ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A half-century ago, it started as a way for Walt Disney World to attract visitors east of the Mississippi River.
Now, Magic Kingdom is the most visited theme park in the world. Disney is taking a nod to its past while setting its sights on the future.
Cinderella Castle, for example, was here 50 years ago when Disney World opened to the public. Yet in that time, it has been repainted, relit and refurbished dozens of times, making it familiar, but different, each visit.
When Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, you also needed paper tickets, not just to get in but to ride the rides. That is long gone. But the changes at the park are much more than just trading in paper.
“Fifty years goes by pretty quickly, I can tell you that,” said Disney historian Tom Morris.
The history of Walt Disney World isn’t just rides being replaced; it’s also classic, familiar rides being renovated and updated.
Disney unveils Fab 50 Character Collection at Magic Kingdom As visitors wander around the various parks, they will be greeted by such iconic characters as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Chip ‘n’ Dale, to name a few.. (Dsvid Roark/Walt Disney World Resort)
Disney unveils Fab 50 Character Collection at Magic Kingdom The “Disney Fab 50” sculptures pay homage to the past 50 years of Walt Disney World while ushering us into the next 50 years and beyond. (Walt Disney World Resort)
Disney unveils Fab 50 Character Collection at Magic Kingdom Guests are encouraged to virtually “collect” each sculpture by taking a photo and sharing them on social media with the tag #DisneyWorld50. (David Roark/Walt Disney World Resort)
Disney unveils Fab 50 Character Collection at Magic Kingdom As part of its Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration, Disney World has begun to install special gold character statues across all four of its Florida theme parks (David Roark/Walt Disney World Resort)
Disney unveils Fab 50 Character Collection at Magic Kingdom The “Disney Fab 50” sculptures pay homage to the past 50 years of Walt Disney World while ushering us into the next 50 years and beyond. (David Roark/Walt Disney World Resort)
Disney unveils Fab 50 Character Collection at Magic Kingdom The “Disney Fab 50” sculptures pay homage to the past 50 years of Walt Disney World while ushering us into the next 50 years and beyond. (David Roark/Walt Disney World Resort)
Disney unveils Fab 50 Character Collection at Magic Kingdom As part of its Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration, Disney World has begun to install special gold character statues across all four of its Florida theme parks. (Disney/Walt Disney World Resort)
The Enchanted Tiki Room, for example, was a day-one attraction at Magic Kingdom, just like Hall of Presidents, which gets updated every four to eight years.
Space Mountain opened in 1975. Soon, next door to Space Mountain, Disney’s “TRON” roller coaster will open.