The opening of Walt Disney World was an emotional moment , the realization of Walt ’ s final vision , a dream he announced to the world just one year before his passing . While Walt planned to name it Disney World , his tragic passing in 1966 prompted his older brother , Roy O . Disney , to include Walt ’ s name at the top . In Roy ’ s mind , the new resort was
Walt ’ s dream , a result of his visionary leadership .
In his dedication speech , Roy declared , “ Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney … and to the talents , the dedication , and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney ’ s dream come true .” Roy was correct in saying it took a team of talented , dedicated , loyal individuals to bring Walt ’ s dream to life , including many Imagineers who were then faced with the task of turning his vision into reality .
One of the Imagineers who supported the opening of Walt Disney World was Disney Legend Tony Baxter , whom I recently had the honor to interview for my podcast . Tony worked on the design of some of the attractions and worked at the park itself to ensure everything was ready for its grand opening .
Walt Disney World Resort Dedication Ceremony - Roy O . Disney and Mickey Mouse at the Oct . 25 , 1971 , dedication ceremony for Walt Disney World Resort on Main Street , U . S . A ., in Magic Kingdom Park in Lake Buena Vista , Fla . PHOTO BY DISNEY
Tony was very young in his career during the development of Walt Disney World ; he was hired as an Imagineer right out of college when he was only 22 . After some time spent working in the model shop , Tony ’ s mentor , Claude Coats , recommended he head to Florida in April 1971 to support the opening as a field director .
Tony told me , “ When we were finished with the design , and now it was time to put it into the park in Florida , [ Claude ] said , ‘ Dave Burkhart is overwhelmed on the 20,000 Leagues attraction , and you ’ ve worked with me on the Snow White attraction , so I really would like you to go down to supervise the install on that .’” As a young Imagineer , Tony was initially concerned about leading a team in the field ( according to Tony , many of the team were his dad ’ s age ) and thought perhaps he might be sent home on the next flight .
As it turns out , Tony was the last Imagineer to head back to California in December 1971 . We can attribute much of Tony ’ s success to his ability to solve problems . In fact , after completing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , Tony went on to , in his words , be the “ pinch hitter trying to fix all the stuff that didn ’ t work right for opening day .”
One of those attractions that needed fixing was Mr . Toad ’ s Wild Ride . The team couldn ’ t quite figure out what wasn ’ t working , so they approached Tony to ask if he could help . After looking around , Tony realized the problem was that the ride , despite being a “ dark ride ,” was focused on daytime scenes . The 18-foot walls replicated a blue sky , which didn ’ t look right when the bright walls converged with fixtures hanging from the ceiling . Tony concluded that the attraction ’ s setting had to shift to nighttime and that anything that approached the ceiling had to be painted black .
The field team was impressed with how Tony identified both the problem and the solution , but Tony admits it came from a lot of methodical thought : “ I had to sit there alone with myself and analyze that problem and go through the steps .” Showcasing his thought process , Tony explained how he realized that in real life , “... the sky doesn ’ t end at 18 feet , and trees don ’ t stay green until 18 feet and then chop off .” To buffer the transitions , Tony ’ s team added leaves around the glowing lamps and faded the illumination into the scene . “ … and the sky can give you a little profile of the hills , but then it ’ s got to vanish before it goes up .”
This experience taught Tony to lead by solving problems , and it gave him the confidence required to rise up at Imagineering ; Tony concluded his career as the Senior Vice President of Creative Development . Needless to say , Tony went on to become an exceptional leader , bringing us some of the most iconic second-generation Disney attractions over his 40-year career , many of which Tony and I discuss in Imagineer Podcast Episode 115 .
Tony ’ s story is just one of the many involving the opening of Walt Disney World . Countless Imagineers were part of the resort ’ s initial success . It ’ s amazing to see how far their vision has come over the last 50 years .
ABOVE : Tony Baxter . PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY PREVIOUS PAGE : Mr . Toad is having a bit of a moment during the WDW 50th celebration . Guests can find signature Toad-inspired food and merchandise throughout Magic Kingdom — a testament to the ride ' s enduring popularity . PHOTO BY RAIN BLANKEN