The Magic Kingdom opened in Orlando on Friday, October 1, 1971. This park had pretty humble beginnings and looks a lot different than it did over 4 decades ago. You might not believe how much things have changed over the years.
Here is what park goers could expect when they visited Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom back in the 70s.
The general lay out was there with Main Street, Adventureland, Bear County, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square and Tomorrowland. Or course in the center of it all was Cinderella’s castle. Admission was $3.50 per adult and $1.00 to $1.50 per child. You then purchased coupon booklets that would work for the various rides. Some rides were at little as .10 each where the most popular ones were .90.
Rollercoasters Weren’t The Highlight
It took several years for the Magic Kingdom to offer a rollercoaster. Space Mountain wasn’t rolled out until 1975. This attraction was much anticipated as the first man walked on the moon just a few years before the Magic Kingdom opened. After Space Mountain was complete, many park goers would ride the rollercoaster over and over again so that they could feel like they were an astronaut in outer space.
Waiting For The Pirates Of The Caribbean To Open
When the Magic Kingdom first opened, guests were disappointed, as they thought there would be a Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The reason why it wasn’t created to begin with was because Imagineers thought that Florida residents wouldn’t be interested in this type of ride since seeing pirate related motif isn’t a new thing for those living in the Sunshine State. Once word got out that guests were disappointed because they expected this ride, Imagineers got to work and the attraction became available in 1973.
Winnie The Pooh Was The Highlight
In 1977, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh opened. Guests would come from near and far just to experience this attraction. What’s amazing is that Pooh and his pals became just as popular as Mickey Mouse. Even Cinderella didn’t tend to be quite as big of a hit as cuddly old Winnie The Pooh.
The Crowds Were A Lot Less
Today, over 52,000 people visit the Magic Kingdom everyday. Back in the 1970s the number of daily visitors was a lot less at only around 10,000. Despite there being less of a crowd, there were often long wait times as there was no such thing as Fast Passes back then.
You Needed Tickets For Some Rides
In the 1970’s, you would pay an admission fee to get into the park that was a lot cheaper than today’s hefty fees. Adults and children ages 12 and up were only .50 cents and those under three were free. There was a catch though. Many of the attractions required you to buy a ticket to ride them that ranged from .10 cents for calmer rides, to .90 cents for thrill rides. Guests could purchase a ticket book that contained anywhere from 7 to 11 tickets to use on the rides.
There were only 2 hotel options – the Contemporary and the Polynesian.
Only Walt Disney himself could have possibly envisioned what Orlando Walt Disney World offers today including 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, Disney Springs, Disney’s Boardwalk, ESPN Wide World of Sports complex along with numerous hotels to meet every budget. Then there is Disney Cruises 2019 which we imagine was never even in Walt Disney’s plans, as cruising was not popular in the 70’s as well as Adventure by Disney which now take families all over the world with Disney guides. Disney also owns ESPN, Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, the Muppets, ABC, and Lucasfilms which produces Star Wars. It’s no surprise that in 2016 Disney was named the worlds most powerful brand.
