Summer/Fall 1973 Walt Disney World Information Guide

This post shows the contents of an early Walt Disney World Information Guide, detailing all of the attractions inside the Magic Kingdom, as well as the shopping, dining, entertainment, and other recreation across the entire Walt Disney World resort. In later years, a similar booklet containing essentially the same information would be titled, "Your Complete Guide to Walt Disney World," and later the Information Guide would take on different forms, as a separate add-on to more generic color photo-laden magazine style guides and also at times as a standalone detailed planning guide for the whole resort.

 This brochure served as your Magic Kingdom park map, while also containing information about ticket book pricing, and how to get to the parks. Four pages are devoted to photo and video tips from early camera sponsor GAF, followed by general information about the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Fort Wilderness resort, and a section highlighting recreational opportunities on Disney property. The Golf Resort, which would open late in 1973, is mentioned in the on-property transportation section of the Guide, but would have to wait for future vacation guides to be covered with the same detail as the other resorts.

 

 

 

Walt Disney World Vacation Guide - 1981

This Walt Disney World Vacation Guide, published to detail activities around the resort during the time of the Tencennial celebration, covering the end of 1981 through most of 1982. The Guide is very similar to the 1980 version, with the notable addition of some discussion and promotion of the soon to be completed EPCOT Center, an insert encouraging guests to purchase the first edition of Steve Birnbaum's Official Guide to Walt Disney World, and replacing the colorful resort map at the end of the book with a more utilitarian rendering of the resort.

The Vacation Information packed inserted into the center of the guide also increased in size, to 16 pages. Some additions are somewhat mundane, with a discussion of the Car Care Center, the "Babysitting" heading changing to "Child Care," a new section talking about the Mouseketeer Clubhouse at the Polynesian and Contemporary, and a mention of on-site Rotary Club meetings. More significantly, ticket books are no longer mentioned, but a 1-Day "Unlimited Passport" has been added, offering access to all the rides in the Magic Kingdom as often as you wish to ride them. Also of note is an offer to tear out and mail-in an offer for a commemorative ticket to EPCOT Center and another new mail-in form encouraging guests to try Wonders of Walt Disney World learning programs.

A few other changes on the dining front are noticeable, including a new Moonlight Review, featuring "Specialty cocktails and appetizers with South Seas entertainment" added to the entertainment offerings at the Polynesian. Also at the Polynesian is a second character breakfast on property (joining Breakfast a la Disney on the Empress Lilly), Minnie's Menehune Breakfast, a sign of the increasing popularity of character meals around the resort.