Viva Florida 500: #18 1971: Disney World Opens Traditional Cache

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BoJaB: No response from the cache owner to the previous reviewer temp disable log. I am archiving this listing.

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Hidden : 5/19/2013
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This cache was placed to celebrate the 500th anniversary of exploration & history in Florida on June 8th & 9th.

Viva Florida 500 at Paynes Prairie Preserve: Event GC48857

You are looking for a black screw top container.

1971: Disney World Opens

Walt Disney in 1959 wanted to expand his dreams of another park because the Disney Land complex in California was boxed in by business’s surrounding his current park over which Disney had no control. Besides, 75% of the United States population lived in the East of the Mississippi River. That was a huge pool of untapped vacationers!

Disney flew over Orlando, Florida in November of 1963 and was impressed by the growing area with its infrastructure set for expansion. Interstate 4 was on the boards to be built, and an airport set for growth. He decided this was where he wanted to build his dream parks.

He began purchasing land in 1965 under various land-holding companies that were fictitious to avoid land speculation and inflated prices. He bought three large land parcels and various small tracts totaling 27,443 acres around Bay Lake in Osceola County. Disney also bought all the mineral rights that were owned by Tufts University to prevent them from acquiring the minerals and disturbing the property.

Sensing something was going on, the Orlando Sentinel, discovered who was behind all the land purchases and released the information to the public. Disney within two weeks on October 20, 1965, held a press conference to announce the plans for his new theme park and a future prototype city.

Walt Disney died from lung cancer on December 15, 1966 not seeing his dream come true. His brother, Roy O. Disney, took the lead and completed the dream. Construction started and on October 1, 1971 “Disney World” was opened. Roy Disney said the park should be named “Walt Disney World” in honor of the man who had had this dream.

Today Walt Disney World and its surrounding sister parks have put Orlando Florida on the map as the world’s vacation destination.

Thank You to Prairie Cachers & stejenwell for hosting this event.

Special Thanks to amtg, Call me dainty, CWagoner, CYAO, doggymama, Joshtrecker81, mintmoonpi, Obilon, Tango of TCE, & wobegon crew

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