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    WDW: The Way We Were

    By Raphael De Varonaon

    This weekend’s D23 Event, Destination D at the Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort was nothing short of awesome for those who love everything Disney.  In the event’s second session, “Walt Disney World: The Way We Were,” Disney legend Dave Smith took us back to the early days of Walt Disney World and shared incredible photos of the construction of the most magical kingdom on this planet. So sit back and enjoy as we journey back in time to see Walt Disney World as it was.

    Disney Legend Dave Smith!
    Field of Dreams
    To step back in time and see how things were before WDW is truly invaluable...
    The rumors were rampant about who might have purchased so much land in Central Florida.
    Hilton Inn South was headquarters for Disney Imagineers as they worked on "The Florida Project."

    Walt Disney World Preview Center
    Plant Nursery in preparation for installation in the Magic Kingdom.

    Choo Choo!

    Looking for a cutaway of Main Street USA?

    Everyone's favorite haunted home...
    ...but this is more than a home...
    ...this is a Mansion!
    Your Happy Haunts...

    If you look closely at the building on the right you will notice that the building actually houses two attractions. (Currently Mickey's Philharmagic & The Hall of Presidents)
    Building the Magic

    Here you get a glimpse at how the Magic Kingdom was built upon a system of tunnels known as Disney's Utilidors.
    Did you know that Tempo Bay Resort was considered as a potential name for Disney's Contemporary Resort?
    The Contemporary's Hotel rooms were prefabricated off site and then installed as seen above.
    Monorail construction on approach
    Big Thunder Mountain
    Splash Mountain
    Spaceship Earth
    World of Motion
    World Showcase
    The Living Seas
    ...and my favorite Tower of Terror!
    Roy Disney at the opening of Walt Disney World.
    As you can see the original version of Dumbo was quite different from today's version and soon we will have an all new ride in Storybook Circus.
    The happiest couple on Earth taking a stroll under the Magic Kingdom

    Well I hope you enjoyed this look back into the construction of the Magic Kingdom straight from this weekend’s Destination D event.  Stay tuned for more coverage from this weekend’s Destination D and if you haven’t already, make sure to check out the live coverage from this past weekend from both:

    Day 1 – D23′s Destination D

    &

    Day 2 – D23′s Destination D

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