Where would we have stayed in 1973?

[miamimama]

I have this memory of my parents bringing a friend of mine and I to Disney World not long after it opened ( we were in high school) and we had adjoining rooms in a hotel. I feel like we did not stay at the contemporary or poly but maybe we did? we could get to MK somehow on our own without driving. Any knowledge of offsite hotels and transportation in 1972 or 1973. ?

 

[tnolan]

If you could get to MK without driving it was probably the Contemporary. That was the only hotel in walking distance in 72/73.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I have this memory of my parents bringing a friend of mine and I to Disney World not long after it opened ( we were in high school) and we had adjoining rooms in a hotel. I feel like we did not stay at the contemporary or poly but maybe we did? we could get to MK somehow on our own without driving. Any knowledge of offsite hotels and transportation in 1972 or 1973. ?

We went to WDW in 1973 and stayed at the Royal Inn. It was one of the four hotels in what is now the Disney Springs area and it had bus service to the Magic Kingdom. I remember that two of the other three hotels were the Dutch Inn and Howard Johnson. The fourth hotel may have been a Holiday Inn.

 

[_19disnA]

The Polynesian & Contemporary both opened in 1971. Those are the only hotels within walking distance to MK in 1973, but I don't believe there was any way to walk to MK from the Poly at that time. The pathway from the Polynesian to the Floridian (which wasn't opened until 1988) was just recently completed. The Disney Golf Resort (now called Shades of Green) is about 1/4 mile from the Polynesian and didn't open until late 1973.

All of the area surrounding MK was just undeveloped land at that time. Perhaps you parked at the Ticket/Transportation Center and rode the monorail? You might have stayed in what is now call Disney Springs as someone else mentioned.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort - Wikipedia
Disney's Contemporary Resort - Wikipedia

 

[toothfairy7]

In 1973 we stayed in a wing of the Contemporary. I remember my mom telling me it was so expensive at $35 per night!

 

[miamimama]

OP here. Interesting- maybe we did stay at the Contemporary. Wish i could find some pics. We definitely had two bedrooms though because it was me and my high school boyfriend and my parents-dad and bf in one room and mom and I in another. It was a big deal - I think it was my grad present.

 

[JStarr]

We went to WDW in 1973 and stayed at the Royal Inn. It was one of the four hotels in what is now the Disney Springs area and it had bus service to the Magic Kingdom. I remember that two of the other three hotels were the Dutch Inn and Howard Johnson. The fourth hotel may have been a Holiday Inn.

Yes, I also think it was the Holiday Inn.

 

[miamimama]

Found this ad for Royal Inn online. Interesting- not sure if link works. I’m sure there’s lots of interesting history on hotel development in the area in the early 70s.