- Do you know all the secrets
behind the Happiest Place on Earth?
December 5th, 1901,
Walt Elias Disney is born in Chicago, Illinois.
As a child, Walt always had an interest
in animation and storytelling,
which really worked out for him, I would say.
By the 1920s, Walt moves to California with his brother Roy
to start an animation company.
In 1928, the brothers release a short film
called "Steamboat Willie."
Now we can't show it or we'll be sued immediately,
but it introduced the world to a character
called Mickey Mouse.
And as you almost definitely know,
it became a world phenomenon.
Throughout the '30s and '40s,
Walt's studio releases a series of massively successful
iconic films like "Snow White and Seven Dwarfs,"
"Cinderella," "Pinocchio," and "Fantasia."
By the 1950s, Walt wanted to expand the Disney empire.
He was getting letters from young fans all over the world
asking if they could visit Walt Disney Studios.
He would also watch his own daughters enjoy the kiddie rides
at LA's Griffith Park and thought,
What if we created a park that could cater
to both kids and adults?
He developed a plan for a simple 8-acre park called
Mickey Mouse Land.
But then, in classic Walt Disney fashion,
decided it needed to be bigger, better,
and way more expensive.
Walt traveled around the world,
visiting legendary amusement parks,
like Denmark's Tivoli Gardens, for inspiration
and realized he had to load his park with a crap-ton
of spectacle and a poop-load of whimsy.
So he buys 160 acres of orange and walnut groves
in Orange County, California,
and on July 17th, 1955, Disneyland officially opens
with much fanfare.
By 1959, Walt was already looking to expand his first park.
He noted that only 5% of Disneyland's visitors
were coming from east of the mighty Mississippi,
but also that's where most Americans lived.
He also desired to have greater control over
the area around his park.
He hated the random businesses that surrounded his land.
Walt started secretly purchasing large plots of land
in Orlando, Florida, to make an East Coast Disneyland
that was bigger, better, and more polished than the original.
1965, Walt announces his grand plan
for Walt Disney World, designed not to be a theme park,
but a destination surrounded by golf courses,
hotels, and wholesome shopping experiences.
It's like a little bubble of happiness
tucked away in the Florida swamps.
1966, Walt Disney passes away before he
can see his dream fulfilled,
is possibly cryogenically frozen,
and his brother Roy takes over.
1971, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom opens,
and it is enormous.
Less than three months later Roy also passes away,
but Disney World becomes an immediate hit,
soon becoming the must-visit destination
for crying children and sweaty parents alike.
The original park featured many rides
that still exist today,
including the rage-inducing It's a Small World,
whose titular song plays on an eternal loop
and some people claim it might be
the most played song of all time, like ever;
the Haunted Mansion, morbid fact,
according to the LA times,
Disney employees have to constantly stop guests
from spreading their loved ones' ashes throughout the ride,
and if they catch you, you get a lifetime ban;
the Country Bear Jamboree,
which I actually don't want to make fun
of the Country Bear Jamboree.
It's just plain fun.
Throughout the 1970s,
more classic rides were added to the Magic Kingdom gauntlet,
including the then Johnny Depp-less Pirates of the Caribbean
and the always Johnny Depp-less Space Mountain.
1982, as the park exploded in popularity,
a second themed area opens, Epcot.
This stands for experimental prototype community
of tomorrow.
And originally Walt Disney envisioned this as an actual
utopian community that people could actually live inside.
It was Walt's vision of what the future of America
could look like.
For reference, this is what it actually looks like.
Instead, it became the go-to destination
for people who want to drink overpriced beer all day
while pretending they're in Venice.
Since then, the park kept expanding
and the cult of Disney fanatics ballooned.
A ton of urban legends and conspiracy theories came out
about the park, and many of them are surprisingly true.
There is an underground system of tunnels
underneath the park that employees use
to quickly navigate the park space,
which as of right now is bigger than the world's
five smallest nations combined.
All of the American flags in the park are fake.
Real flags are required to fly at half-mast
in times of national mourning,
but Disney flags are missing stars or stripes
so they are technically pennants,
and them rules don't apply to pennants.
There is, in fact, a secret speakeasy
in every park named Club 33,
but to get in you have to be an official member.
People have reported waiting periods of up to 14 years
and initial fees could be upwards of $40,000
with an additional annual fee in the tens of thousands.
I think I'd rather chug a beer
at Epcot and fake Venice, personally.
By 2019, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge opens
and hundreds of thousands of nerds
emerged from their parents' basements,
pale and red-eyed to make the pilgrimage
to the new geek Mecca.
Started as an IRL extension of Walt Disney's dream,
grew to a worldwide tourist destination
with over 58 million visitors per year,
thank you Disney World
for confirming Walt's original suspicion
that if you make a park that's fun for kids,
fun for adults, and has plenty of turkey legs
you can eat with your bare hands,
people will show up
and just hand over their hard-earned money.