Did the CIA help Disney buy land in Florida?

Revealed: How the CIA helped Disney conquer Florida and buy super-cheap land that is 'above the law' Disney conspired with the CIA to buy up cheap land in Florida for Disney World and orchestrate a unique legal situation that makes the theme park above the law, a new book claims.



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Well, not exactly. He did, however, hire two CIA members, Paul Helliwell and William Donavan to help him strategically acquire real estate under the names of numerous fake companies and maintain the utmost control over the property he acquired.

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For Disney, it would mean losing a significant source of revenue, as the company's Florida operations include four theme parks, two water parks, several hotels, and numerous other attractions that draw millions of visitors each year.

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So when you say Walt Disney World is huge, you ain't kidding! The Walt Disney World Resort is made up of 47 square miles of land…. or about 30,000 acres. Only about 1100 acres of that land is devoted to the 4 theme parks. In fact, with only 7,100 acres developed, there's quite a lot of room for expansion!

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To put it simply… nope. Honestly, this is a rumor that has spread multiple times in the Disney space, so we wanted to debunk the rumor.

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In 1965, Walt Disney revealed the park, and it became officially known. Overall, the company bought 27,400 acres of land from 51 landowners for over $5 million. The land cost $182 per acre after the deal was done.

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Little Known Disney Facts So, how was Disney World built on a swamp? Well, it wasn't, not really. They scooped out material from what was to be the Seven Seas Lagoon, made it into a vast dirt mound, and then built Disney World, the theme park we know today, on the top.

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A leading expert on Disney World's history in Florida told Insider that the amusement park is tied to its Florida home, due to its expensive operations and sprawling size. They're stuck there, Richard Foglesong, the author of the book Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando, told Insider.

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While Disney could pick up and move some of its businesses from Orlando to another state, Disney World and its other theme parks aren't going anywhere. Moving all the infrastructure, including hotels, restaurants and shops as well as transportation to move guests around, just wouldn't be feasible.

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Please explore other ticket options. Experience a summer of magic and thrills with a special ticket offer just for Florida residents. Florida Residents can purchase a 4-Day Disney Summer Magic Ticket for just $58 per day, plus tax (total price: $229 plus tax). A specially priced 3-day ticket is also available.

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In short, they generate a lot of tax revenue. Disney says it paid and collected more than $1.1 billion in state and local tax revenues in Florida last year. That's real money, more than a lot of line items in the state budget.

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The Walt Disney Company not only owns all of the Walt Disney World Resort, but has de facto governmental control over the vast property through the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special entity created by the Florida legislature to give Disney authority over the destination's planning and development.

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