Changes

In This history of the Magic Kingdom began in 1959 , when Walt Disney Productions began to look for a place to build a second theme park<ref> Walt Disney: the triumph of the American imagination By: Gabler, Neal. Knopf 2006</ref>. Coming off the success of Disneyland, (which had opened in 1955), and was located in Anaheim California, was already a success however Walt Disney felt he could do better. Walt wanted to build a “Disneyland East”, and market bring his theme park to the East Coast. According to research done by the Disney Company found that even though , although 75% of the American population was located east of the MississippiRiver, only 5% of Disneyland's guests were visitors came from the eastthat region <ref> http://www. Walt wanted themeparkinsider.com/flume/201312/3819/ </ref>. The success of the people living in Disney attractions at the Eastern United States to 1964 World's Fair in New York, showed Walt that Disney could be able to experience Disneylanda huge success in the East Coast market <ref> http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/look-closer-1964-new-york-world%E2%80%99s-fair </ref>. Adding Also adding to Walt's frustration, the area around Disneyland had become rundown by local business hoping to capitalize on Disneyland's success, and Walt wanted to have control over much more land than he could in Disneyland. It was with these goals With this goal in mind that , Walt and his planning team (WED Enterprises) began to search scout for a new location where he could build a "Disneyland East". One of the original locations Walt considered was St. Louis, where Disney had plans to build "Riverfront Square," a five-story, fully enclosed theme park which would have a St. Louis and New Orleans theme <ref name= "St.Louis"> http://archive.ksdk.com/news/article/348062/3/Disney-theme-park-almost-a-reality-in-St-Louis </ref>. Although Disney developed significant plans for their new the theme park, negotiations with St. Louis eventually fell through. Although the exact reasons for this falling out are not clear, it is commonly accepted that among the reasons was the fact that Bush family wanted Disney to sell beer in the park, which he refused to do <ref name= "St.Louis"/>. By 1963 WED Enterprises had decided that set their sites of Florida as the new park would be built in location of their "Project X" (later renamed the "FloridaProject"). Florida was already the top state in terms of tourism, and the Florida climate would allow the new theme park to be open year round. In November, Walt Disney himself flew over one of the potential sites, Orlando, in November 1963. Disney decided Orlando was the perfect location for his new park. The well-developed road system including the already planned Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike further added to the appeal of the area<ref> http://www.wdwradio.com/2005/02/wdw-history-101-how-to-buy-27000-acres-of-land-and-no-one-noticeq/ </ref>. After much research WED Enterprises and Walt eventually selected a centrally-located site near Bay Lake for construction of their new park.   The purchasing of land Lawyer Paul Helliwell and Florida relator Roy Hawkins were responsible for coordinating the new park (now called companies purchases of the Florida Project) began in 1964land <ref> http://www. To avoid an increase in themeparkinsider.com/flume/201312/3819/ </ref>. In order to keep the public from knowing that Disney was buying the land prices(as this would greatly increase the cost), Disney used various set up dummy corporations including: Latin American Development and Management, Bay Lake Properties, Tomahawk Properties, Retlaw, M.T. Lott Real Estate, Ayefour Corporation <ref> http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2014/5/12/walt-disneys-florida-project-1964-1965.html </ref> and others to purchase buy the land. All in all , Disney bought 27,443 acres in of land from more than 100 property owners. The total coast of the land was nearly 5.5 million (about 200 dollars per acre). After being outed by a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel <ref> http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-blog/os-orlando-sentinel-headline-disney-1965-20141024-post.html </ref>, Walt Disney announced his plans for The Florida Project to the public on November 16, 1965<ref> http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1965/11/16/page/45/article/disney-gives-some-facts-on-florida-plans </ref>.