Q: I heard that when Disney came to Florida that he had two places in mind for the location of Walt Disney World—Ocala and Orlando. What made Disney choose Orlando over Ocala?
Dominique, Ocala, Florida
A: Walt Disney and his staff made intensive surveys of Florida, looking for the right amount of available and affordable land, proximity to Interstate Highways, ease of access, etc. It was deemed that area between Ocala and Orlando experienced a significant decline in minimum winter temperature; because cold nights tend to have an adverse effect on attendance and landscaping, the region south of Orlando was more appealing. It was the Orlando area property that fulfilled their needs.
Dave Smith