LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It changed acres and acres of orange groves. It changed Orlando. It changed Florida. It changed an already legendary company. And it changed the entire theme park industry.

The first holiday season for Walt Disney World was marked by new traditions, an influx of tourists and a jarring, unexpected death. Attendance had been a concern since a fairly quiet opening day on ...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It changed acres and acres of orange groves. It changed Orlando. It changed Florida. It changed an already legendary company. And it changed the entire theme park industry.

While Disneyland in California is celebrating its 70th anniversary all year long, on Wednesday, October 1, Walt Disney World is celebrating a milestone of its own: 54 years since the park first opened ...