Walt Disney World
Preview Center
1970 - 1971
 

   In mid-January, 1970, the Walt Disney World Preview Center became the first building on WDW property open to the public. Near the intersection of Interstate 4 and State Road 535, the thoroughly modern glass, concrete and steel structure was situated on the southern shoreline of Lake Buena Vista along the then-quiet Preview Boulevard. This roadway would later become Hotel Plaza Boulevard, a main artery serving traffic to the WDW Village and a gathering of hotels.

    Inside the building, a small army of "lovely young hostesses" (fourteen were selected from applicants numbering more than 400) treated guests to a glimpse of what they could expect to see in the fall of 1971, when Phase One of the "Vacation Kingdom of the World" debuted. The Preview Center was open daily from 9am to 5pm, and offered visitors a leisurely tour of artists' renderings, an aerial view of Phase One in the form of a huge model and a motion-picture presentation that forecast what the first five years of the project would entail. Visitors could also make reservations for a stay at one of WDW's first two hotels, the Contemporary and the Polynesian Village, or purchase souvenirs in WDW's first "gift shop." 

Walt Disney World Preview Center

Extinct WDW Facility

Located on:
Preview Boulevard,
Lake Buena Vista

Opened: January, 1970
Closed: c. October 1971

Space later became:
Reception Center,
Amateur Athletic Union

Remnants:
Building still exists

Bibliography:
WDW Publicity Dept.
Press Releases,
Walt Disney World -
The First Decade, 1981

All photos copyright
The Walt Disney Company.
 Text copyright 2002
Mike Lee

   1971's Project Florida, a 21-minute film that aired as part of The Wonderful World of Disney TV program, featured the Preview Center along with footage of construction progress and attractions in development.

   When the rest of Walt Disney World opened to the public that October, the Preview Center was closed. Most of the hostesses moved on to new jobs at other parts of WDW. One of them, Debbie Dane, had by that time already been chosen as Walt Disney World's first ambassador.

   While the Preview Center building still exists and looks little changed from the outside, all of its wonderful interior elements have completely given way to the annoying forward march of time.  Since 1971, it has been used for a large number of lesser purposes, for many years it was known as the Reception Center and currently as headquarters for an amateur athletic union. But in a way it's nice that you can still drive into the same parking lot that met the very first WDW visitors and, suspending disbelief, imagine that this building is all that exists - the first little breath in a big balloon that would soon burst into pop culture history.