“If you’ve ever had a dream, and had that dream come true, then you know a little something about the magic of Walt Disney World.” – Narrator

Walt Disney World opened 45 years ago, and it’s changed quite a bit over the years. During its first decade, the resort only had one theme park and a small group of hotels. The foundation was in place for something larger, but Disney took its time. The ‘70s economy wasn’t great, and planned expansions like Thunder Mesa were put on hold or shelved. Families visited The Magic Kingdom for a few days, enjoyed some recreation, and then went to the beach.

Disney’s marketing also sold a much different experience than constant magic. Instead of focusing on princesses and one-of-a-kind experiences, Disney sold the relaxation of the entire grounds. They were a place to escape from the cares of work and enjoy laid-back fun. Water skiing and dinner shows felt as important as Mickey Mouse, pirates, and adventures to space and worlds of fantasy.

My parents took us to Walt Disney World regularly as kids, but I visited in the ‘80s and early ’90s. Even my memories contain a different type of resort than the early days. The additions of EPCOT and the Disney-MGM Studios changed the approach from Disney and guests. An early document of the original set-up is A Dream Called Walt Disney World, an odd but charming 1981 souvenir video. My wife discovered this VHS tape at home from a childhood trip, and it provides a fascinating look at Walt Disney World’s beginnings. I’ve enjoyed a lot of the more recent additions, but I’d still love to visit the place that we see in this relaxing video.

A Resort for Everyone

The presentation begins with the shot of a little girl strolling towards Cinderella Castle in an empty Magic Kingdom. With a slight resemblance to Alice, she’s ready to enter a place where dreams become a reality. Even back in 1981, Disney was selling the idea of magic for guests. The difference then is what they meant by that term. They were really pushing the idea that the resort was a place for adults and kids. There’s even a video clip of Walt Disney retelling the familiar story of watching his daughters on a carousel and wanting more.

Despite the intro with the young girl, this video is really about showing adults what Walt Disney World offers them. I doubt that many kids believed fishing and dinner theater were the prime reasons to visit. There’s almost as much time spent on shopping, dining, and other activities as The Magic Kingdom.

The story begins with Disneyland and brief footage of the park during the ‘50s and ‘60s. We see Walt give his dedication on opening day, and the narrator provides the basic details. Walt Disney World becomes the real dream because of its “blessing of size”, and there’s a short clip from the EPCOT film. However, there’s no mention of Walt’s plans for EPCOT in this video. The theme park of EPCOT Center was not open at this point. This story’s information is true; it just omits certain aspects of the history. The running time is only 25 minutes, so I understand the need to condense the narrative. It isn’t distracting unless you think too much about it.

A Different Kind of Park

The first main segment covers The Magic Kingdom and gives a quick look at each land. The narrator tries to sell the dangers of The Jungle Cruise (including the excised movement with the driver shooting a hippo). There’s also a significant chunk of time spent at The Diamond Horseshoe with up-close shots of the dancing girls. It’s yet another example of where Disney wasn’t targeting the young audience. They also present The Haunted Mansion as a scary place. The park looks so new and less busy than the frenetic place we see today. Of course, it’s missing Splash Mountain, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and the Be Our Guest restaurant. I don’t want to sell the idea that everything was better in 1981.

The remaining time offers a telling reminder of how much has changed in the past 35 years. The Magic Kingdom still has many of its early rides, but Disney World’s other areas have changed quite a bit. We visit Discovery Island, River Country, the Empress Lilly, and the once-grand lobby of The Polynesian. All of these areas have been altered or abandoned since that time. The dining portion focuses on entertainment and not high-end exclusivity. Part of that change is the way that restaurants have evolved over the years. But it also shows the ways that Disney (particularly under Eisner) shifted the business model to covet high-end guests.

A Ridiculous Presentation

Beyond its nostalgic look at Disney’s past, this video is also hilarious. There’s even a theme song with a silly chorus of “The Magic of Walt Disney World!” with a wonderful early ‘80s sound. Later on, the narrator says that you can visit for “a few days…or a week…or even longer!” There’s no pressure to feel like you’re missing everything if you don’t stay a while. In the Main Street section, he tries to cram “old time” into as many sentences as possible. It gets better in Frontierland, where the narrator says “people worked hard, but they played hard too”. A transportation montage sells the fun of riding a parking tram! Everything is relaxing at Walt Disney World, even reaching your car.

A Dream Called Walt Disney World concludes with the narrator explaining how Disney World gives you “the chance to dream again”. The target audience is essentially grumpy, overworked adults that need a vacation. If your kids want to come along, that’s great too! It’s a place where adults can actually take it easy and enjoy the trip. That does feel like a dream, but I can believe it after seeing this video. It sells the idea of Disney World as a vacation resort that just happens to have a theme park.

In today’s era of ADRs, FastPass Plus, and special events, it’s nice to remember where it all started. There were certainly long lines and hot days in the early ‘80s, but I can almost believe it was all magical. Like the narrator says in his final spiel, this is the way the world should be.

A Dream Called Walt Disney World is easy to find on the Internet, especially on YouTube. Here’s one example that’s online if you’re interested in getting an early look at Disney World. It’s also very reasonable to buy if you still have a VCR.

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