{"id":365214,"date":"2026-08-07T11:40:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T11:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/365214\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T11:40:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T11:40:07","slug":"orlando-sentinel-150-friday-flashback-to-jimmy-carters-theme-park-visits-orlando-sentinel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/365214\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Sentinel 150: Friday Flashback to Jimmy Carter\u2019s theme park visits \u2013 Orlando Sentinel"},"content":{"rendered":"

We know that many presidents and former presidents come to Central Florida to campaign, but some follow in the footsteps of millions of others who visit for a vacation.<\/p>\n

That was the case in December 2008 when former President Jimmy Carter, his wife Rosalyn, daughter Amy and grandson Hugo Wentzel visited Universal Orlando and had their picture taken with characters from \u201cThe Simpsons.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the 2008 appearance wasn\u2019t the first time he had visited an Orlando theme park.<\/p>\n

The former president and his wife got a sneak peak at Universal\u2019s Islands of Adventure park on Dec. 30, 1998.<\/p>\n

During another trip, on Oct. 1, 1978, while spending seven hours of his 54th birthday in Orlando, Carter made history.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"PartPart of Orlando’s Sentinel Star front page from Oct. 2, 1978 showing President Carter speaking in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. (Orlando Sentinel File)<\/p>\n

After he toured Kennedy Space Center, he became the first sitting president to visit a Disney theme park when he gave a speech in front of Cinderella Castle to 2,500 international chamber of commerce delegates from 60 nations.<\/p>\n

Birthday-boy Carter told the Disney World audience that when he asked then-10-year-old Amy if she knew the name of \u201cone of the world\u2019s greatest and most admired leaders\u201d whose birthday would be celebrated in Florida, she answered, \u201cYes\u2026 this is Mickey Mouse\u2019s 50th birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before his Magic Kingdom speech, Carter had made one other visit to Orlando while president, though he probably didn\u2019t see much.<\/p>\n

In May 1977, Carter and his wife joined Adm. Hyman Rickover at Port Canaveral for a nine-hour cruise and dive on the nuclear submarine U.S.S. Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Want more Orlando history? Buy a copy of the Orlando Sentinel\u2019s 150th anniversary book with 150 front pages from our 150 years.\u00a0Get it OrlandoSentinel.com\/150yearsbook<\/a> and see more anniversary merchandise at OrlandoSentinel.com\/150yearsmerch<\/a><\/p>\n

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