Walt Disney Productions' The Magic of Walt Disney World - Theatrical Version (1972)

The Magic of Walt Disney World is a theatrical featurette that revealed to the world what was at the resort when it first opened. Actor Steven Forrest narrates this film and we get to see what the park and hotels looked like when they first opened. This is an incredibly historical film capturing a snapshot of Walt Disney World as it was originally built and not what it became. Several of these attractions, such as Liberty Square and the Hall of Presidents, were planned by Walt for Disneyland and work began under his supervision. It's interesting to see what attractions are focused on when this park was built as opposed to today. Many of these places no longer exist and none of them exist as originally built. Whereas the construction of Disneyland was oversaw by Walt, Walt Disney World was over overseen by Walt’s brother Roy. In many ways, this was how Roy dealt with his grief over the loss of his brother. Admiral Joe Fowler was in charge of building each of these parks. Both are modern marvels.

This featurette was released with the comedy film Walt Disney Productions’ Snowball Express and was expanded into an hour version in 1974 with new narration for Walt’s TV show.

Original release date December 22, 1972

Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company