I am starting this morning at the dock on The Seven Seas Lagoon on my way to the Magic Kingdom. I would be remiss if I didn’t take the time this week to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney World. Every October 1st is a date to celebrate the Most Magical Place on Earth, but 55 is a moment to really cherish the joy of this place. And what better way to do that than being in the Magic Kingdom itself. We will visit all the original attractions that are still here today. We’ll talk about how they have evolved over the years, but mostly we’ll talk about all that makes them so very cherished to guests. And we’ll take a moment to consider the entire Vacation Kingdom when it first opened. So join us as we celebrate 55 Happy Years at Walt Disney World.

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The following is an outline of some of the key points:

Main Street, U.S.A.

• The Walt Disney World Railroad
• Main Street Vehicles
  • Omnibus
  • Horse Cars
  • Fire Truck
  • Other Vehicles
• Main Street Cinema
• Penny Arcade–not listed on ticket book
• The Character Parade led by Mickey and the Walt Disney World band

Adventureland

• Jungle Cruise–Cambodian temple/Better Layout
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• Tropical Serenade

Frontierland

• Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
• Mike Fink Keel Boats
• Frontierland Shootin’ Gallery
• Country Bear Jamboree
• Railroad Station opened the following May

Liberty Square

• Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat
• The Hall of Presidents
• Haunted Mansion–See TV Show

Fantasyland

• it’s a small world
• Skyway to Tomorrowland–Closed in 1995
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• The Mickey Mouse Revue
• Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel-
• Snow White’s Adventures–Closed in 2012
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea–Closed in 1994
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride–Closed in 1998
• Mad Tea Party–Did not oepen with roof
• Dumbo, the Flying Elephant-

Tomorrowland

• Grand Prix Raceway
• Flight to the Moon
• Skyway to Fantasyland
• America the Beautiful opened in November

Vacation Kingdom of the World

• Ferry Boats–600/Originally relied on smaller, slower Osceola-class boats and side-wheel steamers. Thanksgiving proved larger staten Island style ferries were needed. Two–MK I & MK II joined at that time and a third Kingdom Queen in 1976. Named after Admiral Joe Fowler (Building of Walt Disney World), Richard F. Irvine (20th Century Fox) and General Joe Potter (straight canals & infrastructure & Reedy Creek.
• Polynesian Village Hotel-484 Guest rooms in 8 Longhouses. Now roughly 1,132 rooms. White Sand Beach and Wave Machine
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort–Monorail moving inside and out/18,000 hand glazed mosaic tiles
• Fort Wilderness Campground –From “a sleeping bag to a suite”
• Walt Disney World Monorail–Only 3 on opening day Hundreds of millions of guests with annual ridership of about 22 million–Also Trams
• Electrical Water Pageant–Started on October 25th on Dedication Day/Baroque Hoedown & Included Fireworks

The foundations of Walt Disney World were the dreams of one man. The sharing of those dreams with others have truly created a new world. And its reality is living proof that dreams really do come true.

Want to Visit Disney?

Hopefully this podcast has made you realize you need help and support in planning your next trip to Disney. David and Leah with Zanolla Travel know Disney in ways few do and they can make your next trip on land or sea an exciting one–or at least less stressful! Be sure to contact them as you explore your next vacation, whether it is a Disney theme park vacation, a cruise, or an Adventure by Disney. There is no charge to utilize their services, but it will save you enormous time getting all the details right, and with their insight you can be assured you’re going to experience the best trip possible. Contact them today!

Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization

For over a year I’ve been capturing and sharing stories of Disneyland, while creating a new online tool for you to explore all of them in one place. It’s called Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization and it’s an interactive, multimedia experience. This is truly designed for those who are seeking to find new ideas that will guide you to 

1. Provide Individual & Organizational Leadership Excellence
2. Create Employee Engagement & a Team Culture
3. Offer a Superior Customer Experience

Not only does the content through examples, stories and models play to these themes, but each section provides “Souvenirs for You and Your Organization”. They are reflective questions that may be used to better the work or operation you may be lead or be part of. And in that instance, it is more of a business focus. In fact, many may utilize funding set aside in their organization for training and development to purchase this volume.

Click here to order Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization. It’s also available on the show notes page of our podcast. Whether you’re on a comfy sofa at home or on Main Street, U.S.A. this experience allows you to navigate through all nine lands to explore some 100 locations where you can find Disney insights that will be inspire and guide you and your organization. 

Books From Your Host at Disney Insights

Also, if you’re looking to grab something today, go to Amazon where you will find four of my books available for purchase. Three explore Disney at length, and one explores world class businesses to include Disney. Check them out!

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available! 

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. 

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

Thanks for joining us for this podcast. Know that as in the title of my organization, Performance Journeys, it’s as much about the journey as it is about performance. Find the second star to the right, and keep going straight on till you reach it. Follow the compass of your heart, and know that with a smile and a song, a little faith, effort and pixie dust, your dreams can come true. After all, if we can dream it, we can do it. Until next time, bright suns, we’ll see you real soon!