By Keith Mahne

I love searching the web for vintage Walt Disney World pictures and videos. It brings back a wonderful sense of nostalgia. I also enjoy seeing how the park has progressed over time. Today I'd like to share with you one of my all time favorite videos of early WDW. This film ran as part of the Sunday night Wonderful World of Disney TV show in January 1971, mere months before the park opened. Disney had been heavily promoting Walt Disney World for over two years. All of their 1971 theatrical release posters included reminders of the vacation destination along their bottom, and in early 1971 they had prepared a special promotional film called Project Florida. Continue after the page break and have a look for yourself...
  






In the clips below you will see the rarely seen Preview Center in Lake Buena Vista, Roy O. Disney with Douglas Fairbanks, some wonderful footage of Imagineers Herb Ryman, Al Bertino, Blaine Gibson and Marc Davis and some time lapse construction footage to top it off. The quality is not great but I think that adds to the nostalgia of this priceless content. Enjoy!