Orlando Marks Site of Disney’s 1965 ‘Florida Project’ Announcement
The plaque honors the 1965 announcement that transformed Orlando into a global tourist hub, with Walt Disney World now employing 80,000 and generating $40 billion annually.
- Walt Disney World and the City of Orlando unveiled a plaque Thursday, March 5, 2026, marking 60 years since Walt Disney's Florida Project announcement at the former Cherry Plaza Hotel site near MAA Parkside on East Central Boulevard.
- On November 15, 1965, Walt and Roy Disney revealed plans for the secretive project at the Cherry Plaza Hotel before about 350 press members and 750 civic leaders.
- Created through a partnership between The Walt Disney Company and the Thornton Park District, the plaque includes a photo of Walt and Roy Disney from the 1965 press conference and was unveiled during an outdoor ceremony.
- Today, Walt Disney World employs about 80,000 cast members and generates roughly $40 billion annually, as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said, 'On that day, the Disney brothers didn't just announce a theme park, they announced a partnership with our community that was ready to dream bigger about its future.'
- Walt's early death and Roy's continuation meant Walt Disney World opened in 1971, with celebrations extending into NEXT YEAR.
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Plaque commemorating Disney’s 1965 arrival in CenFla unveiled
Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle and other guests celebrate with Mickey Mouse at the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the announcement of the “Florida Project” by Walt and Roy Disney in 1965, during a ceremony in downtown Orlando, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Disney and Orlando Just Honored This Historic Moment From 1965
Orlando has unveiled a commemorative plaque at the site where Walt Disney announced the “Florida Project” on November 15, 1965. The plaque was installed at the former Cherry Plaza Hotel location in the Thornton Park District of downtown Orlando. The Historic Announcement More than 60 years ago, Walt and Roy O. Disney joined then-Florida Governor Hayden Burns at the Cherry Plaza Hotel to announce the “Florida Project” following more than a year o…
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