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
The Magic of Walt Disney World The Magic of Walt Disney World The Magic of Walt Disney World is a 1972 documentary featurette produced by Walt Disney Productions. Filmed at the then-new Walt Disney World resort in Florida, this film served as a tour of the Magic Kingdom theme park, the resort hotels and other areas within the "Vacation Kingdom". It was narrated by actor Steve Forrest. The film was released on the same bill as the Disney feature "Snowball Express". An expanded and updated version, with new narration by Andrew Duggan, was broadcast as part of "The Wonderful World of Disney" on March 31, 1974.