“Fifteen Years - We’re Having A Party…and ‘We’re Gonna Party All Year Long’!”

Visitors from both near and far travelled to WALT DISNEY WORLD® Vacation Kingdom in Florida, for the biggest, year-long celebration (to date), an all-new parade party spectacular, and their chance to win big prizes with “Walt Disney World’s 15 Years of Magic”! Just how great of an audience visited Walt Disney World during 1986 was a staggering figure. According to an article published by the Orlando Sentinel (February 23, 1987), “1986 was a record year for its Florida parks…the attendance had risen 11 percent from fiscal 1985”… with 74 percent of Walt Disney World Guests hailing from states other than Florida. To be exact, “attendance at The Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center totaled more 23.9 million during Disney’s 1986 fiscal year, which ended September 30.”

SPECIAL EVENTS :

Many year long festivities marked the 15th Anniversary Celebration of the MAGIC KINGDOM Park® in 1986.

The Walt Disney World 15th Anniversary Prize Clock bore free gifts for guests entering the Parks - every fifteen minutes!

“Walt Disney World’s 15 Year Anniversary Celebration” - To top the festivities off, ABC Television broadcasts the two-hour special Walt Disney World’s 15th Birthday Celebration on ABC, November 9, 1986. The special features loads of special guests including Ronald Reagan, the Monkees, Charlton Heston, Ted Kennedy, the Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton, Warren Berger, O.J. Simpson, Ray Charles, Justin and Justine Bateman, Gladys Knight, Charlie Daniels, and Air Supply.

“15 Years of Magic” - Walt Disney Entertainment department developed new shows like “15 Years of Magic.” Mickey conjures up 15 Years of Magic Kingdom Memories in this daily stage production on Cinderella’s Castle Forecourt!

“15th Birthday Parade” - “Singers, dancers, and lots of fun spill into the streets of the Magic kingdom every day at 3p.m. beginning at Town Square on Main Street U.S.A. During the holiday season, the 15th Birthday Parade featured “yuletide floats, fun, and fantasy”, according to The Walt Disney World News (Winter, 1986).

A special edition of the Main Street Electrical Parade featured a special “15 Years” anniversary float (which was later reused for a number of anniversaries at both DISNEYLAND® and the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park).

Colorful candles were placed near Main Street Station, heralding Walt Disney World’s Fifteen Years of Magic! The bright pink blooms of the iconic Mickey Mouse floral arrangement complimented the pink ensembles of the “15 Years of Magic” parade performers.

Speaking of Topiaries, (eight years before the iconic Partners Statue would be unveiled) the MAGIC KINGDOM® Plaza floral bed was the perfect place to highlight the character of event and anniversary themes at the MAGIC KINGDOM®. From October of 1986 to September of 1987, the Plaza featured this fanciful and carefully crafted cake centerpiece as a tribute to “15 Years of Magic” at WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort! According to the Disney Parks website, the “cake” was an impressive seven feet tall, with a circumference of 41 feet. Horticulturists and gardeners took great care in adding more than 11,000 plants to this living sculpture. The live plants comprising the “15” candle on top, and the coordinating accents, were changed throughout the seasons (from Scarlett begonias, to chrysanthemums, and finally, poinsettias).

“This Is The Year to See The World and Win”

If ever there was a year to see “the world”, that year would be 1986! From October 1, 1986 to September 30, 1987, a Prize clock bearing free gifts for guests distributed almost 3,000 magical prizes daily, for a full year. In fact, by the printing of Walt Disney World News (Winter, 1986), “over 186,300 winners” had been awarded prizes, “including a car winner every day”. It’s hard to believe that any tickets read, “Sorry. No Prizes today.” These Walt Disney World birthday gifts were awarded every fifteen seconds that the Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center were open to the public during Birthday Bonanza Weekends. Daily prizes included souvenir pins, 15th Birthday pins, film video cassettes from Disney Home Video, light-up visors, Michael Jackson cassette tapes from Epic Records (a Captain EO promotional tie-in), complimentary Magic Kingdom Epcot Center and Discovery Island Park tickets, or a $500 U.S. Savings Bond. Daily Grand Prizes included a brand new 1987 Chevy Cavalier Convertible, a Chevy S-10 pickup truck, and a cruise for two to the Bahamas aboard Premier Cruise Lines!

Two vehicles were awarded each weekend, over the course of the “15 magical years” celebration! Winners rode as guests of honor in the “15th Birthday Parade”. Still, all guests could feel the “heartbeat of America”, by sitting behind the wheel of the Cavalier or S-10 in one of Walt Disney World’s promotional photo locations (whether they won or not)!

Occasionally WINNERS were publicized : June Schaffer (of Kensington, Maryland) was the first guest to win a brand new 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier on the first day of the year-long prize giveaway. Some winners were also featured in The Walt Disney World News publication.

June 27, 1987 - Daniel A. Dundon (of Gettysburg) won a 1988 Chevrolet Cavalier.

A particular Guest named Kristine won a Chevy Cavalier.

Bunting, signs, and banners heralding “15 Years of Magic” decorated Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom’s lampposts and other street features!

At the head of the parade, one lucky Cast Member sets the pace and keeps the beat, while bearing the standard of “Walt Disney World’s 15 Years of Magic” parade!

Walt Disney World celebrates “15 Years of Magic”, with Mickey’s biggest street party yet! Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead a cast of 40 popular characters aboard new floats.

It looks like the Country Bears (Liver Lips, Wendell and Shaker) are cookin’ up somethin’ real special for “Walt Disney World’s 15th Year of Magic”!

Goofy greets Walt Disney World guests from the top of Cinderella’s Castle!

Epcot Center got into the spirit with this giant cake photo spot!

CAST OF THOUSANDS -- World Showcase cast members join Donald Duck in front of the China Showcase at Epcot Center to celebrate Walt Disney World's 15th Anniversary celebration. The year-long celebration will be marked by 365 days of special events at both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center, more than a million special thank-you gifts to guests (one given away every 15 seconds the park is open) and a top prize each day of a new Chevrolet Cavalier. Copyright 1986, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY (69-49-21).