Walt's Greatest Decision: The Secret Behind Choosing Orlando

Hear the inside story behind Walt Disney's decision to choose Orlando as the home for his next theme park. Delve into the behind-the-scenes secrets and the factors that influenced this fascinating choice. Join us as we uncover Walt's greatest decision and the impact it has had on the world today.
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[@TheOrlandoReal]

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[@sailorearth2007]

Walt really was a visionary and how far those ideas have gone and how big they have grown is truly remarkable

[@lovatojonasfan1]

Judging based off his history, I wonder if he even thought about going to Florida but took credit for it anyway.

[@jamess1314]

In 1971, someone I know was recruited to work at the Polynesian hotel. She and her family relocated to the Orlando area. In early planning for EPCOT, it was still envisioned to be a functioning city with residents. She and her family were chosen to live in EPCOT. Obviously it never happened, but at least it was considered.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

I wonder why, and who scrapped it?

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Even with Walt's idea for EPCOT scrapped, it's still my favorite park there. I went there on my honeymoon (wife's choice) and it blew me away. Even the children's rides were fascinating and stunning. Arguably, buying that property is the most brilliant business decision in US history. It is a metropolis for sure, and the size of it is almost unfathomable for private enterprise/property.

[@gwcrispi]

Epcot is my favorite during the Food and Wine Festival!

[@patrickvandyke7618]

Wonderful video! Thank you! I recently moved from Orlando for work, and I miss it dearly. Your video did a great job of capturing that love we all share. Greta work!

[@Sassyellechica]

I'd like to see you cover the Orlando real estate market, the cost of living in Orlando and the surrounding areas. How the coast of living there and in Florida has increased post COVID and due to inflation.

[@TheOrlandoReal]

That’s on our other channel @kenpozek :)

[@Hmfirestormz]

That’s everywhere

[@Wilkins325]

A lot of Floridians (I am one, also) are complaining as if Florida is being uniquely affected by rising prices, but it is indeed happening all over the country.

[@dougconley]

Walt Disney was a "visionary" and that "vision" died when he did. 😢

[@DashPar]

I can assure you Walt and Roy would fire ALL of the current leaders of the Disney company today!

[@jamesfields4722]

This overview sure looks fabulous!

[@eastsidedirtykid]

This was a great vid KZbin recommended! It sucks that Disney just keeps making mistakes in particularly just ramping up outpricing the middle class it’s just so sad. I WANT Disney to still succeed because then Florida succeeds but geez what have they been thinking over there?!

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Thanks for taking a chance with what the KZbin gods recommended. Definitely sad how many families can’t afford the magic anymore.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

@@TheOrlandoReal But the land in the surrounding areas has still been exploding with real estate and stores/shopping centers. Basically, all brand-new villages. Same down here in Ft. Myers. Can't help but think this crash might be worse than 2008. There's only going to be elite left and poor if we keep going like this.

[@DisneyParksPOV]

Awesome video man!

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Thanks for watching!!

[@GenJonesLife]

Thanks for this video and sadly I feel that you are right, Walt's dream would have never worked without him. Thanks also for mentioning something that is often ignored when talking about EPCOT and that is the industrial parks. Sure visitors would have flocked to the international shopping district at the core of the city. But I think the Industrial parks would have been the main draw. Showcasing American companies and innovation, essentially factory tours done with the Disney touch. And yes the Land Pavilion is the closest thing built to what that would have been. I would have loved it!

[@GenJonesLife]

I was thinking after I posted this last night that there is an attraction outside of Disney which I think is very similar to a lot of what could have been in the EPCOT industrial parks of Walt's dreams. It is the Hershey's Chocolate Tour Dark Ride - Hershey's Chocolate World in Hershey PA. I love this attraction and I think it really gets to the idea of what could have been in FL. Look it up on KZbin to see what I am talking about if you haven't been there.

[@carolynsellers4752]

How great is this documentary. Chase you are good 👍

[@carlottasherwood1560]

Another reason he bought that area was that his father owned a farm years ago. He lost the farm due to financial setbacks. That property is located at the southern most tip of the Disney World property.

[@depalma13]

Walt flew to Tampa and toured Ocala first. He had relatives in Ocala and Silver Springs was already a tourist attraction. On November 22nd 1963, he flew over the Orlando site. That date is very significant. Had he scheduled the flight for the next day, there is a very good chance Disney World could have ended up in Ocala. Had he scheduled the flight for Saturday, November 23rd. The flight never takes place.

[@domfer2540]

Note his family and his parents started near Altoona Fl.

[@rodbickel8628]

I watch a lot of Disney videos. And this was very informative. Very good video.

[@johnharris6655]

I love that Scene in Minions when they show up in Orlando in 1968 and it is nothing but a swamp.

[@angusrock1563]

Great overview

[@josephshively495]

Hey Chase, you guys crushed that!! Well done!

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Thanks Joseph!! 🙌🏽

[@EwellMenge]

Actually, Walt wanted to build in south Florida first in Palm Beach County. Walt couldn't come to a deal with John D. MacArthur (insurance tycoon from Chicago) owned most of northern palm beach county. . Walt then moved north to Orlando to build his park.

[@DecrepitFlunky]

they’ve never been able to recapture walt’s genius. but if they stopped price gouging their loyal customers i doubt people would complain as much.

[@crepehanger47]

Henry Ford died in 1947. That would be quite the trick for him to have been buying land in the 1960s.

[@bubsmp]

All that time to build and mold into something great. Now the two Bobs have F’d it all up.

[@YourHostBobby]

I’m watching this video from Disney rn

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Haha that’s awesome! Share with a stranger (or a friend)

[@johnsiorek1630]

Im watching from mmMichigan!

[@larrysorenson4789]

While Walt was secretly buying Florida property, his director of bands, Vese Walker found out and began his own purchases there. Walt soon discovered this and promptly fired him. His son, Johnny, was also immersed in music and became director of bands at the University of Illinois in the mid 1960’s.

[@MichaelRei99]

Surprised you have so few subs. That was a pretty good video.

[@richardperhai8292]

EPCOT as a city was an impractical idea. As one imagineer said "You can't experiment with people's lives". The E, P and T would quickly disappear. And you don't want to even know what one imagineer said about the painting of the city :D

[@nlpnt]

8:19 you have the wrong Henry Ford. The pic is of the original who died in 1947. His grandson Henry Ford II (1917-1987) was head of Ford Motor Co and active in the '60s.

[@stephenbrown4211]

Walt was going to announce it would be in St Louis but Augustus Busch put paid to that with his flippant remark about not selling alcohol

[@Will-t5x]

Respectfully, check a map !!! About the ONLY part of WDW in Osceola County is the Wide World of Sports complex. The overwhelming majority is, in fact, in Orange County (Orlando)

[@jerseyforhawks]

Hurricanes, less likely severe in Orlando as well.

[@gwcrispi]

Walt dreamed up the 15 minute city 70 years before everyone else.

[@Eddunaway-qp5tv]

Very good video just think 60 years ago st Louis could be wear Disney world be

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Could you imagine?!

[@buckshot6481]

Funny, always heard it was Walts brother who bought the Florida swampland and convinced Walt later.

[@bradmcguire1259]

As a Jacksonville resident, I’ve always heard that Jacksonville was his first choice in Florida.

[@masonfulcher5378]

I heard Jacksonville city council told Walt we do not deal with carnival people. Walt then moved on.

[@bradmcguire1259]

The story I heard was that Walt Disney approached Ed Ball, a prominent financier in Jacksonville regarding funding. It supposedly was he that told Walt Disney (I’m paraphrasing) that we don’t care for you carnival types. There’s a building named for Ed Ball in downtown Jacksonville.

[@kingrowla]

I have the same sentiment for Disney being from Florida. Sadly though, the past few years, I feel like it is losing it's original envisioned identity. The only innovations I am seeing are the ways they get you to part with your hard earned money. Even a few downgrades as cost cutting measures. The magic that was once free and made trips special, now cost extra or are non-existent.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

It's a way different world now (no pun intended) and motives keep getting skewed by the almighty dollar. Not to mention, inflation through the roof inflating costs everywhere. The business models of today sadly don't reflect so much the good side of man.

[@epd4111]

I live 2.1 miles from the Magic Kingdom

[@nlpnt]

It would've made more sense at the time to locate in central Pennsylvania. Not only was 75% of the population east of the Mississipi, almost half the total population was in the northeast corridor and upper midwest. It would be trading away year-round operation for better weather in summer which is when kids are out of school.

[@MichaelRei99]

It would make zero sense in Pennsylvania.

[@joselassalle4958]

​@MikeR65 I agree with you. Due to the weather, a Disney World in Pennsylvania would be closed in winter.

[@Project-Jaden]

Very well made video

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Thank you! Spent a lot of time on it

[@stevengalloway8052]

Pretty nice video. You look like a young Michael Moore... 😆

[@TheBaldr]

I would think the swampland/cheap land off the coast of Virginia, North Carolina, or South Carolina would be a bit better weather-wise. Problem is the only population centers off those coast are not that great, Norfolk/Virginia Beach is to much built up with military occupying prime land there. NC doesn't have any major population centers but Wilmington and even then I don't see it as a fit for Disney. Myrtle Beach would be a prime location, but it became touristy way after Disney bought the Florida Land. And no major Interstate goes there yet. Then lastly Charleston, again I don't see it as a good place for Disney, Any further South and your almost looking at the same weather as Florida.

[@mfb9482]

Horrible weather half of the year, I wouldn't say this is a great decision.... I love florida, but having a resort in a place where half of the year feels like hell on earth, with storms and hurricanes, doesn't seem like a good choice

[@joeaustin2919]

Isn’t swamp land full of Alligators?

[@Bwilliams2]

Good video.

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@marcusversace9423]

I understand what Disney world is meant to be but its never won the most livable cities award - secondly I went to Disney world and was bored out of my mind - the travel between worlds was boring and too long in the heat - rides we went on all broke down - in one day we achieved nothing and sold the rest of out three passes to someone else staying in or hotel - this was the second reason we went to Florida from Australia - the other was cape Kennedy space centre.

[@shawn3405]

Here's a thought .....is there anyone or anywhere in the United States that people say I wanna take my family?

[@jimhudson1737]

Of course there are! I can think of many, many great places to take my family. National Parks are some of the best places.

[@mikegruber172]

He found the property on 11/22/1963 Yes the day of the Kennedy assassination

[@PaulHtmnn]

EPCOT = Every Person Comes Out Tired.

[@gricismercedes2712]

Disney is not in Orlando. Not even the same county

[@LiamHoyo]

Disney is not in Orlando , it’s in lake buena vista

[@reginafallangie2867]

Orlando(ish) 🙃

[@brockpifer9929]

Well they’re in the same area, and Lake Buena Vista is in Orlando

[@mariocisneros911]

It help destroy the ecology. Well it sped it up

[@stevenj2380]

A bit of hubris in such large-scale utopian plans. Disney Epcot might have bee accomplished at much greater cost than foreseen. If it existed to the original scheme the central area offices, shopping and 'people mover' transit surely would be obsolete in need of renovation or rebuild already.

[@NumberSixAtTheVillage]

You're right, Walt wanted a place where parents and their children could enjoy TOGETHER. Not to have one parent wait while the other rides a ride. Not to split up the family into age groups where they complete run around on their own. But at the same time. Now it's just filled with roller coasters, thrill rides, and non-animatronic performers. I feel it's more like Six Flags over Orlando. And you know how successful Six Flags is.

[@hannahroberts673]

There are only nine roller coasters across all four of the theme parks at Disney World. And even most of those are very tame and family-friendly compared to the coasters at Six Flags. The only ones that are actually fairly thrilling and have higher height restrictions (meaning that families with smaller children can't all ride together) are Rock n' Roller Coaster, Expedition Everest, and the new Tron one. And maybe the Tower of Terror ride isn't so kid-friendly. But there is still so much there that aren't roller coasters or thrill rides and that the whole family can ride together.

[@SpezyCoasters]

whoa buddy slow down there, did you ever went to six flags? disney might be overpriced but man ist the thing better haha

[@NumberSixAtTheVillage]

@@SpezyCoasters - The thing is I'm comparing current Disney parks to when they still respected Walt Disney and that hasn't happened since the 80's. And yes I've been to six flags. (and I've been to Universal)

[@ComeAlongKay]

Well all the original awesome stuff is mostly still there if we can stop Iger the terrible and his woke posse from destroying it further.

[@SpezyCoasters]

Yea so great, that it will be all flooded in 2040 haha

[@MichaelRei99]

Stop drinking the Kool Aid!!

[@GeoTactics]

Cool video... I think Merry-go-rounds typically go clockwise and carousels go counter clockwise. @0:30 that would be a carousel.

[@misterjefferson6707]

What does tchotchkey mean?

[@TheOrlandoReal]

Cheap touristy stuff to buy

[@misterjefferson6707]

@@TheOrlandoReal thank you!

[@wacobob56dad]

Walt is spinning in his grave since his dream went woke.

[@ryanward8007]

rotisserie walt strikes again. have an original thought.

[@williamrich7638]

News Flash: Walt Disney World IS NOT in Orlando, Florida. The airport is in Orlando. WDW is in the next county over, Oceola County and the geographic area is Bay Lake. This is a very common misconception.

[@MichaelRei99]

Definitely NOT a news flash. Pretty naive I you to think so.

[@ErikCB912]

It’s in both counties, Orange and Osceola. In fact most of it is in Orange. The only parts that are in Osceola are a few of the resorts and the ESPN Wide World of Sports.