“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome…”

That’s the way every Disney fan blog is supposed to start, right? – With those famous words spoken by Walt at the dedication of Disneyland in 1955. Besides, this blog is focused on Walt Disney World, why would I want to kick things off with a quote from the opening of Disneyland? I mean, it’s cool because it’s famous and you can watch film of Walt speaking those words with his very own face, but one of the things that I hope to put more of a focus on in these articles, which is something that I feel often gets overlooked in the Disney fan community, is that Walt Disney World has its own history and is not just Disneyland all over again minus Walt so it doesn’t count.   Many Disney fans, particularly those that live out west see Disneyland as this wondrous artistic achievement and Walt Disney World as a knock off tourist trap.

More than that, my primary goal for this blog is to focus on the more technical aspects of how ideas for the resort are developed and the creative process behind making a place like Walt Disney World.  This got me thinking that maybe EPCOT Center’s dedication would fit better.  That park, in its prime, was pretty much my most favorite thing ever and I thought that with its bent toward scientific achievement, it would be a perfect match.

 “To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship: Welcome.  Epcot Center is inspired by Walt Disney’s creative genius. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, the wonders of enterprise, and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.  May Epcot Center entertain, inform and inspire. And, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.”

While that is certainly more fitting than the Disneyland one, it’s not quite right.  The “wonders of enterprise” part seems a bit off to me and the last sentence is a bit too grand in scope for a humble little blog like this.  Perhaps the weirdest part of all about this dedication is that, I can’t seem to find any video of Card Walker actually delivering it.  He paraphrases parts of it but the videos I’ve found appear to show his speech in its entirety but the dedication is never read.

As my search for the perfect dedication continued, I thought about what inspires me most about Walt Disney World.  Perhaps the most important piece is the immense potential I see for the property due to its size and the original scope of what was planned for The Florida Project.  I’ve also only ever lived on the east coast, which gives me a great deal more familiarity with it than any of the other Disney properties.  For this reason, the articles that are to follow will mostly be about Walt Disney World as it exists today, its history, and how I think it could be improved.   It’s the biggest thing the company has ever done, and I don’t just mean the acreage.  It’s full of its own successes, failures, funny stories, quirks and even has its own dedication delivered by the boss named Disney,

“Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney… and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney’s dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place … a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn — together.”

 

That’s what I want this place to be about.