July 11, 2008: The Magic Kingdom in 1973

[Werner Weiss]

The maps in the Spring/Summer 1973 Walt Disney World Information Guide provide an interesting glimpse at the Magic Kingdom of 35 years ago.

Link to The Magic Kingdom in 1973 at Yesterland

Please discuss it here.

[Bryce05]

Very interesting.
Frontierland and Tomorrowland were definitely somewhat lacking in the early years.

[Lady Stardust]

I love looking at this kind of stuff! It seems that over the years there have been a lot of good and bad changes. Probably the changes that I regret the most are those to the shops in Main Street USA. I'd love to visit some of those long-gone shops!

[ralfrick]

Interesting that the Tiki room was a D; it was still an E in DL when the tickets were phased out in the 80s. The Mark Twain (DL) was an E in 1969; don't know if it had already been downgraded to D in 1973.

A bientot.

[GrumpyFan]

It's interesting that It's a Small World, and Hall of Presidents were considered "E" tickets. I'm sure for their time they were marvels of wonder, with their "advanced" animatronics figures, but in today's world, they would surely be D or C tickets, if that.

[Athlonacon]

Main Street probably has the highest potential for painful removals of "attractions". Even though Penny Arcade and stuff like that is so small and seemingly insignificant, it adds SO much to the atmosphere and charm of Main Street. It usually takes a sizable building or amount of land to be removed to cause a lot of nostalgia and heartache, but in Main Street all it takes is a small building to bring on the hurt.

Is our Penny Arcade at Disneyland still intact? I think I heard it was turned into a Mickey-Mouse plush toy shop, but part of me wants to think that I misheard this. I never lived during the turn of the century, at least not the turn of the 20th century (obviously), but there's something about Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. that makes me feel as if I actually experienced it for real. The Street is highly idealized, like looking at a time through a memory after decades have gone by, but it just gives you a sense of what it would have been like as a kid growing up in that era.

[Werner Weiss]

It's interesting that It's a Small World, and Hall of Presidents were considered "E" tickets. I'm sure for their time they were marvels of wonder, with their "advanced" animatronics figures, but in today's world, they would surely be D or C tickets, if that.

Interesting perspective.

I guess I still consider It's a Small World and the Hall of Presidents to be "E" ticket attractions, based on size, scope, length of show, and (in the case of Small World) enduring popularity. Compared to "C" ticket attractions like Snow White, these two attractions are much more grand.

I think that if Disney were still using tickets and ticket books, the Hall of Presidents would probably have been "demoted" to "D" or "C" by now to because of the "E" ticket attractions added to the Magic Kingdom after 1973, such as Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain. Part of the role of the tickets was to encourage guests to go to various tiers of attractions, and keep them operating at capacity.

But that's just my opinion.

[Werner Weiss]

Main Street probably has the highest potential for painful removals of "attractions".

When I wrote the article, I had a line about how Main Street at the Magic Kingdom in Florida had changed from a street that emphasized the businesses that one might find in a small American downtown circa 1900 to a street that primarily sells Disney character merchandise.

I removed the line because there was always Disney character merchandise and there is still plenty of nostalgia.

However, clearly the emphasis has shifted. With the loss of businesses such as the magic shop, book shop, tobacconist, candle shop, Penny Arcade, and Main Street Cinema — and with Disney characters plastered on almost all of the merchandise in the current roster of shops — Main Street has essentially become one big Disney shop. There's even Disney merchandise in the fire station! It can be argued that this is good business and that it's the kind of merchandise that the majority of guests want. But it also means that Main Street no longer as effective in taking guests to another place and time.

[Aladdin]

Being after 35 years, WDW MK really hasn't added many attractions. They have replaced a few. BUT with the huge amount of space they have , it is rather disappointing that they haven't done more with what should be their best of 4 parks. So much of their attention has gone to adding other parks, and adding hotels, that the main draw itself has become neglected and diminished in the process.

[Circa1966]

Thanks for the continued Yesterland articles, Werner. As a big fan of nostalgia, your website and articles are definitely my kind of stuff.

[Kidgenie]

Interesting to read "riverboats" (AKA pural, more then one) in Frontierland and to see a picture of what clearly looks likes like the Mark Twain, vs, that Liberty Belle (Orginally the Richard F. Irvine). I have always heard the MK had two big river boats when it opened, and the the MK's "Mark Twain" was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland when it open. Not sure if thats true or not but at least the guidemap confirms the extistance of the second riverboat.

[Werner Weiss]

I have always heard the MK had two big river boats when it opened, and the the MK's "Mark Twain" was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland when it open. Not sure if thats true or not but at least the guidemap confirms the extistance of the second riverboat.

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).

No Magic Kingdom riverboat was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland.

[Disneyland Tickets]

Awesome job Werner, I love it! I will be at the Magic Kingdom for the first time this Tuesday. I have visions of it looking like the old guides, I hope its at least close.

[Mark Dewd]

Even though the park was sparse back in the 1970's, those of who visited it were still blown away by it all. The technology on many of the attractions was cutting edge, innovative and mind-blowing (ghosts you can actually see through!?!). And the park itself was, at that time, the biggest in the world.

Question: Wasn't the "Mickey Mouse Revue" an "E" ticket when it first opened?? (I think they changed it to a "D" after the first year or so. Or am I wrong about that??)

[Werner Weiss]

Question: Wasn't the "Mickey Mouse Revue" an "E" ticket when it first opened?? (I think they changed it to a "D" after the first year or so. Or am I wrong about that??)

According to Wikipedia, "In October 1, 1971, the Mickey Mouse Revue show opened as an 'E' ticket attraction in Fantasyland, in the Magic Kingdom, Florida."

WaltDatedWorld and Widen Your World also say that it originally required an "E" ticket.