Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Disney World Has Its Own Government
Popular Mechanics ^ | January 13, 2018 | Sophie Weiner

Posted on 01/16/2018 6:34:15 AM PST by C19fan

In 1965, Walt Disney began buying land for a new theme park in Florida. The success of Disneyland, and the subsequent sprawl of trashy businesses around it, made Disney aware of the potential for a second park on the East Coast, and fueled his desire to control a larger area of land. He got his wish in Central Florida, which was hardly developed in the mid-'60s, mostly consisting of swampland and orange groves.

(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Travel
KEYWORDS: disney; disneyworld; florida; government
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last
Wet dream for hardcore libertarians. I used to remember there were orange groves in the area when the family visited Orlando in the 70s.
1 posted on 01/16/2018 6:34:15 AM PST by C19fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Mousewitz!

Relentless hygiene, bad buffet food and no communication with the outside world. Hitler without the fun.


2 posted on 01/16/2018 6:41:22 AM PST by miss marmelstein
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Walt Disney was a capitalist.

He left California because of oppressive Anaheim government stifling Disneyland.

Remember before the House Un-American Committee, he had no problem naming names and identifying commies.

Disneyworld made Orlando.


3 posted on 01/16/2018 6:43:07 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.tand http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

orlando is such a mickey mouse town


4 posted on 01/16/2018 6:46:34 AM PST by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

I suspect Disney World has its own government because the state government and the affected local government allowed Disney to form its own government.

However, since I refuse to purchase an “Ad Pass” from Popular Mechanics, I do not know for sure because I cannot read the article.


5 posted on 01/16/2018 6:51:36 AM PST by WayneS (An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. - Winston Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: teeman8r

Mickey Mouse was the first regulation escapee from California.


6 posted on 01/16/2018 6:53:12 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.tand http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Walt Disney himself chose the Orlando location because unlike everyone else burned by Florida land scams, Disney actually had a vision of what to do with all that unused land southwest of Orlando, FL.


7 posted on 01/16/2018 6:53:59 AM PST by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's Economic Cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

No, corporate owned cities is definitely NOT what libertarians have in mind. Really the exact opposite.


8 posted on 01/16/2018 6:55:39 AM PST by discostu (Lick here [ ] you might be one of the lucky 25.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Disneyland was also built on orange groves.


9 posted on 01/16/2018 7:01:33 AM PST by ridesthemiles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

DisneyWorld pays appx $535 Million in taxes to the counties and state each year. Added to that are the hundreds of millions in taxes (property, sales, etc) that the local affiliated businesses pay (hotels, restaurants, other small amusement facilities, conventions, etc), it has been a great success for Orlando and Florida.


10 posted on 01/16/2018 7:03:52 AM PST by rstrahan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WayneS

I know this, a few years ago we went to Disney World. Driving into our condo about seven miles from our entrance to the park, the five mile stretch of four lane was being marked for removal and upgrading to six lanes. Every day for a week we navigated the construction zone. But on the last day of our vacation, as we left to go home, we drove out on a brand new six lane divided highway. The state of Arkansas has been working over twenty years to accomplish the same thing between Little Rock and the city of Jacksonville.

The difference between Capitalism (Disney World) and Socialism (Arkansas State Government)


11 posted on 01/16/2018 7:07:54 AM PST by Billyv (Freedom isn't Free! Get off the sidelines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
It's harder to quantify what else the park has done, both in terms of environmental impact and loss of taxes for the surrounding counties and state. But the story is certainly a fascinating peek into what you can get away with as a multi-national Fortune 500 corporation who annexes a piece of land large enough to hold a major city.

What the hell was that?!!! Did an angry editor add a paragraph ahead of publication? "...what you can get away with as a multi-national Fortune 500 corporation who annexes a piece of land large enough to hold a major city."? Love Disney or hate them, in the 60s and 70s or now, Walt was a genius. His entrepreneurial endeavor is an iconic example of the fruits of capitalism and freedom.

But that was different time in our history for sure. Nobody could "get away" with that today, given the state of our nation and government control and regulation. And note that, while Disney has soured on Capitalism and the American Dream, it is only following it's new master, the central government. It's good to keep a close relationship with your god and master, just like all good liberals.

12 posted on 01/16/2018 7:17:08 AM PST by Tenacious 1 (You couldn't pay me enough to be famous for being rich or stupid!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

When my kids were little we went to Disneyland in California. There were wildfires burning all along the highway on our way in and the smoke was heavy but, as we turned into the park the air was clear and clean. I think Disney has it’s own weather.


13 posted on 01/16/2018 8:09:06 AM PST by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

An older coworker purchased two lots of ‘swampland’ about 1960, for his retirement.

Then Disney moved in next door!

The sale of the second lot more than paid for his new house.
And he continues to live happily ever after.


14 posted on 01/16/2018 8:09:37 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT (This Space for Rent)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

At least when people there criticize their Mickey Mouse Mayor they’re speaking the truth.


15 posted on 01/16/2018 8:33:04 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Walt Disney was a decent man, he loved kids, and loved America. Does anybody remember Disneyworld when Walt was in control? Very different from Michael Eisner’s Disneyworld. Eisner has changed it. He has made it a vehicle for pushing the leftist cultural agenda, “gay days,” and the like.

Epcot may be the only part of it that has escaped the agenda.


16 posted on 01/16/2018 8:55:28 AM PST by sasportas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tenacious 1

the leftists only soured on capitalism for everyone ELSE, the are totally fine with “I got mine” capitalism.

In the seventies post walt, Disney Company was dying. Roy brought in Eisner, then ousted him, To save the company.

Now they own major movie properties, the six parks which bear their names, and merchandising merchandising merchandising....


17 posted on 01/16/2018 9:06:13 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.tand http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

If they wanted, Disney could build a nuke plant in the Ready Creek Improvement District (the name of the town of Disney World) and the state of Florida couldn’t stop them.

When we go, we stay on property. Totally shut out the outside world.

It’s a slice of paradise surrounded by insanity.


18 posted on 01/16/2018 9:38:40 AM PST by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory

Wrote a long reply, and have saved it— uncovering over 50 years of scum that Disney brought to Central Florida. The place is run by queers.. the park and the company, with subsequent effect on the local politics.

Orlando was an idyllic town of banking, citrus growers, cattle, with two real high tech industries (Martin and NASA) providing an educated engineering base of professionals. It became and is a Tijuana style mexican touristo economy run by queers and pervs, in and out of government.

Family in FL since the 1920s— will leave it at that. Now it is a town of queer politics, liberal idiots and a highly questionable mayor (himself.... well questionable, and his “sanctuary city” crapola). RIP John Young- you were the last real Floridian hero to look up to.

Yes, Disney “made” Orlando— into the developing nightmare (including islamofascists) that it is, from a beautiful respectful place to raise children with deep traditional American values.


19 posted on 01/16/2018 10:45:43 AM PST by John S Mosby (SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RayChuang88

Many photos of Disney early construction.

Disney world construction
https://tinyurl.com/y9l6qbzc


20 posted on 01/16/2018 11:28:09 AM PST by minnesota_bound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson