“A Year Long and a Smile Wide”

The year 1981, marked a “magical milestone” - The Magic Kingdom’s first ten years of operation, an event celebrated by more than 15,000 employees, and culminating with the “Happiest Happy Birthday Ever”! Walt Disney World turned 10 years old and was kicking off the biggest year long and smile wide Tencennial party the World had ever seen!

The Magic Kingdom’s Tencennial was a year-long event, which included “high stepping parades, live musical entertainment, great new shows and more”. The theme song “Disneyland is Your Land” (written and composed by Robert Moline for Disneyland’s 25th Anniversary) was reworked into the musical theme of Walt Disney World’s 10th Anniversary - “Disney World is Your World”!

Walt Disney Entertainment department developed new shows and parades for all of Walt Disney World. “Walt Disney World is Your World” - The Kids of the Kingdom and Walt Disney’s cast of characters presented a 30-minute musical journey through the Magic Kingdom’s lands, from the Tomorrowland Stage! The show was so successful and popular, that it was extended for years. However, below you’ll see Vintage Views of the original 1981 version of the show, starring the Kids of the Kingdom.

“The Tencennial Party” - Twice a day, Walt Disney’s cast of characters, musicians, and dancers trigger a “grand balloon release” in front of Cinderella’s Castle.

“The Walt Disney World Tencennial Inauguration Celebration”

Cast Members and their families were cordially invited to The Tencennial Inauguration Celebration, October 1-3, in the Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom! Cast enjoyed three fun-filled days of celebration as guests of the Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom with a party plan that included:

Thursday, October 1 - The Inaugural Dedication Ceremony and Premier Tencennial Parade. The Tencennial activities began at 9 a.m. Oct. 1, when Walt Disney World welcomed the first visitors of the second decade at the Main Street Train Station. Other events on the first included an introduction during the afternoon of the special Cinderella Castle character birthday party, first running of the Tencennial Parade at 4 p.m. and first performances of the “Disney World is Your World” musical shows. All of these would be daily happenings throughout the Tencennial Year until Sept. 30, 1982.

Friday, October 2 — Dedication of the new Orlando International Airport. A sneak preview of the EPCOT Center construction site. The Invitational Tencennial Inaugural Party and Dinner in the Magic Kingdom featuring a firework spectacular. The main event was a special invitational party on Friday night, Oct. 2 in the Magic Kingdom. The park closed to regular visitors and re-opened for Cast Members and other invited guests complete with fireworks and an aerial laser light spectacle, the Tencennial Parade, a fried chicken dinner and lots of other special activities. Several celebrities and officials joined the fun evening.

Saturday, October 3 - The Grand Tencennial Parade with a magnificent 1,076-member band. On Friday morning, there was a brief Epcot Center Preview primarily for out-of-town guests who will also attended the grand dedication of the new Orlando International Airport Terminal at 11 a.m. Oct. 2. A 1,076 piece marching band was added to the Tencennial Parade for a climax to the inaugural events on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.

These three days of Tencennial excitement was a birthday gift for Cast Members and a way of saying “thanks” for helping to make a decade of Disney dreams come true.

The floral garden (near Liberty Square) advertised the Magic Kingdom’s 10th year with this colorful arrangement.

The winter season crowds await the start of The Magic Kingdom’s Tencennial Parade!

“Welcome to a land of dreams…a kingdom full of magical things!” Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead the parade procession of units (and their floats), as the spirit of the Magic Kingdom’s lands are commemorated. The horse-drawn car carries the caroling residents right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.

“Ten today, and goin' strong! We can't believe it's been that long! Come on and join the family! Walt Disney World is your world!”

“Disney World - A Wonderland, for girls and boys, and moms and dads…a happy ever after land!…Disney World is your world!”

"A Year Long and a Smile Wide"

Each day, guests were selected to take part in the Tencennial Parade, and ride as honorary Grand Marshall in the electric horseless carriage! Here, Harvey chauffeurs comedian (and celebrity golfer) Bob Hope aboard a horseless carriage as he is honored as the Grand Marshall of the Tencennial Parade, held on October 1, 1981. Bob was present (and on Stage as Host) at the 1955 Oscars, when Walt Disney received the award for Walt Disney Studios for the “group effort” of the “many men that do their part” for the finest effort in Special Effects in a film.

Finally, the traditional 1907-style steam-powered Disneyland Dragon Calliope with its pipe organ (and pianist) stops to delight crowds periodically! You may recollect that this was one of nine circus wagons that Walt Disney originally purchased from Bradley & Kaye’s Kiddieland amusement park in Beverly Park. Walt had this particular circa 1907 circus wagon redesigned, utilizing parts from other circus wagons. The result of the $50,000.00 overhaul, was the one-of-a-kind “Dragon Calliope”!

The Dragon Calliope was first seen in Disneyland’s Press Day parade and went on to be featured in numerous events over the years, beginning with the Mickey Mouse Club Circus Parade in 1955. The Dragon Calliope was also featured in at least one Walt Disney Production - “Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks With A Circus” released in Sarasota Florida on January of 1960. The Dragon Calliope was also notably featured among the circus-themed units in the Independence Day Parade at Disneyland, in 1962. Two years later, Walt Disney donated the circus wagons to the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin, but he kept his custom-built Dragon Calliope!

In 1980, the calliope received a minor refurbishment. None of the original insides were altered, except two fine whistles which were installed, (in order to increase its musical ability two full octaves)! The Disneyland 25th “Family On Parade” would be one of the Dragon Calliope’s final Disneyland appearances. When the parade ended, the Calliope (along its polished pipes) was shipped off to Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (in Florida) to play a part on the Walt Disney World Tencennial celebration, before heading west again, and being utilized in Disneyland’s Circus on Parade!

Subsequent floats would pay tribute to the various lands that make up Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom! The Diamond Horseshoe Revue chorus line advances the Frontierland Unit down the parade route.

“Everything's gonna be, all right! Future is the key, so bright. All the plans we made today, come our way. To-Mor-Row…Tomorrow!”

“Here's a place…made of dreams - a kingdom full of magical things! If you believe this song we sing, you may never want to leave…Disney World!”

“Disney World is your world!”

“…You see the greatest smiling’ faces up and down the street, its remarkable all the friendly people we meet, walkin’ right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.!”

“There’s a little guy that you may meet. He’s cute and cheerful and quite an earful, and his name is Mickey Mouse!”

He’s “got a sweetie down by the chicken house. Neither fat or skinny, she's the horse's whinny! She's my little Minnie Mouse!”

“All the animals are singing loud and clear, when the tropical drum beat can thunder your skin! There is only one place we can be - Adventureland!”

“When the band plays Dixie at Disney World, they’ll be marching through the square, and we’ll all be waiting there, to see the saints…come…marching…in!”

“We hope that you'll be coming back again - that you'll drop in and see us now and then. We've done our very best to please, with just the bear necessities! We hope that you'll be comin' back again!”

“Swanee…How I love you, how I love you! My dear ol' Swanee, I'd give the world to be among the folks in D-I-X-I-E!”

“All the plans we make today, come our way! To…Mo…Row…Tomorrow!”

“Disney World…a wonderland…for girls and boys…and moms and dads! A ‘happy ever after’ land - Disney World!…Disney World is…your world!” After the reprise of Disney World is Your World, the show would end to the sound of the Tencennial Fanfare!

Decorative banners (bearing the Tencennial color scheme) mark the stage where the Castle Forecourt Birthday Party is celebrated twice, daily.

Many area residents had much reason to celebrate the Tencennial too. A few years earlier (in 1976; in interview with Orlando-Land) Florida State Governor Reubin Askew (a regular Guest of Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom) commented: “When I think of Walt Disney World, I marvel at the incredible success of this extraordinary attraction. It has had an enormous economic impact not only in Central Florida but throughout the entire State. It has brought record numbers of tourists to Florida and created employment opportunities for untold thousands of our residents.”

Limited edition merchandise was produced, like that Walt Disney World Tencennial Streetcar by Pride Lines. Even after this year, guests could continue to “take a ride down memory lane.”