Have you heard of the first family to visit the Magic Kingdom?
On October 1, 1971, the Windsor Family was crowned by Dick Nunis as the first family to visit the Magic Kingdom. In addition to obtaining lifetime silver passes, the family received a whirlwind tour of the nascent Magic Kingdom.
Check out this article from the very first issue of the Walt Disney World News from 1971 to learn all about the first family.
The Windsors—Number One On October One
IT TOOK a lot of doing. But making history is never easy. William Windsor, Jr., his wife, Marty, and their two small sons, Jay and Lee, drove to Orlando from nearby Lakeland on Walt Disney World-eve with one big wish and lots of determination. They wanted to be Number One.
They spent the afternoon driving around Orlando, the evening at a drive-in movie and the night in their Volkswagen parked behind a service station. The children slept, the parents dozed from time to time, and waited for the sun to come up. The rest is Disney history. And a day the Windsors will never forget.
“I CAN’T believe it,” said Marty Windsor. “Can you believe it?” she asked her husband, as the flashbulbs snapped and the television cameras zeroed in on the dazed and excited family.
And the Disney cast of employees were just as jubilant as the Windsors.
“Have you seen the ‘first family’?” a sparkling Tour Guide asked a costumed Key-stone Kop. “They’re just beautiful! They’re a perfect family.”
GREETED by Mickey Mouse and Disney Ambassador Debby Dane, the Windsors were feted by crowds of dignitaries and newsmen, serenaded by the Walt Disney World Marching Band and swept through a myriad of attractions and adventures that would, have left a seasoned celebrity gasping for breath.
ORLANDO, Fla, Oct .1-FIRST ARRIVAL-Mr. William Windsor Jr. carries his son Lee,1½, past Cinderella’s Castle as Disney World opened Friday morning. Windsor family slept in their car to be the first into thepark. ’71 Image CourtesyMouseMuseum.
But the Windsors, down to 1½-year-old Jay, never lost the glow of enchantment. Looking fresh and unrumpled, the family commented on the day, which included visits to the “Mickey Mouse Revue,” “The Tropical Serenade,” “The Haunted Mansion,” “The Hall of Presidents,” “It’s a Small World,” “The Jungle Cruise,” “The Country Bear Band,” and many others, “It’s been just wonderful. Unbelievable. We can’t wait to see it all again tomorrow .”
THE WINDSORS spent the night at the Polynesian Village as guests of Walt Disney World. As the official “first family” of the $400 million Vacation Kingdom, they also received a lifetime Silver Pass.
From the D23 Event Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th
I remember hearing about the Windsor Family from Disney Archivist Emeritus Dave Smith at the D40 event at Walt Disney World in 2011. He presented “Walt Disney World: The Way We Were” which covered the overall history of Disney World.
Dave remarked that Dick Nunis (remember his Tiny Pants?) always regretted choosing the “All-American” family as the first guest. He strolled through the crowd that was waiting to enter until he saw the blond-haired and blue-eyed family. Nunis pulled them out of the line and “made” them the first family, which he regretted the rest of his Disney career. Nunis stated that the Windsors became an irritant over the years by consistently returning to Disney World and asking for special favors, including begging for quarters for the arcades.
An image from the 2011 D40 event of the Windsor Family posing in front of the Walt Disney World Railroad and accepting the Key to the Magic Kingdom from Mickey Mouse.
What Do You Think of the First Family to Visit the Magic Kingdom?
