We are fastly approaching the 45th anniversary of Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  On October 1st 1971, the late Walt Disney’s dream was made into a reality.  Unfortunately he was not able to live to it’s completion, Roy Disney made his brothers vision, “The Florida Project”, a reality.

Walt Disney has already released a few of the special commemorative items on their shopping apps and some soon to be released items still to come.  I snatched up one of the limited passholder t-shirts before they were no longer available and you can bet you will see me around the park wearing it on that historical day.

Some of the original attractions that were at the Magic Kingdom on opening day in 1971 are still used to this day.  Obvisouly they have had many refurbishments over the years but the original idea and design is still in use.  Which of the original attractions is your favorite?  Take my poll below and see how your answers tally up to others.  Mine personally is the Haunted Mansion 🙂  Stay Disney my friend’s and have a magical day.

  

So word has been let out from a reliable source that as of the beginning of October, Duffy the Disney Bear, will be leaving Epcot for good. Apparently the meet and greet which has had its place at Epcot since around 2010, was never really a success despite the mass following of Duffy fans out there. 

This was one of the nicer character meet and greets because you could always count on a low wait time…which probably goes hand in hand of why Disney has opted to retire him from this location. One can only hope that they decide to relocate him to another site at the Walt Disney World resort so that we can still enjoy the super cuddly hugs he is so well known for. We will miss you Duffy ❤️ 
  

                   A look into the life of one of America’s most beloved and influential storytellers of all time. Originally aired on PBS on September 14th and 15th, this 2 part special focuses on the legacy that this amazing man left behind and reflects where he started it all.

                                                           American Experience: Walt Disney

“Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.” -Walt Disney

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to peruse them.” -Walt Disney

“Why worry?  If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.” -Walt Disney

“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” -Walt Disney

“The greatest natural resource is the mind’s of your children.” -Walt Disney

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” -Walt Disney

“Around here we don’t look backwards for very long…we keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we’re curious…and curiousity keeps leading us down new paths.” -Walt Disney

Everyone knows with time there usually comes change.  Some of us are more receptive to it than others and some of us are not…especially if it has anything to do with our Disney favorites!!  Recently there have been many changes going on around the Walt Disney World Resort here in Orlando, FL.  With the recent to upcoming closures of Maelstrom in Norway at Epcot, the Backlot Tour and Disney’s Art of Animation at Hollywood Studios, and Disney Quest at Downtown Disney, one could suffer from some serious Disney depression with this news.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love all the new ideas and attractions coming to the park’s but it is just sad that they have to get rid of the old to make way for the new.

We all have our favorite Disney classics of our past, but unfortunately we have to make way for the Disney classics of the future generations to enjoy as well.

“Around here we don’t look backwards for very long…we keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”  – Walt Disney

This self guided walk through exhibit is often overlooked by visitors to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Personally it is one of my favorites because of it’s history and meaning. Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream is a gallery of authentic rare artifacts and finishes with an inspiring 15-minute film narrated by Julie Andrews, the voice of Mary Poppins, which brings the story of Walt Disney to life. This exhibit was created and opened in 2001 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth.

The exhibit features over 400 artifacts, scripts, photos, and props from the Disney vault. Such things including: The school desk from Walt Disney’s 2-nd grade class…

Walt Disney’s actual office from Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, CA. location 1940-1966…

The original Audio-Animatronics Abraham Lincoln figure from the 1964 New York World’s Fair…

Next time you find yourself at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and you are looking for some Disney history, be sure to stop by Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, located in the concourse near the Toy Story Midway Mania ride.

“I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.” – Walt Disney  Here is the link to Walt Disney’s site highlighting this attraction:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/hollywood-studios/walt-disney-one-mans-dream/

Watching this video is like stepping back in Disney time. A lot of the rides that are showcased in this video are are still around, most of them being at Magix Kingdom.
 It’s sad to see all the rides at Epcot that are no longer around that I can remember from my childhood. It is definitely time for them to make use of unused space and also update some of the older attractions. 
Overall this is a great video showcasing the first decade of the Walt Disney World Resort and it’s history. Enjoy! 

An intimate look into the public and private life of the man who left behind a legacy.  Narrated by Dick Van Dyke and released September 6th, 2001.  This video uses many interviews with both family and friends to tell of the life of such a great man.  It is a great view into the life of Walter Elias Disney.