WDW Magazine January 2022 | Page 55

BY RAIN BLANKEN

Where we ’ re going , we don ’ t need roads ... because there ’ s a monorail . That ’ s right , we ’ re strapping on our best leisure suits , packing our plastic lunch boxes , and time traveling to Magic Kingdom on October 1 , 1971 . Let WDW Magazine be your DeLorean as we take a look at the opening day map and try to blend in with the crowd . Yes , that means no cellphones — you ’ ll scare the locals .

MAIN STREET , U . S . A . As we infiltrate the 1971 timeline and step onto Main Street , U . S . A ., you ’ ll notice just a few differences . Walt envisioned this area to be stuck in time , and so it has remained for 50 years . However , the guts of the shop facades have moved around a bit . The Main Street Cinema of 1971 showed silent movies , but nowadays , you can find the brand new Vault collection that sold the vintage map reproduction we used for this article .
The Emporium took up much of the left side of Main Street , as it does today , but in 2022 , it creeps all the way into Casey ’ s Corner ( named Refreshment Corner in 1971 ). Fifty years ago , the Emporium was much smaller , ending just before the Harmony Street Barber Shop and Penny Arcade . Now , the Harmony Barber Shop has been relocated next to the Fire Station , and the Penny Arcade is history .
At the end of Main Street , we have to stop and take in Cinderella Castle . Same spot , same concept , but wow , has she changed over the years . Theme park maps were more representative than accurate in 1971 , so ignore those pink spires . Cinderella Castle gleamed white and blue until her official makeover in 2020 . Since the crowd at the hub seems to naturally flow to the right , let ’ s hang a left to Adventureland .
BACKGROUND : Nostalgia is in full swing at WDW . Head to the shops featuring the Vault Collection for souvenirs like an E-ticket notebook or this reproduction park map so you can see what Magic Kingdom looked like back in 1971 . PHOTO BY JUDD HELMS