1Walt might have passed before the opening of the Florida Project , but his older brother , Roy O . Disney , ensured the park carried on his legacy . The park in Florida was meant to be called just Disney World , but in his brother ’ s honor , Roy decided to rename the park to Walt Disney World instead .
2Three locomotives and one parlor car on Disney Property have borne the name “ Lilly Belle ,” including Walt Disney World Railroad No . 2 . The name “ Lilly Belle ” serves to honor Walt ’ s wife , Lillian .
3Walt may have never set foot in a completed WDW , but his likeness appears , hand in hand with Mickey , in the Partners statue in front of Cinderella Castle . To model Mickey holding Walt ’ s hand , sculptor and Disney Legend Blaine Gibson watched Fantasia to see how our favorite mouse shakes hands with the orchestra conductor .
4Roy postponed his own retirement after Walt ’ s death to ensure WDW opened successfully . His work included convincing both county and state governments in Florida to establish a “ special district ” for Disney World ( Reedy Creek Improvement District ), complete with its own incorporated city , Bay Lake , which had 53 residents in the 2019 census .
5Main Street , U . S . A . is alive with small-town vibes , welcoming to all . That ’ s not by accident : Walt envisioned a bustling area modeled after Kansas Avenue , the main street of his childhood town of Marceline , Missouri . This small town had a massive effect on Walt , even though he only lived there from 1906 to 1911 .
8Head to Skipper Canteen in Adventureland to refuel before hopping on Jungle Cruise . This is your best chance of seeing bugs up close without trekking to DAK for It ’ s Tough to be a Bug ! Check out the butterfly booth , steeped in Disney family history ; some of these butterflies actually came from Lillian ’ s personal collection .
6When dedicating WDW on October 25 , 1971 , inside Magic Kingdom , Roy insisted that Mickey Mouse stand by his side . Imagineer Gardy Landrum says that Roy believed it was the “ closest thing to having his brother Walt by his side .”
7After a day of exploring Magic Kingdom , head to Primo Piatto at Disney ’ s Riviera Resort via bus . Not only can you enjoy French and Italian Quick-Service meals , but you can also marvel at the wall full of black and white photos of Walt himself .
9Walt had envisioned a massive Liberty Tree inside a patriotic Liberty Square at Disneyland ; his dream was instead realized at WDW , but it was no small feat . When a 130-year-old live oak was found 8 miles outside of Magic Kingdom , Imagineers devised a way to move the 38-ton tree ( and its massive root ball ) onto Disney Property , where it now shades Walt ’ s Liberty Square .
10Magic Kingdom ’ s Carousel of Progress was “ Walt ’ s idea from beginning
to end ,” but Walt originally envisioned it as Harnessing the Lightning on Edison Avenue , a would-be attraction on a would-be street in Disneyland . His altered vision was eventually realized at the World ’ s Fair , where he debuted the Carousel of Progress . Though Walt did bring it back to Disneyland , it moved to its current home in Magic Kingdom in 1975 .
PREVIOUS PAGE : Walt would have been proud of this grand oak tree . PHOTO BY JUDD HELMS