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
Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade 2009. Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is an American television special that airs on Christmas Day on ABC, taped primarily inside the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, approximately one month prior to Christmas Day. A Spanish simulcast of the parade has aired on Univision under the titles Desfile de Navidad Disney, (Feliz) Navidad Disney, and Navidad Mágica Disney, and typically airs Spanish singers who sing Christmas carols as well as their latest hits. Past shows have included segments featuring other Disney theme parks in Orlando, Florida; Anaheim,