Florida Project: Retro Merch for Disney World's Big Forty

I must have taken my eyes off the calendar. It's been nearly four decades since the Magic Kingdom unlocked its turnstiles for the first time to usher the early morning throng into Walt's spic 'n span playground built over Florida swampland. Quite a few throngs later, Disney World approaches its fortieth anniversary, bigger, busier, and spic 'n spanner, too.

I didn't make it to Disney World in 1971, the first year, or in 1972, either. My parents were cautious consumers. For all they knew, 'that Disney park' wouldn't last. But in 1973, they broke down, bought a wad of traveler's checks, piled me and a pillow into the back-seat of a Ford LTD, and drove from Scranton to Orlando, non-stop.

(Nightmare, thy form is a non-stop drive in the back-seat of a Ford LTD from Scranton to Orlando.)

Disney loves to celebrate anniversaries. And they get started early. Steven Miller, Project Manager for Disney Trading, announced last week 'The Florida Project: A Disney Trading & Collecting Event' for September 9-11, 2011, in Epcot's World ShowPlace. You know Disney is thinking anniversary because the 'The Florida Project' was also one of Walt's code names for Disney World during the resort's planning stages. It improved upon an earlier code name, 'Project X'. They didn't put much creative capital into code names back then.

I'm sure Disney will announce many other events to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Disney World, but The Florida Project is special and has appeal not just for hard-core traders and collectors but also for those folks who remember Disney's early years and who would enjoy seeing (maybe buying) new merchandise designed in mimicry of vintage merchandise.

The event uses the gimmick of a forgotten Disney World Preview Center frozen in time with its retro 1970s furnishings, decorations, and merchandise. How cool is that? I still haven't gotten word whether the prices will be retro, too. I'm thinking ... not.

In his post on the Disney Parks Blog announcing the event, Steven Miller asks readers to share with him their memories of visits to the Magic Kingdom in the 1970s. Some of the replies are themselves worth a visit to the site. Lou Mongello, host of WDW Radio, for example, misses among other things the House of Magic on Main Street U.S.A.

He's not the only one.

I have a picture of my young self wielding a newly bought magic wand steely-eyed while tucked into my bed in the Contemporary. Judging from that picture (which is kept under lock-and-key), my stage name could have been The Amazing Doofus. Lou wasn't alone, either. Nearly a hundred people left comments, mostly nostalgic. Who wants to bet me that tickets for The Florida Project will sell out fast?

If you want tickets, you'll have to wait for them go on sale in early 2011. I'd keep an eye on the event's official site and buy 'em fast.

As I grow older, I become more of a nostalgist: stuff I wouldn't have dreamed of buying years ago I now eagerly seek. I'd pay big money for my old magic wand. And even bigger money for the little ceramic tiki cups they used to sell at the Polynesian. (I had them all, once, but only the green one has survived bustlings and breakages.)

For folks like me, The Florida Project is quite possibly the perfect event, cleverly envisioned by Disney to vacuum discretionary income from nostalgists who tell themselves they're not buying a trinket, they're salvaging a memory.

So look for me there! I'll be the doofus waving a magic wand. Steely-eyed.

Contact the Author: Bob McLain