Walt Disney World as the Lake Buena Vista STOLport. During the early 1970s, scheduled passenger service was operated by Shawnee Airlines with small de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter commuter turboprops which had STOL (short take off and landing) capabilities on flights to Tampa and Orlando. The airport is no longer in operation. When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 "cast members". Today, Walt Disney World employs more than 74,000 cast members, spending more than $1.2 billion on payroll and $474 million on benefits each year. The largest single-site employer in the United States, Walt Disney World has
Swan Boats (Magic Kingdom) Swan Boats (Magic Kingdom) Swan Boats were an attraction at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. It was in operation between May 20, 1973 till August 1983. It originally took a D ticket. The Swan Boats officially opened in 1973 and quickly became a popular attraction at Magic Kingdom. The boats took guests on a ride around the hub of the Magic Kingdom and the Swiss Family Treehouse. Originally there were 12 boats when the ride opened, but this was reduced to 11 when one of the boats was converted to clean the canals. By the end of the