FROM: It's All in a Nametag Published Thursdays

The Evolution of Lake Buena Vista

Before Downtown Disney, there was ... Lake Buena Vista Village! Old-timers may remember shopping in the Village, or maybe eating aboard the Empress Lily, but nothing is left but the signage, the memories, and the nametags. Benson Myers revisits the Village.

- Benson Myers, April 21, 2011

In the 1967 television program The Prisoner, Patrick McGoohan resigns from his secret agent job, and is held captive in a mysterious place called The Village. Known therein as Number 6, McGoohan investigated the reasons behind his being in the Village, and who exactly had brought him there.

Although the Village and its many denizens catered to his every need and whim, Number 6 constantly battled them and tried to get any information he could about his situation. Despite his many attempts to escape from the Village, Number 6 was often stymied by its physical location. It was in a location unknown to him, and completely isolated from the outside world by mountains, deserts, and the ocean.

The location of Village was never disclosed, but the program itself was filmed at Portmeirion, a kitschy tourist attraction in Wales.

What has this to do with Lake Buena Vista...

Genesis of Lake Buena Vista

A few weeks ago, we talked about the Reedy Creek Improvement District. As part of the charter from the state of Florida, the city of Reedy Creek was established. Soon after, the city's name was changed to Lake Buena Vista, after a lake located near the property.

Not unlike the fictional Village, Lake Buena Vista was centered within the Florida property, and isolated from the outside world. Originally, Walt Disney had planned to build his 'experimental prototype community of tomorrow' on the site. Sadly, this concept never came to fruition according to Walt's plans. However, in addition to the EPCOT theme park built years later, plans were laid for a large residential 'bedroom' community within the Disney property, typical of any residential suburb in the United States.

Early Evolution

In 1975, a shopping district was constructed that was to serve the area and the potential future residents that the Disney Company hoped would move to Lake Buena Vista.

The Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village was opened on March 22, 1975, about five miles from the Magic Kingdom theme park. The area was promoted as a 'restful shopping atmosphere similar to a New England seaside village.' It offered artisan-style shops, such as a florist, pottery, and an old-fashioned tobacconist. It was mainly an attempt to keep guests on the Disney World property longer and spending money there.

(Perhaps the designers who drew plans for Lake Buena Vista Village were inspired by The Prisoner? Could be, or maybe just an amazing coincidence.)

As with everyone who works for Disney, Cast Members at the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village had their own nametags. Oddly, for reasons long forgotten, this tag was worn only for the first two weeks that the Village was open. As time passed, the Village evolved away from its original 'New England' concept, and featured more contemporary offerings to compete with businesses in nearby Orlando.

The original plans for a residential community were replaced with vast hotel resorts and vacation homes. In 1977, the Empress Lily Riverboat Restaurant opened. The restaurant was in the shape of a classic Mississippi paddlewheeler and featured live jazz bands.

Today, it's Fulton's Crab House.

Later Evolution

By the mid 1990's, the area around Lake Buena Vista had evolved again.

In 1989, the new Pleasure Island area was added. Pleasure Island featured a highly themed, adults-only nightlife area that offered an alternative to the nightclubs in Orlando. Some of the more popular clubs offered at Pleasure Island were Mannequins (which featured a large rotating dance floor), The Adventurer's Club, and 8-Trax (a retro 70's and 80's discotheque). A never-ending party atmosphere was the order of the day. From 1990 to 2005, New Year's Eve was celebrated every night of the year at Pleasure Island, complete with a raucous countdown and fireworks.

In 1995, the Lake Buena Vista Shopping area and Pleasure Island were merged into the new Downtown Disney area. Famous restaurants and big-brand shops moved into the area, including Wolfgang Puck, Virgin Megastore, and Rainforest Cafe. The famous circus troupe, Cirque du Soleil, also established a location at Downtown Disney, with an international show called 'La Nouba'.

Today, the Downtown Disney district continues to evolve to suit the tastes of Disney guests. The clubs of Pleasure Island have all been closed, and are being rebranded into more family-friendly dining and shopping venues.

Walt Disney World celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2011, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves as well. It has certainly seen many changes over those four decades!

Be seeing you.

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