3. The Name

Roy O. Disney was the one who made the monumental decision to rename the Orlando Resort to Walt Disney World, after his brother. Originally it was going to be called “Disney World”. Understanding how much Walt Disney contributed to pop culture and imagination at large, Roy knew that honoring his surname wouldn’t be quite enough. His dedication, originally for Disney World as a whole and later for the Magic Kingdom, says it all:

Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place ... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn — together.

— Roy O. Disney, October 25, 1971

Walt Disney World wasn’t perfect when it debuted, but Roy built a powerful starting point for Imagineers to build off of and improve into what we so love today. Roy died on December 20, 1971, less than three months after Walt Disney World opened to the public. He lived just long enough to fulfill his last, maybe most important mission in regard to the Disney legacy. He was later honored with a statue of him sitting with Minnie Mouse on a bench in Town Square of Main Street, U.S.A. There’s a copy of that outside of the Team Disney building in Burbank, as well as another statue at Tokyo Disneyland. There’s even a Roy O. Disney Suite on the top floor of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

It’s comforting to know that Roy O. Disney, though barely a fraction as famous as his beloved brother, has received his due tribute from those who keep the wheels of the Walt Disney Company turning so that it and the theme parks can continue moving forward.