November 22, 1963 is the day most people know as the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, but it was also the day Walt Disney first flew over the Orlando area that would soon become the vacation destination of the United States. Walt was looking for an addition to the California theme park named Disneyland. Instead of adding on to the California coast, Walt realized most of his visitors came from the east coast, and he could build a bigger project with more land and space.

While looking in Florida, Walt tried Sanford, Florida, however city councils declined. Walt fell in love with Orlando with its organized roads and highway, and nearby McCoy Air Force Base which would later become Orlando International Airport. However to acquire the land, Walt used various fake companies to buy separate acres and obscure the companies goals. Some examples include: Aye-four Corporation (Interstate 4), and M.T. Lott Real Estate Investments (empty lot).

On October 20, 1965, the Orlando Sentinel printed the findings of the Walt Disney Company. During press conferences, Walt would talk about the futuristic city of Epcot, which would be scraped after his death on December 15, 1966. After his death, Walt’s brother, Roy would take over the idea and would later change the name of the park to Walt Disney World to commemorate his brother’s legacy. However three months after Disney World was opened, Roy Disney passed away.

Most people, including me find Disney World very confusing with the similarity to Disneyland, so imaginers used “Magic Kingdom” as the nickname used before the resort was finished. In the lands of Disney World, the main road from the entrance is Main Street, where many children have cried and enjoyed their time. At the end of Main Street is the icon for Disney World, Cinderella’s Castle. However in 1982, Walt’s dream of a “community of tomorrow” finally came true when the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow or simply shortened to EPCOT Center became a reality. With 260 acres of Parkland, Epcot Center was shortened to Epcot and became the second theme park for Disney in Florida. Spaceship Earth is the icon and one of famous rides to Epoct.

In 1989, came the new park to the resort, Disney-MGM Studios, which was renamed Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2008 with the icon of Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat used since the opening. This park was themed for show business, especially the early 1930-1940’s of Hollywood. Unlike the other parks, Hollywood Studios is not a specified layout, it is more just buildings and streets to look like an actual studio. Most people believe the new park was built to compete with the neighboring Universal Studios. However the companies say they did not know of the competing parks being built, but when found out, rushed the construction, however Disney beat out in the race.

The fourth theme park was Animal Kingdom which is the biggest Disney theme park in the world covering more then 500 acres. The icon is The Tree of Life which is a gigantic 14 story fake tree that is in the middle of the park carved with more then 300 hundred animals. It’s hosts a 3-D movie and has a hidden Mickey located in the tree, like many of the theme parks. It is the first Disney theme park to be themed around animal conservation, and to close earlier then the other parks for the consideration of the animals and also doesn’t hold a fireworks show.

Other attractions of Walt Disney World include: Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, five golf courses and Downtown Disney for shopping, entertainment and dining. The resort also employs more then 61,000 and is the largest site employer in the United States. The resort also includes numerous on-site and nearby hotels of 9 million visits for Disney Hollywood and Animal Kingdom, 10 million visits for Epcot, and with Magic Kingdom coming in with 17 million visits.

It amazes me how far a boy from Chicago named Walter Elias Disney came with all the ideas, and innovations. His dreams changed the many lives of his employees, future artists, engineers, and anyone who has had a dream. How a little idea in Lake Buena Vista, would become the vacation every little girl or boy wanted to be at. It’s the dream that we all have, to escape from our lives and enjoy ourselves even if it’s a short time. Disney World gives us the opportunity to be a child again, and for the children to give their biggest smile. Like the plaque at Disneyland in California: Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy. I couldn’t agree more Walt.