For a child on the road to Walt Disney World, everything seemed magical.  The anticipation of what was in store beyond the orange groves, inside the gates of the parks, made butterflies flutter in tummies.  Who could drink the little cup of free-sample orange juice at the Florida border when Cinderella Castle awaited?

Walt Disney World was envisioned by Walt Disney, before his death in 1968, as the site of an experimental community (which would never see development), as well as an extension of Disneyland, his first foray into the world of theme parks.  After an overpopulation of outside businesses sprung up around the gates of the Anaheim park, Walt vowed to avoid that problem in the future.  The company, using various pseudonyms, managed to snap up a significant amount of land around Orlando, Florida before tipping their hand.  The result was an immense spread—over 20,000 acres—of lush Floridian paradise, which would be transformed, over time, to the tourism mecca it is today.  Four main parks, a number of water parks and golf courses (both real and of the mini variety), a shopping district and too many hotels to count make up the resort in its present form.

Built in the same style as its sister park (though organized slightly differently, which can be confusing for coast-hopping Disney fans), The Magic Kingdom features seven different lands encircling the castle.  Each land echoes the Disneyland version, with the notable exception of Liberty Square, which took the place of the original New Orleans Square.  Chock with exploration of the past, dreams of fantasy, and hopes for the future, classic rides like The Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Space Mountain filled hearts and minds with exhilaration and imagination.

The second park, Epcot, was opened in 1982; it was a compromised vision of Walt’s experimental community.  Still, the park offered much in the way of edu-tainment, from learning about health (the veggie-veggie-fruit-fruits of Kitchen Cabaret) to exploring international cultures (on the River of Time.)

After Michael Eisner took the reins at the Walt Disney Company, the park expanded in 1989 to include a competitor to Universal Studios Orlando: the Hollywood-themed MGM Studios (home to stage shows, a mock “studio tour,” and some of Walt Disney World’s more thrilling rides.)  1998 brought Animal Kingdom, an elegant collection of flora and fauna that rivals nearby Busch Gardens.  With lots of land remaining—and lots of creative imagineers percolating ideas—much more seems to be in store for this behemoth resort.

Much like a child dreaming of Walt Disney World would imagine, everything there truly is magical, even down to the aircraft runway, which—though no longer used today—features a rumble strip that hums to the tune of Pinocchio’s “When You Wish Upon a Star.”  A place where pirate ships can fly-- or fall down waterfalls, depending on which ride you board-- Walt Disney World continues to hold down the fort in the hearts of children and children-at-heart.