney World Swan (operated by Westin Hotels)

The Walt Disney World resort also includes five world-class golf courses. The five 18-hole golf courses are the Magnolia, the Palm, Lake Buena Vista, Eagle Pines, and Osprey Ridge (the last two are part of the Bonnet Creek Golf Club). There are two miniature golf courses: Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland.

Walt Disney World paved the way for many other theme parks and attractions in the area, including SeaWorld and Universal Studios, and helped make Orlando a popular tourist destination for people from all over the world.

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort employed about 5,500 cast members. Today it employs more than 57,000 cast members, spending more than $1.1 billion on payroll and $478 million on benefits each year. The largest single-site employer in the United States, Walt Disney World Resort has more than three thousand job classifications.

The Walt Disney World Resort also sponsors and operates the Walt Disney World College Program, an internship program that has US college students live on-site and work for the Resort, providing much of the theme park and resort "front line" cast members.

In a March 30, 2004 article in The Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney World president Al Weiss gave some insight into how the parks are maintained:

  • More than 5,000 cast members are dedicated to maintenance and engineering, including 650 horticulturists and 600 painters.
  • Disney spends more than US$100 million every year on maintenance at the Magic Kingdom. In 2003, US$6 million was spent on renovating its Crystal Palace restaurant. 90 percent of guests say that the upkeep and cleanliness of the Magic Kingdom are excellent or very good.
  • The streets in the parks are steam cleaned every night.
  • There are cast members permanently assigned to painting the antique carousel horses; they use genuine gold leaf.
  • There is a tree farm on-site, so that when a mature tree needs to be replaced, a thirty-year-old tree will be available to replace it.

There is a fleet of Disney-operated buses on property, branded Disney Transport free for use by resort and park guests. They are not to be confused with the Disney Cruise Line and Disney's Magical Express buses, which are run by Mears Transportation. Taxi boats link some locations. Two monorail lines also operate at Walt Disney World Resort: one links the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary and Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts, and the Transportation and Ticket Center (with an express track in the other direction, only stopping at the TTC and the Magic Kingdom); the other links Epcot and the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Walt Disney World Resort covers a total of 47 square miles (122km2), about the size of San Francisco or twice the size of Manhattan. Less than one-quarter of the property has been developed. Another quarter has been set aside as a wilderness preserve.

According to Disney's "MouseMail" email newsletter: during the Christmas season, one hundred fifty truckloads of holiday decorations adorn the Walt Disney World Resort and 300,000 yards of ribbon and bows drape over 1,500 Christmas trees. Walt Disney World pastry chefs use more than 1,050 pounds of honey, 100 pounds of sugar, and 50 pounds of dark chocolate to bake gingerbread houses and other decorations for the holidays.

Popular attractions

  • The Magic Kingdom
    • The Haunted Mansion
    • Pirates of the Caribbean
    • "it's a small world"
    • Space Mountain
    • Splash Mountain
    • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Epcot
    • Test Track
    • Mission: SPACE
    • Soarin'
    • Spaceship Earth
  • Disney-MGM Studios
    • Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
    • Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
    • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
    • Fantasmic!
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom
    • Kilimanjaro Safaris
    • Primeval Whirl
    • Kali River Rapids
    • Expedition Everest
    • DINOSAUR (formerly named Countdown to Extinction)

Development

In 1959, the Walt Disney Company, under the leadership of Walt Disney, began looking for land for a second resort to supplement Disneyland, which had opened in Anaheim in 1955. Market surveys revealed that only 2% of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River, where 75% of the population of the United States lived. Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland, and wanted control of a much larger area of land for the new project.

Walt Disney first flew over the Orlando site (one of many) on November 22, 1963. The airplane he travelled in would be used by future Disney executives to travel to the Resort from the company headquarters in Burbank, California and can now be seen at the Disney-MGM Studios. He saw the good road network, including Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base, soon to become Orlando International Airport, to the east, and immediately fell in love with the site. When later asked why he chose it, he said, "the freeway routes, they bisect here."

However, the decision had not been made yet; no land had been purchased. If the news of Disney's new resort was leaked, land prices would soar. Thus everything was to be done in complete secrecy. To avoid a burst of land speculation, Disney used various dummy corporations and cooperative individuals to acquire 27,400 acres (111 km²) of land. The first five-acre (20,000 m²) lot was bought on October 23, 1964 by the Ayefour Corporation (a pun on Interstate 4). In May 1965, major land transactions were being recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. Two large tracts totaling $1.5 million were sold, and smaller tracts of flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotic-sounding companies such as the Latin-American Development and Management Corporation and the Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation. In addition to three huge parcels of land were many smaller parcels, referred to as "outs". Much of the land had been platted into five-acre (20,000 m²) lots in 1912 by the Munger Land Company and sold to investors. In most cases, the owners were happy to get rid of the land, being mostly swampland. Yet another problem was the mineral rights to the land, owned by Tufts College. Without the transfer of these rights, Tufts could come in at any time and demand the removal of buildings to obtain minerals.

After most of the land had been bought, the story was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel on October 20, 1965. A press conference was soon organized for November 15. At the conference, Walt Disney explained the plans for the site, including EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which was to be a futuristic city.

The Reedy Creek Drainage District was incorporated on May 13, 1966 under Florida State Statutes Chapter 298, which gives powers including eminent domain to special Drainage Districts. To create the District, only the support of the landowners within was required.

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966. From then on, his brother Roy Disney headed the project. For the past few years that the project had been in pre-production, it had been known simply as Disney World, but Roy Disney added "Walt" to the name to make it Walt Disney World. In his own words: "Everyone has heard of the Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford, 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."

On February 2, 1967, Roy Disney held a press conference in Winter Park, Florida. The role of EPCOT was emphasized in the film that was played, the last one recorded by Walt Disney before his death. After the film, it was explained that, for Walt Disney World to succeed, a special district would have to be formed: the Reedy Creek Improvement District with two cities inside it, the City of Bay Lake and the City of Reedy Creek (now the City of Lake Buena Vista). In addition to the standard powers of an incorporated city, which include tax-free bonds, the Improvement District would have total 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 property taxes and elevator inspections.

The laws forming the District and the two Cities was signed into law on May 12, 1967. The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that the District was allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds for public projects within the district, despite the sole beneficiary being The Walt Disney Company.

Construction of drainage canals was soon begun by the Improvement District, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic Kingdom. Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground were also completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971.

On opening day, Roy Disney gave an opening dedication, after which he asked Walt's widow Lillian what she thought of Walt Disney World. She replied, "I think Walt would have approved."

Development timeline

Tickets

Magic Your Way

Disney's "Magic Your Way" park ticket pricing, introduced in January 2005, is intended to make guests choose to spend more days on Disney property instead of visiting competing theme parks in the area; additional days at Disney can be much less expensive than a day at another park.

"Magic Your Way" also offers options such as the Park Hopper Option ($40 per ticket, allowing a guest to visit more than one park per day), the Water Park Fun & More Option ($50 per ticket, giving a guest between 2 and 5 visits to water parks, Pleasure Island, DisneyQuest, or Disney's Wide World of Sports), and the No Expiration Option (between $10 for a two-day ticket and $135 for a ten-day ticket, without which the ticket will expire 14 days after its first use).

The Water Park Fun & More Option was known as the Magic Plus Pack Option from January 2, 2005, through October 1, 2005.

As part of the "Magic Your Way" package, Disney also created a service entitled "Disney's Magical Express" whereby guests staying on the Disney property will be able to take Disney transportation directly from the Orlando airport to their hotels, while their luggage is picked up (with participating airlines) and delivered to their rooms for them.

Annual Passes

The Annual Passes at Walt Disney World allow guests to have unlimited access to the parks during the year time period of their pass. There are a few levels of the Annual Passes including different prices for children.

  • Premium Annual Passport - This allows guests to have unlimited access to The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, Pleasure Island, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, and Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. You also get complimentary parking.
  • Annual Passport - This allows guests to have unlimited access to The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. You also get complimentary parking.
  • Florida Resident Seasonal Pass - This allows guests to have limited access to The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. The ticket has black out dates that are around Christmas/New Years, Easter, most of June to August and Thanksgiving. You do not get complimentary parking. This is for Florida Residents only and requires proof of residency.
  • Florida Resident Epcot After 4 Annual Pass - This allows guests unlimited access to Epcot after 4pm. You do not get complimentary parking. This is for Florida Residents only and requires proof of residency.

(Tickets do not cover admission for activities or events separately priced.)

Business

The trade magazine "American Business" reports (as quoted by the Orlando Sentinel) these attendance figures for the four theme parks in 2004:

  • Magic Kingdom, 15.17 million visitors
  • Epcot, 9.4 million visitors
  • Disney-MGM Studios, 8.26 million visitors
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom, 7.82 million visitors

Park closures

The Walt Disney Company made history by closing its Florida theme parks for the first time during Hurricane Floyd in 1999, which ended up missing the area.

The parks closed partway through the day on September 11, 2001 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. The parks re-opened the following day under heightened security.

Hurricanes Charley and Frances came through the area in summer 2004. The parks were closed for each. [1]

As a result of Hurricane Wilma, all the four theme parks, Typhoon Lagoon water park (Blizzard Beach water park already being closed for maintenance), resort amenities (Downtown Disney, the golf courses) and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground were closed at the start of October 24, 2005. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Downtown Disney re-opened at 1:00pm. All remaining amenities re-opened at the scheduled time on October 25, 2005.


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All remaining amenities re-opened at the scheduled time on October 25, 2005. Antiquing is performed at garage sales, estate sales, resort towns, antiques districts, collectives, and international auction houses. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Downtown Disney re-opened at 1:00pm. Items can be bought for personal use, gifts, and in the case of brokers and dealers, profit. As a result of Hurricane Wilma, all the four theme parks, Typhoon Lagoon water park (Blizzard Beach water park already being closed for maintenance), resort amenities (Downtown Disney, the golf courses) and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground were closed at the start of October 24, 2005. Antiquing is the act of shopping, identifying, negotiating, or bargaining for antiques. [1]. In a most limited sense it applies only to Greek and Roman art, and includes neither the artistic remains of other ancient nations nor any product of classical art of a later date than the fall of the western empire.

The parks were closed for each. The term is sometimes conventionally restricted to the remains of ancient art, such as sculptures, gems, medals, seals, &c. Hurricanes Charley and Frances came through the area in summer 2004. Using this definition will help you begin to understand the differences between genuine antique pieces, vintage items and collectible objects. The parks re-opened the following day under heightened security. But, there are some time tested definitions of antique for you to consider. The parks closed partway through the day on September 11, 2001 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. The definition of antique varies from source to source, product to product and year to year.

The Walt Disney Company made history by closing its Florida theme parks for the first time during Hurricane Floyd in 1999, which ended up missing the area. . The trade magazine "American Business" reports (as quoted by the Orlando Sentinel) these attendance figures for the four theme parks in 2004:. Some valuable antiques can be bought from antique dealers. (Tickets do not cover admission for activities or events separately priced.). Antiques are usually bought at antique stores, or passed down as an estate. There are a few levels of the Annual Passes including different prices for children. Those who reject the trappings of a consumer society reject the markets which inflate the monetary value of antique objects, regardless of their usefulness or esthetic qualities.

The Annual Passes at Walt Disney World allow guests to have unlimited access to the parks during the year time period of their pass. The term "antique" is used as an insult in some instances, usually to depreciate the usefulness of an object or a procedure. As part of the "Magic Your Way" package, Disney also created a service entitled "Disney's Magical Express" whereby guests staying on the Disney property will be able to take Disney transportation directly from the Orlando airport to their hotels, while their luggage is picked up (with participating airlines) and delivered to their rooms for them. Just about any object can become an antique if it survives long enough, but snob appeal or social acceptance only can ensure that it is actually worth something in the market place. The Water Park Fun & More Option was known as the Magic Plus Pack Option from January 2, 2005, through October 1, 2005. Any historical museum makes a considerable use of antiques in order to illustrate historical events and give them a practical context. "Magic Your Way" also offers options such as the Park Hopper Option ($40 per ticket, allowing a guest to visit more than one park per day), the Water Park Fun & More Option ($50 per ticket, giving a guest between 2 and 5 visits to water parks, Pleasure Island, DisneyQuest, or Disney's Wide World of Sports), and the No Expiration Option (between $10 for a two-day ticket and $135 for a ten-day ticket, without which the ticket will expire 14 days after its first use). In a consumer society an antique is above all an object whose atypical construction and age give it a market value superior to similar objects of recent manufacture.

Disney's "Magic Your Way" park ticket pricing, introduced in January 2005, is intended to make guests choose to spend more days on Disney property instead of visiting competing theme parks in the area; additional days at Disney can be much less expensive than a day at another park. Antiques are usually objects which show some degree of craftsmanship, or a certain attention to design such as the desk or the early automobile. She replied, "I think Walt would have approved.". Antiques (Latin antiquus, old) are objects which have reached an age which makes them a witness of a previous era in human society. On opening day, Roy Disney gave an opening dedication, after which he asked Walt's widow Lillian what she thought of Walt Disney World. The Antiques and Collectibles Mall of New England. Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground were also completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971. GoAntiques 1800+ dealers from 29 countries.

Construction of drainage canals was soon begun by the Improvement District, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic Kingdom. Wonderful World of Coins. The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that the District was allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds for public projects within the district, despite the sole beneficiary being The Walt Disney Company. Lake County California Antiques. The laws forming the District and the two Cities was signed into law on May 12, 1967. Digest, Auction, Appraisal and News. The only areas where the District had to submit to the county and state would be property taxes and elevator inspections. Newel - The world's largest and most unique collection of antiques.

In addition to the standard powers of an incorporated city, which include tax-free bonds, the Improvement District would have total immunity from any current or future county or state land-use laws. antique (noun) - Any piece of furniture or decorative object or the like produced in a former period and valuable because of its beauty or rarity. After the film, it was explained that, for Walt Disney World to succeed, a special district would have to be formed: the Reedy Creek Improvement District with two cities inside it, the City of Bay Lake and the City of Reedy Creek (now the City of Lake Buena Vista). An item which is at least 75 years old and is collected or desirable due to rarity, condition, utility, or some other unique feature. Cars for example are considered antiques in the US if they are older than 25 years. The role of EPCOT was emphasized in the film that was played, the last one recorded by Walt Disney before his death. On February 2, 1967, Roy Disney held a press conference in Winter Park, Florida.

But have they all heard of Henry Ford, 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.". In his own words: "Everyone has heard of the Ford cars. For the past few years that the project had been in pre-production, it had been known simply as Disney World, but Roy Disney added "Walt" to the name to make it Walt Disney World. From then on, his brother Roy Disney headed the project.

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966. To create the District, only the support of the landowners within was required. The Reedy Creek Drainage District was incorporated on May 13, 1966 under Florida State Statutes Chapter 298, which gives powers including eminent domain to special Drainage Districts. At the conference, Walt Disney explained the plans for the site, including EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which was to be a futuristic city.

A press conference was soon organized for November 15. After most of the land had been bought, the story was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel on October 20, 1965. Without the transfer of these rights, Tufts could come in at any time and demand the removal of buildings to obtain minerals. Yet another problem was the mineral rights to the land, owned by Tufts College.

In most cases, the owners were happy to get rid of the land, being mostly swampland. Much of the land had been platted into five-acre (20,000 m²) lots in 1912 by the Munger Land Company and sold to investors. In addition to three huge parcels of land were many smaller parcels, referred to as "outs". Two large tracts totaling $1.5 million were sold, and smaller tracts of flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotic-sounding companies such as the Latin-American Development and Management Corporation and the Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation.

In May 1965, major land transactions were being recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. The first five-acre (20,000 m²) lot was bought on October 23, 1964 by the Ayefour Corporation (a pun on Interstate 4). To avoid a burst of land speculation, Disney used various dummy corporations and cooperative individuals to acquire 27,400 acres (111 km²) of land. Thus everything was to be done in complete secrecy.

If the news of Disney's new resort was leaked, land prices would soar. However, the decision had not been made yet; no land had been purchased. When later asked why he chose it, he said, "the freeway routes, they bisect here.". He saw the good road network, including Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base, soon to become Orlando International Airport, to the east, and immediately fell in love with the site.

The airplane he travelled in would be used by future Disney executives to travel to the Resort from the company headquarters in Burbank, California and can now be seen at the Disney-MGM Studios. Walt Disney first flew over the Orlando site (one of many) on November 22, 1963. Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland, and wanted control of a much larger area of land for the new project. Market surveys revealed that only 2% of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River, where 75% of the population of the United States lived.

In 1959, the Walt Disney Company, under the leadership of Walt Disney, began looking for land for a second resort to supplement Disneyland, which had opened in Anaheim in 1955. Walt Disney World pastry chefs use more than 1,050 pounds of honey, 100 pounds of sugar, and 50 pounds of dark chocolate to bake gingerbread houses and other decorations for the holidays. According to Disney's "MouseMail" email newsletter: during the Christmas season, one hundred fifty truckloads of holiday decorations adorn the Walt Disney World Resort and 300,000 yards of ribbon and bows drape over 1,500 Christmas trees. Another quarter has been set aside as a wilderness preserve.

Less than one-quarter of the property has been developed. Walt Disney World Resort covers a total of 47 square miles (122km2), about the size of San Francisco or twice the size of Manhattan. Two monorail lines also operate at Walt Disney World Resort: one links the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary and Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts, and the Transportation and Ticket Center (with an express track in the other direction, only stopping at the TTC and the Magic Kingdom); the other links Epcot and the Transportation and Ticket Center. Taxi boats link some locations.

They are not to be confused with the Disney Cruise Line and Disney's Magical Express buses, which are run by Mears Transportation. There is a fleet of Disney-operated buses on property, branded Disney Transport free for use by resort and park guests. In a March 30, 2004 article in The Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney World president Al Weiss gave some insight into how the parks are maintained:. The Walt Disney World Resort also sponsors and operates the Walt Disney World College Program, an internship program that has US college students live on-site and work for the Resort, providing much of the theme park and resort "front line" cast members.

The largest single-site employer in the United States, Walt Disney World Resort has more than three thousand job classifications. Today it employs more than 57,000 cast members, spending more than $1.1 billion on payroll and $478 million on benefits each year. When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort employed about 5,500 cast members. Walt Disney World paved the way for many other theme parks and attractions in the area, including SeaWorld and Universal Studios, and helped make Orlando a popular tourist destination for people from all over the world.

There are two miniature golf courses: Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland. The five 18-hole golf courses are the Magnolia, the Palm, Lake Buena Vista, Eagle Pines, and Osprey Ridge (the last two are part of the Bonnet Creek Golf Club). The Walt Disney World resort also includes five world-class golf courses. The themed resorts include:.

The non-themed hotels are owned by private, non-Disney hospitality companies such as Starwood, Holiday Inn, and Hilton. Another notable aspect is the large number of hotel resort complexes on the Walt Disney World property. The Downtown Disney area contains many shopping, dining, and entertainment venues, including DisneyQuest (a "virtual theme park" inside a building), the House of Blues, and a permanent Cirque du Soleil show (La Nouba). There are also two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (a third, River Country, is permanently closed), as well as the Disney's Wide World of Sports athletic complex.

Walt Disney World Resort features four major theme parks, each with a main attraction that serves as its symbol:. Walt Disney World Resort is the largest theme park resort in the world. The land within Walt Disney World Resort is part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District which allows the Disney corporation to exercise quasi-governmental powers over the area. Most of Walt Disney World's Central Florida land, and all of the public areas, are located in the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, located southwest of Orlando and a few miles northwest of Kissimmee.

In fact, the entire Walt Disney World property is outside Orlando city limits; the majority sits within southwestern Orange County, with the remainder in adjacent Osceola County to the south. A popular misconception is that the resort exists in Orlando, Florida. Disney, Walt Disney's older brother, who would dedicate the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World, and would officially proclaim "Disney World" as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honor. In the end, it was Roy O.

The official symbol, however, can still be found in many places around the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as in recent merchandise that uses it once again. Walt Disney World put an end to use of both its original font and official symbol at the conclusion of Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Celebration in 1996. While Disneyland has kept its original font, it has lost nearly all references to its offical symbol. To reinforce the updated name and image, Disney World's official symbol was to be an oversized "D" with the face of Mickey Mouse depicted as the lines of latitude and longitude of this new World.

After Walt Disney's death, the title of "Disney World" was settled upon, to be presented in a modern font instead of the original Disneyland font. However Walt Disney did make reference to the Walt Disney World Resort as both "Disney World" and "The Disney World", with both of these versions using the same font that was used in the spelling of Disneyland. There is no official documentation showing that the Walt Disney World Resort was originally to be spelled "Disneyworld", for it was already going to be far different than "Disneyland". Walt Disney focused most of his attention on the "Florida Project" both before and after his participation at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, but died in December of 1966, almost five years short of seeing his vision realized.

Much later, concepts from the original idea of EPCOT would be integrated into the community of Celebration, Florida. EPCOT became EPCOT Center, the second theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. However plans for EPCOT would drastically change after Walt Disney's death. EPCOT was also known as Progress City.

There was also to be of course various housing for guests to the resort, along with an industrial park, main resort terminal, and a futuristic airport, but most importantly was Walt Disney's "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow", or EPCOT as it is better known with respect as an acronym. Walt Disney originally envisioned what would eventually become the Walt Disney World Resort as a resort that would have a Magic Kingdom somewhat larger and more elaborate than the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland. . The 47-square-mile (122 km2) property is the largest theme park resort in the world.

In addition to these four main theme parks, the resort contains two water parks, six golf courses, a sports complex, an auto race track, more than twenty resort hotels, and numerous shopping, dining, and entertainment offerings. It opened on October 1, 1971 with the Magic Kingdom, and has since added Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Walt Disney World Resort is a theme park destination resort owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney World Resort, often referred to as simply Walt Disney World or Disney World, is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA.

Disney's Animal Kingdom, 7.82 million visitors. Disney-MGM Studios, 8.26 million visitors. Epcot, 9.4 million visitors. Magic Kingdom, 15.17 million visitors.

This is for Florida Residents only and requires proof of residency. You do not get complimentary parking. Florida Resident Epcot After 4 Annual Pass - This allows guests unlimited access to Epcot after 4pm. This is for Florida Residents only and requires proof of residency.

You do not get complimentary parking. The ticket has black out dates that are around Christmas/New Years, Easter, most of June to August and Thanksgiving. Florida Resident Seasonal Pass - This allows guests to have limited access to The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. You also get complimentary parking.

Annual Passport - This allows guests to have unlimited access to The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. You also get complimentary parking. Premium Annual Passport - This allows guests to have unlimited access to The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, Pleasure Island, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, and Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. DINOSAUR (formerly named Countdown to Extinction).

Expedition Everest. Kali River Rapids. Primeval Whirl. Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

    . Fantasmic!. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.

    Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. Disney-MGM Studios

      . Spaceship Earth. Soarin'.

      Mission: SPACE. Test Track. Epcot

        . Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

        Splash Mountain. Space Mountain. "it's a small world". Pirates of the Caribbean.

        The Haunted Mansion. The Magic Kingdom

          . There is a tree farm on-site, so that when a mature tree needs to be replaced, a thirty-year-old tree will be available to replace it. There are cast members permanently assigned to painting the antique carousel horses; they use genuine gold leaf.

          The streets in the parks are steam cleaned every night. 90 percent of guests say that the upkeep and cleanliness of the Magic Kingdom are excellent or very good. In 2003, US$6 million was spent on renovating its Crystal Palace restaurant. Disney spends more than US$100 million every year on maintenance at the Magic Kingdom.

          More than 5,000 cast members are dedicated to maintenance and engineering, including 650 horticulturists and 600 painters. Walt Disney World Swan (operated by Westin Hotels). Walt Disney World Dolphin (operated by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts). The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

          Shades of Green (named because of its location between two golf courses; it's currently leased by the United States Department of Defense and used for vacationing active and retired military personnel and their families). Disney's Yacht Club Resort. Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (formerly the Disney Institute).

          Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter (formerly Disney's Port Orleans Resort). Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside (formerly Dixie Landings). Disney's Pop Century Resort. Disney's Polynesian Resort.

          Disney's Old Key West Resort. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

          Disney's Contemporary Resort. Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Disney's BoardWalk Villas. Disney's BoardWalk Inn.

          Disney's Beach Club Villas. Disney's Beach Club Resort. Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Disney's All-Star Sports Resort.

          Disney's All-Star Music Resort. Disney's All-Star Movies Resort. Disney's Animal Kingdom (the Tree of Life). Disney-MGM Studios (The Sorcerer's Hat, though formerly the 'Earful Tower' water tower represented it).

          Epcot (Spaceship Earth, the geodesic sphere.). The Magic Kingdom (Cinderella Castle).