1971 WDW Construction film footage

[HauntedGabe]

It has to be the Swiss Tree. Yep AK Tree I'm sure was somewhat modeled after the MK tree. It worked.

[Dizisit]

Thanks, Gabe!!!
This is just FABULOUS!!!!!

[BamaJenn]

Another good (but really short) montage of construction footage (actually from Dis): Magic Kingdom Park Construction at Walt Disney World Resort - YouTube

[Gatorhead]

Nice find. I always find these types of videos fascinating. Who would have thought at that time that Disney World would be what it is today? I never would have imagined it as a kid visiting MK in the early 70's.

[BamaJenn]

Nice find. I always find these types of videos fascinating. Who would have thought at that time that Disney World would be what it is today? I never would have imagined it as a kid visiting MK in the early 70's.

Agreed! If they ever find a way to send folks back in time without disturbing the past/present/future... WDW under construction and each park's opening day would be my first entry into the "when?" computer. LOL

[i-neighborhood]

Looks like Walt Disney got things done then and now, yes why does it take so long.

[Mo Noyz]

Safety standards and building codes have changed dramatically since then.

[i-neighborhood]

That does make since but it still seems a bit long.

[HauntedGabe]

Everything that Disney seems to do lately seems to take forever. Test Track, went much longer than it was supposed to it was originally to open in September with the opening of Food and Wind, didn't happen. They Closed the Main Street Bakery to transform to a Starbucks, it was going to be two months, now pushed to 4 months for a small coffee shop, Avatar at best will be 2017 now, that got pushed off two full years. I wonder if Splash will make its March coming back on line date? Time will tell. Primeval Whirl was another one that went really wrong the year before. Disney can do it when they want to and are so motivated. Their DVC's move along nicely and they keep to a schedule.

Yet Universal love them or hate them, is full steam ahead and beating their timetables. They seem to have their house in order, it took them a few decades but them seem to be committed. The Simpsons expansion is well on its way as is Gringotts Bank coaster, Transformers 4-D is moving very quickly but Despicable Me might be a bit behind because of the Fire. The first three went vertical in the fall 2012 and are hoping to open by the end of 2013 if not early 2014 and they are also doing an expansion of HP to connect the two parks by way of an attraction. Universal has found a way to make things happen in a timely fashion.

[Mo Noyz]

Well, a lot of people like to bring up the fact that Epcot was built in two years. But, the difference being that Disney employed 22 contractors for that project.

They had two for the FLE.

Enormous difference.

I don't know the reason for the difference, but no other theme park is doing it any faster.

[i-neighborhood]

Please tell me that the bakery on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom is NOT becoming Starbucks.

[Mo Noyz]

Please tell me that the bakery on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom is NOT becoming Starbucks.

It's not "becoming a Starbucks, they're just remodeling to fit Starbucks in.

[i-neighborhood]

Phew..But I thought they didn't let "Brands" in? Anyways, fitting and at Disney price I bet their coffee will be 10 or 15 bucks now.

[HauntedGabe]

They are taking most of the baked goods out and most of the sandwiches and replacing some of them with Starbuck fare and the remaining Disney pastry. It will no longer be the Main Street Bakery, it will have a new name and will be also marked Starbucks and sell Starbucks beverages. At same time one is going in at Epcot in the Ice Cream Fountain area in Future World.

Here is the finished one in Disney Cali Adventure

[HauntedGabe]

Well, a lot of people like to bring up the fact that Epcot was built in two years. But, the difference being that Disney employed 22 contractors for that project.

They had two for the FLE.

Enormous difference.

I don't know the reason for the difference, but no other theme park is doing it any faster.

They had 22 contractors for entire park bare bones. From painters to infrastructure to parking lots and building the lake. FLE is tiny to make an analogy to Epcot and a good chunk of FLE was re-purposed land. Plus the 2 contractors subcontracted.

And Universal is building much quicker than Disney is and has far more projects vertical ta-boot. And I can't think of another project in any other theme park that has an ETA like Disney AK Avatar 2017. You also don't see many theme parks creating the mess called the Wharf in DTD.


Broke ground in Fall 2012, ETA end of 2013 or early 2014 for Transformers, Potter 2.0 with multiple attractions and a new coaster, Simpsons expansion, Despicable Me. Even if all of these run late if I were a betting lady I'd count on any of these expansions coming online before Avatar and it will be a horse race to see if Dwarf can go online before Universal finally finishes.