Walt Disney World first opened to guests on October 1st, 1971, with some news outlets predicting over 300,000 visitors on day one.

In an attempt to limit crowds, and not repeat the opening day chaos of Disneyland in California, official dedications and other media events were held off until later in the month. The actual crowd on opening day was closer to 10,000, providing an opportunity to address any potential issues that would undoubtedly come up during the first day, and they did.

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