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Already an entertainment master, Walt Disney wanted to expand the Disney name further. He accomplished this by opening Disneyland, a one-of-a-kind park in Anaheim, California in 1955. The park was divided into different themed lands to create the theme park environment. The park was a huge success, more so than Walt ever dreamed. It continued to grow but the growth was limited by the small amount of land the park sat on. Walt was determined a way to fix this.

The search for a new resort location began only four years after the opening of Disneyland. Initially a population survey was conducted to see where the best area of the United States would be to build this new resort. Early on, Walt decided that he wanted it to be located on the eastern end of the Mississippi River where the majority of the U.S. population was located. Many sites were flown over, but eventually land just outside Orlando, Florida was chosen. At the time it was mostly swampland but Walt favored the location due to its close proximity to major Florida highways and a nearby airport.

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This time around Walt made sure that his new project would have plenty of leg room to avoid the “neon jungle” that had sprung up just outside the borders of Disneyland. Due to the area’s minimal usage the land rates were low, but they would have been jacked up if the owner found out who was buying the property. To avoid this, fake companies were invented to buy the land separately although they were all actually Walt Disney Company employees. The first land was bought in October 1964 by the Ayefour Corporation which is a gag on Interstate 4 which runs just outside of Walt Disney World. Land was bought by these fake companies for the cheap price of about $185 per acre.

This went on for a year before the information was leaked. Fortunately by this time most of the land had been bought. The prices spiked to a whopping $80,000 per acre. Soon after the incident Walt held a press conference to explain the new project. The Magic Kingdom was revealed along with EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. Walt’s vision was a futuristic city however the plans would dramatically change after Walt’s death. The company had purchased so much land that their own district was formed, entitled Reedy Creek Improvement District. This allowed Disney to have their own “government” and weren’t under the control of anyone but themselves. Later on two new cities would be formed, both within the Walt Disney World property. They were the City of Bay Lake and the City of Lake Buena Vista both named after artificial lakes constructed by Disney on the property.

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On December 15, 1966 a wrench was thrown in the project and brought about the end of an era. Walter Elias Disney died of lung cancer at the age of sixty-five, five years before his Florida project would be completed. Roy Disney, his brother, cancelled his retirement and went on lead the project until its opening. In memory of his brother Roy officially gave the resort its name, Walt Disney World. Despite Walt’s death construction officially began in 1967.

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The Magic Kingdom was the complex’s first theme park and the only to open on the entire resort’s opening day. It featured a very similar layout to the original Disneyland, with some unique ideas to call its own. A system of utility corridors, coined utilidors, were made for cast members to get around the park without guests seeing them. Since nothing can be built very far underground in Florida these utilidors were built at ground level. The Magic Kingdom was then constructed on top of these, so the Magic Kingdom is actually built about twenty feet above sea level. When the property was bought, the only body of water on site was Bay Lake. Just next to it a 172 acre lagoon, Seven Seas Lagoon, was built by Disney. When it was filled over 70,000 fish were added.

For opening day, the Magic Kingdom would have a total of twenty-three attractions and six themed lands. Of the fairly small number of attractions, twenty were copies of rides at Disneyland and only three were brand new, unique rides. It was a similar situation with the lands; five were from Disneyland and only one was new, Liberty Square.

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Along with the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World would open with two golf courses and three resort hotels right on the property. Disney’s Contemporary Resort was one of these hotels. With a futuristic theme this hotel was designed to fit in with Tomorrowland, where the hotel is visible from. Besides the main A-Frame building, the resort hotel would also includes three other freestanding buildings that house guest rooms. The most prominent of guest rooms were in the main building of the hotel however. A major feature of the hotel was the fact that the center atrium was home to a monorail station that would, at the time, connect it to the Magic Kingdom and Polynesian Village the only other hotel on site that was ready for opening on the entire resort’s opening day.

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The resort finally opened, six years after its public announcement and four years after construction first began, on October 1, 1971. Some of the attractions that opened with the Magic Kingdom are still around today such as Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion. The park was a phenomenal success, and would eventually make Orlando the theme park capital of the world. Not only was the park a success, but so were the two hotels. A third place to stay didn’t make opening day, but did open only a few weeks later on November 19, 1971. This was Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground which, as its name suggests, was a campground.

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The center of the Magic Kingdom would become the park’s icon, Cinderella Castle. This construction marvel was nearly twice the size of its sister parks centerpiece, Sleeping Beauty Castle. The entire castle took more than a year to complete and is completely made of steel, despite its brick appearance. Cinderella Castle is a massive building with twenty-seven towers, a 3.4 million gallon moat, and a drawbridge. In early planning of the park Walt Disney wanted an apartment somewhere within the park boundaries where he and his family could stay. This secret apartment was constructed inside one of the towers of Cinderella Castle and remains there to this day, never used by Walt Disney. Another fun fact of Cinderella Castle is that Walt’s family crest is found as part of the décor of the castle.

In 1973 the Magic Kingdom received what would become one of its most well known attractions. Pirates of the Caribbean opened on December 15, 1973 with over 120 audio-animatronics. This was cutting edge technology at the time of its opening, making it in instant success. This however, was not an original attraction and was a downsized version of the attraction of the same name at Disneyland. Despite the increased brevity, the ride clocks in at over eight minutes. Also opened in 1973 was The Golf Resort, which was another Disney hotel that mainly focused on golf. At the time there were two golf courses on the property, the Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses. This hotel is now known as Shades of Green, and is used as a military retreat exclusively.

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1974 brought something completely new to the resort; Treasure Island, eventually changed to Discovery Island. This eleven acre island was a unique part of the Walt Disney World Resort where guests could observe wildlife. One of its biggest claims to fame was holding the sole survivor of the dusky seaside sparrow. In 1987, this bird would die and the species was pronounced extinct. When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, there was no more need for Discovery Island and it was shut down. The remaining wildlife was transferred to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom also received a few new attractions in 1974. One of these was Star Jets, now known as Astro Orbiter. This ride has since become something of an icon for Tomorrowland as it is the first attraction a guest sees when they enter the land of the future.

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During the year 1975, Walt Disney World opened the Disney Village Marketplace. This was a shopping center, Disney style that also included restaurants. Over the years this would eventually expand to become part of Downtown Disney. This year would be especially good for the Magic Kingdom, as this was when Space Mountain opened as the first of its kind. Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom is the only ride of its kind to have two tracks although they are mirror images of each other, offering the same experience. The attraction was a major success and would spawn a series of “Mountain” attractions.

River Country would revolutionize the theme park and entertainment industry with its unique design as the world’s very first water park. It was designed as a type of mini-park, as there was no such thing as a water park in America’s Bicentennial, when the park opened. The park was built on the shore of Bay Lake. Unlike the water parks of today, there were no separate pools; everything used the lake. To separate the rest of the lake water from where guests would be swimming, a dam was created. The water park was located minutes away from Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

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The late seventies was a slower period for the Walt Disney World Resort. From 1977-1981 no major additions took place outside of the Magic Kingdom. In 1980, the Magic Kingdom received its second “mountain” attraction, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The ride of the same name had opened at Disneyland the year earlier. This was the Magic Kingdom’s second roller coaster, and like Space Mountain was an instant success, going on to be duplicated at many other Disney parks. The ride is nearly 2800 feet long and has an impressive three chain-lift hills. The ride lasts for three minutes and twenty-five seconds, about ten seconds longer than its Disneyland counterpart. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is located in Frontierland.

The slow development of the late seventies was due to the planning and construction of EPCOT Center, Walt Disney World’s second theme park. However, Walt Disney himself had not intended for EPCOT to be a theme park. It was originally designed as an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow (EPCOT). It would be an actual functioning city and was supposed to be the headline attraction of the entire Walt Disney World Resort. From the beginning Walt had a hard time convincing everyone else the idea would work. When Walt died, the original idea for EPCOT went to the grave with him.

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Originally Walt Disney Imagineers were designing two separate theme park models, one of which focused on different nations of the world. The other was like a permanent World’s Fair, and explored all the ideas of the future. One day someone pushed the two models together, and EPCOT as we know it was created. When EPCOT Center was built it was the largest Disney theme park on Earth and would remain so until Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998. The plans for EPCOT Center were revealed to the public in 1978, four years before the park would open. Like Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, the park needed an icon. Spaceship Earth was decided on and designed with the help of Ray Bradbury, a science fiction author. At the time, the construction of EPCOT Center was the largest construction project on Earth. Spaceship Earth took over two years to build and takes up nearly 110,000 square feet. The massive structure weighs over 15,000,000 pounds. To make it even more interesting, a ride that explores the history and future of mankind and communication was built inside the structure and still remains popular with guests to this day.

The park was divided into two main sections, Future World and World Showcase. Future World consisted of multiple pavilions each exploring something different, and was sponsored by a different real-life corporation. The Universe of Energy was sponsored by ExxonMobil for the majority of its lifetime. The original attraction clocked in at about forty minutes, and explored everything to do with energy. A highlight of the ride was the thirty-four audio-animatronics, all dinosaurs. Like many EPCOT Center attractions, the ride contained a pre-show and a post-show.

The Land was meant to explore the way humans interact with the land. Its original sponsor was Kraft Foods. The main attraction in this pavilion was Listen to the Land. The ride was just under fifteen minutes long, and like The Universe of Energy, was filled with audio-animatronics. There were exactly thirty-five of them. The ride vehicles are boats and the ride focuses on agriculture and how humans interact with it. Originally, there were cast members on board each boat who acted as tour guides and narrated throughout the course of the quarter-hour ride. The ride still exists today, but is known as Living with the Land and has received minor updates since the original opening.

Just behind Spaceship Earth at the center of EPCOT Center, was CommuniCore. This pavilion was separated into two, semi-circular buildings each with the pavilion name, plus “East” and “West.” The main focus of this pavilion was science and technology and even more specifically, computers. This was the only EPCOT Center pavilion to not have a sponsor. Instead, it has exhibits from all the sponsors inside of it. It acts as the central pavilion of Future World. There has never been a ride in this pavilion.

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World of Motion was the transportation pavilion of EPCOT Center. World of Motion was designed differently from the other pavilions, in that it was the most humorous of the original attractions. For the pavilion’s entire lifetime, General Motors was the sponsor. The same man who designed the scenes for World of Motion’s ride had designed parts of legendary Disney rides such as the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. The Journey Into Imagination Pavilion was the last pavilion that opened with the park. The building’s roof is made completely of glass and is in the shape of two pyramids. Since the pavilion opened it has been sponsored by Kodak.

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The back half of EPCOT Center was host to the World Showcase. As the name suggests, park guests would be able to explore multiple countries from across the world, in central Florida. On opening day there were nine countries represented, all in a circular formation around World Showcase Lagoon which is a man-made lake with a two mile perimeter. Starting from the Future World/World Showcase border and moving clockwise the countries were Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, United States of America, Japan, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. All of these countries are staffed by people from their nations. There were no rides in World Showcase, but there were many films showing their respective countries. Many restaurants and shops were scattered around World Showcase. There were originally plans for Russia, Venezuela, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Spain but they were never built.

After three years of construction, $1.4 billion, and the development of over 440 acres EPCOT Center held its grand opening on October 1, 1982 exactly eleven years after the Magic Kingdom opened. Strangely enough, no official dedication was held until October 24 of the same year. This was just the beginning for EPCOT Center, as it would begin to go through some drastic changes, not only as soon as it was built, but later on in life as well. The first addition to EPCOT Center came the year after the park opened, in 1983. Horizons attraction was unique among all Disney rides in that the guest actually got to choose their own ending to the ride. The purpose of the Horizons pavilion was to focus on the future, and what lay in man kind’s horizon. The new building was built between Universe of Energy and World of Motion and was sponsored by General Electric. Also in 1983, Journey Into Imagination opened as an attraction in the Imagination pavilion. The ride explored all the crazy concepts involving imagination and was hosted by then-EPCOT Center mascot, Figment.

World Showcase received its own addition in 1984. Morocco became the first and only World Showcase pavilion to represent the continent of Africa, bringing the total number of continents represented to four. Disney wanted to be so spot-on with their design for the country, that they actually contacted the Moroccan king. He fully agreed with idea and wanted it to go full steam ahead. He sent some of his best craftsman and artisans to central Florida to help with the design of the pavilion. The pavilion opened with two restaurants, one show and multiple places to shop.

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Continuing with the rapid expansion of EPCOT Center, a second new Future World pavilion opened in 1986. The Living Seas opened on January 15 as the world’s largest man-made tank filled with living sea creatures ever built. The whole purpose behind this pavilion was for park guests to be able to interact with sea animals while vacationing. It was essentially a Walt Disney World aquarium. There was no single attraction, but rather a slew of miniature attractions put together. A guest travelling through The Living Seas would go on a boat ride, go through a walk-through area and interact with various displays at the end.

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The Magic Kingdom received one of its first major additions in nearly a decade with Mickey’s Birthdayland opening in 1988. This completely new land was built in honor of the mouse himself, celebrating his sixtieth birthday. With this new land were many new character meet-and-greets along with several walkthrough attractions which explored the town where Mickey Mouse lived. A new place for young children to retire from the sunlight was called Donald’s Boat. This interactive water area quickly became popular because at the time, the Magic Kingdom had no water rides.

1988 was also a big year for EPCOT Center. A second new country was added to the World Showcase and the most recent to date. Norway represented the farthest reaches of northern Europe in the humid heat of Central Florida. The pavilion resembles a Norwegian village complete with a church, a Viking ship that is actually a playground for children, and multiple shops. Norway also features World Showcase’s only ride. Maelstrom is a five minute boat ride that explores the history and mythology of Norway, including encounters with trolls. IllumiNations was the second addition to EPCOT Center in 1988. This amazing pyrotechnics show featured lighting effects, water, fire and of course fireworks all set over World Showcase Lagoon.

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The first new Disney hotels to be built at Walt Disney World in seventeen years opened in 1988. One of these, the Grand Floridian Beach Resort would become Disney’s flagship hotel. This deluxe category hotel carries a Victorian, early twentieth century theme. The resort featured over eight hundred guestrooms spread out over six buildings. The Grand Floridian Beach Resort was also host to central Florida’s only five star restaurant, Victoria & Alpert’s. The resort hotel was built on the shore of Seven Seas Lagoon, which allowed for many recreational water activities and a beach. Another major convenience of staying at the resort was that it had a monorail station. This gave all hotel guests instant access to the two theme parks and other two Disney hotels connected to the system.

The other hotel that opened in 1988 was Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. This was designed for guests who had a lower budget, but still wanted the complete Disney experience. The hotel would be later grouped in the Moderate price range. There are six villages throughout the resort which is comprised of over 2,000 guest rooms spread out over dozens of small buildings. A forty acre lake, Barefoot Bay, is located at the center of the resort, yet another example of Disney’s skill at manipulating the environment.

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Amidst all of the changes being undergone at the Walt Disney World Resort, a new man stepped into the CEO position of the Walt Disney Company in 1984. When Michael Eisner first took control of the company, the parks progressed the same way as they had previously, with no noticeable difference from the change in management. However, this would drastically change beginning in the late 80s and continuing until his resignation. EPCOT Center was continually growing, and Disney executives order for two new pavilions to be drawn up for the park. One of these was Wonders of Life which would go on to open in 1989. The second, called the Great Movie Ride pavilion was to explore the history and magic of the movies. Eventually, this idea would morph into the third Walt Disney World theme park, the Disney MGM Studios.

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Once again, Disney would break the mold with their theme park design by not only making it a place for thrills, but also make it a working movie studio. Multiple soundstages were constructed so movies could be made on-site. These buildings would also become part of a unique ride that would become synonymous with the Disney-MGM Studios. Separate buildings were constructed specifically for the use of animated movies. Instead of using a circular basis for design, the Studios were laid out in a sprawling fashion, with streets and avenues branching off in different directions. This akward layout would be a point of criticism for the park at the beginning. On opening day, if a guest had an aerial view of the park, they would see it was in fact a giant hidden Mickey.

Hollywood Boulevard is the “Main Street” of the Disney-MGM Studios. This area, which serves as the entrance to the park, is filled with multiple shops and stores just like the Magic Kingdom. This area also serves as host to what was planned to be the park’s star attraction. The Great Movie Ride was advertised as a ride into the movies, and that’s exactly what it was. The façade of the building is a nigh identical model of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, here called simply The Chinese Theater. The ride’s theme begins in the queue line where multiple props and costumes from famous movies were put on display for all to see. One of these notable props was one of five pairs in the world of Dorothy’s red ruby slippers, of Wizard of Oz fame.

Riders are seated into a long theater-style car that travels along a track. At the front there is space for the ride’s narrator to stand, who is a Disney cast member. A key element of this ride is people interaction as there are multiple people-crossings throughout the ride where actual, live dialogue takes place. Obviously, the highlight of the twenty-plus minute ride is the movies. Guests will travel through several different movie scenes, representing multiple production companies, and watch a movie with brief scenes from almost 100 movies.

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The only other ride ready for opening day was the Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour. This ride was both a tram ride and a walking tour that takes about thirty-five minutes. Throughout the tour many visual and special effects are shown and explained with trained actors and with the help of audience volunteers. Like The Great Movie Ride, there were props littered throughout the course of the ride. One of the highlights of the ride is Catastrophe Canyon. During this segment of the ride, the trams are nearly soaked with raging waters and scorched with vivid fires. After the ride, a museum was designed to showcase the fifty greatest villains of all time.

A multitude of controversies arose with Walt Disney World’s third theme park. For one, there were only two rides available on May 1, opening day of the park. This led to outrageous queue times. A much more heated one, was a question of honesty and integrity. Universal Studios announced their new park in Florida around the same time as Disney, so the question was who came first? As soon as both companies found out about their opponent’s park, the race was on. Both wanted to be completed first so as to look like the original idea in the eye of the public. Disney-MGM Studios won this race, opening a full year earlier. However many say that this race was the reason the park opened with a minimal number of attractions.

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There were other attractions at Disney MGM Studios that opened within a year of opening day. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! was a live-action stunt show featuring the legendary Indiana Jones movies, mostly Raiders of the Lost Ark. Star Tours also opened in late 1989, and became an instant fan favorite. This motion simulator ride was based off of the ride of the same name located in Disneyland, having opened two years prior to the Florida ride. The Magic of Disney Animation gave everyone a glimpse into, well, the magic of Disney animation!

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On the same exact day the Disney MGM Studios opened, yet another new entertainment venue opened; Pleasure Island. With Pleasure Island, Disney was stepping into a completely new territory, that of nighttime entertainment. The complex featured multiple nightclubs, and was adjacent to the Disney Village. To experience all of the clubs and entertainment, it was originally a pay-per-club experience. although over time that would change. Every night the park would celebrate New Year’s Eve, complete with a countdown and fireworks. This was just one of the many festivals happening everyday at Pleasure Island. Pleasure Island was the second step towards what would eventually be Downtown Disney.

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As if 1989 wasn’t already a huge year for the Walt Disney World Resort, it was about to get even bigger. On June 1, exactly one month after the Disney MGM Studios opened, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon opened its gates for the first time. This was Disney’s second water park, and was overall a vast improvement over their first attempt. Compared to River Country’s lazy and calm theme, Typhoon Lagoon was full to the brim with energy. As with everything Disney, there was a story behind this new park. This once luxurious island paradise was destroyed in the midst of a monster typhoon. Everything from fishing gear, to surfboards to boats were thrown on the island where they have remained since. The most notable boat of course is “Miss Tilly” who sits on top of the park’s centerpiece Mount Mayday.

This time around, Disney used cutting-edge technology in the park’s design. Three speed slides were built, along with others for all ages. However, the big draw for this park was the massive wave pool. To this day, it remains the largest of its kind in the entire world. For a period of ninety minutes, a massive six foot wave is rolled out followed by a brief series of smaller waves. After the ninety-minute period is over, a thirty minute period follows where constant smaller waves are pumped out. Although 1989 seemed to be the biggest year for Walt Disney World in its history, things were about to get even bigger.

The 1990s were announced by CEO Michael Eisner to be known as the “Disney Decade.” The plan for this was to feature multiple new Disney parks across the world and greatly expand all of the existing properties. While some of these ideas never came through, such as a California version of EPCOT Center, the Walt Disney World Resort greatly benefited from these ten years. In fact they were among the most expansive in the resort’s history. One of the reasons for this was due to the Disney hotel boom. With Universal Studios Florida opening its gates, and SeaWorld Orlando not far behind, Disney knew there was a problem. Guests would stay at an Orlando-area hotel and split up their vacation time between the three entertainment venues. Disney wanted guests to be able to spend their whole time at Walt Disney World without leaving. The answer to their problem was to build hotels, an in-resort transportation system, and give Disney hotel guests benefits they wouldn’t enjoy anywhere else.

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In the first year of the Disney Decade, two separate hotel complexes each opened on Disney property. Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, and the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin became the first hotels to open in celebration of the Disney Decade. The Yacht & Beach Club Resorts were actually two separate hotels, right next to each other. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort was styled after New England, and gave guests the impression that they actually were on board a luxurious resort. It was the more formal of the two resorts. Disney’s Beach Club Resort sat on the same lake as its sister resort, Crescent Lake. Both of these hotels share the largest and deepest pool in Walt Disney World. Along with this resort came the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin. Once again, these were two hotels that often acted as one and shared many facilities. These two hotels are officially Disney hotels, but are run by a third-party hotel company. The Swan & Dolphin share over 2,200 rooms.

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Disney’s Port Orleans Resort opened on May 17, 1991 with just over 1,000 rooms. The hotel carries a New Orleans theme, and the rooms are spread out over a series of three-story buildings. Although there is no restaurant , a large food court called Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory was built to satisfy guests’ hunger. Doubloon Lagoon is the resorts’ pool. A large sea serpent sits at the side of the pool, and the tongue of the monster acts as a slide into the cool water. A multitude of new shows and parades premiered across the three theme that year to celebrate the resort’s twentieth anniversary. Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3D opened at the Disney-MGM Studios, and added to the park’s growing attraction roster.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort received a sister resort one year after it was built. Located adjacent to the original, Disney’s Dixie Landing’s Resort was themed to the old south in contrast to its sister resort. This resort is much larger in both land-size and number of guest rooms, 2,048. Guest rooms are divided into two areas, Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou. The former is more formal and represents the wealthy southern mansions that sat on hundreds of land, running plantations. Alligator Bayou stands for the rural bayou. This resort features seven pools, and has a full-fledged restaurant to compensate for its neighbors absence of one. In 2001, the hotel was renamed Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside. Disney’s Vacation Club Resort was a novel idea, and was the start of what is now know as the DVC. This hotel was the first of many that would be built, but has since received a name change to Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

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After an absence of major attractions in the spur of adding new hotels, 1992 was a great year for the Magic Kingdom. This was the year one of its most popular attractions ever would be built; Splash Mountain. Disney’s 1946 movie Song of the South was the basis for this movie, despite its racial controversy. Brer Rabbit is the protagonist of this Disney ride, which also stars his enemies Brer Bear and Brer Fox. Unlike a typical log flume, the logs on Disney’s attraction sit eight people each, with park guests sitting in four rows of two. Nearly seventy audio-animatronics are spread throughout the ten minute ride that travels over half a mile of track. When the ride was built it was one of the most expensive attractions ever built by Disney, costing an astounding $75 million. The grand finale of Splash Mountain is the five story drop measuring fifty feet. Meanwhile, Voyage of the Little Mermaid opened at the Disney-MGM Studios in response to the critically-acclaimed animated film.

1993 was a slow year for the Walt Disney World Resort. No new attractions were added or hotels built. However, three rides went under major renovations; Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress and Dumbo. To make up for the seemingly lackluster year in what was supposed to be the Disney Decade, 1994 was a stampede of improvements, additions and celebrations for the Walt Disney World Resort. Tomrrowland received a facelift, and the theme was changed to “retro future.” This means that it was themed to the future, as a person from the 1920s would imagine it. As part of this refurbishment, new rides were opened in the area. Astro Orbiter opened in place of Star Jets, which had been there for twenty years. The Timekeeper and Galaxy Palace Theater also opened during the same time period. The Legend of the Lion King was the only attraction to open in the Magic Kingdom outside of Tomorrowland that year. However, all of these additions meant that some rides had reached the end of their time. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage closed down, along with Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, the former being a guest favorite.

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Starting in 1994, EPCOT Center became officially known as Epcot ’94, while most just referred to it as Epcot. An avid Disney fan would notice that the name of the park was no longer in capital letters; this is due to the fact that it was no longer used as an acronym. This was the beginning of a transformation in Epcot. It was declared that the park had to be completely updated and revamped by the resort’s twenty-fifth anniversary, which was October 1, 1996. The changes began as early as the second half of 1993, with numerous rides shutting down for renovation. The Land’s main attraction, Listen to the Land, was closed down for four months in late 1993 for renovation purposes, and opened with a new name, Living with the Land. Kraft’s contract had run out, and Nestle took the reigns as the pavilion’s new sponsor. One change Nestle made to the pavilion was its color scheme. The entire interior received a whole new layer of paint that featured more vivid and bright colors. Also during this time, many of the shops and restaurants within The Land changed names, likely to separate them from their old sponsor. A second original attraction in the pavilion, the Kitchen Kabaret, was closed and replaced in early 1994 by the new show, Food Rocks. This attraction showed guests the best way to eat, and to try to stay away from junk foods.

As part of the preparation for the twenty-fifth anniversary, CommuniCore was closed. This had been located just behind Spaceship Earth in two semi-circular buildings. Innoventions opened in 1994, and filled the vacant spot formerly held by CommuniCore. The pavilion was divided into Innoventions East and Innoventions West for each of the two buildings which hosted it. There were no real attractions in this pavilion; rather it was a walk-through, featuring some of the most advanced technology at the time. Much of this technology was centered around Sega, featuring the most up to date video games at the time, such as the SEGA Genesis. Over the years Innoventions would literally hold dozens of different temporary displays that were always changing to keep up with the times. The Imagination! pavilion received a brand new show, replacing Captain EO which had been showing since 1982. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience opened on November 21, 1994 and was based on the popular Honey, I Shrunk the Kids series. This 3-D show shrunk guests to an extremely small size, and through the use of those crazy glasses, allowed guests to get up-close and personal with mice, snakes and other objects that seem immense when one is down to a nearly microscopic size.

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1994 became a major turn-around year for the Disney-MGM Studios. This was the year the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened, along with a new area named Sunset Boulevard. The opening of this ride would make the park’s attendance sky-rocket and help the fledgling park get on its feet. Instead of just adding a simple freefall attraction, Disney imagineers took the idea to the next level. Taking inspiration from the hit television series, The Twilight Zone, the ride takes place in the thirteen-story Hollywood Tower Hotel. However, many years ago a terrible accident happened and the hotel was abandoned. Now, brave guests are able to venture to the top of the 199 foot tall hotel, and then freefall reaching breakneck speeds. The elevator drops a completely random number of times during each run. To do this, the ride takes advantage cutting-edge technology only used by Disney when it was built.

Continuing the hotel-building craze, two new resort hotels opened on site. Disney’s All-Star Sports became Walt Disney World’s first value resort, when it opened on April 24, 1994. This large hotel contains approximately 1,900 rooms spread out over five brightly colored buildings with the following themes: football, basketball, baseball, surfing and tennis. At the time it was built, this hotel was very far away from any of the Disney parks, so the only form of transportation to other parks is by bus. On the other side of the resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge opened its doors for the first time on May 28, 1994. Unlike Disney’s All-Star Sports, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a true deluxe hotel. Featuring 729 rooms, two table service eateries, a fast food service restaurant, and boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, along with bus routes to everywhere else in the “World,” it can be classified in no other way than deluxe. As the name suggests, the hotel carries the theme of the Pacific Northwest, which includes natural and Native American elements. On the property of the resort are hot springs and even a working geyser. It is currently one of the most popular resorts on property.

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As Earth’s temperature continued to rise, Disney officials decided that the two water parks currently in operation simply couldn’t keep up with the demand they were producing. So, how to solve this problem? Open a third water park on Walt Disney World property. Disney’s Blizzard Beach opened its gates for the first time on April 1, 1995. This park carried a theme never before seen in a water park: snow. According to Disney, a freak snowstorm hit central Florida and left it covered in snow. When all that snow melted, it left Disney’s Blizzard Beach filled with waterlogged ski-jumps, ramps and hills. Mount Gushmore is the centerpiece of the park, and is where a majority of the slides take off from. Teamboat Springs, at 1,400 feet long, is the world’s longest family raft ride, and takes guests down a long channel, built on supports high above the ground below. However, if one is really looking for a rush, look no further than Summit Plummet. This body slide is the tallest and fastest in the world, at 120 feet, and fifty-five miles per hour respectively.

On the other side of Disney’s Blizzard Beach are three attractions that all revolve around racing to the bottom of the slide. Among those are Downhill Double Dipper, Snow Stormers, and Toboggan Racers. Located at ground level is Meltaway Bay, the park’s one acre wave pool. Ski Patrol is the children’s area of the park, and allows guests from about ages six to twelve slide down much smaller slides, traverse across “ice pads,” and an inner tube slide. For the very young guests, there is Tike’s Peak which has a similar design to the rest of the park, only greatly minimized. And of course, at ground level one will also find the base of the Chairlift. It will take guests to the top of Mount Gushmore where Summit Plummet and two other slides are located. The Chairlift is a one way ride, so once the top is reached, there’s only one way down.

Along with Blizzard Beach, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort opened as the sister to the previous year’s All-Star Sports. Like its sister hotel, All-Star Music features five different sub-themes; Calypso, Jazz, Rock, Country, and Broadway. Compared to all the other hotels then open at the Walt Disney World Resort, the two All-Star Resorts were located the farthest away from any theme park. The reason for this soon became clear, as in 1995 Walt Disney World announced their fourth theme park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The park was set to open sometime before 2000.

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As work began on Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the rest of the resort continued to grow. In 1996, Mickey’s Starland of the Magic Kingdom was transformed into Mickey’s Toontown Fair, as part of a complete overhaul of the area. Along with the name change came two new rides; Donald’s Boat and the family roller coaster, The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm. In order for these new attractions to be added, the course of the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway had to be slightly altered. 1996 also saw the closing of the Epcot’s Future World’s World of Motion. This GM sponsored attraction had existed since the park’s opening, but was finally closed in order to make room for Test Track. However, the Universe of Energy celebrated its grand reopening with the all-new Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Just around the corner from Epcot, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn opened in 1996. This deluxe hotel features just under 300 rooms that, as the name implies, are located in an environment resembling the great era of boardwalks, from the 1920s to the

1940s. One of the many highlights of the resort is its free water transportation to Epcot and Disney’s MGM Studios, as well as multiple Disney resort hotels. Opened on the same day was Walt Disney World’s second Disney Vacation Club Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Villas.

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1996 was a landmark year for Walt Disney World, because it had now reached the ripe age of twenty-five. To celebrate this, all of the above happened, and Cinderella’s Castle was transformed into a giant birthday cake. This was a massive undertaking and took more than 400 gallons of pink paint, sixteen five-foot gummy bears, twenty-six candles ranging in height from twenty to forty feet, more than 1000 feet of blue and pink inflatable icing and much more. The castle remained in this state until January 31, 1998. This was the first time the castle had undergone such a major change, and has only happened two more times since.

As the Disney Decade grew closer to its close, the immense expansion was still going full steam ahead. Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort opened as Walt Disney World’s fourth moderate resort in 1997. Featuring a southwestern U.S. theme, and boasting nearly 2,000 rooms, the resort hotel further proved the genius in building on-site hotels.

Also, a totally new venue opened at the entertainment complex in 1997. Disney’s Wide World of Sports is a massive, 220 acre athletic complex that sprawls across some of the southernmost land in Walt Disney World. The 9,500 seat Cracker Jack Stadium, now known as Champion Stadium, is the spring training home to the Atlanta Braves. Besides Champion Stadium, there are seven other main venues, with dozens of fields for different sports. The Milk House is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena. The Baseball Quadraplex consists of four professional baseball fields, ten bullpens, pitching machines, and pitching mounds among other features. The Center Court Stadium features ten regulation size tennis courts, while the Hess Sports Field contains eight multipurpose fields, with four mainly used for soccer. There is also the Cross Country Course, Track and Field Complex, Diamondplex and Auto Racing Track.

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In 1997, the Disney Village Marketplace would change dramatically. With the opening of Pleasure Island in 1989 the shopping and entertainment area had steadily grown more popular. Disney Village Marketplace officially became Downtown Disney with the opening of its third district, the West Side. This featured a variety of entertainment, shopping and dining options, mostly from outside companies. Among the new venues that opened were the Virgin Megastore, Planet Hollywood, a Wolfgang Puck Café, the House of Blues, and an AMC 24-screen movie theater.

In the Magic Kingdom, Tropical Serenade, more commonly known as The Enchanted Tiki Room, closed its doors in 1997 for an extensive renovation. The ride would reopen a year later as The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management. The only major difference was the addition of Zazu and Iago in the show, from The Lion King and Aladdin respectively. Another new venue opened at Walt Disney World that year, but this is one that is still one of the resort’s best kept secrets. The Richard Petty Driving Experience opened in the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom. It is a full-size NASCAR race track, which after some training and admission, allows any guest to ride with a pro driver.

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After the previous year’s multiple additions, it would seem as if Walt Disney World was bursting at the seams. Clearly, no Disney executives saw this as in issue, because 1998 became yet another landmark year for the Florida resort. The Magic Kingdom received its first entirely new ride in some time, with Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland. This interactive dark ride has guests shooting at targets in a neon, glow-in-the-dark atmosphere, competing for whoever can get the highest score. At the same time, a classic attraction in the Magic Kingdom met its demise the same year. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Fantasyland closed after entertaining guests for almost thirty years.

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Only a year after its grand opening, the West Side of Downtown Disney received two major additions. Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba is a unique version of the international Cirque company. This cross between a circus and trapeze show features a younger, and more international cast than any of its counterparts to better fit into the Disney environment. The show permanently resides in a large white building that resembles a temporary upscale circus tent. It is one of the more prominent features of the Downtown Disney skyline.

The second venue to open at Downtown Disney in 1998 was DisneyQuest. This enormous windowless building houses an “interactive indoor theme park.” All of the rides inside DisneyQuest are high-tech, and most are unique. The most popular ride in the five-floor structure is CyberSpace Mountain. Using a computer screen inside a small red capsule built for two, guests can design their very own roller coaster, and can make it as intense as they like. Better yet, once the design is done, everyone gets to ride their own creation! The red capsule simply moves, rotates, and flips according to what has been programmed by the rider to create one of the most unique experiences around. This DisneyQuest was meant as a prototype: The original plan was for dozens of them to be built in major cities across the North America, reaching populations that couldn’t get to a Disney resort. A second DisneyQuest opened in Chicago, but did not last long and was shut down on September 4, 2001. Other branches had been planned at Disneyland Resort, Toronto and Philadelphia.

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More than two full years after the World of Motion at Epcot closed, its replacement finally arrived. Test Track opened as the fastest attraction ever built at a Disney theme park, a record it still holds today. Upon boarding the attraction, guests are seated in “test cars” and go through the rigorous process a car must go through before passing safety inspections. Among those tests are being exposed to extreme heat and extreme cold, swerving at high speeds, sudden braking, and turning at very high speeds where the ride reaches its maximum sixty-five miles per hour. This was also Epcot’s first thrill ride, and it would be accompanied by more in the near future.

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On top of all of these additions in 1998 from Test Track, to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, to DisneyQuest, to La Nouba, it would seem as if that were enough for one year. Clearly it wasn’t as on April 22, 1998 Disney’s Animal Kingdom officially became Walt Disney World’s fourth theme park. At the dedication Michal Eisner proclaimed,

“Welcome to a kingdom of animals . . . real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama and learn.” Something along the lines of Disney’s Animal Kingdom had been something Walt himself envisioned in the distant future. He was very interested in animals and felt that humans could learn a lot from them. This can be seen in his attraction, the Jungle Cruise.

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The park opened with six themed area spread out over 500 acres, which makes Disney’s Animal Kingdom the largest Disney theme park in the world. In fact, Kilimanjaro Safaris is larger than the entire Magic Kingdom. The first land of the park which acts as the entrance area is the Oasis. Immediately after the entrance gates is Walt Disney World Resort’s second Rainforest Café, the first being in the Marketplace of Downtown Disney. Throughout this area are multiple animal exhibits including giant anteaters, ducks, turtles, deer and more. Once through the Oasis, the path opens up to Discovery Island which acts as the hub of the park. In the heart of this land is the park’s icon, The Tree of Life.

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This massive man-made tree stands at 145 feet and is carved with more than 300 different animals. The icon was created using steel, and actually houses an attraction. It’s Tough to be a Bug! is a 3-D movie attraction based on Disney-Pixar’s A Bug’s Life. During this nine minute film, Flik shows guests why bugs should be seen as friendly and that their life is much more difficult than it seems. The show is a comedy geared towards younger crowds, but has fun surprises that can be enjoyed by all ages.

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To the southwest is Camp Minnie-Mickey. This is the area that is most familiar to younger visitors as it features more recognizable Disney characters than anywhere else in the park. While there are no rides in this area, there are four character greeting spots and two shows. The two shows are Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends and Festival of the Lion King. As one would expect, the former features Pocahontas and other characters from the Disney animated film. Festival of the Lion King is the more popular of the two shows and is more upbeat and wild than Pocahontas’. The show is made up of many songs from the 1994 feature film, and also features acrobats, dancers and even some parade floats.

Found to the northwest is Africa. The land is set in the fictional African village of Harambe. This massive land features what is arguably the park’s flagship attraction; Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests board trucks that seats about twenty people, and then embark on the nearly twenty minute attraction. Along the way, riders will see many of the hundreds of animals who live on central Florida’s only savanna. Elephants, giraffes, flamingos, rhinos, gazelles, crocodiles, hippos, lions and cheetahs are among those animals. Imagineers go as far as to say it is even better than an actual African safari because in that scenario it would be rare to see as many different species as one will see on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Also in Africa is the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, which as the name implies is a trail that passes by many animal exhibits and is nearly a half mile in length. The highlight of this attraction is a close up encounter with a group of gorillas. There are also many rodents, reptiles, exotic birds and fish as well as an underwater hippo viewing area.

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To the north of Discovery Island is Rafiki’s Planet Watch. This is a very educational area of the park, and is accessible only by the Wildlife Express Train. On the way, the train passes by a few animal exhibits and even some backstage areas where animals go to get a break from being viewed by the public. Once at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, there are three exhibits/attractions. At Habitat Habit! guests learn about endangered animals and how everyone can help to make sure these animals survive. Affection Section is basically a petting zoo that features pigs, sheep, goats, llamas and chickens. The largest of the three is Conservation Station. Conservation Station is where Disney promotes wildlife conservation and takes care of any sick animals. There is a window that shows a fully functional doctor’s room for animals.

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The final section Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened with is DinoLand U.S.A. At the main entrance to DinoLand U.S.A. is The Boneyard which is a large playground mainly designed for younger children. Undoubtedly the most popular attraction here was Countdown to Extinction, now named DINOSAUR. DINOSAUR is an intense dark ride using state-of-the-art ride vehicles that move and bounce simulating rough terrain. The vehicles are known as Time Rovers and are owned by the fictional Dino Institute. The rider’s mission is to go back right before the comet that wiped out the dinosaurs hit Earth and bring back an Iguanodon for research. As it gets closer to impact time, the dinosaur encounters become more and more intense, concluding with a dangerous meeting with a huge carnivore. Also found in DinoLand U.S.A. was Tarzan Rocks!, an acrobatics show synchronized to upbeat jungle music.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom did not open without controversy. Many environmentalist groups and PETA were very opposed to Disney having animals in captivity. They went as far as trying to convince travel agents not to book trips to the park, and on opening day about two dozen protestors showed up. To counter these complaints, Disney stated that for consideration of the animals, it is the only Disney theme park without a fireworks show, and closes considerably earlier than the other parks on property, usually about an hour before dusk, and even as early as 4:00. On top of that, many animals are switched out of the safari and other exhibits to backstage areas so they don’t get too stressed from being around thousands of people.

Like the Disney M.G.M. Studios before it, Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened with few major attractions, especially in comparison to parks like the Magic Kingdom. Originally, another major area had been planned, to be known as the Beastly Kingdom. It would feature mythical animals such as dragons and unicorns, and was even set to have an intense roller coaster. However, the budget soon became too large and the Beastly Kingdom was cut from initial park plans. Camp Minnie-Mickey replaced it as a temporary land, although it still stands today more than a decade after the park opened. Rumors of the project being revitalized come up every once in a while, although there has been no official announcement from the Disney company.

By now, the Disney Decade was drawing to a close. In 1999, the third and final All-Star Resort opened, completing the trio. Disney’s All-Star Movies was very similar to its sister hotels, in that it was a value resort with five different themed buildings; 101 Dalmatians, Fantasia, Toy Story, Herbie: The Love Bug and The Mighty Ducks. The end of the twentieth century was when the Disney hotel building craze finally began to slow down. While there would still be new hotels added, they opened far less frequently and many were expansions to existing resorts.

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Despite the fact that the Disney Decade was almost over, major additions took place throughout Walt Disney World. The Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster- Starring Aerosmith at the Disney-MGM Studios was one of those additions. This record-breaking thrill ride was the first roller coaster on Disney soil to turn guests upside-down, which happens three times. The Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is also one of the fastest rides at any Disney theme park, reaching nearly sixty miles per hour in less than three seconds. As with all Disney attractions, this Vekoma roller coaster carries a theme. According to a pre-show movie that takes place in the G-Force Records building, Aerosmith is late for their next show, and the traffic in downtown Los Angeles is heavy. After guests are invited to join them on the ride, the manager warns riders that they’re in for a speedy ride through L.A. Although the ride is almost entirely dark, there are dozens of neon road signs that greatly enhance the experience. One of the most unique aspects of this ride is the audio system placed in all of the cars. Each limo, the mode of transportation on this roller coaster, is outfitted with five speakers per seat, which translates to 120 per limo. Each limo places a different Aerosmith song during the ride’s course. The Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster- Starring Aerosmith was the Disney-MGM Studios’ second major thrill ride, following 1994’s the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

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Just before the new millennium, Disney announced a breakthrough feature that would soon spread to many other parks around the world. Disney’s FASTPASS, which premiered in 1999, would allow guests to skip the line for some of the most popular attractions in each park. The system is free, and easy to use. Guests simply insert their admission ticket at the respective FASTPASS station for the attraction they desire. After a moment or two, a new ticket comes out at the bottom with the attraction’s name on it, and a one-hour time span, such as 1:00-2:00. After taking back their admission ticket, guests simply return during the given time to that attraction, present their ticket to a cast member, and cut a large portion of the line, drastically reducing the wait. This was one of the most successful ideas implanted by Walt Disney World, and continues to be one of the most popular services available at Disney theme parks worldwide.

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The largest addition at the central Florida theme park resort that year took place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Unable to be ready for opening day in 1998, the Asia section of the park opened a year later. Flights of Wonder allows guests to interact with a bird trainer who handles multiple different species of birds, such as cranes, bald eagles, hawks and vultures. The Maharajah Jungle Trek is another walking trail, similar to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. On this trail guests will see deer, tigers, bats, snakes, antelope, peacocks and more. However, the largest and most popular attraction here is Kali River Rapids. Kali River Rapids takes guests on a trip through a rainforest in Nepal. Guests first are able to see the beauty and importance of the rainforest, but then witness the destruction caused by humans, all while getting soaking wet. The conclusion of this ride is a thirty foot drop, which is large for a rapids ride.

And with that, the Disney Decade was over. Some of the highlights of the successful decade were Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, a plethora of hotels, dozens of new attractions and the innovative FASTPASS system. It was arguably the most expansive period in the resort’s history, and changed the map of Walt Disney World forever. The first year of the new millennium however, saw relatively few changes to the overall resort. DisneyQuest opened its new attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold. The ride uses similar technology to that of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. In Epcot, a totally renovated Journey into Your Imagination reopened. One of the notable differences was that Figment had almost totally disappeared from the ride. This would prove to be an unpopular decision. The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge opened six years after the original Wilderness Lodge was built, and is adjacent to the resort. This third Disney Vacation Club Resort (DVC) saw the quickening pace of DVC resorts being built on property.

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After only one year off from the Disney Decade celebration, Disney officials decided that Walt Disney World Resort was a place for celebrations. In 2001, the 100 Years of Magic Celebration was launched, celebrating what would have been Walt Disney’s 100th birthday. One of the highlights of this celebration was the start of a brand new parade at the Magic Kingdom called the Share a Dream Come True Parade. This parade still runs, although now under the name of the Disney Dreams Come True Parade. A new show premiered right in front of Cinderella Castle, appropriately named Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration. Adventureland received its first completely new attraction in almost thirty years: The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. This ride runs almost exactly like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, save for its separate theme and the fact that the carpets can tilt slightly forward and backward as well as going up and down.

The Disney-MGM Studios received three new attractions in 2001, as a part of its ongoing expansion. Playhouse Disney- Live on Stage! opened as an ever-changing show to accommodate new programs appearing on the Disney Channel. It is located in Animation Courtyard. On Mickey Avenue, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream opened its doors as a museum-like walkthrough attraction. The third attraction to open was Who Wants to be a Millionaire- Play It! which was based on ABC’s successful game show hosted by Regis Philbin.

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2001 saw the opening of Disney’s first new hotel of the new millennium, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. This deluxe hotel features more than thirteen hundred rooms and suites. It is divided up into four areas, the Kudo Trail, Giraffe Trail, Zebra Trail and Ostrich Trail. Most of the rooms offer balconies, and all of the rooms overlook a savanna home to many African animals. Hotel guests can go on special tours, similar to Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The hotel bears many similarities to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge because they were designed by the same architect.

2002 was a slow year at the Walt Disney World Resort. The biggest addition was the opening of Disney’s Beach Club Villas, the fourth DVC on site. As with most of the other DVC resorts, it is attached to a larger resort of the same name. Each DVC resort has three categories of rooms: studios, and one and two bedroom villas. The highlights of these rooms are the kitchens. The studio category has more of a kitchenette, with a refrigerator, small sink and microwave. However, the two bedroom category rooms have full sized kitchens. These larger rooms also have whirlpool tubs in the master bathroom. DVC’s cannot be rented the same way as regular hotel rooms are; they are basically a timeshare, using Disney’s own points system. Besides the opening of Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Journey into Imagination reopened for the second time in three years, this time with the return of Figment.

The Magic Kingdom had a busy year in 2003. Arguably Disney’s scariest attraction, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, closed. The Fantasyland Theater which had previously hosted Legend of the Lion King was replaced with Mickey’s PhilharMagic, the Magic Kingdom’s first 3-D show. The attraction would later be duplicated at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. The first new fireworks show in the park’s history, excluding holidays and other special events, premiered in 2003 and was called Wishes. It has since garnered critical acclaim and is one of the most popular fireworks shows at any Disney theme park.

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Certainly the most thrilling addition of 2003 happened at Epcot. Mission: Space became Epcot’s second thrill ride, following Test Track by four years. This very intense thrill ride took the place of Horizons which had closed four years earlier. Mission: Space is designed to simulate actually taking off in a space shuttle and going on a long, historic first manned flight to Mars in 2036. Riders sit in separate capsules of four, with each person having a screen in front of them. The $100 million dollar ride lasts for about five and a half minutes. The ride is so intense that it was the first theme park attraction to ever include motion sickness bags on board.

Unfortunately, the intensity of the ride has had some tragic repercussions. Signs are in place in multiple spots warning of the motion sickness that can be caused if the rider looks away from the screen, closes their eyes, or leans their head forward. It also warns that any riders with problems such as heart conditions, back problems, those prone to motion sickness, and expectant mothers should not ride. Sadly, some people disregard these signs, or have unknown symptoms that make it dangerous for them to ride. In 2005, a four-year-old died after riding Mission: Space. An autopsy confirmed that the boy died due to an unknown heart condition. Just a year later, a second Mission: Space patron died after leaving the attraction. The forty-nine-year-old woman’s death was caused by a bleeding brain caused by high blood pressure. This incident did not occur due to the ride. Over the course of just one year, from 2005 to 2006, 194 riders were treated by paramedics after riding Mission: Space. In an attempt to counter these unfortunate accidents, a new version of the ride opened, called the Green Mission, which is less intense than the original ride. However, the Orange Mission still operates as the original ride did.

Disney’s Pop Century Resort opened as Walt Disney World’s fourth value resort in 2003. The hotel was originally set to be the largest in Disney’s history with more than 5,000 rooms. There were to be two main sections: the Classic Years and the Legendary Years. The resort opened with only the Classic Years completed, which encompassed five buildings. Each of these five buildings was themed to a different building from the 1950s to the 1990s. The entire resort began construction in early 2001. However, the September 11 terrorist attacks resulted in a large drop in tourism. From that point on construction on the Legendary Years was halted, and as of mid-2008 remain as incomplete structures. The buildings have since become home to hundreds of wild animals, and have been overgrown with various plants. However, it has been confirmed that these buildings will eventually become family suites as opposed to the nearly 3,000 basic hotel rooms they were originally going to become.

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In 2004, Stitch’s Great Escape opened in Tomorrowland, taking the place of the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. Stitch’s Great Escape uses a similar ride mechanic and the same seats and restraints as its predecessor. Unlike the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter however, it does not use the effects to scare riders. The opening of the new ride resulted in Cinderella Castle’s shortest transformation ever. For just one day, the park icon looked as if it had been covered with toilet paper, and graffiti which stated “Stitch is King.” In Epcot, Turtle Talk with Crush! opened as part of The Living Seas. This was the introduction to what would become a major renovation of the entire pavilion. In this unique attraction guests can directly interact with Crush of Finding Nemo fame using some of the most up-to-date technology available.

The Disney Vacation Club program continued to grow with the opening of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. 2004 was only the first phase of the large resort, which would have 1,260 guest rooms by the time phase three was complete in 2007. As the name implies, the resort was based upon the city of Saratoga Springs, found in upstate New York. As of 2008, it is the largest DVC resort in the world, covering sixty-five acres.

2005 brought another celebration to Disney parks worldwide. The Happiest Celebration on Earth was initiated to spread the festivities over Disneyland’s fiftieth anniversary. At Walt Disney World, each of the four theme parks received a new attraction from Disney parks around the world, along with updates and improvements to various existing rides. At the Magic Kingdom it’s a small world was completely refurbished featuring a brand new sound system and a remodeled loading station similar to the original at Disneyland. Cinderellabration premiered as a new show staged in front of Cinderella Castle, which also received a temporary makeover.

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As part of the celebration, Epcot received its third thrill ride, although it is less tame than the previous two. Soarin’, a replica of Soarin’ Over California from Disney’s California Adventure, is a simulator attraction that allows riders to take a virtual flight over various parts of California. Among the various sights are snowy mountains, downtown Los Angeles, San Diego, Disneyland and more. The attraction was built as an addition to The Land pavilion and uses space previously occupied by Food Rocks.

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At the Disney-MGM Studios, the new attraction was imported from Walt Disney Studios Park, a part of the Disneyland Paris Resort. Lights, Motors Action! Extreme Stunt Show is just that. The show focuses on the car stunts performed by daring drivers for dozens of films each year. The show is housed in an outdoor theater capable of holding 5,000 people. In total, the attraction lasts for just under forty minutes. There are more than forty vehicles used in the show, as well as motorcycles and jet skis. The arena is more than 177,000 square feet. Disney’s Animal Kingdom did not receive any new attractions during the Happiest Celebration on Earth, but it would more than make up for it the following year.

As the Happiest Celebration on Earth concluded, a new one started. The Year of a Million Dreams would award guests with various prizes simply for coming to the parks. These prizes ranged anywhere from Fastpasses to an overnight stay in Cinderella Castle. As many Disney enthusiasts know, an apartment with elevator access was designed in Cinderella Castle so that Walt Disney himself could stay overnight in his masterpiece. Since he died before the opening, it was never used. However, the apartment was totally remodeled into a six-person apartment fit for a prince or princess. This prize would be awarded randomly daily.

To coincide with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the sequel to the 2003 blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, the ride of the same name at the Magic Kingdom was closed in 2005 for renovations. The resulting renovations, which were first seen when the ride reopened in 2006, included new elements from the movies, while keeping most of the original ride intact. Several Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, audio-animatronics were added to the attraction. These new AA figures are visibly more modern and more far more fluidly than their original counterparts. The opening scene of the eight and a half minute boat ride was also redone, including new visual effects.

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom received two new attractions in 2006 as part of its ongoing expansion to increase its number of attractions. Finding Nemo- The Musical debuted in November 2006, taking the place of Tarzan Rocks. The largest addition of 2006 in the Walt Disney World Resort was Expedition Everst. The park’s second roller coaster, Expedition Everest focuses on the myth of the Yeti and is located in the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This Vekoma-developed coaster reaches a height of 112 feet and tops out at fifty miles per hour. However, the structure where a large portion of Expedition Everest takes place is far larger. This model of Mt. Everest is 199.5 feet tall, making it the tallest attraction at Walt Disney World. The building is six inches below the maximum height mandated by the local government, where if it was higher, a flashing light would have to be placed on the structure due to its proximity to Orlando International Airport.

Expedition Everest is unique in that the ride goes both forwards and backwards. The backwards section takes place in total darkness and is completely different from the forwards section. In order to design and build this attraction, Disney Imagineers spent six years researching the myth of the Yeti and the culture of Nepal. This included many visits to the region. The queue line is highly themed and much of it is set in a museum dedicated to the legend of the Yeti. The Yeti itself is seen by riders at the end of the ride, and according to Disney, is one of the most complex and largest audio-animatronics ever built by the company. The Yeti stands twenty-two feet tall and can move five feet horizontally as well as two feet vertically.

After closing in 2005, the Epcot pavilion The Living Seas, reopened as The Seas with Nemo & Friends. This transition had started with the opening of Turtle Talk with Crush. In the new version of the pavilion, guests board “Clamobiles,” slow moving cars shaped like clams which take guests along a journey under the sea with Nemo. They pass real aquariums with digitally added characters from the 2003 Pixar film. Once the short ride is over, guests find themselves in the main aquarium section of the pavilion, which remains largely the same as it was before the renovation. At the Disney-MGM Studios, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire- Play It! closed four years after the show left primetime television.

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2007 brought relatively few changes to Walt Disney World. The Year of a Million Dreams promotion was extended for another year, through 2008. At the Magic Kingdom, the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor replaced the decade-old attraction The Timekeeper. The attraction is similar to Turtle Talk with Crush at The Seas with Nemo & Friends, only it stars characters from the 2001 Pixar film, particularly Mike Wazowski and Roz. At Epcot, the giant arm and wand that had been in place since the new millennium were removed. As a result of inflation rates, one-day tickets for the Magic Kingdom reached the unprecedented rate of $71 per person for an adult.

The first phase of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, a new DVC resort, opened in 2007. This phase included the reopening of completely remodeled rooms on the fifth and sixth floors of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The entire resort is expected to be complete by 2009 and will feature an additional 324 units in a new building. This building is to be coined Kidani Village, and will feature many new amenities available only to DVC guests. Among those amenities will include a 4,700 square foot swimming pool, Sanaa, a table-service restaurant, a pool bar, and more. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas is the fifth DVC resort at Walt Disney World.

In January 2008, the Disney-MGM Studios officially became Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This was the result of contractual obligations with the movie studio they had previously been partnered with. As of mid-2008, most signage has been changed to reflect the new name. On May 31, 2008 Toy Story Midway Mania! took the place of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire- Play It!. The ride is similar to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, in that guests shoot at targets in moving vehicles to score points. However, this new attraction uses advanced technology, including 3-D effects. The ride features five separate mini-games as well as a practice round, all of which occurs with guests wearing 3-D glasses. In the queue line, guests will find a large talking Mr. Potato Head, who interacts with patrons waiting to board the ride. The ride has a duration of five minutes and twenty-five seconds.

In late 2007 and 2008 a new tower began to rise next to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, in place of the demolished North Wing. Disney has yet to make any official announcements regarding the building, although the Orlando Sentinel reports that it will be named Bay Lake Tower, named after the adjacent lake. This new tower will feature many new amenities similar to those at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. Many speculate that due to the similarities to other DVC resorts, the tower will be a DVC resort itself.

The Walt Disney World Resort has surpassed anything Walt Disney himself could ever have dreamed of. Encompassing four theme parks, two water parks, an entertainment complex, multiple golf courses, a massive sports arena, more than twenty hotels, and more, Walt Disney World is the largest theme park resort on Earth. With many announced additions and many more secretive additions waiting to be unveiled, the resort will only continue to grow, and make dreams come true.