Flashback: 15 Years of Magic & Tencennial

"It's been 15 years, and we're having a party.

Here at Disney World, there's a party all year long!"

Kicking off in 1986, the Walt Disney World 15th Anniversary Celebration was marked with a brand new parade and fabulous prizes. The premiere weekend, held for thousands of press and invited guests October 2-5, also coincided with a celebration of the bicentennial of the United States Constitution. Guests visiting the Hall of Presidents signed copies of the Constitution, renewing their commitment to that enduring document, and it was during this time that the authentic replica of the Liberty Bell was added to the park's Liberty Square.

Inspired by the Gift Giver Extraordinaire, which had been such a success during the Disneyland 30th anniversary in 1985, Walt Disney World celebrated by giving gifts to guests who entered the Magic Kingdom. Every 15 seconds, all year long, guests were surprised with vouchers for presents ranging from buttons to T-shirts, and once a day, someone walked away with a new car!

Among other features, the 15 Years of Magic Parade introduced the Crystal Castle float, a unit which continues to play a part in Magic Kingdom parades 25 years later. There was even a limited-run 15th Anniversary float added to the Main Street Electrical Parade that year.

Five years earlier, October 1981 saw the start of different parade in honor of the Walt Disney World Tencennial. Celebrating the resort's 10th birthday, Tencennial was the first anniversary celebration held in Florida. As they liked to say at the time, it was a party "a year long and a smile wide!"

The Tencennial Parade featured theme music adapted from the "Disneyland Is Your Land" song created for that park's 25th anniversary a year earlier. The parade included homages to each of the lands of the Magic Kingdom. It's song, "Walt Disney World Is Your World," also became the title and theme of a new stage show introduced that year.

Tencennial was a huge success, concluding with the October 1982 opening of EPCOT Center, and it paved the way for future anniversary celebrations in the Vacation Kingdom of the World. (All photos ©Disney)