Walt Disney sure had some grand plans when it came to building the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Fla.
He not only wanted it to be a fun theme park, but also to include an experimental prototype community of tomorrow (EPCOT) that would be a real working futuristic city, utilizing the latest push-button technology ala "The Jetsons."
The visionary sadly died in 1966, several years before Disney World opened in 1971, and EPCOT eventually just became another theme park incorporated into the larger resort in 1982. But did you know it was once meant to actually be lived in?
Below are a few other fun facts that you might never have guessed about the Happiest Place on Earth.
1. It's huge. Like, city-huge
The size of the entire Walt Disney World resort is 40 Square miles, or the size of San Francisco. You heard me. The same size as the city of San Francisco.
2. They cut a lot of checks
It's not easy keeping the magic alive. Disney World employs 62,000 people, making it the largest single-site employer in the country.
3. It can operate as a Sunglass Hut
Every single day, more than 200 pairs of sunglasses are turned in to the Lost and Found department at Disney World. Good luck sifting through that pile if your aviators go missing over in Toon Town.
4. Talkin' turkey
Giant turkey legs were first introduced at Disney World the 90s, and became such a popular item that they were quickly introduced to the other parks. More than 1.6 million turkey drumsticks are consumed at the resort every year, and you can even buy all sorts of gear (t-shirts, hats, etc.) with pictures of turkey legs on them.
5. It's sustainable!
Who would have thought? More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables are grown each year at EPCOT's Land Pavilion and used in the resort's restaurants and cafes.
6. Papa Oak
The Liberty Oak, which stands in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, has spawned over 500 young oak trees via its harvested acorns.
7. Sleep like a princess
There's a hotel suite tucked away in Cinderella's Castle that can sleep up to six and has flat-screen TV disguised as magic mirrors. Unfortunately, you can't just make a reservation?overnight guests are winners that are chosen at random by the park each day.
8. Holy inflation
When Disney's Magic Kingdom first opened in 1971, adult admission cost $3.50. Today, it's $89.
9.Captain 'Godfather'
Captain Eo, the 3D science fiction film starring Michael Jackson that was shown at Disney Parks in the 80s and 90s, was directed by none other than Francis Ford Coppola, and produced by George Lucas. The movie returned to Disney World after Jackson's 2010 death.
10. It's eco-friendly ... sort of
Fifteen miles south of Disney World is the Disney Wilderness Preserve, which is a 12,000 acre wetlands mitigation project that Disney company bought it in the 90s. Disney provides funds for restoration and wildlife monitoring in order to offset the lands impacted by the development of Walt Disney World. Fair enough.
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