Mineral King Area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California that the U.S. government opened to private development in the 1960s. Walt Disney put in a bid, which was accepted by the government. However, a groundswell of criticism arose over what environmentalists felt would be the desecration of a major untouched wilderness area. While Disney tried to show that their development would enhance the area and enable more people to see its beauty, the critics prevailed. Congress voted to make the Mineral King area part of Sequoia National Park, and no private development was allowed.
