Who Remembers The Walt Disney World Preview Center?
Who remembers the Walt Disney Resort Preview Center? Sadly I wasn’t born until 4 years later but have heard nostalgic stories about the center that began welcoming guests on October 1, 1971.
According to a recent piece on Disney Parks Blog, over a million people visited the Preview Center. The Mid-Century Modern building was the go-to spot for residents and visitors a like to get a first look at construction and plans for what would eventually become the Walt Disney World you know and love today.
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Construction started at the preview center in 1969. Starting in early 1970, previews started to be offers for dignitaries and VIPS with public tours beginning on January 16, 1970. The business hours for the center were 9am – 5pm and it remained open until September 30, 1971 which was the day BEFORE Walt Disney World officially opened.
The center was manned by 14 cast members to serve as tour guides. The picture above is of Debby Dane Browne who also had the distinction of becoming Disney World’s first ambassador back in October 1970.
Browne recalls that the cast members selected for the preview center were surprised by the amount of guests that visited the center during the year it was in operation. Debby recalls, “Families along the East Coast were longing for a place to have magical vacations. The center gave them a first taste of Disney. More than 5,000 people visited us opening weekend, and it was wonderful sharing pixie dust with them.”
Among the exhibits that guests could enjoy were a 12 minute short film, a 625 square foot model of Walt Disney World, concept artwork and more!
During that time, Disney enforced a strict no photos policy as many of the concepts featured were still under construction.
The center also included a souvenir shop and a refreshment station with soft drinks and freshly squeezed orange juice. The exterior of the center was also decorated with animal topiaries
It’s fun to reminisce about these early origins of Walt Disney World as the theme parks are prepping for the 50th Anniversary celebration which will official kick off at Walt Disney World on October 1st.
Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog for further news and updates on “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.”
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