Hidden civilian house on Disney property?!?

[DarkMeasures]

I told one of my professors, who used to animate at Disney that he was lucky as he got to live at WDW. He then got angry and went off on a rant how that place was horrible.

I LoL'd.

 

[dwightshrutefan]

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

Thats terrible to build over or around a cementary, shows what people we have here in America!

 

[Tom Morrow]

Thats terrible to build over or around a cementary, shows what people we have here in America!

This has been happening forever, all over the world.

also, its cemetery

 

[Crazy4WDW1]

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.

Do you remember if you saw the roof before or after the Contemporary Resort? Was it close to the water?

 

[Mimi]

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

I think that's really your best option though. I'm sure there are a lot of documents on the area. The 60's weren't that long ago, but long enough that most of the information you're looking for is on actual paper.

Someone should do the world a favor and digitize some of that stuff.

 

[Foolish1]

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

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.

OK, maybe it was a road that runs parallel to 535. It's been a few years since I drove around back there. I remember it was the road that got me to the "back entrance" where the employee softball field is. 545? No, seems like 545 is too far east of there.

 

[uklad79]

Thats terrible to build over or around a cementary, shows what people we have here in America!

They do worse things, like build theme parks of screaming kids around people's houses because they wouldn't sell. I don't think building on top of a cemetery would wake anyone up. :animwink:

 

[Foolish1]

Now that I think about it, I have actually seen a map that clearly showed WDW property with about 4 or 5 tiny squares missing and they very coincidentally happen to be adjacent to roads cutting through the property.

If I can find the map someday, I will either post it, or get it scanned to post.

John

 

[fosse76]

Except for Parc Vue...that place is pricccceeyyyy

Also, the income restrictions are pretty ridiculous here. One person cant make more than 24K per year, yet the rent for somewhere like Buena Vista Place (the apartments right next to the MK cast parking lot) is $627 a month for a one bedroom. Doesn't leave much dough for the rest of the bills...Just looked into them this week.

That's a lot like here in Manhattan. They reccommend that your monthly rent adds up to no more than 40% of your income, yet rents for the "restricted" income housing is over 60% of the maximum allowable income!

 

[SewIn2Disney]

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.

Do you know which casino it is? Can you see it from inside or outside of the casino? I go to AC often---actually we're headed down there tonight for dinner, and I'd love to scope it out.

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.

Check out David Koneig's book Realityland. I just started reading it, but the first few chapters should answer some of your questions.

 

[prberk]

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!)

I believe that this is the correct story to which the OP's legend refers. I think it is correct, and I believe you can probably still find it in the Orlando Sentinel's archives or the library if you search.

I have known of this story for a long time, and I remember reading about it again when the Bonnet Creek resort was built -- and how Disney had to give them egress onto their property, since they were land-locked by WDW property.

 

[Mr Wizard]

I'm pretty sure it was after the Contemporary and I would guess it was about 50 to 100 yards from the waters edge. The weird part was all you noticed was the roof in the middle of the trees. No cleared area for a yard or driveway. The trees seemed to be right up against the house and all around it.

 

[Crazy4WDW1]

I'll have to check out Google maps to see if it shows up on any of their satellite photos.

 

[dwightshrutefan]

They do worse things, like build theme parks of screaming kids around people's houses because they wouldn't sell. I don't think building on top of a cemetery would wake anyone up. :animwink:

Theres dead people there, i mean, thats some peoples ONLY memory of a passed on loved one! If they tryed to build over my grandmas cemetary, id slap em in the face!