Walt Disney World Resort opened its doors after seven years of planning, however the official grand opening and dedication took place on Oct. 25, 1971. Almost 10,000 visitors converge near Orlando, Florida, to witness the grand opening of Walt Disney World, which includes the Magic Kingdom (Disney's second theme park) and two resorts. The Magic Kingdom, encompassing approximately 107 acres, featured Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland, a Main Street USA, and about 5,500 Cast Members. The two resorts were the 15-story Contemporary Resort and the Polynesian Village Resort - both built by U.S. Steel and both connected by a monorail system. The hotels were conceived by WED enterprises and the Los Angeles architectural firm of Welton Becket & Associates. U.S. Steel was to originally own the hotels, but just before opening, Roy Disney decided to buy out their interests and let Disney run the hotels themselves.
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