WDW in 1972

[Nemo14]

Here's what I found:

The Magic Kingdom opened with 26 attractions: Jungle Cruise; Swiss Family Tree House; Sunshine Pavilion (Tropical Serenade); Cinderella's Golden Carrousel; Dumbo Flying Elephants; Mad Tea Party; Mickey Mouse Revue; Mr. Toad's Wild Ride; it's a small world; Snow White's Adventures; Diamond Horseshoe Revue; Frontier Shooting Gallery; Country Bear Jamboree; Mike Fink Keel Boats; Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes; Hall of Presidents; Haunted Mansion; Main Street horseless carriage, Jitney, fire truck, horse-drawn streetcar and omnibus; Main Street Cinema; Walt Disney World Railroad; Skyway to Tomorrowland/Skyway to Fantasyland and Grand Prix Raceway.
The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat opened the next day, Peter Pan's Flight the next, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea two weeks later. That made for a grand total of 29 attractions open before Dedication Day, 30 if you count both directions of the Skyway. By the end of the year, Tomorrowland was a bit more populated, with “America the Beautiful” opening in the CircleVision Theater in November and Flight to the Moon opening in December.
-source: http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mg041110mg
​

Cool pics! Love went when he was 2 1/2 in 1972 (I've got some pics here) but I wasn't even born yet. It's always neat to see old pics like this.
-m

Love those old pictures! It's amazing how uncrowded it was, considering there was only one park there then.

 

[scottnj1966]

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/olddisneypics.html

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/storyofwdw/WDW%20page%2040%20(Large).jpg

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/freevideos/Contemporary%20Construction%20USS.wmv

 

[Nemo14]

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/olddisneypics.html

Those were great - love the B&W - so appropriate!

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

Awesome pics! I wasn't even born yet in 1972 (came along a couple years later). My parents remember being in FL when there was a huge sign saying something about the future home to Walt Disney World. I don't know if my dad has a pic of it or not. I'll have to ask.

Thanks for sharing those!

 

[ldsprincess]

WOW! there was a swan boat!?!? that's, like, the coolest thing ever! lol. wow. i can't believe i never knew about that. when did it go away?

 

[scottnj1966]

WOW! there was a swan boat!?!? that's, like, the coolest thing ever! lol. wow. i can't believe i never knew about that. when did it go away?

http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id42.htm

 

[JoeZer]

Nemo14, thank you for posting those. I was 4 y/o and my late sister not 18 months when my family our first trip to the Magic Kingdom (from Key West, Florida) in either late 1971 or Spring 1972. I have a snapshot my father took back then of way-young me, my late-mother and late-sister posed with the castle behind us along the walkway over towards Liberty Square.

Miss the Swan Boats...was too scared at the time to try the Skyway (was very acrophobic as a kid). Digging round I think my father still has an 8mm film reel from a family trip to the park during 1976 when Disney had a Bicentennial themed parade.

~~JoeZer

...49 days till I'm back in the World to celebrate my 40th as EPCOT turns 25.

 

[unkadug]

I used to have that very same book! :wave:

Thanks for finding and posting.

Ahhh... the memories

 

[Teenchy]

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/olddisneypics.html

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/storyofwdw/WDW page 40 (Large).jpg

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/freevideos/Contemporary Construction USS.wmv

Thanks Scott...are those pictures of the old ticket books actual tickets that you have??? And did you buy them from an auction or something or just have them from when you or family originally visited?

 

[raven]

Fantasy Land

enjoy!

Not only do the Teacups look like they are from DL (as mentioned before) but Peter Pan's Flight looks like the DL one as well. This is the load area and at WDW the pirate ships are lined up practically touching each other as they continually keep moving in the load area. At DL they are independant (like shown above) and start and stop on their own.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Nice pics Nemo... I remember same or similar book as well but I beleive my first trip was '75 or'76. I remember on the back cover them talking about some new project they were working on... (some prototype of tomorrow and the future) :lol:

 

[hrcollectibles]

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/olddisneypics.html

Anyone know what that Taj Mahal looking building is on the old map?

 

[unkadug]

Anyone know what that Taj Mahal looking building is on the old map?

That would be the proposed, but never built, Persian Hotel.

 

[Nemo14]

That would be the proposed, but never built, Persian Hotel.

....with direct magic carpet service to the Magic Kingdom....

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Anyone know what that Taj Mahal looking building is on the old map?

unkadug or nemo... do you know what character is in picture under Figment?

Sorry..http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/olddisneypics.html

 

[EPCOT.nut]

unkadug or nemo... do you know what character is in picture under Figment?

Sorry..http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/olddisneypics.html

Looks like a walking Florida Orange.

 

[Nemo14]

unkadug or nemo... do you know what character is in picture under Figment?

Sorry..http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/olddisneypics.html

He's the Florida Orange Bird, the mascot for the Florida Orange Growers.

 

[EPCOT.nut]

Yeah, living here in FL all my life, I remember there was a lot more advertising for the orange business geared to children. I do remember the Orange, just not that it was a bird. :lol:

 

[Nemo14]

Yeah, living here in FL all my life, I remember there was a lot more advertising for the orange business geared to children. I do remember the Orange, just not that it was a bird. :lol:

Do you remember the whole Anita Bryant fiasco?

 

[Lee]

Know what I miss most out of all those '72 photos?
The Crystal Palace like it was in that shot.
Calm grown-ups having a nice sit-down meal in a beautiful atmosphere. Not a character meal full of rugrats in sight. Nice.