Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World

Cinderella Castle, icon of Magic Kingdom Park
Industry	Theme parks Resorts
Founded	October 1, 1971;51 years ago (1971-10-01)
Founders	Walt Disney Roy Disney WED Enterprises
Headquarters	Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
Key people	Jeff Vahle (President) [1]
Number of employees	77,000+ [2]
Parent	Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (The Walt Disney Company)
Website	disneyworld.disney.go.com

28°22′20″N81°32′58″W / 28.37222°N 81.54944°W / 28.37222; -81.54944 ^[3] The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, or simply abbreviated WDW, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km²), of which half has been used. ^[5] The resort comprises four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom), two water parks (Disney's Blizzard Beach and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon), 31 themed resort hotels, nine non-Disney hotels, several golf courses, a camping resort, and other entertainment venues, including the outdoor shopping center Disney Springs.

Designed to supplement Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which had opened in 1955, the complex was developed by Walt Disney in the 1960s. Walt wanted to build a new park because Disneyland in California was limited from expanding by the establishments that sprung up around it. "The Florida Project", as it was known, was intended to present a distinct vision with its own diverse set of attractions. Walt Disney's original plans also called for the inclusion of an "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT), a planned community intended to serve as a testbed for new city-living innovations. Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, during the initial planning of the complex. After his death, the company wrestled with the idea of whether to bring the Disney World project to fruition; however, Walt's older brother, Roy O. Disney, came out of retirement to make sure Walt's biggest dream was realized. Construction started in 1967, with the company instead building a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning the experimental concepts for a planned community. Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to open in the complex in 1971, followed by Epcot (1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (known then as Disney-MGM Studios) (1989), and Disney's Animal Kingdom (1998). It was Roy who insisted the name of the entire complex be changed from Disney World to Walt Disney World, ensuring that people would remember that the project was Walt's dream.

In 2018, Walt Disney World was the most visited vacation resort in the world, with an average annual attendance of more than 58 million. ^[6] The resort is the flagship destination of Disney's worldwide corporate enterprise and has become a popular staple in American culture. In 2020 ^[update] , Walt Disney World was chosen to host the NBA Bubble for play of the 2019–20 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to resume at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Walt Disney World is also covered by an FAA prohibited airspace zone that restricts all airspace activities without approval from the federal government of the United States, ^[7] including usage of drones; this level of protection is otherwise only offered to American critical infrastructure (such as the Pantex nuclear weapons plant), military bases, the Washington, DC, Camp David, and other official presidential travels.

History

Planning and construction

Conception

Walt Disney (left) with his brother Roy O. Disney (right) and then Governor of Florida W. Haydon Burns (center) on November 15, 1965, publicly announcing the creation of Disney World

Overlay of Walt Disney's original 1966 plans for Disney World and the proposed EPCOT city (orange) and contemporary situation (blue)

In 1959, Walt Disney Productions began looking for land to house a second resort to supplement Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which had opened in 1955. Market surveys at the time revealed that only 5% of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River, where 75% of the population of the United States lived. Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland and wanted more control over a larger area of land in the next project. ^[8]

Walt Disney took a flight over a potential site in Orlando, Florida—one of many—in November 1963. After witnessing the well-developed network of roads and taking the planned construction of both Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike into account, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, Disney selected a centrally located site near Bay Lake. ^[9] The development was referred to in-house as "The Florida Project". ^[10] To avoid a burst of land speculation, Walt Disney Productions used various dummy corporations to acquire 27,443 acres (43 sq mi; 111 km²) of land. ^[9] In May 1965, some of these major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. In addition, two large tracts totaling $1.5 million were sold, and smaller tracts of flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotically named companies, such as the "Ayefour Corporation", "Latin-American Development and Management Corporation", and the "Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation". Some are now memorialized on a window above Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom. The smaller parcels of land acquired were called "outs". They were five-acre (2 ha) lots platted in 1912 by the Munger Land Company and sold to investors. Most of the owners in the 1960s were happy to get rid of the land, which was mostly swamp at the time. 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. Eventually, Disney's team negotiated a deal with Tufts to buy the mineral rights for $15,000. ^[11]

Working strictly in secrecy, real estate agents unaware of their client's identity began making offers to landowners in April 1964, in parts of southwest Orange and northwest Osceola counties. The agents were careful not to reveal the extent of their intentions, and they were able to negotiate numerous land contracts with some landowners, including large tracts of land for as little as $100 an acre. ^[12] With the understanding that the recording of the first deeds would trigger intense public scrutiny, Disney delayed the filing of paperwork until a large portion of the land was under contract. ^[13]

Early rumors and speculation about the land purchases assumed possible development by NASA in support of the nearby Kennedy Space Center, as well as references to other famous investors, such as Ford, the Rockefellers, and Howard Hughes. ^[13] An Orlando Sentinel news article published weeks later, on May 20, 1965, acknowledged a popular rumor that Disney was building an "East Coast" version of Disneyland. However, the publication denied its accuracy based on an earlier interview with Disney at Kennedy Space Center, in which he claimed a $50 million investment was in the works for Disneyland, and that he had no interest in building a new park. ^[13] In October 1965, editor Emily Bavar from the Sentinel visited Disneyland during the park's 10th-anniversary celebration. In an interview with Disney, she asked him if he was behind recent land purchases in Central Florida. Bavar later described that Disney "looked like I had thrown a bucket of water in his face", before denying the story. ^[13] His reaction, combined with other research obtained during her Anaheim visit, led Bavar to author a story on October 21, 1965, where she predicted that Disney was building a second theme park in Florida. ^[13] Three days later, after gathering more information from various sources, the Sentinel published another article headlined, "We Say: 'Mystery Industry' Is Disney". ^[13]

Walt Disney had originally planned to publicly reveal Disney World on November 15, 1965, but in light of the Sentinel story, Disney asked Florida Governor Haydon Burns to confirm the story on October 25. His announcement called the new theme park "the greatest attraction in the history of Florida". ^[13] The official reveal was kept on the previously planned November 15 date, and Disney joined Burns in Orlando for the event. ^[13]

Roy Disney's oversight of construction

Roy O. Disney inspecting design plans on-site in Florida

Walt Disney died from circulatory collapse caused by smoking-related lung cancer on December 15, 1966, before his vision was realized. ^[14] 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. 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, Bay Lake and Reedy Creek, now Lake Buena Vista. In addition to the standard powers of an incorporated city, which include 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. ^[8] The legislation forming the district and the two cities, one of which was the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, was signed into law by Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. on May 12, 1967. ^[15] The Supreme Court of Florida 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 original logo of Walt Disney World from 1971 to the mid 1990s; this logo is still used as an alternate logo, mainly for retro-themed merchandise.

The district soon began construction of drainage canals, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary Resort Hotel and the Polynesian Village Resort were also completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971. ^{[16] [17]} The Palm and Magnolia golf courses near the Magic Kingdom had opened a few weeks before, while Fort Wilderness opened one month later. Twenty-four days after the park opened, 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 Disney died at age 78 on December 20, 1971, less than three months after the property opened. ^[18]

Admission prices in 1971 were $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for juniors under age 18, and one dollar for children under twelve. ^[16]

1980s–2020

An aerial shot of Walt Disney World in 1982

Much of Walt Disney's plans for his Progress City concept were abandoned after his death and after the company board decided that it did not want to be in the business of running a city. The concept evolved into the resort's second theme park, EPCOT Center, which opened in 1982 (renamed EPCOT in 1996). While still emulating Walt Disney's original idea of showcasing new technology, the park is closer to a world's fair than a "community of tomorrow". One of EPCOT's main attractions is the "World Showcase", which highlights 11 countries across the globe. Some of the urban planning concepts from the original idea of EPCOT would instead be integrated into the community of Celebration, Florida, much later. The resort's third theme park, Disney-MGM Studios (renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008), opened in 1989 and is inspired by show business.

The 1996 version of The Walt Disney World logo.

In the early 1990s, the resort was seeking permits for expansion. There was considerable environmentalist push-back, and the resort was convinced to engage in mitigation banking. In an agreement with The Nature Conservancy and the state of Florida, Disney purchased 8,500 acres (3,400 ha) of land, adjacent to the park for the purpose of rehabilitating wetland ecosystems. The Disney Wilderness Preserve was established in April 1993, and the land was subsequently transferred to The Nature Conservancy. ^[19] The Walt Disney Company provided additional funds for landscape restoration and wildlife monitoring. ^[20]

The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.

In October 2009, Disney World announced a competition to find a town to become twinned with. In December 2009, after Rebecca Warren won the competition with a poem, they announced the resort will be twinned with the English town of Swindon. ^[21]

George Kalogridis was named president of the resort in December 2012, replacing Meg Crofton, who had overseen the site since 2006.

On January 21, 2016, the resort's management structure was changed, with general managers within a theme park being in charge of an area or land, instead of on a functional basis, as previously configured. Theme parks have already had a vice-president overseeing them. Disney Springs and Disney Sports were also affected. Now hotel general managers manage a single hotel instead of some managing multiple hotels. ^[22]

On October 18, 2017, it was announced that resort visitors could bring pet dogs to Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, Disney's Art of Animation Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. ^[23]

The 2018 version of The Walt Disney World logo.

In 2019, Josh D'Amaro replaced George Kalogridis as president of the resort. He had previously held the position of vice president of Animal Kingdom. ^[24] D'Amaro was subsequently promoted to chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products in May 2020, succeeding Bob Chapek, who was promoted to CEO of The Walt Disney Company in February 2020. Jeff Vahle, who served as president of Disney Signature Experiences subsequently took over as president of the resort. ^[25]

March 2020–present

On March 12, 2020, a Disney spokesperson announced that Disney World and Disneyland Paris would temporarily shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning March 15, 2020. ^[26]

In 2020, Disney World laid off 6,500 employees and only operated at 25% capacity after reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. ^{[27] [28]}

In June 2020 ^[update] , Walt Disney World was chosen to host the NBA Bubble for play of the 2019–20 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to resume at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. ^[29] It was also the site for the MLS is Back Tournament, also held at the Sports Complex.

On July 11, 2020, Disney World officially reopened, beginning operations at 25% capacity at the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida. ^[30] Four days later, Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios for operation at 25% capacity to the public. ^[31] Masks were required at all times (including outdoors, on attractions, and while taking photos), all guests were required to have their temperature taken upon entry, plexiglass was installed on various attractions and transportation offerings, and shows that drew large crowds, such as parades and nighttime shows including Fantasmic! and Happily Ever After were not offered. ^[32]

In November 2020, the resort increased the guest capacity to 35% at all four theme parks, and on May 13, 2021, CEO Bob Chapek announced a further increase of capacity, effective immediately; however, he did not say to what capacity level it would be raised. ^[33] By mid-June 2021, temperature checks and mask mandates (except while on Disney transportation) had been lifted. ^[34] In late July 2021, mask mandates were reinstated for all attractions and indoor areas in light of new guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control as the delta variant drove a significant increase in local cases. These reinstated mandates were lifted in February 2022. ^[35] In April 2022, following a court decision ending the federal mask mandate for public transportation, the mask mandates on Disney transportation were lifted. ^[36]

Starting on October 1, 2021, the resort honored its 50th anniversary with "The World's Most Magical Celebration", ^[37] which lasted for 18 consecutive months ending on March 31, 2023. ^[38]

Disney's Magical Express, a complimentary transportation and luggage service offered to Walt Disney Resort guests that began in 2005, ended in January 2022. ^[39] In August 2021, the Walt Disney Company announced that FastPass+, which had been free since its introduction in 1999, would be retired and replaced with Genie+, a system starting at $18 to $35 per day with the option of adding "Lightning Lane", which will be used for top-tier attractions, for an additional charge. The pricing range depends on the crowd and day of purchase. ^[40]

On April 22, 2022, the self-governing status which the Walt Disney Company had in the area around Disney World for more than 50 years came to an end after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law legislation requiring the area to come under the legal jurisdiction of the state of Florida. ^[41] The new law would also officially abolish The Reedy Creek Improvement District which the Walt Disney Company has used to run the area since May 1967, when then Florida Governor Claude Kirk signed into law legislation which granted the company special status. ^[41] The law goes into effect in June of 2023. ^{[42] [43]} Along with this, as of May of 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis has also been planning to target Disney's monorail system and let Florida's Department of Transportation inspect the privately owned system. ^[44]

Timeline

Year	Event
1965	Walt Disney announces the Florida Project
1966	Walt Disney dies of lung cancer at age 65
1967	Construction of Walt Disney World Resort begins
1971	Magic Kingdom opens, including Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses open Walt Disney World Airport / Lake Buena Vista Airport opens Disney's Contemporary Resort opens Disney's Polynesian Village Resort opens Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground opens 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage opens in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on October 14. Roy O. Disney dies at age 78 Flight to the Moon opens in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on December 24.
1972	Disney's Village Resort opens Lake Buena Vista Golf Course opens The first three hotels open in the Hotel Plaza Boulevard area, an area designated for non-Disney hotels
1973	The Golf Resort opens Tom Sawyer Island opens in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom on May 20. Pirates of the Caribbean opens in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom on December 15.
1974	Discovery Island opens
1975	Space Mountain opens in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on January 15. Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village opens Flight to the Moon was renamed to Mission to Mars in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on June 7.
1976	Disney's River Country opens
1977	Main Street Electrical Parade premiered in Magic Kingdom (in Orlando) on June 11, 1977
1980	Walt Disney World Conference Center opens Mickey Mouse Revue closes in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on September 14. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom on September 23.
1982	EPCOT Center opens, including Future World and World Showcase Le Carnaval de Lumière debuts in World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot on October 23. Monorail service to Epcot is extended, Walt Disney World Airport / Lake Buena Vista Airport Closes
1983	Journey into Imagination opens in Future World at Epcot on March 5. Le Carnaval de Lumière holds its final performance in World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot. A New World Fantasy debuts in World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot. Horizons opens in Future World at Epcot on October 1.
1984	A New World Fantasy holds its final performance at Epcot. Laserphonic Fantasy debuts in World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot on June 23. Morocco Pavilion opens in World Showcase at Epcot on September 7.
1986	The Golf Resort is expanded and renamed The Disney Inn The Living Seas opens in Future World at Epcot on January 15.
1988	Laserphonic Fantasy holds its final performance in World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot on January 24. IllumiNations debuts in World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot on January 30. Norway Pavilion opens in World Showcase at Epcot on June 3. Mickey's Birthdayland opens at Magic Kingdom on June 18. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opens Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort opens
1989	Disney-MGM Studios opens, and divided into Backstage Studio Tour and Theme Park, including Production Center, Hollywood Boulevard and Lakeside Circle. *However, Production Center is later renamed Animation Courtyard, Lakeside Circle is later renamed Echo Lake, later divided into Commissary Lane, New York Street and Mickey Avenue, New York Street is later renamed Streets of America and Mickey Avenue is later renamed Pixar Place at Disney-MGM Studios. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon opens Pleasure Island opens Wonders of Life opens in Future World at Epcot on October 19.
1990	Walt Disney World Swan opens Mickey's Birthdayland was renamed Mickey's Starland at Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World Dolphin opens Disney's Yacht Club opens Beach Club Resorts opens
1991	Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter opens Disney Vacation Club is launched Disney's Old Key West Resort opens Main Street Electrical Parade closes its first run on September 14. SpectroMagic debuts at the Magic Kingdom on October 1.
1992	Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside (formerly known as Dixie Landings) opens Bonnet Creek Golf Club opens Splash Mountain opens in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom on October 2.
1993	Mission to Mars closes in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on October 4.
1994	EPCOT Center is renamed Epcot '94 Disney's All-Star Sports Resort opens Disney's Wilderness Lodge opens CommuniCore closes in Future World at Epcot on January 30. Innoventions opens in Future World at Epcot on July 1, and divided into Innoventions East and Innoventions West. Sunset Boulevard, which includes The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios on July 22. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage closes in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on September 5. The Disney Inn is leased and then purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense and is renamed Shades of Green Disney's All-Star Music Resort opens
1995	Epcot '94 is renamed Epcot '95 Disney's Blizzard Beach opens Disney's Wedding Pavilion opens Walt Disney World Speedway opens ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter opens in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on June 20. Mickey's Starland was renamed Mickey's Toyland at Magic Kingdom
1996	Epcot '95 is renamed Epcot World of Motion closes in Future World at Epcot on January 2. Universe of Energy closes in Future World at Epcot on January 21. Ellen's Energy Adventure opens in Future World at Epcot on September 15. Mickey's Toyland was closed for refurbishment Disney Institute opens, and the Conference Center, as well as other common buildings, are renovated and absorbed into the Institute. Disney's BoardWalk Inn and Villas open Fantasia Gardens opens Mickey's Toyland reopened as Mickey's Toontown Fair at Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World Resort and Magic Kingdom celebrated its 25th anniversary on October 1.
1997	Disney's Coronado Springs Resort opens Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex opens Downtown Disney West Side opens
1998	Disney's Animal Kingdom opens, including the Oasis, Safari Village, DinoLand, U.S.A., Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa and Conversation Station *However, Safari Village is renamed Discovery Island and Conversation Station is later renamed Rafaki's Planet Watch at Disney's Animal Kingdom. DisneyQuest opens Mr. Toad's Wild Ride closes in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on September 7. Journey into Imagination closes in Future World at Epcot on October 10. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin opens at Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland on November 3.
1999	Horizons closes in Future World at Epcot on January 9. Disney's All-Star Movies Resort opens Winter Summerland opens Asia opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom on March 1. Test Track opens in Future World at Epcot on March 17. Discovery Island closes SpectroMagic closes out its first run at the Magic Kingdom on May 21. Main Street Electrical Parade returns for the second run at the Magic Kingdom on May 22. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh opens in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on June 4. Hurricane Floyd closes the resort for the first time in its history on September 15. [45] Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration began on October 1 at Walt Disney World Resort. *Journey into Imagination Pavilion is renamed Imagination! Pavilion, which includes Journey Into YOUR Imagination, in Future World at Epcot. * IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth (until it was renamed IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth) debuts in World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT. The Skyway closes at Magic Kingdom on November 10.
2000	The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge opens
2001	Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge opens Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration ended on January 1 at Walt Disney World Resort. Main Street Electrical Parade closes out its second run at the Magic Kingdom on April 1, 2001. SpectroMagic returns for its second run at the Magic Kingdom on April 2, 2001. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin opens in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom on May 24. Disney's River Country closes On September 11, a series of terrorist attacks closes the resort for the second time, due to national safety concerns. [45] Journey into YOUR Imagination closes in Imagination! Pavilion at Epcot on October 8.
2002	Disney's Beach Club Villas opens Shades of Green closes for renovations Journey into Imagination with Figment opens in Imagination! Pavilion at Epcot on June 2.
2003	Mission: Space opens in Future World at Epcot on August 15. Mickey's PhilharMagic opens in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on October 3. Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams debuts at Magic Kingdom on October 9. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter closes in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on October 12. Disney's Pop Century Resort opens
2004	Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opens Shades of Green reopens after renovations Hurricane Charley causes the resort's theme parks to be evacuated on August 13, with Animal Kingdom remaining closed for a short while afterwards. [45] Hurricane Frances closes the resort for the third time from September 4 to 5. [45] Hurricane Jeanne closes the resort for the fourth time on September 26. [45] Stitch's Great Escape! opens at Magic Kingdom on November 16.
2005	The Living Seas closes in Future World at Epcot on August 21.
2006	Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain opens in Asia at Animal Kingdom on April 7.
2007	Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas opens Wonders of Life closes in Future World at Epcot on January 1. The Seas with Nemo & Friends opens in Future World at Epcot on January 4. Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor opens in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on April 2.
2008	Disney-MGM Studios is renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios Pleasure Island closes
2009	Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort opens Treehouse Villas opens
2010	SpectroMagic holds its final performance at the Magic Kingdom on June 4. Main Street Electrical Parade makes its third return to the Magic Kingdom on June 6.
2011	Mickey's Toontown Fair closes at Magic Kingdom on February 11. Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort opens
2012	Snow White's Scary Adventures closes in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on May 31. Disney's Art of Animation Resort opens Phase 1 of Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland expansion opens, including Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, and divided into Castle Courtyard, Enchanted Forest and Storybook Circus.
2013	The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opens
2014	Phase 2 of Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland expansion opens, including the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Camp Minnie-Mickey closes at Disney's Animal Kingdom on January 5. Studio Backlot Tour closes in Streets of America at Disney's Hollywood Studios on September 27.
2015	Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows opens Walt Disney World Speedway closes Downtown Disney is expanded and renamed Disney Springs Innoventions West closes in Future World at Epcot on May 19.
2016	Disney Springs finishes construction Streets of America closes at Disney's Hollywood Studios on April 2. Muppets Courtyard opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios on April 3. The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic debuts in Discovery River Lagoon at Disney's Animal Kingdom on May 26 until hold its final performance on September 5. Hurricane Matthew closes the resort for the fifth time on October 7. Main Street Electrical Parade holds its final performance at the Magic Kingdom on October 9. [45]
2017	The UK show Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway broadcasts live from the park with Ant & Dec as hosts. Rivers of Light debuts in Discovery River Lagoon at Disney's Animal Kingdom on February 17. Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams holds its final performance at Magic Kingdom on May 11. Happily Ever After debuts on May 12 at Magic Kingdom. Pandora – The World of Avatar opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom on May 27. The Great Movie Ride closes in Hollywood Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios on August 13. Ellen's Energy Adventure closes in Future World at Epcot on August 13. Hurricane Irma closes the resort for the sixth time from September 10 to 11. [46] Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge opens Muppets Courtyard is renamed Grand Avenue at Disney's Hollywood Studios on September 28. DisneyQuest closes permanently for the NBA Experience
2018	Stitch's Great Escape! closes in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on January 6. Toy Story Land opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios on June 30.
2019	Epcot is renamed EPCOT The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion is renamed The Seas Pavilion in Future World at EPCOT, since the attraction was became part of the Seas Pavilion. Rivers of Light is renamed Rivers of Light: We Are One in Discovery River Lagoon at Disney's Animal Kingdom on May 24. Gran Destino Tower opens at Disney's Coronado Spring Resort on July 9. NBA Experience opens at Disney Springs on August 12. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios on August 29. Hurricane Dorian causes the resort's theme parks to be evacuated on September 3. Innoventions East closes in Future World at EPCOT on September 7. Disney Skyliner opens on September 29. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth holds its final performance in World Showcase Lagoon on September 30, at EPCOT. Epcot Forever debuts as the interim nighttime spectacular in World Showcase Lagoon on October 1, at EPCOT. The EPCOT Experience Center opens in Odyssey Pavilion at EPCOT on October 1. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios on December 5, with a virtual queue system. Disney's Riviera Resort, a new Disney Vacation Club resort, opens on December 16.
2020	Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway opens in Hollywood Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios on March 4. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting government mandates close the resort, beginning March 15. The Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom reopen to the public on July 11. Disney's Hollywood Studios and EPCOT reopen to the public on July 15. ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosts the NBA Bubble from July 22 through October 11.
2021	Epcot Forever holds its final performance in World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT on September 28. Happily Ever After holds its final performance at Magic Kingdom on September 29. Walt Disney World Resort and Magic Kingdom celebrated its 50th anniversary on October 1, as Walt Disney World: The World's Most Magical Celebration. *Remy's Ratatouille Adventure opens in France Pavilion at EPCOT. *Disney Enchantment debuts at Magic Kingdom. *Future World closes permanently and divided into World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature and the makeover of World Showcase at EPCOT. *Harmonious debuts in World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT. *Disney KiteTails debuts in Discovery River Lagoon at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
2022	Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opens for its first cruise on March 1. The EPCOT Experience Center closes in Odyssey Pavilion at EPCOT on March 14. Wonders of Xandar Pavilion, which includes Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opens in World Discovery at EPCOT on May 27. The original purple road signs were dropped in favor of the new blue and yellow ones. [47] Disney KiteTails holds its final performance in Discovery River Lagoon at Disney's Animal Kingdom on September 27. Hurricane Ian closes the resort for the seventh time from September 28 to 29. EPCOT celebrates its 40th Anniversary on October 1. Hurricane Nicole closes the resort for the eighth time from November 9 to 10.
2023	The Walt Disney Company celebrates its 100th anniversary as the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebration begins. Splash Mountain closes in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom on January 23. Walt Disney World: The World's Most Magical Celebration ended on March 31 at Walt Disney World Resort. Disney Enchantment holds its final performance at Magic Kingdom on April 2. Harmonious holds its final performance in World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT on April 2. Happily Ever After returns at Magic Kingdom on April 3. Epcot Forever returns in World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT on April 3. TRON Lightcycle / Run opens in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom on April 4. Disney's Animal Kingdom celebrates its 25th Anniversary on April 22. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will be closed after its last cruise ends on September 30. Journey of Water, inspired by Moana will open in World Nature at EPCOT on October 16.

Future expansion

The resort has a number of expansion projects planned or ongoing, including:

• Enhancements at EPCOT continue, including Dreamers Point as a newly designed central spine, which will include Walt the Dreamers as a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, along with a new 1-level festival pavilion as CommuniCore Hall and Plaza and new meet-and-greet locations as Mickey and Friends in World Celebration. The Play! Pavilion was also announced to be coming to EPCOT, using to building formerly occupied by Wonders of Life, in World Discovery.
• Flamingo Crossings, a shopping complex similar to Disney Springs, currently opening in phases.

Location

Map of the resort as of May 2015

One of four arches welcoming guests to the resort

The Florida resort is not within Orlando city limits but is southwest of Downtown Orlando. Much of the resort is in southwestern Orange County, with the remainder in adjacent Osceola County. The property includes the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake which are governed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly Reedy Creek Improvement District). The 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), Exit 6 on SR 417 South, the Central Florida GreeneWay and Exit 8 on SR 429, the Western Beltway. At its founding, the resort occupied approximately 27,443 acres (43 sq mi; 111 km²). ^[9] Portions of the property have since been sold or de-annexed, including land now occupied by the Disney-built community of Celebration. By 2014, the resort occupied nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km²). ^[5] The company acquired nearly 3,000 additional acres, in separate transactions, between December 2018 and April 2020. ^{[48] [49] [50]}

Attractions

Further information: List of Walt Disney World Resort attractions

• 
  Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
• 
  Spaceship Earth at Epcot
• 
  The Chinese Theatre at Disney's Hollywood Studios
• 
  Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom
• 
  Entrance to Disney's Blizzard Beach waterpark
• 
  Aerial shot of Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park
• 
  Paddlefish restaurant at Disney Springs

Theme parks

• Magic Kingdom, opened October 1, 1971
• Epcot, opened October 1, 1982
• Disney's Hollywood Studios, opened May 1, 1989
• Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened April 22, 1998

Water parks

• Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, opened June 1, 1989
• Disney's Blizzard Beach, opened April 1, 1995

Other attractions

View of Disney Springs

Wedding Pavilion at the Seven Seas Lagoon

• Multiple resorts across Disney property offer a variety of spa treatments including Disney's Grand Floridian and Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney's Boardwalk, located outside of their Boardwalk Inn, functions as an entertainment, dining, and shopping district. ^[51]
• Epcot has annual festivals that run for limited amounts of time throughout the year like the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, Epcot Festival of the Arts, Epcot Festival of the Holidays and the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
• Disney does special ticketed events throughout the year including the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, which usually runs late August through October, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, which usually runs November through December
• Disney Springs, opened March 22, 1975 (Previously known as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, Disney Village Marketplace, and Downtown Disney) ^[52]
• Disney's Wedding Pavilion, opened July 15, 1995
• ESPN Wide World of Sports, opened March 28, 1997
• Drawn to Life by Cirque du Soleil – opened November 18, 2021

Golf and recreation

Disney's property includes four golf courses. The three 18-hole golf courses are Disney's Palm (4.5 stars), Disney's Magnolia (4 stars), and Disney's Lake Buena Vista (4 stars). There is also a nine-hole walking course (no electric carts allowed) called Oak Trail, designed for young golfers. The Magnolia and Palm courses played home to the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Arnold Palmer Golf Management manages the Disney golf courses. ^[53]

Additionally, there are two themed miniature golf complexes, each with two courses, Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland. ^[54] The two courses at Fantasia Gardens are Fantasia Garden and Fantasia Fairways. The Garden course is a traditional miniature-style course based on the "Fantasia" movies with musical holes, water fountains and characters. Fantasia Fairways is a traditional golf course on miniature scale having water hazards and sand traps. ^[55]

The two courses at Winter Summerland are Summer and Winter, both themed around Santa. Summer is the more challenging of the two 18-hole courses. ^[55]

Disney's Magnolia ^[56]

Tee	Rating/Slope	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Classic	76.0 / 141	428	417	170	542	492	231	422	614	500	3816	526	399	169	384	592	203	450	485	492	3700	7516
Blue	74.0 / 137	424	351	161	535	446	202	410	605	426	3560	522	382	163	374	588	200	398	430	456	3513	7073
White	71.6 / 130	409	335	140	499	418	168	380	534	393	3276	513	355	156	320	532	179	373	399	455	3282	6558
Gold	69.0 / 121	384	317	125	479	355	115	339	519	327	2960	496	309	148	308	516	143	349	381	417	3067	6027
Red	69.6 / 126	285	225	110	370	347	107	306	402	316	2468	430	300	140	296	417	128	292	301	355	2659	5127
Par		4	4	3	5	4	3	4	5	4	36	5	4	3	4	5	3	4	4	4	36	72
SI	Men's	3	15	17	11	1	13	7	9	5		8	14	16	18	4	10	12	2	6
SI	Ladies'	7	13	17	11	3	15	1	9	5		18	2	10	12	16	14	8	4	6

Former attractions

• Discovery Island – an island in Bay Lake that was home to many species of animals and birds. It opened on April 8, 1974, and closed on April 8, 1999.
• Disney's River Country – the first water park at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on June 20, 1976, and closed on November 2, 2001. ^[57]
• Walt Disney World Speedway – a racetrack at Walt Disney World and included the Richard Petty Driving Experience. It opened November 28, 1995, and closed on August 9, 2015.
• DisneyQuest – an indoor interactive theme park that featured many arcade games and virtual attractions. It opened June 19, 1998 as part of an unsuccessful attempt to launch a chain of similar theme parks. It closed on July 2, 2017, to be replaced by the NBA Experience. ^[58]

Resorts

See also: Category:Hotels in Walt Disney World Resort

Of the thirty-four resorts and hotels on the Walt Disney World property, 28 are owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products. These are classified into four categories—Deluxe, Moderate, Value, and Disney Vacation Club Villas—and are located in one of five resort areas: the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Wide World of Sports, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs resort areas. There is also the Other Select Deluxe Resorts category used to describe two resorts in the Epcot Resorts Area that carry Walt Disney World branding but are managed by a third party.

While all of the Deluxe resort hotels have achieved an AAA Four Diamond rating, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is considered the highest-tier flagship luxury resort on the Walt Disney World Resort complex. ^[59]

On-site Disney resorts

Name	Image	Opening date	Theme	Number of rooms	Resort area
Deluxe resorts
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge		April 16, 2001	African Wildlife preserve	1,307	Animal Kingdom
Disney's Beach Club Resort		November 19, 1990	Newport Beach cottage	576	Epcot
Disney's BoardWalk Inn		July 1, 1996	Early-20th-century Atlantic and Ocean City	378
Disney's Yacht Club Resort		November 5, 1990	Martha's Vineyard Resort	621
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser		March 1, 2022 [60]	Star Wars starship	100
Disney's Contemporary Resort		October 1, 1971	Modern	655	Magic Kingdom
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa		June 28, 1988	Early-20th-century Florida	867
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort		October 1, 1971	South Pacific	492
Disney's Wilderness Lodge		May 28, 1994	Pacific Northwest, National Park Service rustic	729
Moderate resorts
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort		October 1, 1988	Caribbean Islands	1,536	Epcot
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort		August 1, 1997	Mexico, American Southwest	1,915	Animal Kingdom
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter		May 17, 1991	New Orleans French Quarter	1,008	Disney Springs
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside		February 2, 1992	Deep South	2,048
Value resorts
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort		January 15, 1999	Disney films	1,920	Animal Kingdom
Disney's All-Star Music Resort		November 22, 1994	Music	1,604
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort		April 24, 1994	Sports	1,920
Disney's Art of Animation Resort		May 31, 2012	Disney and Pixar animated films	1,984	Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Pop Century Resort		December 14, 2003	20th Century American pop culture	2,880
Disney Vacation Club
Bay Lake Tower		August 4, 2009	Modern	428	Magic Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas		August 15, 2007	African safari lodge	708	Animal Kingdom
Disney's Beach Club Villas		July 1, 2002	Newport resort	282	Epcot
Disney's Boardwalk Villas		July 1, 1996	Early-20th-century Atlantic City	530
Disney's Old Key West Resort		December 20, 1991	Early-20th-century Key West	761	Disney Springs
Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows		April 1, 2015	South Seas	380	Magic Kingdom
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa		May 17, 2004	1880s Upstate New York resort	1,320	Disney Springs
The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa		October 23, 2013	Early-20th-century Florida	147	Magic Kingdom
Boulder Ridge Villas		November 15, 2000	Pacific Northwest	181
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins		July 17, 2017	Pacific Northwest	184
Disney's Riviera Resort		December 16, 2019	European Riviera	300	Epcot
Cabins and campgrounds
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground		November 19, 1971	Rustic Woods Camping	800 campsites 409 cabins	Magic Kingdom
Residential areas
Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort		Fall 2011	Varies	450 homes	Magic Kingdom

On-site non-Disney resorts

Hotel name	Image	Opening date	Theme	Number of rooms	Owner	Area
Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista		November 21, 1972	None	325	Drury Hotels	Disney Springs
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando – Disney Springs Area		March 15, 1987		229	Hilton Hotels Corporation
Wyndham Lake Buena Vista		October 15, 1972		626	Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista		November 23, 1983		787	Hilton Hotels Corporation
Holiday Inn Orlando - Disney Springs Area		February 8, 1973		323	InterContinental Hotels Group
B Resort & Spa		October 1, 1972		394	B Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace		March 10, 1983		1,014	Hilton Hotels Corporation
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort		August 3, 2014		450	Four Seasons	Magic Kingdom
Bonnet Creek Resort		Various		Various, 3,000 total	Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Worldwide	Epcot
Shades of Green		December 1973	Upscale Country Club	586	United States Department of Defense	Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World Dolphin		June 1, 1990	Seaside Floridian Resort & Under the Sea	1509	Marriott International	Epcot
Walt Disney World Swan		January 13, 1990	Seaside Floridian Resort & Under the Sea	758	Marriott International	Epcot
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve		November 4, 2021	Upscale Boutique Hotel	349	Marriott International	Epcot

Former 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 decommissioned for a time 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. ^[61] The Treehouse Villas opened during the summer of 2009.
• Celebration – a town designed and built by Disney, now managed by a resident-run association.
• 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 & Spa

Never-built resorts

• Disney's Asian Resort
• Disney's Persian Resort
• Disney's Venetian Resort
• Disney's Mediterranean Resort
• Fort Wilderness Junction
• Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge

Attendance

Magic Kingdom, the world's most visited theme park

In the first year of opening, the park attracted 10,712,991 visitors. ^[62] In 2018, the resort's four theme parks all ranked in the top 9 on the list of the 25 most visited theme parks in the world: (1st) Magic Kingdom—20,859,000 visitors; (6th) Disney's Animal Kingdom—13,750,000 visitors; (7th) Epcot—12,444,000 visitors; and (9th) Disney's Hollywood Studios—11,258,000 visitors. ^[6] By October 2020, maximum Disney World attendance was still allowed to only remain at 25% capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[28] A recent study found that reducing Magic Kingdom park capacity to 25% would result in a 54.1% reduction in annual attendance. This capacity limit causes less annual revenue, and may lower the number of visitors to the Orlando region. ^[63]

Year	Magic Kingdom	Epcot	Disney's Hollywood Studios	Disney's Animal Kingdom	Overall	Ref.
2008	17,063,000	10,935,000	9,608,000	9,540,000	47,146,000	[64]
2009	17,233,000	10,990,000	9,700,000	9,590,000	47,513,000	[65]
2010	16,972,000	10,825,000	9,603,000	9,686,000	47,086,000	[66]
2011	17,142,000	10,826,000	9,699,000	9,783,000	47,450,000	[67]
2012	17,536,000	11,063,000	9,912,000	9,998,000	48,509,000	[68]
2013	18,588,000	11,229,000	10,110,000	10,198,000	50,125,000	[69]
2014	19,332,000	11,454,000	10,312,000	10,402,000	51,500,000	[70]
2015	20,492,000	11,798,000	10,828,000	10,922,000	54,040,000	[71]
2016	20,395,000	11,712,000	10,776,000	10,844,000	53,727,000	[72]
2017	20,450,000	12,200,000	10,722,000	12,500,000	55,872,000	[73]
2018	20,859,000	12,444,000	11,258,000	13,750,000	58,311,000	[6]
2019	20,963,000	12,444,000	11,483,000	13,888,000	58,778,000	[74]
2020	6,941,000	4,044,000	3,675,000	4,166,000	18,826,000	[75]
2021	12,691,000	7,752,000	8,589,000	7,194,000	36,226,000	[76]
2022	17,133,000	10,000,000	10,900,000	9,027,000	47,060,000	[76]

Operations

Transportation

v t e Transport in Walt Disney World
Legend
Disney University 56, 300 Maintenance facility (not open to public) ▶▶▶ Magic Kingdom (in park) ▶ Contemporary Resort ▶▶ Fort Wilderness Resort ▶ Grand Floridian Resort ▶▶ Wilderness Lodge ▶ Polynesian Village Resort Transportation and Ticket Center 56, 300 Shades of Green ( US DoD guests only) ▶ Port Orleans Resort (Riverside) ▶Port Orleans Resort (French Quarter) ▶ Saratoga Springs Resort (Treehouse Villas) ▶ Old Key West Resort ▶Saratoga Springs Resort ▶▶▶ Disney Springs (Marketplace) ▶▶▶ Disney Springs (The Landing/Town Center) ▶ Disney Springs (West Side) 300, 350 Typhoon Lagoon Epcot (World Celebration entrance) (in park) Epcot (World Showcase entrance) (in park) BoardWalk Resort Beach Club/Yacht Club resorts Riviera Resort Dolphin/Swan resorts Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Coronado Springs Resort Caribbean Beach Resort Hollywood Studios Animal Kingdom (in park) Animal Kingdom Lodge Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Blizzard Beach Art of Animation/Pop Century resorts All-Star Movies/Music/Sports resorts ESPN Wide World of Sports I-4 to Airport , SeaWorld , and Universal Orlando Celebration 56 Disney Transport bus service Monorail service ( passengers; no passengers) Gondola lift service Watercraft service Parking lot tram service Free parking (limited Disney bus service) Lynx bus service

The Walt Disney World Monorail System provides free transport across the resort.

The Walt Disney World Resort is serviced by Disney Transport, a complimentary mass transportation system allowing guest access across the property. The fare-free system utilizes buses, monorails, gondola lifts, watercraft, and parking lot trams.

The Walt Disney World Monorail System provides free transportation at Walt Disney World; guests can board the monorail and travel between the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, including select on-property resorts such as The Grand Floridian and The Polynesian Village. The system operates on three routes that interconnect at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), adjacent to the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. Disney Transport owns a fleet of Disney-operated buses on the property, that is also complimentary for guests. ^[77]

A gondola lift system, dubbed Disney Skyliner, opened in 2019. The system's three lines connect Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot with four resort hotels. ^[78]

Disney Transport also operates a fleet of watercraft, ranging in size from water taxis, up to the ferries that connect the Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Disney Transport is also responsible for maintaining the fleet of parking lot trams that are used for shuttling visitors between the various theme park parking lots and their respective main entrances.

In addition to its free transportation methods, in conjunction with Lyft, Walt Disney World also offers a vehicle for hire service for a fee. The Minnie Van Service are Chevy Traverses dressed in a Minnie Mouse red-and-white polka dot design that can accommodate up to six people and have two carseats available to anyone that is within the Walt Disney World Resort limits. Cast members can install the car seats. ^{[79] [80]} Some of the unique advantages that the Minnie Van Service offers over a normal ride share is the ability to be dropped off in the Magic Kingdom bus loop (instead of at the TTC like the other ride shares) and being able to ride to any point in Fort Wilderness.

Parking

Upon arriving at the park, there are several lots that can be used to park vehicles. At the theme parks, which include Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, there is a single lot used. Guests are able to access each of these four parks when their vehicle is left in one of these lots. Guests have the choice to buy a pass for either standard parking or preferred parking. Preferred parking can be purchased for a higher cost and it allows guests to park their vehicle closer to the park entrance. Trams are available to guests at no cost. They provide transportation from the parking lot to the main entrance. Parking areas are also available to those with disabilities. These designated parking lots allow for guests with disabilities to park a shorter distance from the park entrances to minimize any traveling that is necessary. Additionally, guests are given the option of valet parking at an extra cost.

Employment

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 "cast members". ^[81] In 2020, Walt Disney World employs more than 77,000 cast members. ^[2] The largest single-site employer in the United States, ^{[82] [83]} Walt Disney World has more than 3,000 job classifications with a total 2019 payroll of over $3 billion. ^[2] The resort also sponsors and operates the Walt Disney World College Program, an internship program that offers American college students (CPs) the opportunity to live in Flamingo Crossings Village, a Disney-owned apartment complex, and work at the resort, and thereby provides 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 offers international college students (ICPs) from all over the world the same opportunity. In September 2020, the Walt Disney Company began laying off 6,500 Walt Disney World employees. ^[27]

Energy use

Walt Disney World requires an estimated 1 billion kilowatt-hours (3.6 billion megajoules) of electricity annually, costing the company nearly $100 million in annual energy consumption. ^[84] In addition to relying primarily on fossil fuels and nuclear energy from the state's power grid, Walt Disney World has two solar energy facilities on property; a 22-acre (0.034 sq mi; 0.089 km²) Mickey Mouse-shaped solar panel farm near Epcot, and a 270-acre (0.42 sq mi; 1.1 km²) facility near Disney's Animal Kingdom. ^[85] The larger facility produces enough solar energy to provide electricity to two of the resort's theme parks. The sites are operated by Duke Energy and the Reedy Creek Improvement District, respectively. ^[85]

The entire Disney Transport bus fleet uses R50 renewable diesel fuel, obtained from used cooking oil and non-consumable food waste from the resort. ^[85]

Corporate culture

Walt Disney World's corporate culture uses jargon based on theatrical terminology. ^{[86] [87]} For example, park visitors are always "guests", employees are called "cast members", rides are "attractions" or "experiences", cast members costumed as famous Disney characters in a way that does not cover their faces are known as "face characters", jobs are "roles", and public and nonpublic areas are respectively labeled "onstage" and "backstage". ^{[86] [87]}

Self-Government and security

Disney security vehicle, picture taken July 2, 2009 in front of Epcot

Disney's security personnel are generally dressed in typical security guard uniforms, though some of the personnel are dressed as tourists in plain clothes. Since September 11, 2001, uniformed security has been stationed outside each Disney park in Florida to search guests' bags as they enter the parks. Starting April 3, 2017, bag checkpoints have been placed at Magic Kingdom's resort monorail entryways and the Transportation and Ticket Center's ferry entry points prior to embarkation as well as the walkway from Disney's Contemporary Resort. Guests arriving at the Transportation and Ticket Center by tram or tour bus will be screened at the former tram boarding areas. Guests arriving by Disney Resort hotel bus or Minnie Van have their own bag check just outside the bus stops. Guests arriving via Magic Kingdom Resort boat launch are bag checked on the arrival dock outside Magic Kingdom. ^[88]

The land where Walt Disney World resides is part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), a governing jurisdiction created on May 1967 by the State of Florida at the request of Disney. ^{[89] [41]} RCID provides 911 services, fire, environmental protection, building code enforcement, utilities and road maintenance, but does not provide law enforcement services. The approximately 800 security staff are instead considered employees of the Walt Disney Company. Arrests and citations are issued by the Florida Highway Patrol along with the Orange County and Osceola County sheriffs deputies who patrol the roads. Disney security does maintain a fleet of security vans equipped with flares, traffic cones, and chalk commonly used by police officers. These security personnel are charged with traffic control by the RCID and may only issue personnel violation notices to Disney and RCID employees, not the general public. ^{[90] [91]}

Despite the appearance of the uniformed security personnel, they are not considered a legal law enforcement agency. Disney and the Reedy Creek Improvement District were sued for access to Disney Security records by Bob and Kathy Sipkema following the death of their son at the resort in 1994. The court characterized Disney security as a "night watchman" service, not a law enforcement agency, meaning it is not subject to Florida's open records laws. An appeals court later upheld the lower court's ruling. ^[92]

In late 2015, Disney confirmed the addition of randomized secondary screenings and dogs trained to detect body-worn explosives within parks, in addition to metal detectors at entrances. It has also increased the number of uniformed security personnel at Walt Disney World and Disneyland properties. ^[93]

Disney Security personnel in Florida have investigated traffic accidents and issued accident reports. The forms used by Disney Security may be confused with official, government forms by some.^{[ citation needed ]}

The Orange County Sheriff maintains an office on Disney property, but this is primarily to process guests accused of shoplifting by Disney security personnel. ^[94]

Although the scattering of ashes on Disney property is illegal, The Wall Street Journal reported in October 2018 that Walt Disney World parks were becoming a popular spot for families to scatter the ashes of loved ones, with the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom being the favorite location. The practice is unlawful and prohibited on Disney property, and anyone spreading cremated remains is escorted from the park. ^[95]

On April 22, 2022, the Walt Disney Company's self-governing authority of all the area surrounding Walt Disney World came to an end after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law legislation requiring Walt Disney World's Reedy Creek Improvement District to come under the legal jurisdiction of the state of Florida on June 1, 2023. ^{[41] [42] [96]}

Closures

Walt Disney World has had twelve unscheduled closures, ten of which have been due to hurricanes: ^[97]

• September 15, 1999, due to Hurricane Floyd
• September 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C.
• August 13, 2004, due to Hurricane Charley
• September 4–5, 2004, due to Hurricane Frances
• September 26, 2004, due to Hurricane Jeanne
• October 25, 2005, in the morning, due to Hurricane Wilma
• October 7, 2016, due to Hurricane Matthew
• September 10–11, 2017, due to Hurricane Irma
• September 3, 2019, for about half the day (with the exception of Epcot and Disney Springs), due to Hurricane Dorian
• March 15 ^{[98] [99]} – July 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[100] (excluding Disney Springs, which reopened on May 19, 2020 ^[101] )
• September 28-29, 2022, due to Hurricane Ian
• November 9-10, 2022, phased closure from the evening of November 9 until noon of the next day, due to Hurricane Nicole

Like its sister resort, parks at the resort may close early to accommodate various special events, such as special press events, tour groups, VIP groups, and private parties. It is common for a corporation to rent entire parks for the evening. In such cases, special passes are issued which are valid for admission to all rides and attractions. At the ticket booths and on published schedules, the guests are notified of the early closures. Then, cast members announce that the parks are closing, sometime before the private event starts, and clear the parks of guests who do not have the special passes.

In October 2020, it was revealed that full capacity attendance was still not permitted, following the COVID-19 closure which occurred earlier in the year. ^[28] In July 2021, Disney World announced that all its staff workers in the US would have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to return to work. It also announced that those who are unvaccinated would have a period of time to get their shots and aimed to return to full capacity for people who are immunized. ^[102]

Climate

Walt Disney World Airport Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     41     19 10     52     22 12     70     25 15     91     28 17     140     30 20     314     29 21     226     30 22     219     29 21     254     27 22     58     27 19     66     24 14     41     20 11 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: [103] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.6     66 50     2     72 54     2.8     77 59     3.6     82 63     5.5     86 68     12     84 70     8.9     86 72     8.6     84 70     10     81 72     2.3     81 66     2.6     75 57     1.6     68 52 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

See also

• Disney College Program
• Large amusement railways
• List of Disney attractions that were never built
• List of Disney theme park attractions
• List of incidents at Walt Disney World
• Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
• Walt Disney Travel Company
• Walt Disney World Casting Center
• The Walt Disney World Explorer
• Walt Disney World Hospitality and Recreation Corporation
• Walt Disney World International Program

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External links

• Official website