\u201cThe Disney brothers didn\u2019t just announce a theme park, they announced a partnership with our community that was ready to dream bigger about its future,\u201d Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer<\/a> said during a brief ceremony Thursday evening.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd there\u2019s no denying that that partnership changed the trajectory of Orlando forever, growing a quiet Central Florida town into a global destination, now known worldwide for imagination, innovation and opportunity,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n On Nov. 15, 1965, Walt Disney, his brother Roy and Florida governor Haydon Burns, walked into the Egyptian Room within the Cherry Plaza Hotel<\/a> for a news conference. It concluded a whirl of mysterious land purchases southwest of Orlando and a swirl of speculation. The nine-story building, wedged between Central Boulevard and Lake Eola, now houses MAA Parkside<\/a> apartments, World of Beer<\/a> and other businesses.<\/p>\n It was the largest press gathering in Florida history at the time, Steve Vagnini, Walt Disney Archives<\/a> manager, said Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cWalt was getting phone calls from all over the country, \u2018Can we get our own Disneyland?\u2019 And Walt said there\u2019s never going to be another Disneyland,\u201d Vagnini said. \u201cBut eventually he started to think, what if a Disneyland-style project could be a catalyst for something much bigger, and that had a site looking for an area that had a lot of land available, a place that had a great climate, a place that had great tourism.\u201d<\/p>\n The company archives have some relics from announcement day, including media distribution material and film, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cFew people realize that when Walt was participating in this conference, he had not yet stepped foot on the Walt Disney World property,\u201d Vagnini said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knew it from overhead, and yet, look at the confidence that he and Roy had,\u201d he said, referring to flights above the property.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be until the next morning that he actually got to see that on land,\u201d Vagnini said. \u201cAnd we do have some actually pieces from that, those very early days of the property, things like a no trespassing sign from Bay Lake Property.\u201d<\/p>\n Cherry Plaza\u2019s Egyptian Room previously had hosted community gatherings such as proms, political rallies, spelling bees and fashion shows produced by LaBelle, a furrier still operating on Orange Avenue<\/a>. Its capacity varied between 600 and 1,200 people, according to reports. The space was inside the hotel\u2019s convention center, which has been gone for decades.<\/p>\n The hotel also was notable because President Lyndon B. Johnson had stayed there while campaigning in 1964.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that Walt, Roy, Gov. Burns would all be proud of what we\u2019ve done here together,\u201d said Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle<\/a> before revealing the plaque with an assist from Mickey Mouse.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope that this plaque not only serves as a celebration to our history, but it serves as a reminder as to what we can accomplish when we have a bold vision and we work on it together,\u201d Vahle said.<\/p>\n The plaque incorporates a photo of the brothers at the news conference and mentions Roy\u2019s role in continuing the plans despite Walt\u2019s death about a year after the announcement. Walt Disney World opened in 1971 and now has about 80,000 employees in the area.<\/p>\n Disney World at 50: Walt\u2019s announcement drew big crowd, but details were thin<\/a><\/p>\n The plaque will be seen near an entrance on the east side of the building. The project was a partnership between Disney and the Thornton Park District<\/a>, a part of the Orlando Main Streets<\/a> program.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a relatively young city, it\u2019s important that we pause to celebrate and preserve the moments that shaped us,\u201d\u00a0 City Commissioner Patty Sheehan<\/a> said. \u201cThe story of this site and what was announced here is part of the foundation of who we are today.\u201d<\/p>\n Orlando area attractions through the years: A tourism timeline<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772799549_785_TOS-L-fla-project-plaque_2734f-2.jpg\")
The unveiled plaque commemorates the 1965 announcement of the ‘Florida Project’ by Walt and Roy Disney at the Cherry Plaza Hotel in downtown Orlando. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n