Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World
IndustryEntertainment, hospitality
FoundedOctober 1, 1971 (53 years ago) (1971-10-01)
Founders
HeadquartersBay Lake, Celebration and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
Key people
  • Jeff Vahle (President)
  • Jason Kirk (SVP, Theme Parks)
  • Maribeth Bisienere (SVP, Resorts)[1][2]
Number of employees
77,000+[3]
ParentDisney Experiences
WebsiteWalt Disney World
Walt Disney World
Theme parks
Water parks
Other attractions and areas
Resorts
Affiliated services
Transport

The Walt Disney World Resort (also known as Walt Disney World or Disney World) is an entertainment resort complex located about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km2), of which half has been developed.[4] Walt Disney World contains numerous recreational facilities designed to attract visitors for an extended stay, including four theme parks, two water parks, four golf courses, conference centers, a competitive sports complex and a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. Additionally, there are 19 Disney-owned resort hotels and one camping resort on the property, and many other non-Disney-operated resorts on and near the property.

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 ensure Walt's biggest dream was realized. Construction started in 1967, with the company instead building a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning the planned community concept. Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to open in the complex in 1971, followed by EPCOT (known then as EPCOT Center) in 1982, Disney's Hollywood Studios (known then as the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park) in 1989, and Disney's Animal Kingdom in 1998. Roy insisted the name of the entire complex be changed from Disney World to Walt Disney World, to memorialize his brother.

In 2018, Walt Disney World was the most visited vacation resort in the world, with an average annual attendance of more than 58 million.[5] The resort is the largest single-site employer in the United States,[3] the flagship destination of Disney's worldwide corporate enterprise[6] and has become a staple of American popular culture.

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.[7]

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.[8] The development was referred to in-house as "The Florida Project".[9] 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.[8] 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.[10]

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. They were able to negotiate numerous land contracts with some landowners, including large tracts of land for as little as $100 an acre.[11] 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.[12]

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.[12] 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 that interview, he claimed a $50 million investment was in the works for Disneyland, and that he had no interest in building a new park.[12] 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.[12] 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.[12][13] Three days later, after gathering more information from various sources, the Sentinel published another article headlined, "We Say: 'Mystery' Industry Is Disney".[12][14]

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".[12] The official reveal was kept on the previously planned November 15 date, and Disney joined Burns in Orlando for the event.[12]

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.[15] 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.[7] 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.[16] 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

The district soon began construction of drainage canals, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary Resort Hotel was completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971, and the Polynesian Village Resort opened shortly after.[17][18] 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.[19]

Admission prices in 1971 were $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for juniors under age 18, and one dollar for children under twelve.[17]

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.[20] The Walt Disney Company provided additional funds for landscape restoration and wildlife monitoring.[21]

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.[22]

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

As of October 27, 2014, Walt Disney World is covered by a permanent FAA prohibited airspace zone that restricts all airspace activities without approval from the federal government of the United States,[23] including usage of drones.

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.[24]

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.[25]

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.[26] 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.[27]

March 2020–present

On March 12, 2020, a Disney spokesperson announced that Disney World and Disneyland Paris would temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning March 15, 2020.[28]

In 2020, Disney World laid off 6,500 employees and only operated at 25% capacity after reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic.[29][30]

In June 2020, 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.[31] The ESPN Complex, hosts a variety of activities throughout the year, including runDisney marathon races and dance and cheer competitions in partnership with Varsity Cheer. It was also the site for the MLS is Back tournament.

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.[32] Four days later, EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios for operation at 25% capacity to the public.[33] 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.[34]

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.[35] By mid-June 2021, temperature checks and mask mandates (except while on Disney transportation) had been lifted.[36] 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.[37] In April 2022, following a court decision ending the federal mask mandate for public transportation, the mask mandates on Disney transportation were lifted.[38]

Starting on October 1, 2021, the resort honored its 50th anniversary with "The World's Most Magical Celebration",[39] which lasted for 18 consecutive months ending on March 31, 2023.[40]

Disney's Magical Express, a complimentary transportation and luggage service offered to Walt Disney Resort guests that began in 2005, ended in January 2022.[41] 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+, starting at $18 to $35 per day. This new system includes 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.[42]

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.[43] The new law also officially abolished 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.[43] The law went into effect in June 2023.[44][45] Along with this, as of May 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.[46]

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).[8] 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)[4] (larger than Manhattan, New York City, which is 22.7 sq mi).

The company acquired nearly 3,000 additional acres, in separate transactions, between December 2018 and April 2020.[47][48][49]

12% of the site area is occupied by hotels and resorts, and 5% of the area is water.[50]

Attractions

Further information: List of Walt Disney World Resort attractions

Theme parks

Water parks

Mini-golf courses

View of Disney Springs

Shopping, dining, and entertainment areas

Golf courses

Disney's property includes four golf courses open to the general public. The 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 called Disney's Oak Trail, that features junior tees for younger golfers and a Footgolf course. Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail are connected and share one entrance near Shades of Green in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, while the Lake Buena Vista course is located in the Disney Springs Resort Area. Walt Disney World golf courses are staffed by third-party Arnold Palmer Golf Management.[52] The Magnolia and Palm courses played home to the PGA Tour's Walt Disney World Golf Classic from 1971 to 2012.

Additionally there is a fifth course, the Tranquilo Golf Course, located at the Four Seasons Resort on Disney property. The course is open only to guests staying at Four Seasons.[53][54]

Other attractions and areas

Former attractions and areas

  • Discovery Island – an island and former ticketed attraction in Bay Lake that was home to many species of animals and birds. Guests would access the island via boat from Fort Wilderness. 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.[55]
  • Walt Disney World Speedway – a racetrack at Walt Disney World that included the Richard Petty Driving Experience, the track also held NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the IndyCar Series until the 2000s. It opened November 28, 1995, and closed on August 9, 2015.
  • Pleasure Island – a former gated section of Downtown Disney, centered on late-night entertainment. Most of the area was demolished upon the transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs. It opened 1989 and closed in 2008.
  • Walt Disney World Airport – a small STOLport landing strip built for private aircraft. The airway stopped being used in the 1980s. It is located off Vista Blvd and World Drive and used as a storage area.
  • DisneyQuest – an indoor theme park that featured arcade games and virtual attractions, intended to be the first location in a chain of similar theme parks, which was unsuccessful. It opened June 19, 1998 and closed on July 2, 2017.[56]
  • Crossroads Shopping Center – originally developed by Disney in the 1980s and located near Disney Springs, the shopping and dining center was popular for guests and cast-members, built at a time when there was few dining options in the area. Disney later sold the land, and in 2021 the entire center was demolished using eminent domain for the Interstate 4 reconstruction project.[57][58]

Resorts

See also: Category:Hotels in Walt Disney World Resort

As of 2024, there are 19 Disney owned and operated resort hotels and Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villas at the Walt Disney World Resort, along with one camping resort, Fort Wilderness, which includes traditional campgrounds and wood cabins. Together, they have approximately 23,000 rooms, 3,600 DVC villas and 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of conference meeting space. They are organized into three categories—Deluxe, Moderate, and Value—and five resort areas: the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Wide World of Sports, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs. Informally known as the "Disney Bubble", staying on property is considered an immersive experience.[59][60]

Additionally, 12 independently operated hotels are located on property leased from Disney, offering approximately 7,300 additional rooms. There is also an on-site pet hotel operated by Best Friends Pet Care for guests traveling with animals.[61]

Disney-owned 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
708 villas 		Animal Kingdom
Disney's Old Key West Resort December 20, 1991 Early-20th-century Key West 761 villas Disney Springs
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa May 17, 2004 1880s Upstate New York resort 1,320 villas
Disney's Beach Club Resort November 19, 1990 Newport Beach cottage 576
282 villas 		EPCOT
Disney's Yacht Club Resort November 5, 1990 Martha's Vineyard Resort 621
Disney's BoardWalk Inn July 1, 1996 Early-20th-century Atlantic and Ocean City 378
530 villas
Disney's Riviera Resort December 16, 2019 European Riviera 300 villas
Disney's Contemporary Resort October 1, 1971 Modern 655
428 villas 		Magic Kingdom
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa June 28, 1988 Early-20th-century Florida 867
147 villas
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort October 1, 1971 South Pacific 492
380 villas
Disney's Wilderness Lodge May 28, 1994 Pacific Northwest, National Park Service rustic 729
365 villas
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 & Riverside) May 17, 1991 New Orleans French Quarter, Deep South 3,056 Disney Springs
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 Wide World of Sports
Disney's Pop Century Resort December 14, 2003 20th Century American pop culture 2,880
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 300 homes Magic Kingdom

On-site non-Disney resorts

Hotel name Image Opening date Number of rooms Owner Area
Renaissance Orlando Resort and Spa October 1, 1972 394 B Hotels & Resorts Disney Springs
Drury Plaza November 21, 1972 325 Drury Hotels
DoubleTree March 15, 1987 229 Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Buena Vista Palace March 10, 1983 1,014
Hilton Lake Buena Vista November 23, 1983 787
Holiday Inn February 8, 1973 323 IHG Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham October 15, 1972 626 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Walt Disney World Dolphin June 1, 1990 1,509 Marriott International EPCOT
Walt Disney World Swan January 13, 1990 758
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve November 4, 2021 349
Four Seasons August 3, 2014 450 Four Seasons Magic Kingdom
Shades of Green December 1973 586 United States Department of Defense

Former resorts

  • Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser – resort that offered a two-day immersive experience aboard a simulated cruise in outer space within the Star Wars galaxy. It opened on March 1, 2022, and closed on September 30, 2023.

Annual events

  • Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (1995–present) – held at Magic Kingdom throughout the fall season
  • Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (1983–present) – held at Magic Kingdom throughout the holiday season
  • EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival (1995–present) – held at EPCOT throughout the fall season – includes the Eat To The Beat! concert series)
  • EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival (1994–present) – held at EPCOT during the spring and summer – includes the Garden Rocks! concert series
  • EPCOT International Festival of the Arts (2018–present) – held at EPCOT each February and March – includes the Disney on Broadway concert series
  • EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays (1996–present) – held at EPCOT throughout the holiday season
  • Candlelight Processional (1971–present) – held at EPCOT throughout the holiday season
  • runDisney – marathon races are conducted each year, including the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon, the Wine N Dine Half-Marathon, and the Disney Princess-Half Marathon
  • H2O Glow Nights – a special ticket event held on select nights each summer at Typhoon Lagoon – night-time glow party[62]
  • Disney After Hours – a special ticket event held at select parks on select nights[63]
  • Moonlight Magic – Disney Vacation Club-only nights at select parks on select days throughout the year[64]
  • Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade (1983–present) – filmed each year at Disney World and broadcast nationally on Christmas Day

Business segments

Wedding Pavilion at the Seven Seas Lagoon

Walt Disney World has several departments that handle various activities and events that are offered throughout the year. These departments include:

  • Disney Imagination Campus – operates Magic Music Days, Disney Performing Arts, Festival Disney, The Dreamers Academy, and other youth programs providing opportunities for youth to learn and perform inside Walt Disney World.[65][66]
  • Disney Meetings and Events – schedules large meetings, events, and conferences at Walt Disney World.[67]
  • The Disney Institute – offers professional development, team-building and networking opportunities using Disney models and principles.[68]
  • Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons – schedules and plans weddings at various locations inside Walt Disney World, including locations inside the parks or at the wedding pavilion.[69]
  • Disney Internships and Programs – operates various internships geared toward college-age students, including the Disney College Program (DCP), Disney International Programs (ICP), Disney Hospitality Leadership Program (DHLP), Cultural Representative Program (CRP), Brazilian Summer Super Greeters, Disney Culinary Program, and Professional Internships (PI).[70]

Campus

The campus of Walt Disney World includes numerous buildings and spaces used solely for corporate management, castmember only services, and castmember recreation. The Walt Disney Company also owns and operates a corporate office complex in Celebration, Florida, home to Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney offices.

  • Team Disney Orlando – the central location of corporate offices at Walt Disney World.
  • Disney University – the central location of training for Cast Members.
  • Walt Disney World Casting Center – the central location for human resources and employee recruitment and retention.
  • Partners Federal Credit Union – an internal bank system only for Disney employees, with several locations throughout Walt Disney World.
  • Disney Event Group – office complex for various business segments.
  • Maingate Office Complex – houses offices for various business segments.
  • Amateur Athletic Union – corporate office building located inside the historic preview center building on Hotel Plaza Boulevard.
  • Central Florida Tourism Oversight District – headquarters building, located near Disney Springs on Hotel Plaza Boulevard.
  • Mickey's Retreat – a Disney-employee only recreational complex located on Little Lake Bryan.[71]
  • AdventHealth – operates two emergency rooms, located on the east and west of property near Disney Springs and in Flamingo Crossings. Guests with serious conditions and injuries are transported to the larger AdventHealth Celebration.
  • YMCA of Central Florida – operates two locations on property that provide daycare and educational programs for children of Walt Disney World employees.[72]
  • The Center for Living Well – provides health services for Disney employees, operated by Premise Health.[73]
  • Flamingo Crossings Village – home of Disney Programs and Internship participants.
  • Disney Aspire – offers free college tuition to eligible employees of Walt Disney World. Launched in 2018, the program offers select academic tracks in partnership with certain schools and degree programs.[74]
  • VoluntEARS – Disney's in-house volunteer program. Disney Cast Members volunteer their time for local non-profit and environmental causes.[75]

Employment

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 "Cast Members".[76] In 2020, Walt Disney World employed more than 77,000 Cast Members.[77] Walt Disney World has more than 3,000 job classifications with a total 2019 payroll of over $3 billion.[3]

Union representation

Almost all hourly guest-facing Cast Members work under union contracts. The most recent contract was negotiated and put in effect in 2023 and is valid through 2027, setting the starting hourly rate for part-time and full-time Cast at 17 dollars per hour, with additional premiums available for select roles. Union membership is offered to all Cast eligible at the start of employment. Each staff location on property has an official designated as shop steward, who bargains with Disney leadership when needed to defend the rights designated within the contract.[78]

Attendance

In the first year of opening, the park attracted 10,712,991 visitors.[84] 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.[5] By October 2020, maximum Disney World attendance was still allowed to only remain at 25% capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[30] 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.[85]

Year Magic Kingdom EPCOT Hollywood Studios Animal Kingdom Overall Ref.
2008 17,063,000 10,935,000 9,608,000 9,540,000 47,146,000 [86]
2009 17,233,000 10,990,000 9,700,000 9,590,000 47,513,000 [87]
2010 16,972,000 10,825,000 9,603,000 9,686,000 47,086,000 [88]
2011 17,142,000 10,826,000 9,699,000 9,783,000 47,450,000 [89]
2012 17,536,000 11,063,000 9,912,000 9,998,000 48,509,000 [90]
2013 18,588,000 11,229,000 10,110,000 10,198,000 50,125,000 [91]
2014 19,332,000 11,454,000 10,312,000 10,402,000 51,500,000 [92]
2015 20,492,000 11,798,000 10,828,000 10,922,000 54,040,000 [93]
2016 20,395,000 11,712,000 10,776,000 10,844,000 53,727,000 [94]
2017 20,450,000 12,200,000 10,722,000 12,500,000 55,872,000 [95]
2018 20,859,000 12,444,000 11,258,000 13,750,000 58,311,000 [5]
2019 20,963,000 12,444,000 11,483,000 13,888,000 58,778,000 [96]
2020 6,941,000 4,044,000 3,675,000 4,166,000 18,826,000 [97]
2021 12,691,000 7,752,000 8,589,000 7,194,000 36,226,000 [98]
2022 17,133,000 10,000,000 10,900,000 9,027,000 47,060,000 [98]
2023 17,720,000 11,980,000 10,300,000 8,770,000 48,770,000 [99]

Operations

Transportation

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.[100]

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.[101]

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.[102][103] 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.

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.[104] 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.[105] 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 Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, respectively.[105]

The entire Disney Transport bus fleet uses R50 renewable diesel fuel, obtained from used cooking oil and non-consumable food waste from the resort.[105]

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.[106]

The land where Walt Disney World resides is part of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), known until 2023 as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), a governing jurisdiction created in May 1967 by the State of Florida at the request of Disney.[107][43] CFTOD 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 CFTOD and may only issue personnel violation notices to Disney and CFTOD employees, not the general public.[108][109]

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.[110]

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.[111]

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.[112]

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.[113]

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.[43][44][114]

Corporate culture

Walt Disney World's corporate culture uses jargon based on theatrical terminology.[115][116] 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".[115][116]

Closures

Walt Disney World has had 13 unscheduled closures, 11 of which have been due to hurricanes:[117]

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.[30] In July 2021, Disney World announced that all its staff workers in the United States 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.[122]

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: [123]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
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

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