Historic photos: How Disney World came to be in Florida

1 of 48 Take a look at historic photos from the state archives showing how Walt Disney World came to be in Central Florida.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

2 of 48 People from Disney inspect the future Disney World property in Central Florida in the mid 1960s.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

3 of 48 "We have a perfect location in Florida, almost in the very center of the state.  In fact, we selected this site because it's so easy for tourists and Florida residents to get here by automobile," said Walt Disney.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

4 of 48 The group inspects the property by boat.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

5 of 48 PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

6 of 48 Roy Disney, Walt Disney's brother, is seen in this photo. ( the one pointing in the center) PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

7 of 48 Roy Disney and others inspect a map.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

8 of 48 "The important thing is that the Disney World is located just a few miles from the crossing point of Interstate 4 and the Sunshine State Parkway," Walt Disney said.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory


9 of 48 Disney acquired 27,400 acres (43 square miles) of land in Orange County and Osceola County -- twice the size of Manhattan.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

10 of 48 Roy Disney and others survey a map.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

11 of 48 "There's enough land here to hold all of the ideas and plans we could possible imagine," Walt Disney said.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

12 of 48 Disney started buying the property in 1963, but it remained a mystery who was buying up all the land for two years.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

13 of 48 On Nov. 15, 1965, at the Cherry Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Walt Disney, Roy Disney and Gov. Hayden Burns make the first announcement of Disney World in Orlando.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

14 of 48 "This initial phase here has to top, or at least be equivalent of, what we have now in California," Walt Disney said at the event, when asked what type of investment they were making.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

15 of 48 "My big brother says we can do it.  He's the money man," Walt Disney said of his brother, Roy.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

16 of 48 Walt Disney poses for photographs.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory


17 of 48 Walt Disney died in 1966, and his brother Roy took over the task of making Disney World in Central Florida a reality.  Roy Disney held a presentation at the Park East Theatre in Winter Park on Feb. 2, 1967, to discuss the future of the project.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

18 of 48 PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

19 of 48 A Donald Duck cake served at the event.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

20 of 48 The Holiday Inn in Winter Park welcomes Disney to Florida.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

21 of 48 Roy Disney sits next to Sen. Beth Johnson.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

22 of 48 Legislation creating a special district and two cities for Disney to be built on, Bay Lake and Reedy Creek (now Lake Buena Vista), is signed into law by Gov. Claude Kirk on May 12, 1967.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

23 of 48 Roy Disney with Gov. Claude Kirk after the bill was signed. 

24 of 48 An aerial look at the property in June 1967, four years before the park opened.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory


25 of 48 The following four photos are artist conceptions of Disney World from 1969.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

26 of 48 PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

27 of 48 PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

28 of 48 PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

29 of 48 Disney World trip hostesses pose for a picture on Jan. 28, 1970. 

30 of 48 The dream becomes a reality.  Magic Kingdom opens in 1971.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

31 of 48 A group gets a tour of the Magic Kingdom when it opens.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

32 of 48 PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory


33 of 48 A steamboat at Disney in 1971.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

34 of 48 Long line for the monorail.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

35 of 48 The Contemporary Hotel in 1971.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

36 of 48 Cinderella Castle in 1971.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

37 of 48 "What ever you do, do it well.  Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” -  Walt Disney PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

38 of 48 Aerial view overlooking Disney's Contemporary Resort hotel at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

39 of 48 View showing monorail in Disney's Contemporary Resort hotel at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando in 1975.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

40 of 48 View showing a horse-drawn bus at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando in 1971.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory


41 of 48 Children meeting Minnie Mouse at the Magic Kingdom amusement park in Orlando in 1977.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

42 of 48 View showing the skyride at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando in 1977.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

43 of 48 View of the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride at the Magic Kingdom amusement park in Orlando in 1974.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

44 of 48 Hospitality House building at the Magic Kingdom amusement park in Orlando in 1975.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

45 of 48 View of Main Street during a busy day at the Magic Kingdom in 1979 PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

46 of 48 Fountain by Spaceship Earth geosphere at the Walt Disney World Resort's EPCOT Center.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

47 of 48 Dancers perform at Disney's Polynesian Resort in Orlando in 1981.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

48 of 48 Children watch puppets and performers at Disney's Polynesian Luau in Orlando in 1981.  PHOTO: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory