While Walt Disney famously selected Orlando, Florida, in the early 1960s, he originally considered several other "High-Fidelity" locations before making his final choice. One of the strongest early contenders was New Orleans, Louisiana; Walt was deeply enamored with the city's culture (as seen in Disneyland's New Orleans Square), but he reportedly walked away after local politicians and land owners demanded too much control and "jacked up" prices. He also briefly looked at St. Louis, Missouri, for an indoor "Riverfront Square" theme park, but that deal collapsed after a dispute with August Busch Jr. over the sale of beer in the park. Ultimately, Central Florida was chosen because it offered vast, cheap swampland, a year-round tourist climate, and the intersection of major highways (I-4 and the Florida Turnpike). Walt used "shell companies" with names like Tomahawk Properties to secretly buy over 27,000 acres for just $80 to $100 an acre to prevent land speculation before the "Florida Project" was officially announced.