DISCOVERING OLD MAGIC: THE WALT DISNEY WORLD PREVIEW CENTER
THE WALT DISNEY WORLD PREVIEW CENTER
On Nov. 15, 1965, the world changed forever. Walt Disney sat behind a desk in a conference room at Orlando’s Cherry Plaza Hotel alongside Florida governor Haydon Burns and Walt’s brother, Roy O. Disney. Here, Walt confirmed the purchase of 27,000 acres of land. Less than a year later, he gave the public more of an idea of what he was planning for that land by creating a short film, now known as the E.P.C.O.T. Film, where he disclosed his plans for his Florida Project.
The plans for this new project would include an industrial park where corporations could experiment, a tall hotel where families could stay, golf courses and other outdoor recreational facilities, and a park reminiscent of Disneyland, all in the midst of the most up-to-date ideas of urban design and city planning. Unfortunately, Walt died a few months later, from complications of lung cancer, putting a temporary hold on his Florida Project.
Reeling from the loss of their leader, Imagineers worked quickly to determine what would fill the 47 square miles of Florida swampland. They decided to build a new theme park, as well as a handful of resorts, golf courses, and facilities that would accommodate outdoor and water recreation. Walt’s Florida Project had morphed into what his brother Roy had named Walt Disney World. But what was Walt Disney World, and how would it differ from Disneyland? Disney marketers added a descriptive tagline to promotional announcements and literature to bring clarity to potential tourists: Walt Disney World would be the “Vacation Kingdom.”
WALT DISNEY WORLD’S FIRST BUILDING
To educate the public, the Walt Disney Company constructed a low-slung building on Motor Inn Plaza Boulevard (now Hotel Plaza Boulevard) near the intersection of Interstate 4 and Florida
State Road 535 (and not far from today’s Disney Springs). Disney announced in October 1969 that this building would be the Walt Disney World Preview Center, and it was the first building completed on Walt Disney World Property.
The Walt Disney World Preview Center opened to VIPs and dignitaries on Jan. 10, 1970, and to the public one week later. In its opening weekend, the Preview Center welcomed 12,000 guests and caused traffic jams along I-4. While idling on the highway, guests could spot a rectangular sign announcing the Walt Disney World Preview Center ahead. A cutout of Donald Duck held a smaller sign instructing cars to take “This Exit, Then [Turn] Right.”
A series of animal topiaries greeted guests as they pulled up to the Preview Center. A small sign requested they “Please do not feed the animals.” The outdoor grounds also featured a path behind the building leading to a small gazebo on the shores of Blake Lake.
INSIDE THE WALT DISNEY WORLD PREVIEW CENTER
Fourteen hostesses staffed the Preview Center; all of them received training by experienced Disneyland Cast Members.
The hostesses led guests first into a small theater with stadiumstyle rows for standing, which overlooked a 625-square-foot model of Walt Disney World’s phase one, which represented the resort’s first five years of operation. The first part of the tour featured a 12-minute film explaining how Walt Disney
World would allow guests “to stay and play” by offering several resort hotels and a plethora of recreational opportunities. A recorded narration followed, describing the detailed model of the resort, which literally highlighted different features by casting a spotlight on miniatures of a golf course, the Seven Seas Lagoon, a Disneyland-style park, and the planned resort hotels, including the Asian, Venetian, Persian, and Contemporary, which showed the monorail emerging from the lobby.
At the conclusion of the show, hostesses led guests into a hallway showing concept art and construction photos of the resort’s planned amenities. Guests then entered a small lobby where they could purchase a snack or cold beverage, including fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice. There was also a small gift shop, where guests could purchase film, postcards, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse hats, and the Walt Disney World Preview Edition souvenir book. On rare occasions, favorite Disney characters made appearances for impromptu meet-and-greets.
THE LEGACY OF THE PREVIEW CENTER
The Walt Disney World Preview Center was open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., until its last day of operation on Sept. 30, 1971 — the day before Walt Disney World opened. During its nearly two-year existence, the Preview Center became an incredibly popular tourist attraction. More than 500,000 guests visited in the Preview Center’s first nine months; according to Disney, the center had higher attendance than many other preexisting Florida attractions at that time. Some estimates put the Preview Center’s total attendance from January 1970 to September 1971 at nearly 1 million guests.
While it was designed as a temporary structure, you can still visit the Walt Disney World Preview Center. Located on the north side of Hotel Plaza Boulevard less than 2 miles northeast of Disney Springs, the building is now home to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). While many drive or walk by this now nondescript building lost to Disney history, it played an incredibly important role in the history of what a mid-1971 press release would call “Walt Disney World — Top Tourist Attraction Even Before It Opens.”