WHY THERE SHOULD BE A DOCUMENTARY ON By: Lani Adamson

 Disneyland, the original California park, was groundbreaking in every possible way.  Prior to Disneyland’s creation, amusement parks were, by and large, dirty, dangerous places aimed almost exclusively at teenagers. Parents didn’t go on rides, they sat on benches while the kids played.  As an animator, Walt Disney had already earned a reputation as a maverick, a rebel genius who was able to sell adult audiences on feature-length cartoons, something his peers had claimed would never work.  Disneyland was the culmination of many of Walt’s big dreams, a different kind of park, where parents and children could have fun together. Walt Disney told stories, and Disneyland allowed guests to become a part of those stories.  Although its 1955 opening day was fraught with problems, Disneyland was an immediate smash success, welcoming its one millionth guest only seven weeks after opening.

 1964: As part of the “Florida Project,” Walt Disney secretly starts purchasing 27,433 acres of swampland in Central Florida for approximately $180 an acre.  1969: Construction begins on Disney’s Magic Kingdom, including Main Street U.S.A. and the 189-foot-high Cinderella Castle.Main Street U.S.A.Cinderella Castle Disney’s Magic Kingdom first opens its doors on October 1 for approximately 10,000 visitors with the following attractions: Cinderella’s Golden Carousel, Country Bear Jamboree, Diamond Horseshoe Revue, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Frontier Shooting Gallery, Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Mickey Mouse Revue, Mike Fink Keel Boats, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Skyway, Snow White’s Adventures, Swiss Family Treehouse, Tiki Room, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway and Walt Disney World Railroad. Disney’s Magic KingdomCinderella’s Golden CarouselCountry Bear JamboreeDumbo the Flying ElephantFrontier Shooting GalleryHall of PresidentsHaunted MansionIt’s a Small WorldJungle CruiseMad Tea PartySnow White’s AdventuresSwiss Family TreehouseTiki RoomTomorrowland Indy SpeedwayWalt Disney World Railroad 1971: The Liberty Square Riverboat opens along the Rivers of America on October 2, the day after the grand opening of Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Liberty Square Riverboat Adult admission to Disney’s Magic Kingdom costs $3.50, while a seven-ride attraction ticket book costs $4.75 and an 11-ride attraction ticket book costs $5.75. Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground all open at Walt Disney World Resort.

 1979: Construction begins on Epcot with an initial budget of $600 million. 1982: Epcot (originally known as EPCOT Center) opens on October 1 as the second theme park at Walt Disney World Resort with Future World pavilions that include The Land, Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy and World of Motion, as well as nine World Showcase pavilions (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Germany, Italy, China and Japan. USACanadaUnited KingdomFranceMexico GermanyItalyChinaJapan A four-mile stretch of the Walt Disney World Monorail System is completed from the Ticket and Transportation Center to Epcot.  1985: Walt Disney Productions signs a licensing agreement with MGM/UA Entertainment, paving the way for the development of a third Disney theme park, Disney-MGM Studios.  1986: Construction begins on Disney-MGM Studios, Walt Disney World’s third theme park

 1989: Disney MGM Studios opens on May 1; Michael Eisner dedicates the new theme park to “Hollywood – not a place on a map but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic.” Typhoon Lagoon water park opens at Walt Disney World Resort with one of the world’s largest wave pools. Pleasure Island, an immense entertainment complex with eight eclectic nightclubs, opens its doors at Walt Disney World Resort.  1995: Blizzard Beach, billed as the “ Coolest Water Park in Central Florida,” opens at Walt Disney World Resort on April Fool’s Day.  1998: Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens as the fourth theme park at Walt Disney World Resort on April 22.  2008: Disney-MGM Studios changes its name to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

 Epcot  Disney’s Hollywood Studios  Disney’s Animal Kingdom  Magic Kingdom  Downtown Disney  Blizzard Beach  Typhoon Lagoon

Times Square deserves a documentary. There are several reasons for this. It has a lot of history behind it, it has many fun places to visit, and do not forget about all of the interesting characters that you will see in your travels. If you give me the chance to make a documentary about this unofficial wonder of the world, I will not disappoint you. Thank you for your time.

To retrieve additional information on why Walt Disney World should have a personal documentary: world/resources/timeline.htm world/resources/timeline.htm les/history-of-walt-disney-world.php les/history-of-walt-disney-world.php

“My only hope is that we never lose sight of one thing, that it was all started by a mouse.”