1966-1971 Building a whole new world

It was billed as the greatest construction project ever undertaken by the private sector.

Building a theme park in the midst of 27,400 acres of marginal lowlands straddling the line between Orange and Osceola counties. Walt Disney World would cost $400 million to build.

Even two years before the Magic Kingdom would open, the Disney people had already moved 4.2 million cubic yards of dirt and created 55 miles of canals.

They created a huge manmade lagoon, deepening Bay Lake and building raised earth foundations for many structures.

They also pumped nearly four miles of white sand beach around Bay Lake. They would eventually pump the lake dry, clean it, and refill it and the channels and lagoons with clear, fresh water.

More than 200 pieces of heavy equipment were used in the enormous land alteration program, a program so huge in scope that much of it was carried out at night with illumination provided to workers by brilliant, portable spotlights.

It takes a lot work to create a Magic Kingdom.

The dream of Walt Disney World could have been shattered on Dec. 15, 1966, by the death of Walt Disney, the man who had the vision and the confidence that the grandiose plan would work. Disney’s death threw the spotlight on Roy Disney, Walt’s less flamboyant brother whose genius ran toward finance rather than creativity.

Dick Nunis, who moved rapidly through the ranks to become president of Walt Disney World, told the Orlando Sentinel in 1981 that Walt Disney’s death also might have been fatal to Walt Disney World had it not been for Roy.

“It was a real concern on the part of our company,” Nunis said.“Walt literally was the man.”

When the remaining top brass, including Roy Disney, Donn Tatum and E. Cardon Walker, got together to discuss the course of action, Nunis said, it was “a major decision for our company.” The decisions were not made easier by the fact that Roy Disney was actively planning his own retirement.

“We weren’t sure what to do,” Nunis said.

Then he added of Roy,“God bless him, he climbed back in the saddle. He said, ‘We can do it without Walt.’“

Tatum and Walker also “had a lot of confidence” in giving it a try without the guidance of Walt, according to Nunis.

“So we said, ‘Let’s go ahead.’“And it’s been going and going ever since.

Roy, who reportedly made a pledge to Walt to see the project through, barely was able to keep his promise.

He died in December 1971, just weeks after the spectacular Oct. 1 opening of Walt Disney World.

JIM HICKS/ORLANDO SENTINEL The Windsor family from Lakeland were selected as the First Family for Walt Disney World’s opening. Shown are Marty Windsor, Lee Windsor, William Windsor Jr., Mickey Mouse, Disney World ambassador Debby Dane and Jay Windsor on Opening Day of the Magic Kingdom. The Windsor family slept in their car so they would have a chance to be the first into the theme park.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE A Disney World cast member holds a handful of the iconic Mickey Mouse balloons.“Hardly a child leaves Disney World without a Mickey Mouse hat or balloon,”the Sentinel reported in October 1971.

TOM NETSET/ORLANDO SENTINEL At 5:30 a.m. on Opening Day, painters work to finish last minute jobs in the ice cream parlor along Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on Oct. 1, 1971.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE There was magic in the sky over Walt Disney World when Opening Day came to an end.

RAY POWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL With ride tickets in hand, Kim Buetti of Miami waits for the gates to open for the first time at the Magic Kingdom.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE Visitors fill Main Street, U.S.A., after a parade. Walt Disney World opened on a Friday, when children were still in school, meaning adults made up the majority of the 10,422 first-day visitors. On Saturday, the Magic Kingdom’s second day, attendance rose to 11,115.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE Walt Disney World’s monorail system was up and running for the Opening Day of the park with two routes. Here, monorails approach the Polynesian Resort where work was still being done.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE People line up tp enter the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom during the park’s grand opening in October 1971.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE The area in front of Cinderella Castle is all shiny and new for the Opening Day of Walt Disney World.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE It was a colorful, All-American parade for Opening Day at Walt Disney World with a red, white and blue float with accompanying band members.

. Guests gather on Main Street, U.S.A., to watch the fireworks.