What was working…and what wasn’t

Image: DisneyDisney hung its metaphorical hat on a few key attractions. They advertised Country Bear Jamboree for its novelty; it was the first Disney attraction ever to debut somewhere other than Disneyland. Magic Kingdom also operated the Magic Kingdom Railroad with its three locomotives: the Walter E. Disney, the Lilly Belle, and Roger E. Broggie.

Main Street U.S.A. also featured several of the throwback automobiles that you know and love such as the Omnibus and the Fire Engine. The view was different, though. You’re used to seeing so much stuff like shops and trees as you look toward Cinderella Castle. Imagery from 1971 reveals that much of the area was bare at the time. While some maintain that Magic Kingdom is overly crowded today, the opening day version of the park was an exercise in minimalism. Disney saved the money that they would otherwise spend on aesthetics and instead poured it into the E Ticket attractions.

Image: DisneyOne of the delayed but unique attractions was a different form of transportation, one that’s about to return to Walt Disney World. The Skyway to Fantasyland and Skyway to Tomorrowland were companion gondolas that delighted guests with a spectacular overhead view of Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, they wouldn't arrive until 1956.

Perhaps due to this delay, guests at Tomorrowland were nonplussed by the park’s perception of the future. Grand Prix Raceway, the precursor to Tomorrowland Speedway, lacked the bells and whistles of its Disneyland counterpart. It was just a glorified go kart ride. This section had no other rides on opening day, which made Tomorrowland seem like it was sardonically named. Perhaps Disney meant that it would have a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow at a later date. And perhaps that date was January 15, 1975, the point when Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress finally debuted at Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland.

Image: DisneyLike at the Happiest Place on Earth, Fantasyland was overflowing with quality attractions. Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Prince Charming Regal Caroussel, It’s a Small World, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride were all available on day one. Liberty Square offered the Hall of Presidents and Haunted Mansion, while the only Frontierland ride on day one was the Mike Fink Keel Boats. Finally, the pride of Adventureland was the Jungle Cruise ride, although the Enchanted Tiki Room was also available.

Other than the shows, these were the main attractions on opening day. Another major offering, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, was planned to debut on October 1st. It had to wait a week for a very important reason. The boat leaked. And I don’t mean a little. As cast members performed test runs, they were startled to discover the vessel wasn’t seaworthy yet. Imagineers spent the body of the fall trying to safeguard unknowing guests from a submarine that couldn’t keep its passengers dry. It was the most serious snafu during the first month of Walt Disney World.

Image: DisneySeveral other iconic Magic Kingdom attractions weren’t even in the offing when the park debuted. Disney never planned to build an East Coast version of Pirates of the Caribbean since they didn’t expect southerners to find fascination in something that was already a part of their culture. The technology for Space Mountain was still a work in progress that required another three years to perfect.

Big Thunder Mountain was the first significant addition that Disney planned. Humorously, Disney put that roller coaster on hold in order to build…Pirates of the Caribbean. Complaining guests made their wishes known about the famous Disneyland attraction, forcing park planners to update their expansion timeline. As always, Disney catered to the wishes of its guests.

Walt Disney World after opening day

Image: DisneyDespite the mediocre attendance on opening day, the media lavished praise on Walt Disney World. It helped that cast members had plied these professionals with free drinks and barbecue at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the de facto home base for reporters covering the story. And the attendance followed exactly the trajectory that Disney had projected.

When park planners forecasted the opening day, they expected 10,000 guests. Several of them expressed surprise as news items hinted at thousands more visitors. These reports proved unfounded, and the next six weeks went just like park planners expected. Attendance remained modest until the week of Thanksgiving. It was the holiday itself that became the first true blockbuster day at Walt Disney World, the moment when all involved realized that Uncle Walt’s dream for the Florida Project would come to fruition.

Image: DisneyGuests mobbed the parks and even created nightmarish traffic issues on the corresponding streets. It was the first hint of the impact that the new theme park would have on the city of Orlando. The sleepy burg had a population of less than 100,000 at the time. Yes, Walt Disney World has caused this part of Central Florida to grow by a factor of nearly 25!

As a final treat, you can watch the video below. It shows the televised opening of Walt Disney World. You'll see that Disney learned from their 1955 mistake. It was NOT a live broadcast.