Hidden civilian house on Disney property?!?

[TubaGeek]

I have a vague recollection of reading about a man who refused to sell his house when Walt was buying land for WDW (or maybe it was DL...) and that his house is still on the property, and can be viewed... somewhere, I think.

Someone please tell me you've heard the same thing, and that I'm not just crazy!

 

[nemofinder22]

Im not sure about WDW but theres definatly a house in backstage DL. Not sure if thats the original spot of it or if its the Domingez (sp?) family house relocated? I know theres a palm tree near Jungle Cruise that once belonged to them and is still there now.
http://maps.live.com/#JndscD0x

hmmm the link isnt working but when you use live local, do a birds eye view over DL toward the back near Toontown and the Festival Arena. and make sure its an East view and you cant miss it.

Edit- maybe this link will work? ummm yea me getting a link to the DL I cant seem to figuar out.
http://maps.live.com/#JnE9eXAuZGlzb...lMjMuOTY2MTc1ODcxMjY1JTdlLTE1MS40MzU1NDY4NzU=

 

[Rob562]

Hmmmm.... Well, there's a few things you could be referring to.

There was a house on the site that Disneyland was built on, but it was purchased with the rest of the land. During construction it was moved across the property and used for offices for many years. I think it was torn down in the 80's or 90's.

At WDW, there was a large piece of land that the owner didn't want to sell. It was bordered by Disney property on 3 sides and I-4 on the fourth. After manyd ecades of sitting empty, the owner finally decided to build on it, and this is where the Bonnet Creek Resort now is, near the Caribbean Beach.

There are also a number of "private" residences on WDW property, but they are all owned/occupied by Disney Company employees. They're within RCID, and the "residents" have voting rights within the RCID (which is why they're Disney employees). The houses (I think they're more like trailer/manufactured homes, though) are in two neighborhoods.

One is Royal Oak Court in the town of Lake Buena Vista, and is off of East Buena Vista Dr past Saratoga Springs.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...0&scene=3930645&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

The other is Bay Court in the town of Bay Lake. It's north of Bay Lake (the body of water), and is off of Reams Road near the back entrance to the WDW property by the Mk Cast parking lot.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...&scene=27656070&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

I assume they have access to the lake for their own use, down the dirt road to the dock on the lake. You can see off to the side of the houses that there's a parking area for a few boats on trailers.

-Rob

 

[uklad79]

What's the development across Reams Rd? It looks very basic for housing so close to the Magic Kingdom. You would think housing their would be high end.

 

[NASAMan]

Most of what you see near the back gate for WDW on Reams Rd. are townhomes apt./condos. Many are occupied by Cast Members (I knew many who live there) but there are no restrictions to just CMs. There are some housing developments nearby, but they are 'typical' homes, not high end. Remember that every night at 9:00 and sometimes 11:00 (and 1:00!) a fireworks show goes off. Some of these units are almost as close to the fireworks launch area as Main Street Station. You must have a real love for Disney to live this close!

 

[boo52]

The house you seek no longer stands. It formerly occupied the site which is now a cast parking lot between the DTD bus stop and the Buena Vista Palace.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Believe it or not, the apartments that are directly behind The Magic Kingdom are restricted income.

 

[banimall]

I always wondered about that, what at one time seems like a good idea (living close to Disney) ends up to be a nightmare after you're there for a few years. 1st year, sitting on your front porch watching fireworks every night, how nice, second year, stop watching, 3rd year, protesting as a noise ordinance and putting barbed wire around the perimeter of your property. The grass is always greener.

 

[WildLodgeFan]

I always wondered about that, what at one time seems like a good idea (living close to Disney) ends up to be a nightmare after you're there for a few years. 1st year, sitting on your front porch watching fireworks every night, how nice, second year, stop watching, 3rd year, protesting as a noise ordinance and putting barbed wire around the perimeter of your property. The grass is always greener.

:ROFLOL:LOL - SO TRUE!

 

[DisneyAnole]

Believe it or not, the apartments that are directly behind The Magic Kingdom are restricted income.

That shouldn't be a problem for CMs...

 

[Shaman]

That shouldn't be a problem for CMs...

:ROFLOL:

Sadly, very true.

 

[DisneyWorldDork]

I have a vague recollection of reading about a man who refused to sell his house when Walt was buying land for WDW (or maybe it was DL...) and that his house is still on the property, and can be viewed... somewhere, I think.

Someone please tell me you've heard the same thing, and that I'm not just crazy!

Not sure if someone already said this but, I believe that the story was, an old man owned a farm on disney property. He didnt want to sell it to disney. When he died, his kids didnt want the land and it was up for grabs and the Windham Restorts got it before Disney even had time to blink and that is where Bonnet Creek is now. This may not be exactly right but this is what i remember hearing about. (My parents bought into that crap and have a week at Bonnet Creek, I am pretty much refusing to stay there unless it is absolutly nessacary!)

 

[voodoo321]

Its quite possible that you are thinking of the backstory for Sid Cuheunga's shop in DHS. Its based on said person not selling his house in Hollywood when things were taking off.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I think this thread might be another good spot to ask this question:

Does anyone know where to find any historic info, documents, maps, photos, arial photos, etc... of the WDW property prior to Disney? For example, I know there were cattle ranches, but on what part of the property?

This stuff is very interesting to me, and yet you can't seem to find any info on it at all.

 

[Ziggie]

I think this thread might be another good spot to ask this question:

Does anyone know where to find any historic info, documents, maps, photos, arial photos, etc... of the WDW property prior to Disney? For example, I know there were cattle ranches, but on what part of the property?

This stuff is very interesting to me, and yet you can't seem to find any info on it at all.

Living in Orlando, I would go to a library research desk as a starting point. Then, perhaps contact Orange county and inquire about archived documents?

 

[Foolish1]

I remember going down (I think) 535 and running across two houses. Now keep in mind, they are NOT on Disney property, but all 4 sides their neighbor is WDW. At least this was the case last time I went through there. This had to be the late 1990's. Start looking after you see the signs for the buried fiber optic cables. (Somewhere I read this was the first place in USA that AT&T had layed fiber cable.)

 

[Tom Morrow]

Living in Orlando, I would go to a library research desk as a starting point. Then, perhaps contact Orange county and inquire about archived documents?

Yeah, but thats a lot of work, and I'm lazy! :lookaroun

I remember going down (I think) 535 and running across two houses. Now keep in mind, they are NOT on Disney property, but all 4 sides their neighbor is WDW. At least this was the case last time I went through there. This had to be the late 1990's. Start looking after you see the signs for the buried fiber optic cables. (Somewhere I read this was the first place in USA that AT&T had layed fiber cable.)

Which part of 535 are you talking about? The Apopka-Vineland section? Or the Winter Garden-Vineland part? The Winter Garden-Vineland part kind of runs along the northwest edge of WDW property, but no houses along 535 would actually be on WDW property, or surrounded by it.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Hmmmm.... Well, there's a few things you could be referring to.

There was a house on the site that Disneyland was built on, but it was purchased with the rest of the land. During construction it was moved across the property and used for offices for many years. I think it was torn down in the 80's or 90's.

At WDW, there was a large piece of land that the owner didn't want to sell. It was bordered by Disney property on 3 sides and I-4 on the fourth. After manyd ecades of sitting empty, the owner finally decided to build on it, and this is where the Bonnet Creek Resort now is, near the Caribbean Beach.


-Rob

These are the two that I see referred to most often, the one Disney has referred to (during stories of Walt's secret land purchases) was the central tract near Epcot (now Bonnet Creek)

The house you seek no longer stands. It formerly occupied the site which is now a cast parking lot between the DTD bus stop and the Buena Vista Palace.

I think this thread might be another good spot to ask this question:

Does anyone know where to find any historic info, documents, maps, photos, arial photos, etc... of the WDW property prior to Disney? For example, I know there were cattle ranches, but on what part of the property?

This stuff is very interesting to me, and yet you can't seem to find any info on it at all.

I would say Orlando city archives. May not be accessable on line however.
Not much there really....just cattle, swamps and orange groves.

Here are some links to other stubborn sellers:
http://googlesightseeing.com/2007/03/14/youll-never-take-my-land/

I was unable to find the picture...but early in casino development in Atlantic City...one homeowner refused to sell for any reasonable price, so they built the casino around three sides and over the roof of the house.

 

[Mr Wizard]

About four or five years ago the wife and I were taking the ferry boat over to the MK. And I was entertaining her with many stories of Disney trivia when a woman next to us said that she was a former CM and she knew of a man who woulden't sell and his house was still there. As we got close to the other side ( about 3/4 of the way there ) she told us to look to the right in the trees and you could see what looked like the roof of a small house.

 

[Rob562]

Not quite the same thing, but at Funtown in Saco, Maine the owners still live on the property of the amusement park. Over the years, the park has expanded around their house, so they're pretty much surrounded by the park. There's access to the house from the parking lot. Their most recent addition was a drop tower a few years ago. This used the last remaining chunk of land right next to the house. The name is Dragon Tower, and it has a generic Asian theme with hanging lanterns, etc They even mounted a few things to the side of the house to help it blend in.
The owners also mentioned once to a group of us that there's also a small cemetery on the property, but it's been camoflaged such that you really can't tell it's there. I never was able to figure out where it is...

And at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH, up until a year or two ago there was a small house inside the park. Bozo the Clown lived there for the summers he was doing his show at the park. The backyard had a tall fence around it, but you could see down into it from the Ferris Wheel. It had a nice little vegetable garden, as I recall.
But when I went last year, I saw that the house had been torn down. (And Bozo is no longer appearing at the park)

-Rob