| MILESTONES: |
| Nov. 11,
1965 |
Walt Disney announces
Florida Project |
| Fall
1967 |
Site preparation
begins |
| Spring
1969 |
Construction begins on
Magic Kingdom, two hotels |
| Oct. 1,
1971 |
Opening day for Walt Disney
World Vacation Kingdom |
| December
1971 |
Inaugural Walt Disney World
Golf Classic |
| March
1975 |
Walt Disney Village
Opens |
| June
1976 |
River Country water
adventure park opens |
| Oct. 1,
1982 |
Epcot Grand
Opening |
| May 1,
1989 |
Disney-MGM Studios
opens |
| June 1,
1989 |
Typhoon Lagoon and Pleasure
Island open |
| January
1994 |
Inaugural Walt Disney World
Marathon |
| April 1,
1995 |
Blizzard Beach water
adventure park opens |
| June
1995 |
Michael Eisner announces
Disney's Animal Kingdom |
| July
1995 |
Disney's Fairy Tale
Weddings Pavilion opens |
| January
1996 |
Inaugural Indy 200 at Walt
Disney World Resort |
| January
1997 |
Walt Disney World Resort
celebrates 25 years |
| September
1997 |
Downtown Disney
opens |
| March
1997 |
Disney's Wide World of
Sports opens |
| April 22,
1998 |
Disney's Animal Kingdom
opens |
| June
1998 |
DisneyQuest
opens |
| July
1998 |
Disney Cruise Line
launches first ship, the Disney Magic |
| December
1998 |
Cirque du Soleil La
Nouba opens at Downtown Disney West Side |
| March
1999 |
Asia opens in Disney's
Animal Kingdom |
| August
1999 |
Disney Cruise Line's
new ship, Disney Wonder, makes its maiden voyage |
| Oct. 1,
2001 |
100 Years of Magic
celebration begins |
| ATTENDANCE
MARKS: |
| August
1972 |
Attendance passes 10
million |
| March
1976 |
50-millionth
guest |
| October
1979 |
100-millionth
guest |
| July
1987 |
Total attendance tops 250
million |
| August
1992 |
400-millionth
guest |
| September
1994 |
1-billionth guest to a
Disney theme park worldwide |
| Oct. 13,
1995 |
500-millionth
guest |
| June 24,
1998 |
600-millionth
guest |
| NEW ATTRACTION
OPENINGS: |
| 1971: |
26 original Magic Kingdom
attractions: Jungle Cruise; Swiss Family Treehouse; Sunshine
Pavilion (Tropical Serenade); Cinderella's Golden Carrousel; Dumbo,
the Flying Elephant; Mad Tea Party; Mickey Mouse Revue; Mr. Toad's
Wild Ride; It's a Small World; Snow White's Adventures; Diamond
Horseshoe Revue; Frontier Shooting Gallery; Country Bear Jamboree;
Mike Fink Keel Boats; Hall of Presidents; Haunted Mansion; Main
Street horseless carriage, Jitney, fire truck, horse-drawn streetcar
and omnibus; Main Street Cinema; Walt Disney World Railroad; Skyway
and Tomorrowland Speedway |
| 1972: |
If You Had
Wings |
| 1973: |
Pirates of the Caribbean;
Walt Disney Story; Swan Boats; Tom Sawyer Island |
| 1974: |
StarJets; "Magic Carpet
'Round the World" film |
| 1975: |
Space Mountain; Carousel of
Progress; WEDway PeopleMover; Davy Crockett's Explorer
Canoes |
| 1980: |
Big Thunder Mountain
Railroad |
| 1982: |
Five Future World and nine
World Showcase pavilions at Epcot: Spaceship Earth; The Land;
Journey Into Imagination; Universe of Energy; World of Motion;
Canada; United Kingdom; France; Mexico; Germany; Italy; China;
Japan; American Adventure |
| 1983: |
Horizons (EC) |
| 1984: |
Morocco showcase (EC);
"American Journeys" film (MK) |
| 1986: |
The Living Seas (EC);
Captain EO (EC) |
| 1988: |
Mickey's Starland (MK);
Norway showcase (EC); Disney-MGM Studios Production
facilities |
| 1989: |
Dreamflight (MK); Wonders
of Life (EC); original Disney-MGM Studios attractions: Great Movie
Ride; Backstage Studio shuttle tour; Magic of Disney Animation tour;
"Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular"; Behind the Scenes Special
Effects walking tour; Superstar Television; Monster Sound
Show |
| 1990: |
Star Tours; "Here Come the
Muppets" show; "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" Movie Set
Adventure |
| 1991: |
Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision
3D (ST) |
| 1992: |
Splash Mountain (MK);
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (ST) |
| 1993: |
ATAS Hall of Fame plaza
(ST) |
| 1994: |
Innoventions (EC); The
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (ST); Legend of The Lion King (MK);
"Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" (EC); The Timekeeper (MK); Theater of
the Stars (ST); Planet Hollywood restaurant (PI) |
| 1995: |
New Tomorrowland (MK)
including The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter |
| 1996: |
Mickey's Toontown Fair
(MK); Universe of Energy (EC) |
| 1998: |
Buzz Lightyear's Space
Ranger Spin (MK); "The Enchanted Tiki Room - Under New Management"
(MK); original Animal Kingdom attractions: The Boneyard; Countdown
to Extinction; Cretaceous Trail; Kilimanjaro Safaris; Gorilla Falls
Exploration Trail; Wildlife Express; Conservation Station; "It's
Tough to be a Bug" |
| 1999: |
Test Track (EC); Disney's
Winter Summerland miniature golf course; Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Starring Aerosmith (ST); The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
(MK); Millennium Village, Leave a Legacy, Imagination! presented by
Kodak (EC); "Sounds Dangerous Starring Drew Carey" (ST); "Bear in
the Big Blue House" (ST) |
| 2000: |
DisneyQuest's interactive
Pirates of the Caribbean adventure (DD) |
| 2001: |
The Magic Carpets of
Aladdin (MK); "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!" (ST); "Walt
Disney: One Man's Dream" (ST); Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama!
TriceraTop Spin (AK) |
| 2002: |
Chester and Hester's
Dino-Rama! Primeval Whirl (AK) |
| RESORT
OPENINGS: |
| 1971: |
Disney's Contemporary
Resort; Disney's Polynesian Resort; Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort
& Campground |
| 1972: |
Disney's Village Resort
(Treehouse & Vacation Villas); Royal Plaza; Grosvenor (Dutch
Inn); TraveLodge; Courtyard by Marriott (Howard
Johnson) |
| 1973: |
Shades of Green (Disney
Inn, 1986-93, Golf Resort, 1973-86) |
| 1974: |
Discovery Island; Pioneer
Hall |
| 1975: |
Disney Village Marketplace;
Fairway Villas |
| 1977: |
Empress Lilly
Riverboat |
| 1978: |
Disney's Polynesian Resort
expansion |
| 1980: |
Walt Disney World
Conference Center; Club Lake Villas |
| 1983: |
Buena Vista Palace; Hilton
at Disney Village |
| 1987: |
Doubletree (Guest Quarters,
Pickett) Suite Hotel |
| 1988: |
Disney's Grand Floridian
Beach Resort; Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort |
| 1990: |
Disney's Yacht Club Resort;
Disney's Beach Club Resort; Walt Disney World Swan; Walt Disney
World Dolphin |
| 1991: |
Disney's Port Orleans
Resort |
| 1992: |
Disney's Dixie Landings
Resort; Disney's Old Key West Resort (DVC); Bonnet Creek Golf
Club |
| 1994: |
Disney's All-Star Sports
Resort; Disney's Wilderness Lodge |
| 1995: |
Disney's All-Star Music
Resort |
| 1996: |
Disney Institute; Disney's
BoardWalk |
| 1997: |
Disney's Coronado Springs
Resort |
| 1999: |
Disney's All-Star Movies
Resort |
| 2000: |
The Villas at Wilderness
Lodge (DVC) |
| 2001: |
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Lodge |
| 2002: |
Disney's Pop Century
Resort; Disney's Beach Club Villas (DVC) |
| ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLIGHTS: |
| 1971: |
Televised opening with
1,076 piece marching band, 60-nation World Symphony Orchestra, Bob
Hope, Julie Andrews, Glen Campbell; All-American College Band
program debuts; Candlelight Processional debuts |
| 1972: |
First Easter parade and
Grad Nites |
| 1974: |
Donald Duck's 40th
birthday; "Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue" debuts |
| 1975-76: |
"America on Parade"
bicentennial salute |
| 1977: |
"Fantasy in the Sky" begins
as a Disney-designed fireworks show; "Main Street Electrical Light
Parade" debuts |
| 1978: |
Mickey Mouse 50th birthday
parade and first Christmas at Walt Disney World television
special |
| 1979: |
First World Series of
Entertainment |
| 1981: |
Yearlong Tencennial
Celebration |
| 1982: |
Epcot opens featuring
entertainment from big bands and international folk groups;
"Sparkling Christmas Spectacular" show (MK) |
| 1983: |
First live telecast of
Christmas parade; "Disney World is Your World" show (MK); "Mickey's
'Twas the Night Before Christmas" show (MK); "Holiday Splendor" show
(EC) |
| 1984: |
Donald Duck's 50th birthday
parade; WorldFest & "Laserphonic Fantasy" (EC) |
| 1985: |
Radio City Rockettes (EC);
"Skyleidoscope" (EC); President Reagan reviews the Inaugural Bands
(EC); Easter telecast; Big Band Bash; Six World Series Entertainment
Nights; first Goofy Games ceremonies; Tinkerbell flies above
Cinderella Castle for the first time (July 4) |
| 1986: |
11,000 guests for 15th
anniversary kickoff; 15th birthday parades |
| 1987: |
"All America" parade (MK);
"Daredevil Circus Spectacular" (EC) |
| 1988: |
Mickey's 60th birthday
parade; "IllumiNations" premiere (EC) |
| 1989: |
"Disney Character Hit
Parade" (MK) |
| 1990: |
Pleasure Island nightly New
Year's celebration begins; "DisneyMania" show (MK); "Dick Tracy
& the Diamond Double Cross" show (ST); "Dick Tracy" film world
premiere at Pleasure Island; "Here Come the Muppets" show (ST);
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ST); "Sorcery in the Sky"
(ST) |
| 1991: |
Disney entertainment
"World" record; six new shows to celebrate 20th anniversary:
"Surprise Celebration" parade (MK); "SpectroMagic" nighttime parade
(MK); "Surprise in the Skies" show (EC); "Hollywood's Pretty Women"
show (ST); "Muppets on Location" show (ST); "Dinosaurs Live!" parade
(ST); also: "Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage" show (ST); Moulin
Rouge (EC); Points of Light ceremony with President Bush (EC);
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awards
ceremony |
| 1992: |
"Voyage of the Little
Mermaid" show (ST); "Aladdin's Royal Caravan" parade (ST); "Jolly
Holidays" dinner show |
| 1993: |
Sword in the Stone (MK);
"SPLASHTACULAR!" show (EC); "The Magical World of Barbie" show
(EC) |
| 1994: |
"Mickey Mania" parade (MK);
"Ellington Under the Stars" salute (EC); fountain ballets (EC);
first annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (EC);
"Holiday IllumiNations" (EC); Candlelight Processional moves to
Epcot and extends series (EC); first running of Walt Disney World
Marathon |
| 1995: |
"Rhythms of the World"
series (EC); "Galaxy Search" show (MK); "Every Day's a Holiday" show
(MK); "The Spirit of Pocahontas" show (ST); "Toy Story Parade" (ST);
"Swinging Summer Nights" series (EC); first annual Epcot
International Food and Wine Festival (EC) |
| 1996: |
"25th Anniversary Parade"
and celebration; ABC Super Soap Weekend (ST); Mickey's Not-So-Scary
Halloween Party (MK); "IllumiNations 25" (EC); "The Hunchback of
Notre Dame-A Musical Adventure" show (ST) |
| 1997: |
Richard Petty Driving
Experience (DWWS); "Disney's Magical Holidays" included: Spectacle
of Lights with the Osborne Family Light Display (ST); Holidays
Around the World (EC); Candlelight Processional (EC); "Mickey's Very
Merry Christmas Party" (MK); Jolly Holidays Dinner Show at Disney's
Contemporary Resort |
| 1998: |
"Fantasmic!" show (ST),
"Mulan" parade" (ST); "Festival of the Lion King" show (AK);
"Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" show (AK); "Journey into Jungle
Book" show (AK); "March of the ARTimals" (AK); "Flights of Wonder"
show (AK) |
| 1999: |
"Main Street Electrical
Parade" (MK); "Tarzan Rocks!" show (AK); Walt Disney World Yearlong
Millennium Celebration begins featuring new entertainment such as
"IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth" and "Tapestry of Nations"
(EC); "Disney's Doug Live!" (ST); "Lord of the Dance"
(EC) |
| 2000: |
Millennium Celebration
continues |
| 2001: |
100 Years of Magic
celebrating Walt Disney's 100th birthday and his legacy of
creativity and spirit of adventure throughout 2002 with major new
parades in all four theme parks |