Where idea to build Walt Disney World came from?

 Is this the true story of Walt Disney World

 or a Myth?

In 1955 Disney opened a play park in Anaheim California called Disneyland, Disney saw a great success in the arrival of people, 4% of the US population, then in the year 1959 Walt Disney Productions decided to seek more land to open a much larger park (11 hectares) to complete it. On the presentation, Disney explained the plans for the lands, he sought to build an experimental city named "Experimental Prototype Comunity of Tomorrow", was intended to be a project of a futuristic city and progress, a working city with commercial space and residential areas. But apparently this idea didn't come of nowhere, because in Argentina there was already a park with these characteristics. 

The construction of Walt Disney World began in 1967 and was finally opened to the public in 1971, Disney unfortunately died before seeing his dream finished in 1966. Was his brother and his partner who were responsible for monitoring the project forward.

  

In Argentina, in the year 1949, a construction of a thematic park for children started under the name "La Republica delos niños" (The Republic of the children. In english) located in "Ciudad de la Plata" city, Buenos Aires province, the construction was completed in 1951, opening its doors to the people in the same year. For those times it was considered the most important children's project of Latin American and the only thematic park in american continent. The aim of the "Republica de los niños" was to teach to the children the exercise of the rights and obligations of every citizen living in any democratic country by creative entertainment in a world of dreams and by children's stories.

Coincidences

Of course, it's impossible to compare the magnitude between both parks, or in technology, as economic developments in both countries are different and the theirs stories are different. But we can not deny the coincidences in the main objectives of both parks and its distribution.The landscape of the "Republica de los niños" has undulating terrain, a big variety of tree species distributed in very green landscaped parks, a central lake with islands and boat rides. It's  possible to know the whole property with a train ride. The sectors has a rural area and sports area, with buildings in the middle of the Civic Center, including: The House of the Government of the Republic, the room of Deputies and senators, a bank, a police office, museums, castles, palaces , restaurants, churches, schools, animal farms, schools and all other institutions that exist in any democratic country. All it was built on a tiny scale to children's height.

  

History

Walt Disney with Florencio Molina Campos

 According the official website of the "Republica de los niños" Walt Disney visited Argentina in those years, admired by so much beauty, he found himself inspired to build his first park in Anaheim, California, in 1955. There is photographic evidence and video of Disney visiting Argentina, but all the material about Disney's visit to Argentina is the year 1941, according Wikipedia the reason for his visit was to meet with the artist and draftsman "Florencio Molina Campos", in order to ask him advice of his drawings, then, the artist Florencio Molina Campos work for Walt Disney Studios since 1942 and until 1950, so, it is not surprising that Disney has returned on another trip to Argentina. While there are still discussions between those who argue that it is a myth and those who defend the truth of this alternative history, the fact is that the chronology of the history tells us that the "Republica de los niños" was built before Walt Disney World.

Sources:
Florencio Molina Campos in Wikipedia 
Official site of The Republic of children
Republic of children in Wikipedia (Spanish)
Republic of the Children in Wikipedia (Inglés)


There are other versions about the secret purposes of the visit Disney for South America, which some official newspapers report that his aim was to stop the advance of the Nazis in South America, but that's another story.

La razones secretas del viaje de Disney por Argentina.
El acto mas grande del mundo de los nazis fuera de Alemania fue en Argentina.