Roy O. Disney, who after Walt's death oversaw the building and financing of Walt Disney World, died in late 1971, and for the next decade the Company was led by a team including Card Walker, Donn Tatum, and Ron Miller?all originally trained by the Disney brothers.

Following Walt Disney's death in December 1966, his older brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney, took full control of the company and the "Disney World" project. Roy, who was planning to retire, postponed his departure to ensure his brother's final dream was realized. He famously insisted that the project be renamed "Walt Disney World" so that people would always remember it was Walt's vision. Roy managed the construction and financing of the Magic Kingdom and the surrounding resort, leading the company through its most critical transitional phase until the park's grand opening in October 1971. Sadly, Roy passed away just two months after the opening. Following Roy's death, the company was led by a "triumvirate" of executives including Donn Tatum, Card Walker, and Ron Miller (Walt's son-in-law) until the "Eisner Era" began in 1984, which transformed Disney into the global multi-media conglomerate it is in 2026.