Thought I could share some little-known facts regarding WDW in no order and of no particular importance. I've got access to a ridiculous amount of these sort of tid-bits (perhaps enough to fill thousands of pages on here!), so I'll just start with random stuff, and perhaps someone will find some of this interesting. 
I hope to add to these from time to time if there's any interest.
In early 1973 WDW (actually "Walt Disney Productions") announced it was selling land (for the first time since the original purchase of the WDW land 9 years prior) for staff housing apartments. Of course, the announcement was met with opposition (from local politicians, no less!).
Upon completion, Cinderella Castle had 276 tons of steel inside.
Cinderella's Golden Carousel was made in 1917 at the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.
In 1972 WDW announced their STOLport as the "first officially designated STOLport for exclusive use by Short Take-Off and Landing aircraft...a 2,000 foot paved and lighted strip terminal connecting major Florida airports."
The Contemporary and Polynesian Resort rooms originally cost $22-40 per night. (And each Contemporary Resort modular room weighed in at 8.5 tons!)
In 1972 General Admission cost $3.50. A 7-adventure ticket book was $4.75, and an 11-adventure ticket book was $5.75. Guided tours were $6.50! In October 1972, Disney raised ticket and admission prices (for the first of many times).
WDW originally offered "Swimming Lessons (at $1.00 per hour or $3.00 per hour for a private lesson). They also offered "Cocktail Cruises on Yachts" for $10.00 per person from 4-7pm.
WDW Employees were offered reduced rates on STOLport flights from WDW property to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island for $45.45 per person. Flights were by Shawnee Air Lines. Price included round trip air, hotel, and complimentary "Goombay Summer" poster. Whatever that is. (If someone has more info on these "Goombay Getaway" trips offered, please share!)
Fort Wilderness officially opened at 11am on Friday, November 19, 1971.
On Jan 19 and 20th, 1974, WDW offered free rides on IASM to everyone with paid admission for "Small World Days". Special "international parades" were also held on those days. Anyone have video they'd like to share? :lol:
The Treasure Island Excursion (boat to get to the now-closed Treasure Island) would set you back a whopping $1.50 in 1974.
30 surplus WDW cars and trucks were offered for sale to WDW employees in early 1975. No word on what they sold for.
Disney's Indpendence Lake project in CA was originally slated to have a 275-room lodge and a limited number of condo units, giving overnigth accomodations capacity of approx 2500 guests. There was to be a 200 site campground for warm-weather use, with about half those sites "winterized" for recreational vehicle use by skiers in the winter months.
On January 9, 1976, the combined accumulative mileage of the 10 WDW monorails was 2,442,000 miles. Monorail Orange accounted for the most accumulative mileage up to that point with 239,529 miles, with Black accounting for the least (158,948). Silver broke the record for most mileage in a month with 6,393 miles.
more to come....
I hope to add to these from time to time if there's any interest.In early 1973 WDW (actually "Walt Disney Productions") announced it was selling land (for the first time since the original purchase of the WDW land 9 years prior) for staff housing apartments. Of course, the announcement was met with opposition (from local politicians, no less!).
Upon completion, Cinderella Castle had 276 tons of steel inside.
Cinderella's Golden Carousel was made in 1917 at the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.
In 1972 WDW announced their STOLport as the "first officially designated STOLport for exclusive use by Short Take-Off and Landing aircraft...a 2,000 foot paved and lighted strip terminal connecting major Florida airports."
The Contemporary and Polynesian Resort rooms originally cost $22-40 per night. (And each Contemporary Resort modular room weighed in at 8.5 tons!)
In 1972 General Admission cost $3.50. A 7-adventure ticket book was $4.75, and an 11-adventure ticket book was $5.75. Guided tours were $6.50! In October 1972, Disney raised ticket and admission prices (for the first of many times).
WDW originally offered "Swimming Lessons (at $1.00 per hour or $3.00 per hour for a private lesson). They also offered "Cocktail Cruises on Yachts" for $10.00 per person from 4-7pm.
WDW Employees were offered reduced rates on STOLport flights from WDW property to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island for $45.45 per person. Flights were by Shawnee Air Lines. Price included round trip air, hotel, and complimentary "Goombay Summer" poster. Whatever that is. (If someone has more info on these "Goombay Getaway" trips offered, please share!)
Fort Wilderness officially opened at 11am on Friday, November 19, 1971.
On Jan 19 and 20th, 1974, WDW offered free rides on IASM to everyone with paid admission for "Small World Days". Special "international parades" were also held on those days. Anyone have video they'd like to share? :lol:
The Treasure Island Excursion (boat to get to the now-closed Treasure Island) would set you back a whopping $1.50 in 1974.
30 surplus WDW cars and trucks were offered for sale to WDW employees in early 1975. No word on what they sold for.
Disney's Indpendence Lake project in CA was originally slated to have a 275-room lodge and a limited number of condo units, giving overnigth accomodations capacity of approx 2500 guests. There was to be a 200 site campground for warm-weather use, with about half those sites "winterized" for recreational vehicle use by skiers in the winter months.
On January 9, 1976, the combined accumulative mileage of the 10 WDW monorails was 2,442,000 miles. Monorail Orange accounted for the most accumulative mileage up to that point with 239,529 miles, with Black accounting for the least (158,948). Silver broke the record for most mileage in a month with 6,393 miles.
more to come....
