In 1955, a brand new theme park was built in Anaheim, California. This park was the idea of Walt Disney and became known as Disneyland. At the time it was one of the biggest and most innovative parks in the world. The ideals behind Disneyland was that Disney could create a place where both kids and adults can go and have fun. From the time of opening, Disneyland became an immediate success.
In the mid-1960's, Walt Disney wanted to build another park in Florida, based on the concept started in Disneyland. In 1971, the concept became a reality when Walt Disney World opened in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Unfortunately, Walt Disney passed away in 1966, and never had the chance to see his vision for the park come to fruition.
The original ideas was to create a new park similar to Disneyland, but with other aspects such as lodging areas and other novel ideas. One of the most creative and innovative ideas that Disney had was the creation of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. This area, known as EPCOT was to be an area that served as a testing ground for ideas which could be used in cities in the future. These ideas for EPCOT sprang from concepts of the future that were seen in the World's Fair.
Over the course of time, Disney World has become one of the most popular destinations for tourists in the world. In fact the Magic Kingdom which is at the heart of Disney World is the most popular theme park in the world with nearly 17 million visitors going through the park on a annual basis. In addition, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and the Hollywood Studios attractions are also ranked in the top ten for visitors. Through the course of time, Disney World has increased in size and attractions to become a place that has something for everyone.
To learn more about the history and growth of Florida's Walt Disney World, we have put together a brief summary of some important facts. We hope you enjoy learning more about the theme park:
Walt Disney World Facts
EPCOT and the Disney Vision
Timeline of Growth
Theme Parks
Water Parks
Other Attractions and Information