The 12 Milestones in Disney World History part 3; Opening Day at the Magic Kingdom
When thinking of a list of great milestones in any history, some of them seem all too obvious. When debating which ones to include, there are always a few that no one ever argues against. Today’s milestone is just that obvious. It is October 1, 1971, opening day for the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World.
Years and years of architectural planning, cutting edge engineering, covert land buys, political deal making, and one of the most massive construction projects the country had ever seen, brought the Disney Company to this remarkable day. What would one day be a complex including four theme parks, countless hotels, numerous golf courses, and travelled by a fleet buses carrying guests from one corner to another, began on that October day as basically one theme park and two hotels. Though it may have been smaller then, it was huge to those who worked years to make it happen.
Learning from the mistakes that filled Disneyland’s opening day, this opening went smooth as one could expect. It was carefully planned and purposely scheduled to avoid the type of massive stampede and widespread problems that are so often described during its California sister’s dedication. About 10,000 people paid the less than five dollar admission price to witness history and the birth of a new American institution.
Thirty-six years later the Magic Kingdom stills inspires those who travel there much the same way it did upon its introduction to the world. From the extraordinary monorail that leads through the lobby of a massive hotel to the awe-inspiring first look at the overwhelming grandeur of Cinderella’s Castle, it still brings the same sense of wonder as it did then. But the success that began in 1971 was only just the beginning, as we would come to find out.
After Walt’s death, his brother Roy decided to rename the park from Disney World to Walt Disney World in his brother honor. He said he never wanted anyone who came here to forget that Walt Disney was a man and not just a corporate name. I believe he accomplished that goal.