How the “Disney World” project was described to Florida legislators back in February of 1967

Jim Hill

14 years ago

If you’ve visited Walt Disney World recently, I bet that you
got to see some of the fun 40^th anniversary items that the Resort’s
shops currently have in stock. And as we get closer to October 1^st
(i.e. WDW’s official opening date), I’d imagine that we’ll see even more 40^th
anniversary merchandise popping up on store shelves.

But if I had my druthers … Well, the Disney World souvenir
that I’d dearly love to own wouldn’t be some t-shirt or pin emblazoned with
that 40^th anniversary logo. But rather, what I’d like to have is a
recording of that invitation-only presentation which Walt Disney Productions
officials gave to members of the Florida legislature 44 years ago this week.
Where Company officials – for the first time ever in a public forum – went into
great detail about their ambitious plans for the Florida Project.

What must it have been like to attend that session and then hear
people like Roy O. Disney talk about Walt’s dreams for EPCOT? Well, luckily for
you, I have a copy of the press release that Walt Disney Productions issued on
February 2, 1967. It goes into great detail about what happened that
afternoon inside of the Park East Theatre in Winter Park.

Florida legislators enter the Park East Theatre to attend Walt Disney Productions’
presentation about the “Disney World” project

It reads as follows:

WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES
PLANS FOR A WHOLE NEW “DISNEY WORLD”
DEVELOPMENT NEAR ORLANDO, FLORIDA

At a meeting attended by legislative, civic and industrial
leaders representing all of Florida, Walt Disney Productions today announced
plans for a whole new “Disney World” to be constructed on a 43-square mile
parcel of land sixteen miles southwest of Orlando, Florida.

Basic elements for the proposed development include a new
amusement theme park similar to the world-famous Disneyland in California; a
series of theme motels surrounding and compatible to the theme park development;
outdoor sports centers for golf, tennis, boating, camping, and other
recreational activities which will take advantage of and preserve the natural
beauty of the area; an Industrial Park covering about 1000 acres, planned as “showplace
to the world of American industry”; a Jet Airport of the Future offering
service to private and executive planes, commercial charters and freight
carriers; an Entrance Complex to receive and service the millions of visitors
expected annually; and an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, planned
for 20,000 permanent residents.

The land development is expected to cost at least $600
million. Land clearance, drainage and other construction activities will
commence on the 27,400-acre Disney property as soon as the corporation’ss
legislative proposals are passed by the Florida State Legislature.

The invitational presentation, which began at 2 p.m. in the
Park East Theatre, Winter Park, Florida was held under the auspices of the
Orange and Osceola County delegations to the Florida State Legislature.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Paul Helliwell, senior partner
in the firm of Helliwell, Melrose and De Wolf, Florida counsel for the Disney
organization. After introducing the Disney executives and special guests,
Helliwell turned the meeting over to General William E. Potter, Disney’s vice
president in charge of administration-Florida project.

Potter, who described the meeting as “one of great
significance to central Florida and to vacation-minded families throughout the
world,” introduced a 25-minute color motion picture, the last film to be
completed by Walt Disney.

In the film, Disney presented details of the many attractions
planned for Disney World, but gave special emphasis to his hopes and dreams for
“EPCOT,” the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which will be a
central attraction in the proposed new, total environment.

Designed to serve an initial population of 20,000, EPCOT
will be a living showcase for the creativity of American industry. In its
endless task of depicting urban life 25 years into the future, EPCOT will be
completed but will always be introducing, testing and demonstrating new ideas
and new technologies.

“Our Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow will
always be in a state of becoming,” said Disney in the film. “It will never
cease to be a blueprint of the future, where people actually live a life they
can’t find anywhere else today.”

Thus, the goal of this balanced working community will be to
establish new standards of design, never borrowing from patented modes of
living.

“I don’t believe there’s a challenge anywhere in the world
that’s more important to people everywhere than finding solutions to the
problems of our cities,” continued Disney. “But where do we begin? Well, we’re
convinced that we must start with the public need. And the need is not just
curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from
scratch on virgin land like this, and building a community that will be a
prototype of the future.”

Concluding his film presentation Walt Disney said, “With the
technical know-how of American industry and the creative imagination of the
Disney organization, I’m confident we can build a living showcase that more
people will talk about and come to look at than any other area in the world.”

Following the motion picture presentation, General Potter
introduced Roy O. Disney, President and Chairman of the Board of Walt Disney
Productions.

Roy O. Disney emphasized that although the film dwelt upon
the city of EPCOT, the new amusement theme park and its surrounding motels,
will also be a highlight of the development.

Roy O. Disney and Mickey Mouse at the grand opening of WDW’s Magic Kingdom
in October of 1971. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

“Our theme park will be similar in many ways to Disneyland
in California, and will build upon the experience we had there as hosts to more
than 60 million people,” said the corporation’s President.

“Of course, a project of this size and scope will take
several years to bring to completion,” said Disney. “In fact, we are currently
planning its construction in phases.”

“However, our corporation is dedicated to making Walt Disney’s
dream a reality, but it cannot be done without the help of you people here in
Florida,” continued Mr. Disney.

“We must have a solid legal foundation before we proceed
with Disney World. This foundation can be assured by the legislative proposals
we are presenting at the next session of the Florida legislature,” he
concluded. “If these requests are granted, I believe that we can make the new
theme park a reality by 1971.”

Disney then introduced Mr. Donn B. Tatum, vice president and
administrative assistant to the President of Walt Disney Productions, who gave
specific details regarding these legislative proposals.

Tatum then introduced Florida’s Governor Claude R. Kirk,
Jr., who offered his wholehearted support to this new project, and then detailed
the economic growth Disney World will bring to Florida.

“During its initial construction phase and first ten years
of operation, Disney World will directly generate $6.6 billion in measurable economic
benefit for the State of Florida as a whole,” said Kirk, summarizing an
independent study of the project conducted by the firm of Economic Research
Associates.

“Of this $6.6 billion estimate, $3.978 billion will result
in expenditures by new tourists attracted to the state by Disney World. Another
$2.261 billion of this total represents payrolls of new jobs created, and
approximately $414 million represents monies to be spent for construction
materials and equipment,” said Governor Kirk during his presentation.

Following a brief question and answer period, Governor Kirk
and Roy Disney flew to Jacksonville to tape a half-hour televised report to the
people of Florida, scheduled for statewide broadcast in color from 7 – 7:30
p.m. that evening. The program was scheduled to feature Walt Disney’s Florida
Film, which had been shown publicly for the first time during the invitational
presentation in Winter Park.

Okay, I know. It’s not realistic to expect that a recording of what was said & shown in the Park East Theatre 44
years ago that week will ever turn up. But that said … According to the paragraph above, there
was a half-hour TV special shown to the people of Florida on the night of
February 2, 1967. During which Roy O. Disney and Florida Governor Claude R.
Kirk, Jr. then went into some detail about what “Project Florida” would entail
as well as showing Walt’s EPCOT film.

Wouldn’t it stand to reason – either in Disney’s own
archives and/or buried away in the tape vault of a Jacksonville TV station –
that there would be a recording of this half-hour televised report? And if so … Well, wouldn’t
it be fascinating to watch that show now and then compare the “Disney World”
that was described back in 1967 (back when the Company was pressuring the
Florida legislature big-time so that they’d then grant the Mouse considerable
concessions when it came to the governance & zoning of this 27,400-acre parcel)
and the Walt Disney World Resort that we eventually wound up with?

Your thoughts?