September 5, 2008: "This Week at WDW" in 1972

[Werner Weiss]

Here's a booklet about things to do at Walt Disney World in 1972, along with my comments about each page.

Link to "This Week at WDW" in 1972 at Yesterland

Please discuss it here. What are your observations?

[Timon]

Additional Information: Contemporary Resort - Gulf Coast Restaurant
The Gulf Coast Room was actually one of the three rooms that made the Grand Republic Ballroom. It had a low ceiling and dark wood walls with polished wood strips of the same color to give it a classy but modern feel. Interestingly the restaurant wood disappear when ever the room was rented to a convention. We were told in the early years that there wasn't enough dining choices or variety and the Gulf Coast Room was a response.

Have you ever researched the three old side wheelers for YesterWorld? I used to really enjoy those boats. The Southern Seas, The Southern Seas (2nd) and The Ports O Call. Other YesterBoats: The Eastern Seas and The Admiral Joe Fowler (Stern wheeler), Bob 0 Rounds (recreational rentals) Name swapping on the current Ferryboats and stern wheeler

[danyoung]

Thanks much for that look into the past. I so wanted to visit WDW as soon as it opened, but as a kid growing up in Idaho, Florida was a million miles away. I didn't get my first visit till 1979, so this early look is really very interesting to me!

[Werner Weiss]

Originally Posted by Timon

Additional Information: Contemporary Resort - Gulf Coast Restaurant
The Gulf Coast Room was actually one of the three rooms that made the Grand Republic Ballroom. It had a low ceiling and dark wood walls with polished wood strips of the same color to give it a classy but modern feel. Interestingly the restaurant wood disappear when ever the room was rented to a convention. We were told in the early years that there wasn't enough dining choices or variety and the Gulf Coast Room was a response.

Interesting. I wondered why there was a fine dining restaurant on the convention level of the Contemporary.

Originally Posted by Timon

Have you ever researched the three old side wheelers for YesterWorld? I used to really enjoy those boats. The Southern Seas, The Southern Seas (2nd) and The Ports O Call. Other YesterBoats: The Eastern Seas and The Admiral Joe Fowler (Stern wheeler), Bob 0 Rounds (recreational rentals) Name swapping on the current Ferryboats and stern wheeler

I have never researched The Southern Seas, The Southern Seas (2nd), The Ports O Call, or The Eastern Seas.

When the subject of the Liberty Square Riverboats came up on an earlier MiceChat thread, I wrote:

Here's what I understand:

The Magic Kingdom opened with one riverboat on the Rivers of America: the Admiral Joe Fowler.

In 1973, the Magic Kingdom added a second riverboat: the Richard F. Irvine.

In 1980, the Admiral Joe Fowler was retired because it was damaged beyond repair during a refurbishment accident. The Richard F. Irvine remained as the only riverboat.

In 1996, the Richard F. Irvine became the Liberty Belle after an extensive refurbishment.

Two ferries operating on the Seven Seas Lagoon between the TTC and the Magic Kingdom now carry the names Richard F. Irvine (former Magic Kingdom I) and Admiral Joe Fowler (former Magic Kingdom II).

For a glimpse at the Bob-a-Round boats, see the following Walt Dated World page:

http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id159.htm

[Mark Dewd]

Thank you, Werner, for bringing back some wonderful memories. (It was all so new and exciting back then.)

[brycem]

Great update!

I was lucky to have visited Walt Disney World during its very first Christmas, only a few months after the park opened. Everything looked and smelled brand new--it was amazing!

One of my favorite things about that trip was that one of the monorails was dedicated to hotel stops, and because of its distance from other hotels offsite, the Magic Kingdom would lose most of the crowds relatively early in the evening. A hotel guest would have the run of the park for the last couple of hours!

One of the things the brochure reminded me of was the showing of Disney movies at the Contemporary Hotel. They were only 16mm prints, but they showed mostly the animated classics. And this--long before home video made these classics so familiar--was a real choice for entertainment! Did you want to visit the Magic Kingdom or watch a Disney animated classic you haven't seen and may not see again for years?!

Okay, so I didn't stick around for the movies, and I have no regrets, but that was how it was then!

[better_by_design]

There's a runway at WDW? I had no idea! Looked on Google Earth, and it still appears to be there beside the Epcot Monorail beam, just south of the Wilderness Lodge, just east of the TTC parking lot, behind a bank of trees.

Judging from the length (and name!) it obviously couldn't handle larger aircraft, but did Disney ever continue use of it for VIP flights, corporate jets, etc?

And on the same note, does WDW have a heliport? I'm assuming there's enough wealthy folks that wouldn't want the drive in!