Walt Disney World

Four issues of the WDW employee publication with covering key events 1976-82

Mid-1970s manual for how Disney employees should write a letter

Mid-1970s HR manual for WDW supervisors. 

Circa 1970s reference manual 

Nearly 350 page overview of the history and strategy behind management at Walt Disney World

A pre-opening color map with the 1968 view of the park that hung in the office of WED executive Jack Sayers which has a July 1 1968 WED Enterprises stamp.

 A document with results of an employee poll in 1975 - with comparisons to the prior one in 1973.  Also includes a fact sheet about EPCOT which was in the planning stages.

500+ page manual on how to do secretarial duties at Walt Disney World.  Materials are from both mid 1970s and late 1970s.

2 common WDW Brochures owned by Disney Legend Marc Davis with a letter from another Disney Legend, John Hench gifting them to him.

A 1977, 80+ page publication prepared for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation by the Stanford Research Institute in order to "gain an in-depth understanding of the performance, capabilities, and limitations of the AGT ('automated guideway transit') system used for passenger transport at WALT DISNEY WORLD."

1970 study of where and how to install the beams at WDW for the monorail.

1984 binder of architectural guidelines for building hotels at WDW Village (now Disney Springs).

150+ page original "Final Draft" script for the 10/29/1971 WDW opening special that aired on NBC.

Set of 9 handbooks to key areas of Walt Disney World from 1971.

Set of 9 postcards sold at the WDW Preview Center in 1970. Each card features concept art.

58-page, Disney-produced booklet/magazine from 1969 about the plans for Walt Disney World used to communicate details to stakeholders. 

A 1970s 8-page document with procedures to test the AVAC system -- Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection - at WDW.  This is Disney's trash collection system still today for the Magic Kingdom.

72-pages in binder with memos and summaries of budgets, labor hours, labor dollar and expenses for WDW and Epcot for 1982 and 1983. 

The ephemera in this item comes from the winner of a 1979 radio contest with a trip to WDW as the prize.  Included are the winner's ID card for the Contemporary, meal tickets, park tickets, and activity tickets.

1969 Memo and schedule with an overview of the major goals and timelines for the completion of the monorail at WDW.

WED President Mel Melton personal tickets to grand opening events at WDW 1023/10/25 1971

Bob Gurr's copy of the 1972, 500 page maintenance manual signed by him.

Cast member overview of the hotel

According to the memo affixed to the inside cover "This assemblage has been prepared as a background and starting point for the Disneyland-style theme park in Walt Disney World... The intent here is to provide as a foundation Walt's thinking and philosophy as it was applied in Disneyland."

An amazing archive of nearly 50 documents relating to the sale of 2 lots of land in Orange County, Florida that became part of Walt Disney World.

1975 conference at WDW for employees to better understand how the company works.  227 pages.

Short booklet for women applying to be the official WDW Ambassador for the year in which EPCOT opened.

Binder featuring 34 photos of WDW under construction.

2 Binders featuring 300 photos of Pirates animatronics to help reconstruct the attraction at Tokyo Disneyland

9-15-80 [my 10th birthday] ten-page memo containing a checklist of Pirates of The Caribbean standard operating procedures for training purposes. 

Early room service menu.  Personal connection to this as my family I stayed there at our first trip to WDW.

1967 bound collection of articles and memos that represent Walt's philosophy and had that will be applied to WDW.

Circa 1978, 400 page manual filled with technical specs for maintenance of Wedway Peoplemover. 

A 1972 publication for "participants in Disneyland and Walt Disney World" featuring attendance and publicity highlights for the prior 12 months.

553-page, 1978 manual that was kept in the "GE Main Area"

641-page, 1974 book with amazing graphic detail on every aspect of Pirates of The Caribbean.

May 1970 study conducted to provide key weather stats for WDW planning.

1970 copyright material distributed in 1975 with visual details on maintenance for "figures, features and displays."

162 pages

Multiple incarnations / revisions to Jungle Cruise standard operating procedure manual

162 Pages. Mark IV monorails were in use at the time

Vol 1, #2.  Grand opening on cover. 

A folder with three WDW guides for Contemporary Hotel room guests.

This is one of my favorite pieces - a wonderfully-illustrated RCA proposal to design WDW's communication systems.

Marketing material used in the midway point of construction, two years before the park opened.

This document covers the costs to move the CoP from Disneyland to Walt Disney World where it officially opened on 1/15/1975.

A pre-opening booklet detailing reservation processes at WDW hotels. 

A retired Orlando Public Library copy of the Project Florida book made in the spirit of the Florida Project movie. 

66-page, detailed manual covering the operations of AA figures.

A 1968 WED proposal for a residential community at Walt Disney World.  An outside consultant was used to create the document.

Detailed list of costs for Walt Disney World as of late August / early September 1971.

1975 version of a Walt Disney World cast member manual.

WED aerial construction photos of Walt Disney World used to show progress to Disney executives.

1969 publication for Disney employees as the company gears up to create Walt Disney World.

Marty Sklar authored this 1971 guide to the proper names for many elements of Walt Disney World.

1976 publication with insights into demographics of WDW visitors based on a 1975 mail survey to 14,000 guests.

Very detailed early 1980s Disney University guide to serving food at WDW restaurants.

April 1970 edition (#1) of this oversized publication covering WDW construction

Binder containing multiple brochures for WDW-related hotels both on and off property.

Colorful 1971 brochure for WDW with particular emphasis on the Preview Center.

1973 report detailing many different types of performance data for each ride at WDW including attendance levels, hours worked, trip times and capacity.

1984 press kit with new news about Walt Disney World in 1984 including ticket prices, Summer additions and vacation packages.

1971/72 file detailing costs for multiple projects at Walt Disney World and some at Disneyland as well.

1982 publication with an overview of the Mark IV monorail system

Opening year Walt Disney World cast member manual. 

9/30/71 WDW Employee bulletin preparing cast members for the big day "tomorrow" - when the park would open for the first time. 

1977 pamphlet containing an overview of how the Walt Disney World trademark can and cannot be used. 

Variation of a preview brochure for Walt Disney World with "Opens October 1971" on the cover

150-page document detailing the entertainment, food and logistics of the three-day opening event 10-23-71 to 10-25-71.

Pre-opening cast member booklet detailing the design and features of the Polynesian.