Walt Disney World Resort

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(October 2010)

Coordinates: 28257N 813452W / 28.41861N 81.58111W

Walt Disney World Resort

Theme parks Magic Kingdom Epcot Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Animal Kingdom Other attractions Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Disney's Blizzard Beach Downtown Disney ESPN Wide World of Sports Disney's BoardWalk Walt Disney World resorts

This box: view talk edit Walt Disney World Resort (also known colloquially as Disney World), is the world's largest and most-visited recreational resort. Located approximately 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of 30,080-acre (47.00 sq mi; 121.7 km2) and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels (excluding eight that are on-site, but not owned by the Walt Disney Company), including a campground, two health spas and physical fitness centers, and other recreational venues and entertainment. It opened on October 1, 1971 with only the Magic Kingdom theme park and has since added Epcot (October 1, 1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (May 1, 1989) and Disney's Animal Kingdom (April 22, 1998). The resort was inspired by the dreams of Walt Disney. Its original park, the Magic Kingdom, was designed similarly to Disneyland, which also served as inspiration for the project. Walt envisioned Disney World as a vacation resort much different from Disneyland's one day visit. This included entertainment, uniquely-themed resort hotels, and a much wider variety of sports and recreational opportunities.

Contents
[hide]

1 History and development 2 Location 3 Attractions o 3.1 Theme parks o 3.2 Water parks o 3.3 Other attractions o 3.4 Golf and recreation o 3.5 Former parks and attractions 4 Resorts o 4.1 On-site Disney Resorts & Accommodations 4.1.1 Deluxe Resorts 4.1.2 Moderate Resorts 4.1.3 Value Resorts 4.1.4 Cabins and Campgrounds 4.1.5 Disney Vacation Club Resorts/Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts 4.1.6 Future Disney Resorts 4.1.7 Future Residential Areas 4.1.8 On-site Non-Disney Hotels 4.1.9 Disney Beach Resorts 4.1.10 Former Disney Resorts 4.1.11 Never-built Disney Resorts 4.1.12 Former Disney Residential Areas o 4.2 Disney's Magical Express 5 Executive Management o 5.1 Former Executive Management 6 Attendance o 6.1 Employment o 6.2 Maintenance o 6.3 Transportation 7 Name and logo 8 Twin town 9 Development timeline 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

[edit] History and development

Cinderella Castle, the icon of Magic Kingdom

Spaceship Earth, the icon of Epcot

The Sorcerer's Hat, the icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios

The Tree of Life, the icon of Disney's Animal Kingdom In 1959, Walt Disney Productions began looking for land for a second park to supplement Disneyland, which opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955. Market surveys revealed that only 2% of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River, where 75 percent 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.[1] A more romanticized anecdote was that Walt Disney himself once encountered a family who left Disneyland early because they saw congestion building on the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) from the Skyway ride, an incident that committed him to producing a greater buffer from reality at future parks. Walt Disney flew over the Orlando site (one of many) in November 1963. Seeing the welldeveloped network of roads, including the planned Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, Disney selected a centrally-located site near Bay Lake.[2] To avoid a burst of land speculation, Disney used various dummy corporations to acquire 27,443 acres (11,106 ha) of land.[2] . In May 1965, some of these major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. Also, 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 (Some of these names are now memorialized on a window above Main Street, U.S.A. in the the Magic Kingdom). In addition to three huge parcels of land were many smaller parcels, referred to as "outs." Much of the land acquired had been platted into 5-acre (2.0 ha) 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, which was mostly swamp. Another issue was the mineral rights to the land, which were owned by Tufts University. Without the transfer of these rights, Tufts could come in at any time and

demand the removal of buildings to obtain minerals. Disney's team eventually negotiated a deal with Tufts to buy the mineral rights for $15,000.[3] After most of the land had been bought, the truth of the property's owner was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper on October 20, 1965. A press conference soon was organized for November 15. At the presentation, Walt Disney explained the plans for the site, including EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which was to be a futuristic planned city (and which was also known as Progress City). He envisioned a real working city with both commercial and residential areas, but one that also continued to showcase and test new ideas and concepts for urban living. Walt Disney died from lung cancer on December 15, 1966, before his vision was realized. His brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney, postponed his retirement to oversee construction of the resort's first phase. On February 2, 1967, Roy O. Disney held a press conference at the Park Theatres 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 Disney World, including EPCOT, 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 the issuance of tax-free bonds, the district would have 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.[1] The legislation forming the district and the two cities was signed into law by Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. on May 12, 1967. The Florida Supreme Court then ruled in 1968 that the district was allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds for public projects within the district despite the sole beneficiary being Walt Disney Productions. The district soon began construction of drainage canals, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic Kingdom. Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground were also completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971. The Palm and Magnolia golf courses near the Magic Kingdom had opened a few weeks before. At the park's opening, Roy O. Disney dedicated the property and declared that it would be known as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honor. In his own words: "Everyone has heard of 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." After the dedication, Roy Disney asked Walt's widow, Lillian, what she thought of Walt Disney World. According to biographer Bob Thomas, she responded, "I think Walt would have approved." Roy O. Disney died on December 20, 1971, less than three months after the property opened. However, much of Walt Disney's plans for his Progress City were abandoned after his death. The Disney Company board decided that it did not want to be in the business of running a city. The EPCOT concept evolved into EPCOT Center, the resort's second theme park, which opened in

1982. While still emulating Walt Disney's original idea of showcasing new technology, it is more closer to that of a world's fair than a "community of tomorrow". The park would later permanently adopt the name Epcot in 1996. Some of the urban planning concepts from the original idea of EPCOT would instead be integrated into the community of Celebration much later. In 1989, the resort added Disney-MGM Studios, a theme park inspired by show business, whose name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998. Meg Crofton was named president of the resort in August 2006, replacing Al Weiss, who had overseen the site since 1994.

[edit] Location
Despite marketing claims and popular misconceptions, the Florida resort is not located within Orlando city limits and is actually located about 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Orlando within southwestern Orange County, with the remainder in adjacent Osceola County. The property include the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake which are governed by the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The 25,000 acres (101 km2; 39 sq mi)[4] site is accessible from Central Florida's Interstate 4 via Exits 62B (World Drive), 64B (US 192 West), 65B (Osceola Parkway West), 67B (SR 536 West), and 68 (SR 535 North), and Exit 8 on State Road 429 (Florida), the Western Expressway. At its peak, the resort occupied approximately 30,000 acres (120 km2) or 47 square miles (120 km), about the size of San Francisco, or twice the size of Manhattan. Portions of the property since have been sold or de-annexed, including land now occupied by the Disney-built community of Celebration.

[edit] Attractions
Further information: List of attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort

[edit] Theme parks

Walt Disney World Resort features four theme parks. Each park is represented by an iconic structure.

Magic Kingdom Cinderella Castle Epcot Spaceship Earth Disney's Hollywood Studios The Sorcerer's Hat (Formerly the Earful Tower) Disney's Animal Kingdom The Tree of Life

[edit] Water parks

Typhoon Lagoon Blizzard Beach

[edit] Other attractions

Downtown Disney Disney's BoardWalk Disney's Wedding Pavilion ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Walt Disney World Speedway (Home of the Richard Petty Driving Experience)

[edit] Golf and recreation

Disney's property includes five golf courses. The four 18-hole golf courses are the Palm (4 Stars), the Magnolia (4 Stars), Lake Buena Vista (4 Stars) and Osprey Ridge (4 Stars). There is also a nine-hole walking course called Oak Trail, designed for young golfers. The Magnolia and Palm courses play home to the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Network Classic. Additionally, there are two themed miniature golf complexes, each with two courses, Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland. Catch-and-release fishing excursions are offered daily on the resort's lakes. A Florida fishing license is not required because it occurs on private property. Cane-pole fishing is offered from the docks at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Disney's Port Orleans Resort. Additional recreational activities include watercraft rentals, surrey bike rentals, and firework cruises that launch from several resort marinas.

[edit] Former parks and attractions

Disney's River Country: The first water park at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on June 20, 1976 and closed on November 1, 2001. Discovery Island: An island in Bay Lake which was home to many species of animals and birds. It opened on April 8, 1974 and closed on April 8, 1999.

[edit] Resorts
[edit] On-site Disney Resorts & Accommodations

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Walt Disney World. There are 33 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 24 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and Campground. Additionally, they are located in four resort areas: Magic Kingdom Resort Area, Epcot Resort Area, Downtown Disney Resort Area and Animal Kingdom Resort Area. A new concept, the Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort luxury residential community, was announced in June 2010 and will feature homes designed by the Walt Disney Company. The campground, Fort Wilderness also provides guests with the opportunity to stay in cabins as well as camping in tents or campers. [edit] Deluxe Resorts Resort Name Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Disney's Beach Club Resort Opening Date: April 16, 2001 November 19, 1990 Theme: Number of Rooms: Resort Area Walt Disney Parks Animal and Resorts Kingdom Walt Disney Parks Epcot and Resorts Owner: Walt Disney Parks Epcot and Resorts Walt Disney Parks Magic and Resorts Kingdom Walt Disney Parks Magic and Resorts Kingdom Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Epcot Epcot

African Wildlife 1,307 Preserve Newport Beach 583 Cottage Early 20th Disney's BoardWalk July 1, 1996 Century Ocean 378 Inn City, NJ Disney's October 1, Contemporary Modern 655 1971 Resort Disney's Grand Victorian Seaside Floridian Resort & July 1, 1988 867 Resort Spa Disney's Polynesian October 1, South Seas 847 Resort 1971 Disney's Wilderness May 28, Pacific 729 Lodge 1994 Northwest Disney's Yacht Club November Martha's 630 Resort 5, 1990 Vineyard Resort Walt Disney World June 1, 1990 Underwater Dolphin Walt Disney World January 13, Underwater Swan 1990 [edit] Moderate Resorts 1,509

756

Epcot

Resort Name Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Opening Date:

Theme:

Number of Rooms:

Owner: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Resort Area: Epcot Animal Kingdom Downtown Disney Downtown Disney

October 1, Tropical Islands 2,112 1988 August 1, 1997 American Southwest New Orleans French Quarter 1,915

Disney's Port Orleans May 17, Resort French 1991 Quarter

1,008

Disney's Port Orleans February 2, Antebellum Resort Riverside 1992 South [edit] Value Resorts Opening Date: Disney's Pop December 14, Century Resort 2003 Disney's All-Star January 15, Movies Resort 1999 Disney's All-Star November 22, Music Resort 1994 Disney's All-Star April 24, Sports Resort 1994 Resort Name [edit] Cabins and Campgrounds Opening Date: Theme:

2,048

Number of Rooms:

Owner: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

American Pop 2,880 Culture Disney Movies 1,920 Music Sports 1,604 1,920

Resort Area: Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom

Resort Name

Theme:

Number Number of of Cabins: Owner: Campsites: 800 409

Resort Area:

Disney's Fort Rustic November Wilderness Resort Woods 19, 1971 & Campground Camping

Walt Disney Magic Parks and Kingdom Resorts

[edit] Disney Vacation Club Resorts/Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts Main article: Disney Vacation Club Opening Resort Name Theme: Date: Disney's Old Key December Early 20th

Number of Owner: Rooms: 761 Disney

Resort Area: Downtown

West Resort

20, 1991

Century Key West

Early 20th Disney's BoardWalk July 1, 1996 Century Atlantic 583 Villas City, NJ The Villas at November Disney's Wilderness Pacific Northwest 136 15, 2000 Lodge Disney's Beach Club Newport Beach July 1, 2002 Villas Resort Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas Bay Lake Tower May 17, 2004 August 15, 2007 August 4, 2009 282

1880s Upstate 1,260 New York Resort African Safari Lodge Modern 458

428

Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club

Disney Epcot Resort Area Magic Kingdom Epcot Downtown Disney Animal Kingdom Magic Kingdom

[edit] Future Disney Resorts Resort Name Disney's Art of Animation Resort Opening Date: Summer 2012 Theme: Walt Disney Characters Number of Rooms: 864 Owner: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Resort Area: Animal Kingdom

[edit] Future Residential Areas Community Name Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort Opening Date: Fall 2011 Theme: Spanish Revival Number of Homes: 450 Owner: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Resort Area: Magic Kingdom

[edit] On-site Non-Disney Hotels Opening Theme: Date: Best Western Lake November None Buena Vista 21, 1972 Hotel Name Number of Rooms: 325 Owner: Best Western Resort Area Downtown Disney Resort

Resort Hotel Doubletree Guest March 15, Suite Resort 1987 Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Hilton Walt Disney World None 229

October 15, None 1972 November 23, 1983 None

626

787

Holiday Inn in the February 8, Walt Disney None 1973 World Resort Royal Plaza October 1, 1972 None

323

394

Shades of Green Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa

Upscale February 1, Country 1994 Club March 10, 1983 None

586

1,014

Area Hotels Downtown Hilton Hotels Disney Resort Corporation Area Hotels Downtown Wyndham Hotels & Disney Resort Resorts Area Hotels Downtown Hilton Hotels Disney Resort Corporation Area Hotels Downtown InterContinental Disney Resort Hotels Group Area Hotels Downtown N/A Disney Resort Area Hotels United States Magic Kingdom Department of Resort Area Defense Downtown Blackstone Group Disney Resort Area Hotels

[edit] Disney Beach Resorts Disney often advertises its two off-site beach resorts as destinations to complement a Disney World vacation. Resort Name Disney's Vero Beach Resort Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort Opening Date: October 1, 1995 March 1, 1996 Theme: Old Florida South Carolina Lowcountry Number of Rooms: 211 Owner: Disney Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club Location: Vero Beach, Florida Hilton Head, South Carolina

123

[edit] Former Disney Resorts

The Golf Resort Became The Disney Inn, and later became Shades of Green. Disney's Village Resort Became the Villas at Disney Institute and then Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. The "Tree House" Villas were permanently decommissioned because they were not accessible to disabled guests. Until early 2008, they were used for International Program Cast Member housing. In February 2008,

Disney submitted plans to the South Florida Water Management District to replace the 60 existing villas with 60 new villas.[5] The Treehouse Villas opened during the summer of 2009. [edit] Never-built Disney Resorts

Disney's Asian Resort Disney's Persian Resort Disney's Venetian Resort Disney's Mediterranean Resort Fort Wilderness Junction

[edit] Former Disney Residential Areas

Celebration (A town designed and built by Disney, but no longer owned by Disney.) Lake Buena Vista (Disney originally intended this area to become a complete community with multiple residences, shopping, and offices, but transformed the original homes into hotel lodging in the 1970s, which were demolished in the early 2000s to build Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa)

[edit] Disney's Magical Express

Main article: Disney's Magical Express Guests with a Disney Resort reservation arriving at Orlando International Airport can be transported to their Disney resort from the airport using the complimentary Disney Magical Express service, and have their bags picked up and transported for them through a contract with BAGS Incorporate. Guests board custom motor coaches, watch a video about the Walt Disney World Resort, and their luggage is later delivered directly to their rooms.

[edit] Executive Management

President, Walt Disney World Resort Meg Crofton o Senior Vice President of Operations and Next Generation Experiences, Walt Disney World Resort Jim MacPhee o Senior Vice President of Operations, Sales, and Alliance Development, Walt Disney World Resort George Aguel Vice President, Magic Kingdom Phil Holmes Vice President, Epcot Dan Cockerell Vice President, Disney's Hollywood Studios Rilous Carter Vice President, Disney's Animal Kingdom Michael Colglazier Vice President, Downtown Disney Keith Bradford Vice President, Resort Operations Kevin Myers Vice President, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney Water Parks Ken Potrock Vice President, Transportation, Sports, and Golf Jim Vendur

Vice President, Global Relationship Marketing, Disney Destinations LLC. Greg Albrecht Vice President Engineering, Walt Disney World Resort Trevor Larsen Vice President, Animal Programs and Environmental Initiatives Dr. Jackie Ogden Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Walt Disney World Resort Brian Besanceney Vice President, Community Relations and Minority Business Development, Walt Disney World Resort Eugene Campbell Vice President Government Relations, Walt Disney World Resort Bill Warren

[edit] Former Executive Management

Former President, Walt Disney World Resort 19942006 Al Weiss Former Executive Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World Resort 1994-2006 Lee Cockerell Former Senior Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World Resort 2006-2009 Erin Wallace Former Senior Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World Resort Karl Holz o Former Vice President, Magic Kingdom 2000-2001 Erin Wallace o Former Vice President, Magic Kingdom 1987-1994 Bill Sullivan o Former Vice President, Epcot 2007-2009 Jim MacPhee o Former Vice President, Epcot 2001-2007 Brad Rex o Former Vice President, Epcot 1994-1996 Linda Warren o Former Vice President, Epcot 1987-1990 Norm Doerges o Former Vice President, Disney's Hollywood Studios Michael O'Grattan o Former Vice President, Disney-MGM-Studios Bruce Laval o Former Vice President, Disney's Animal Kingdom Val Bunting o Former Vice President, Disney's Animal Kingdom Kevin Lasnsberry o Former Vice President, Downtown Disney Kevin Lasnsberry o Former Vice President, Downtown Disney Djuan Rivers o Former Vice President, Downtown Disney Karl Holz

[edit] Attendance
The May 2008 issue of trade magazine Park World reported the following attendance estimates for 2007 compiled by Economic Research Associates in partnership with TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association):

Magic Kingdom, 17 million visits (No. 1 worldwide) Epcot, 10.9 million visits (No. 6) Disney's Hollywood Studios, 9.51 million visits (No. 7) Disney's Animal Kingdom, 9.49 million visits (No. 8)

[edit] Employment

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 "cast members". Today it employs more than 66,000, spending more than $1.2 billion on payroll and $474 million on benefits each year. The largest single-site employer in the United States,[6] Walt Disney World Resort has more than 3,700 job classifications. The resort also sponsors and operates the Walt Disney World College Program, an internship program that offers American and International college students (ICP's) the opportunity to live about 15 miles (24 km) off site in 4 Disney-owned apartment complexes and work at the resort, providing much of the theme park and resort "front line" cast members. There is also the Walt Disney World International College Program, an internship program that has college students from all over the world.

[edit] Maintenance
In a March 30, 2004 article in The Orlando Sentinel, then-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 750 horticulturists and 600 painters. Disney spends more than $100 million every year on maintenance at the Magic Kingdom. In 2003, $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-yearold tree will be available to replace it.

[edit] Transportation

A Disney bus, one of several transportation modes within the Walt Disney World Resort A fleet of Disney-operated buses on property, branded Disney Transport, is available for guests at no charge. In 2007, Disney Transport started a guest services upgrade to the buses. SatellGPS systems controlling new public address systems on the buses give safety information, park tips and other general announcements, with music. They are not to be confused with the Disney Cruise Line and Disney's Magical Express buses, which are operated by Mears Transportation.

Taxi boats link some locations. The Walt Disney World Monorail System also provides transportation at Walt Disney World. Previously there were 12 operational monorails, although a crash occurring in July 2009 meant that the Pink and Purple monorails were taken out of service. Parts of the Pink and Purple monorails were used to create a new monorail with the colour Teal, which was put into operation in November 2009, taking the total number of monorails to 11. They operate on three routes that interconnect at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), adjacent to the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. One line provides an express non-stop link from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom, while a second line provides a link from the TTC to Epcot. The third line links the TTC and the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts.

[edit] Name and logo

Former logo of the Walt Disney World Resort, used during the Year of A Million Dreams campaign. During the resort's early planning stages, Walt Disney referred to the project as Project X, The Florida Project, Disney World, and The Disney World. Early visual references used the same medieval font as Disneyland. Walt Disney was very involved in the site selection and project planning in the years before his death. The secretive names were chosen because of the high confidentiality of the project during the initial planning. After Walt Disney's death, Roy O. Disney added the name Walt to Disney World as a permanent tribute to his brother. The resort's original logo had an oversized "D" with a Mickey Mouse-shaped globe containing latitude and longitude lines, with the property's name presented in a modern, sans-serif font. Walt Disney World Resort retired its original font and symbol during its 25th anniversary celebration in 199697. The old "D" symbol still can be found in many places, however, including the SpectroMagic title float, the front car of each monorail, manhole covers, survey markers, select merchandise items and flags flown at several sites across the property.

[edit] Twin town

As part of a competition run by Disney for 2010, Walt Disney World Resort has an unofficial twinning (sister city) with Swindon, England, since 2009.[7][8]

[edit] Development timeline

1965 Walt Disney announces Florida Project

1967 Construction begins

Magic Kingdom Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses 1971 Disney's Contemporary Resort Disney's Polynesian Resort Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

1972 Disney's Village Resort

1973 The Golf Resort

1974 Discovery Island

1975

Disney's Village Resort Walt Disney Village Marketplace

1976 Disney's River Country

1980

Walt Disney World Conference Center Disney's Village Resort Club Lake Villas

1982 Epcot

1986 The Disney Inn

1988

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Disney's Hollywood Studios (originally Disney-MGM Studios) 1989 Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Pleasure Island

Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts 1990 Walt Disney World Swan Walt Disney World Dolphin

Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter 1991 Disney Vacation Club Disney's Old Key West Resort

1992

Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside Bonnet Creek Golf Club

Disney's All-Star Sports Resort 1994 Disney's Wilderness Lodge Shades of Green

Disney's All-Star Music Resort Disney's Blizzard Beach 1995 Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding Pavilion Walt Disney World Speedway

1996

Disney Institute Disney's BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort 1997 Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Downtown Disney West Side

1998

Disney's Animal Kingdom DisneyQuest

1999 Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

2000 The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

2001 Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

2002 Disney's Beach Club Villas

2003 Disney's Pop Century Resort

2004 Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

2007 Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas

2009

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort Treehouse Villas

2011 Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort

2012 Disney's Art of Animation Resort

[edit] See also

Incidents at Walt Disney World Resort Walt Disney Travel Company, Incorporated Walt Disney World Casting Center Walt Disney World College Program Walt Disney World Company Walt Disney World Explorer Walt Disney World Hospitality and Recreation Corporation Walt Disney World International Program

[edit] References
1. ^ a b Fogleson, Richard E. (2003). Married to the Mouse. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp. 274. ISBN 978-0300098280. 2. ^ a b Mannheim, Steve (2002). Walt Disney and the Quest for Community. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited. pp. 6870. ISBN 0-7546-1974-5. 3. ^ Koenig, David (2007). Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure Press. pp. 2526. ISBN 978-0-964060-52-4. 4. ^ Walt Disney World News Press Release on Resort Landscape Facts (2008) 5. ^ "Treehouse Villas To Be Replaced By New Treehouses At Walt Disney World". Netcot.com. 2008-02-12. http://www.netcot.com/thesite/2008/02/12/treehouse-villas-tobe-replaced-by-new-treehouses-at-walt-disney-world/. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 6. ^ "Disney Profile". Hospitality Online. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927043040/http://profiles.hospitalityonline.com/206943 /. Retrieved 2007-07-07. 7. ^ "Walt Disney World to become twin town of Swindon". BBC News Online. December 7, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8399996.stm. Retrieved May 27, 2010. 8. ^ Gammell, Caroline (2009-12-07). "Swindon twinned with Disney World". London: Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenpolitics/planning/6753758/Swindon-twinnedwith-Disney-World.html. Retrieved May 27, 2010.

[edit] External links

Walt Disney World Resort Shades of Green (Hotel at the Walt Disney World Resort for servicemembers and their families.) Walt Disney World Resort travel guide from Wikitravel v d eThe Walt Disney Company Company Founders Walter Elias Disney Roy Oliver Disney

Company Officials

Robert Iger Jay Rasulo Alan N. Braverman Ronald L. Iden Executive Brent Woodford Jayne Parker Zenia Mucha Preston Padden Management Christine M. McCarthy Kevin Mayer Board of Directors Susan Arnold John Bryson John S. Chen Judith Estrin Robert Iger (President, CEO) Steve Jobs (Single largest shareholder) Fred Langhammer Aylwin Lewis Robert Matschullat John E. Pepper, Jr. (Chairman) Sheryl Sandberg Orin C. Smith

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Buena Vista Buena Vista International France Buena Vista International Miscellaneous India Buena Vista International Italy Golden Oak Ranch Hulu (27%) The Assets Muppets Studio The Prospect Studios Reedy Creek Energy Times Square Studios Notes: AaBbCc = Station currently stunting. Sale to Radio Las Americas pending. AaBbCc = Station currently silent. Sale to Salem Communications pending. 1. Disney manages and operates this station owned by James Crystal Radio under an LMA. 2. Disney manages and operates this station owned by Liberman Broadcasting under an LMA. Annual revenue: $63.1 billion USD (2010) Employees: 150,000 (2008) Stock symbol: NYSE: DIS Website: corporate.disney.go.com v d eWalt Disney Parks and Resorts Disneyland Disneyland Disney California Adventure Downtown Disney (California) Resort Walt Disney World Resort Tokyo Disney Resort Magic Kingdom Epcot Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Disney's Blizzard Beach ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Downtown Disney (Florida) Tokyo Disneyland Tokyo DisneySea Ikspiari

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Resort Shanghai Disney Resort Disney Cruise Line Other Shanghai Disneyland Park Disney Magic Disney Wonder Disney Dream Disney Fantasy Castaway Cay Disney Cruise Line Terminal Disney Regional Entertainment (ESPN Zone) Disney Vacation Club Adventures by Disney World of Disney Incidents v d eWalt Disney World Resort Theme Parks Magic Kingdom (attractions) Epcot (attractions) Disney's Hollywood Studios (attractions) Disney's Animal Kingdom (attractions) Features Fastpass (attractions) PhotoPass Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Parks Former Water Disney's River Country Parks Downtown Disney Disney's BoardWalk Golf and Recreation ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Walt Disney World Speedway Attractions Former Discovery Island Attractions Disney Vacation Club Resorts On-site Non-Disney Hotels Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort Celebration Magic Disney's Contemporary Resort Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Kingdom Campground Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Disney's Resort Polynesian Resort Disney's Wilderness Lodge Shades of Green Area Resorts and Residential Areas Epcot Resort Area Disney's Yacht Club Resort Disney's Beach Club Resort Disney's BoardWalk Inn Walt Disney World Dolphin Walt Disney World Swan

The Walt Disney Company Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Creative Entertainment

Downtown Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort Disney's Port Orleans Disney Riverside Resort Disney's Old Key West Resort Disney's Saratoga Resort Springs Resort & Spa Area Animal Disney's All-Star Movies Resort Disney's All-Star Music Resort Kingdom Disney's All-Star Sports Resort Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Disney's Art of Animation Resort Disney's Coronado Springs

Area Neverbuilt Disney Resorts Transportation

Resort Disney's Pop Century Resort Disney's Asian Resort Disney's Mediterranean Resort Disney's Persian Resort Disney's Venetian Resort Fort Wilderness Junction

Transportation and Ticket Center Walt Disney World Monorail System Disney Transport Disney's Magical Express Walt Disney World Resort Weddings (Disney's Wedding Pavilion) Magic Music Days Grad Nite (retired)

Events and Festivities

Magic Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Kingdom Halloween Party Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Epcot Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Holidays Around the World

Disney's ESPN The Weekend Star Wars Weekends The Osborne Family Hollywood Spectacle of Dancing Lights Studios Celebrations and Campaigns Millennium Celebration 100 Years of Magic Celebration Where Magic Lives Happiest Celebration on Earth Year of a Million Dreams What Will You Celebrate? Give a Day, Get a Disney Day Summer Nightastic! Let the Memories Begin Historical Walt Disney Roy O. Disney Joe Fowler Richard Irvine Leaders Modern Michael Eisner Thomas O. Staggs Al Weiss Meg Crofton Leaders

Notable People

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Development Creative Entertainment Walt Disney World Company Reedy Creek and Improvement District (Lake Buena Vista Bay Lake) Team Disney Orlando Management Incidents v d eTheme Parks of Florida Busch Gardens Africa Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Hollywood Studios Epcot Legoland Florida Magic Kingdom SeaWorld Orlando Universal Islands of Adventure Universal Studios Florida Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_World_Resort" View page ratings Rate this page What's this? Trustworthy Objective

Complete Well-written I am highly knowledgeable about this topic (optional) I have a relevant college/university degree It is part of my profession It is a deep personal passion The source of my knowledge is not listed here I would like to help improve Wikipedia, send me an e-mail (optional) We will send you a confirmation e-mail. We will not share your address with anyone. (Privacy policy) Submit ratings Saved successfully Your ratings have not been submitted yet Your ratings have expired Please reevaluate this page and submit new ratings. An error has occured. Please try again later. Thanks! Your ratings have been saved. Please take a moment to complete a short survey. Start survey Maybe later Thanks! Your ratings have been saved. Do you want to create an account? An account will help you track your edits, get involved in discussions, and be a part of the community. Create an accountorLog in Maybe later Thanks! Your ratings have been saved. Did you know that you can edit this page? Edit this page Maybe later Categories: 1971 establishments | Buildings and structures in Osceola County, Florida | Disney parks and attractions | Resorts in Florida | Visitor attractions in Greater Orlando | Visitor attractions in Orange County, Florida | Visitor attractions in Osceola County, Florida | Walt Disney Company subsidiaries | Walt Disney World Resort Hidden categories: Articles needing additional references from October 2010 | All articles needing additional references
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