I’ve got some amazing photographs from the opening months of the Magic Kingdom in 1971.

Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World were a new thing to Floridians, who made up most of the visitors until the 1972 summer season. Most of them only knew what to expect from the celebrity of Disneyland, and we all know that Disneyland and Magic Kingdom share DNA but are different experiences. In the images from the video, we see a pedestrian Magic Kingdom with highlights of unbuilt lands and not-quite-finished attractions.

It’s fascinating to see what inspired visitors to take photos of from the first few years of the Magic Kingdom. As expected, there are the usual photographs of the castle and Main Street, but there are a few surprises.

Vintage Magic Kingdom Video

A while ago, Instagram user DRASABREED (Trevor) tagged me in a vintage Walt Disney World photo. I reached out to him to see if he had more and if I could use them. He responded with 30 vintage Magic Kingdom photos from several trips that his grandparents, Robert and Corliss Marowske took in 1972 and 1973. Thanks to Trevor Clor for sharing these photos!

You’ll see a lot of changes, including a few photos taken from the Skyway to Tomorrowland. The Skyway was removed November 10, 1999. There are also a few shots of Tom Sawyer Island, which wouldn’t be opened until May 1973 and some great pictures of the original Fantasyland.

Can you imagine going to the Magic Kingdom without FastPasses or your smartphone to take photos?

Of course, the ride ticket system was a built-in limiter. You had to make sure you wanted to ride an attraction since you paid for each one separately. 

Which vintage Magic Kingdom photo is your favorite?

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George Taylor
George has been obsessed with Disney theme parks since the first time he saw a photo of the Haunted Mansion in the early 70s. He started writing about Disney in 2007 and has amassed one of the world's largest Disney-related libraries.