Has the MK always been called the MK?

[Earstou]

I had "one of those conversations" the other day with someone who said they were going to MGM Studios but not to WDW .
After much debating when I told him the whole place was WDW, he claimed that the MK was called WDW (and not MK) when it first opened, and that's what he remembers.
SO...how long has the MK been called the MK?

 

[LibertyBelle]

It has always been called the Magic Kingdom. But people do that all the time. When I worked in resorts (front desk) people used to ask what time Walt Disney World opened (meaning Magic Kingdom) and we had to explain that the entire property was Walt Disney World and that they would have to be more specific. Just like today, When it opened the entire property was Walt Disney World whic constisted of Magic Kingdom theme park, the Contemporary resort, the Polynesian resort, Fort Wilderness Campgrounds, etc... you get the point. The theme park has always been called Magic Kingdom

 

[Earstou]

Thanks! I figured Walt had planned on more than one park, so therefore would name it MK from the very beginning, but wasn't sure enough to say so!!

 

[betterlatethannever]

I have a copy of the Unofficial Guide to WDW from 1989.

The title is "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and Epcot.

Obviously, the book title doesn't make it official (it is the UNOFFICIAL Guide, isn't it ) that MK was called WDW. But the impression that MK was WDW must have been pretty widespread back then for them to have the book titled that way.

Ed

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

It always makes me grin to hear people ask a bus driver "does this bus goes to Disney World?"

Kinda like "what time is the 3 o'clock parade?"

 

[Grog]

Interesting question. MY parents both refer to MK as WDW. They have been there twice, but both times were during the pre-Epcot days, so to them MK is WDW.

 

[JohnnyOldBoy]

Check out this site:
Tickets
Tickets from 1974 refer to WDW AND The Magic Kingdom

 

[WDSearcher]

When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, MK was the only park there, so Magic Kingdom WAS Walt Disney World, and vice versa. Lots of people who have been going from the beginning are used to equating the MK with all of WDW. The official title back then was "The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida."

It's the same thing with the Studios. The name of the Studios when it opened was "The Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida." But most people, including a lot of the people on this board who laugh at people for calling MK WDW , call it MGM. Technically, if you're going to shorten the name, it should be called the Studios.

 

[DonnaSue]

Thanks, JohnnyOldBoy, for the link. That really brings back some great memories!!! I have some old ticket books dated back from the opening up in my attic and have been thinking of getting them out to show my boys!!!

Donna

 

[catherines_mama]

What awesome memories those tickets bring back. I grew up going to Disney tons, and I wish I'd known (like a kid would know) to keep them. Its just too cool.

 

[PatriciaH]

catherines_mama your daughter looks like Drew Barrymore when she was little!

 

[carolinagirl]

PatriciaH and catherines_mama,

I was just thinking the exact same thing! She does look alot like Drew Barrymore did as a child. What a cutie pie!

 

[HaleyB]

On the bus one day our last trip some one was calling MK 'Disneyland'. That I found funny.

Just for the fun of it, do any of you know the answer for Disneyland?

 

[cooldisneymom]

Thanks also JohnnyOldBoy!!!!*sniff sniff* brings back great memories from a Disney long ago!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

My DH first went to WDW soon after MK opened. One of the things from his trip that he saved was a commemorative opening guidebook. All the references to MK either say MK or the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. I guess since it was the only park for a long time, people started to think it was WDW (even though WDW includes everything there, including the resorts and DD).

 

[ChuckGA]

I believe the confusion came about because the MK equivalent in California has always been called Disneyland. Therefore when WDW was built in Florida and only contained MK, everyone just called it Disneyworld to differentiate it from Disneyland. There really wasn't even the concept of multiple theme parks at the same location at that time. It is confusing to have Disneyland mean a theme park but Disneyworld mean an entire multi-theme park complex.

Chuck