One of Disney's biggest projects was also one of its biggest secrets!
The Walt Daily
The Top Secret Florida Project
Hi everyone! The Florida Project. Not just one of the biggest projects in Disney history, but also one of its biggest secrets. Well, Disney announced the Florida Project alongside his brother Roy in what would become the largest media aggregation in Florida history in November 1965. But up until that point, bringing the world of Disney to the East Coast was shrouded in complete secrecy. It could be considered one of the biggest secrets in Disney history. Not just for the magnitude of the venture that it would be for the Walt Disney Company, but for the literal size of the project, clocking in in what would ultimately be an incredible 27,443 acres of Central Florida land purchased in a series of parcels from landowners. Even within the Disney Company, being referred to as Project X, with only select Disney leaders knowing of the project at the time. The amount of land that was being acquired was one of the reasons why the company needed the early beginnings to be top secret. If landowners knew that it was Disney who was trying to buy the land, prices would have skyrocketed. Of course, Walt Disney himself couldn't be the one trekking around the Sunshine State negotiating the perfect properties. Instead, this task was given to Bob Foster, Disney legal counsel. His initial assignment was to purchase between 5 and 10,000 acres, but he would ultimately acquire enough land famously to be the size of Manhattan. One of the ways to prevent Disney from being associated with the purchases was coming up with a series of clever dummy corporations to buy the land under. Some of the names sound pretty legit, like Tomahawk properties in Latin American Development and Management Corporation. While others poked fun at the sleuth operation, like Rettlaw, which is Walter spelled backwards, MT Lot, and I4 Corporation after the highway running alongside the property. Orlando Sentinel reporter Emily Bevar interviewed Walt at Walt Disney Studios and asked him if he was the one making the land purchases back in Orlando. His evasive answer not outright denying it? She took as an admission to his involvement. In October 1965, Bevar wrote the headline, "We Say Mystery Industry Is Disney." When all was said and done, after 18 months of covert land purchases, the average cost per acre was $180. And to put it in perspective why it was such a good move to keep this a clandestine real estate venture, it's said that by the time Central Florida residents knew it was indeed Disney buying the land, prices would have skyrocketed to a reported $80,000 per acre. The legacy of this operation is so great, it's honored with its own window on Main Street in Magic Kingdom. Just look for the window, pseudonym real estate development company. [Music] [Music]