Picture - World Drive & Rt 192 circa 1969

[EPCOT Explorer]

192 & World Drive:

from Google Maps

Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway is Route 192 and the overpass is World Drive

Too cool!:wave:

 

[scottnj1966]

very cool

 

[teebin]

from Google Maps

Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway is Route 192 and the overpass is World Drive

Smart idea, I wish I had thought of it! :wave:

 

[marni1971]

I wonder what the little booth was for? This is a long way from the construction of MK right? Do you think then that the gate in the photo had anything to do with Disney or had been there for years for another purpose?

This road was one of 2 early contractor entrances - the booth was a security one.

 

[teebin]

I wonder what the little booth was for? This is a long way from the construction of MK right? Do you think then that the gate in the photo had anything to do with Disney or had been there for years for another purpose?

As Disney parks have always been known for their great control of people, I am sure the booth was there just to keep the curious from driving up to the construction site as it would have been a liability not to mention, a nuisance.

right from the wdwmagic park history text:

"The theme park would be a larger version of the DISNEYLAND® Park, bringing the California park's popular wonders to the East Coast. It and the two hotels would be situated around a large, man-made lagoon. Actual construction began in April 1969"

So there must have been tons of people driving over there to see what they could see, as the person who took the photo did.

 

[JWG]

I don't know, looks the same to me...

How far they've come. My first visit was 1983, so Epcot had opened and the "x-ticket" had gone the way of history for a park hopper ticket.

 

[ChrisQ]

That's too cool. Thanks for sharing!

 

[krankenstein]

Very cool!!!! Thanks for posting the picture!

 

[vxangelkissxv]

Wow-- that's truly amazing! Thanks for the photo : D

 

[disneydiva72]

Is that Walt in the picture?

 

[maelstrom]

Is that Walt in the picture?

Nope, Walt was already gone by 1969.

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

Cool pic! My grandma used to tell me about driving by and seeing the signs that said "Future home to Walt Disney World". I don't think they had taken any pics of it though. At least non that we found when we cleaned out their house.

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

Great photo, thanks for sharing. If you happen to come across any more, please post them.

 

[brkgnews]

Very nice photo... really makes you appreciate what a huge engineering marvel the Florida Project was.

 

[imamouse]

Thanks for scanning and posting the 1969 photo. It makes me think of the ending of Fantasmic, "Some imagination!"

 

[Captain Hank]

I wonder what the little booth was for? This is a long way from the construction of MK right? Do you think then that the gate in the photo had anything to do with Disney or had been there for years for another purpose?

It looks to be fairly newly-constructed. They probably still wanted to limit access to the property, regardless of any construction actually going on at the time.

Edit: Oops, I see this was already answered.

 

[Mickifan17]

So a comparison of the two pics should look like this:

 

[Pluto Princess]

This is very neat. I always love getting to see what the area looked like before it all began. It always makes me amazed about how much has been done to the area and how difficult the project must have been.

 

[teebin]

So a comparison of the two pics should look like this:

Exactly... just amazing. Thanks for putting the two side by side. I have talked to people who went there in the early 70s and how weird it was driving for 4-5 miles on WDW property before you ever arrived at what was at the time the center of WDW.

It must have been like a movie to drive through miles of forest to arrive at such an out of this world wonderland. Today, you expect something big long before you get there. It is also cool that the parks have since upped the ante so when you get there... it is almost always over the top unimaginable. Thank you technology.

 

[goofntink]

Had my dad take a look at this picture.He said this was one of the construction entrance into the MK.But is was not on 192.It was off of what is now Apopka-Vineland Rd/535 and Reams Rd