How did Disney get so much land in Florida?

In 1964, Walt Disney began secretly buying millions of dollars worth of Central Florida farmland. As vast areas of land were purchased in lots of 5,000 acres here, 20,000 there -- at remarkably high prices -- rumors flew as to who needed so much land and had the money to acquire it.



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In 1964, Walt Disney began secretly buying millions of dollars worth of Central Florida farmland. As vast areas of land were purchased in lots of 5,000 acres here, 20,000 there -- at remarkably high prices -- rumors flew as to who needed so much land and had the money to acquire it.

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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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As the largest landowner in the region, which was recently renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, Disney maintained a de facto control over the previous board. DeSantis also alleges the February declaration may not be legally binding, citing unnamed legal counsel.

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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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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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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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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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Walt Disney World This is the second Park the Walt Disney Company fully owns, but even this deal wasn't entirely Disney-owned and -built in the very beginning.

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Very roughly, it would take at the very least $12.3 billion in today's dollars to build out the Walt Disney World property to its current state. And note that this answer is roughly six years old. So even if they did decide to leave Florida, it would take them decades and billions to rebuild.

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Golden Oak at Walt Disney World® Resort Just four miles from Magic Kingdom® Park, Golden Oak offers resort-style living defined by legendary Disney Service, spectacular experiences, and access to Membership in the private Golden Oak Club.

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Ticket prices There are some similarities between Disneyland tickets and Disney World tickets. At both resorts, theme park ticket prices vary based on park and date, but Disneyland's are almost always slightly cheaper. The average price for a one-day Disneyland ticket for entry between April and August 2023 is $154.

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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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