Have some of you questioned how Walt Disney conceived the ideas for his theme parks in Florida and California and the technology he innovated to the point that it broke the mold. New York based amusement company Six Flags who’s been in the amusement park business since the company started in 1961 and has gone on to become the largest chain of amusement and them parks since. Yet, still can’t rival the technology innovated by a man who dared to dream and who created a place where you could be 50 years old and still be a kid at heart and that childhood would never go out of style. The History Channel aired in 2005 a 2 hour special on the history and story behind Walt Disney World from it’s conception to construction to what it has become today and those who stood behind the project every step of the way.
The show even featured footage showing you parts of the park that isn’t seen by the general public and a look behind the pyrotechnics that go into the fireworks displays at the end of the day. They also discuss the layouts of the Disney resort from the Magic Kingdom to Disney-MGM Studios. Much of the planning was strategic and secretive because according to what was said Disney had a team of engineers and contractors looking at massive acres of land in Florida since much of the state starting around the Fort Meyers-St. Augustine Beach area is swampland and the early stages of construction began in 1967 and the park opened officially in 1971. Disney had used false and dummy corporation names to avoid detection by locals who were curious to know the identity of who was coming in and buying up all the land in the area until it was leaked out that it was of course Walt Disney who was behind this massive operation. Roy Disney-Walt’s older brother and business partner had overseen much of the construction of both parks and much of the productions for Walt Disney Productions. Disney also was displeased at the crops of businesses popping up in and around the area trying to cash in on the future tourists who will be coming to the park when it opened since he wanted to maintain control over the land acquisition.
What Disney was trying to do was be at the forefront of technology in such a way that Hollywood to this day can’t even match with their massive and elaborate productions no matter how much money they spend nothing will ever compare to the technological genius of Walt Disney who pioneered the method of animatronics which many movie productions in Hollywood adopted after having seen Disney using this for much of the speaking tour rides in and around the Disney resorts. For many of you who don’t know Walt Disney is a native of Chicago, but spent his childhood growing up in Marceline, Missouri which is 194 miles from St.Louis. For someone who came from humble beginnings you see a person who loved life and the pleasures he gave to generations of adults and children. The beautiful thing is the diversity of the people who come to Disneyland and Disney World annually and Disney celebrated the diversity of the world with the tributes to culture and technology. There will never be anyone else like him to create something because he believed in his dreams and ideas.
Generations of children love Disney and to this day Disney World and Disneyland is still one of the most popular tourist attractions on the planet. It’s one place in the world where no matter how old you are you can still be a kid and share the experience with the whole family.