Picture it: Central Florida, 1965… 🍰✨

Orlando wasn’t Orlando yet—not the way we know it now. It was more quiet highways and open land than “vacation capital of the world.”

And then something strange started happening.

Land was selling. A lot of land. But not in a loud, obvious way. More like a whisper you couldn’t un-hear—parcels bought under unfamiliar names, transactions that felt intentionally boring, and a growing sense that someone was assembling something big.

Locals noticed. Real estate folks noticed. Reporters noticed. And the campfire story became a real question:

Who is buying all this land… and why?

The rumor

People had theories—big industry, developers, a new city project. But one possibility kept floating to the surface because it was the most dramatic and the most magical:

Disney.

Which felt… ridiculous. Disneyland existed, yes. But Disney building a whole new kingdom in Florida? In what looked like nowhere?

And still, the land buying continued.

The “Florida Project” (before it had a name anyone could confirm)

Here’s what makes this story such a classic: the secrecy wasn’t just for suspense. If the world knew Disney was buying land, prices could shoot up overnight. Plans could get complicated fast. So the buying stayed quiet, layered, and intentionally unglamorous.

It’s like the least Disney thing ever—until you realize it’s exactly how you protect something magical while it’s still being built.

The tension point

By late 1965, the rumor had a life of its own. The question wasn’t “could this be Disney?” anymore. It was:

“Why won’t Disney just say it?”

Because that’s what makes a mystery feel real—when the silence starts sounding like an answer.

And this is where the story sets up the perfect Part 2 moment… because eventually, someone gets the chance to ask the question out loud.

(And if you heard that in Sophia’s voice? Same. Because this is the ultimate “Picture it…” setup. 🍰😉)

To be continued…

In Part 2, we meet the reporter who pushed the rumor into the light—and the moment Disney’s “Florida Project” stopped being a whisper and started becoming a kingdom. 👀🏰

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