Ever wonder why it’s Walt Disney World and not simply Disney World? The answer starts with a brotherly promise made in the shadow of grief which shaped one of the most recognized names – and places – on the planet.
When Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966, the Florida Project (his ambitious East Coast follow-up to Disneyland) was little more than swampland, blueprints, and a vision that existed largely in his own mind. The resort hadn’t broken ground yet, and plenty of people weren’t sure it ever would. Walt’s older brother and lifelong business partner, Roy O. Disney, had actually been planning to retire. Instead, he delayed it indefinitely and took over the project himself.
For more than four decades, Roy Disney worked alongside his brother Walt as the financial backbone of the company; securing loans, negotiating deals, and finding money where there seemingly wasn’t any. It was Roy who financed their very first venture with $200 from his military disability pension, and Roy who struck the landmark deal with ABC that made Disneyland possible. When Walt died during the construction of the “Florida Project”, Roy was determined to see it through, but he made one significant change along the way. The company had been referring to the Florida resort simply as “Disney World.” Roy insisted the official name be Walt Disney World, which was a deliberate decision to make sure his brother’s name was permanently attached to the thing he’d spent years dreaming up.
— The Florida Project Press Conference
— Roy O. Disney poses in front of Cinderella Castle’s construction
It might not have been Walt’s exact idea for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, but Roy made his brother’s dream happen. At Magic Kingdom‘s dedication ceremony, Roy put it plainly: “Everyone has heard of Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford, who started it all?”
The park opened on October 1, 1971. Roy was there for it. He passed away just 11 weeks later, on December 20, 1971, having seen the project through to the end.
His presence is still felt in Magic Kingdom’s Town Square, where a bronze statue of Roy sitting on a bench with Minnie Mouse has welcomed guests since 1999.
The name was never just branding. Roy made sure of that.
Walt’s legacy shows up across the resort in other ways too. Disney’s Hollywood Studios has Walt Disney Presents, a walk-through exhibit tracing his life and career. EPCOT‘s World Celebration features a statue of Walt in the park he came closest to envisioning as a city of tomorrow. And over at Sci-Fi Dine-In, clips from his old television specials play on the big screen.
Vintage images sourced from The Walt Disney Company and D23
