This is one of those "If only" stories, as in "if only Louisiana didn't let its politics get the best of it."
Which is what happened when Walt Disney came to New Orleans on Nov. 22, 1963.
Does that date sound familiar? It's the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dallas' Dealy Plaza.
Of course, Disney didn't know this would happen when scouting locations for his new theme park in New Orleans.
That's right, Disney was, indeed, considering the metro New Orleans area as the home for what is today the Walt Disney World Resort.
If you're going to search for source links on the internet for this story, that it's just that — a story passed down from people who were there to those who weren't.
Which prompted Jimmie Papia, of Metairie, to inquire if this story is true.
"After the success of Disneyland in California, Walt Disney decided to build a second theme park, Disney World, in another part of the country," he said in his query to Curious Louisiana. "Rumor has it that Disney gave strong consideration to building it in Louisiana, especially on the northshore somewhere between Mandeville and Covington."
Papia added that theory has merit "because we know Disney liked New Orleans so much that he constructed a 'New Orleans Square' in Disney Land" in his Anaheim, California, park.
"Legend has it that Disney was discouraged due to the greed and demands of local politicians," Papia said. "My question is, did Disney really give consideration to building Disney World on the northshore and, if so, why did he not build it in Louisiana?"
Well, that question is best answered by former mayor of Slidell, Sam Caruso.
Though he emphasizes that his account is a secondhand story that came to him some years after Disney's visit, it was told to him by a firsthand source: Walt Disney's chief architect, who was revisiting the area for a smaller Disney operation.
This was in the mid 1980s, when Caruso served as mayor.
"He was visiting a friend, and while he was here, he says, 'You know, I wonder if there could be some other kind of development that I might develop for you all,'" Caruso said. "His friend had mentioned me to him, and he said, 'Do you think your friend who's the mayor here, could put together some people for me to meet with?' And I was very interested in that, so I put that together for him, but it wasn't the right time, right place. We missed our opportunity."
This meeting came after Caruso spent some time with the architect, who he calls only by the first name George, but Caruso's son, Sam Caruso Jr. remembered the architect's full name — George Rester, who was one of Disney's chief architects for Disney World's Epcot and is credited with many of the iconic designs of the park and its hotels, including the Contemporary Resort.
Caruso Jr. also remembers that Rester was originally from Pearl River, Louisiana.
"The story he told me isn't something you would just make up," the former mayor said.
The elder Caruso was driving Rester around the northshore when, from the U.S. Interstate 10 twin span bridge heading toward Slidell, the architect pointed out a specific area.
"And he just, out of the blue says, 'Man, I want to show you something,'" Caruso said. "He said, 'You see that land over there?' And he pointed to the land that's now mainly a high end residential area. I said, 'Yeah, what about it?' He said, 'That's where Disney World was going to be.'"
So, what happened that changed the course of Louisiana history on the fateful day of Kennedy's assassination? Rester and Disney were in New Orleans thinking of replicating Disneyland's success somewhere in the Crescent City's metro area.
"He said, 'Well, Walt was thinking about building Disney World, and one of his prime spots, was New Orleans, or, at least, the New Orleans metro area," Caruso said. "I asked him what happened, and he said, 'Well, we were in a city hall meeting with some people from both the state and the city to talk about this on the day President Kennedy was assassinated. That, of course, ended the meeting."
Disney and his architect returned to their hotel, where they joined the world in watching the aftermath of the assassination unfold.
Then came the weekend.
According to Caruso, Rester said, "One day over that weekend, Walt came to my room and said, 'George, pack up your stuff. We're going home,'" Caruso said. "I asked George why this went from high interest to suddenly going home, and he looked at me and said — you just can't forget something like this — he said, 'Mayor, you are the first Louisiana public official at any level that I have ever been alone with for three hours or more that did not ask me for a bribe."
Which, according to these sources, is why the answer to Papia's question is one of those "if only" stories. Perhaps Cinderella's Castle could have been standing on the northshore?
Caruso emphasizes that the architect wasn't speaking about all Louisiana politicians or public officials.
"He said, and I want to be sure I put it correctly, 'I'm not telling you that you're the only Louisiana public official who I've met with who never asked me for a bribe — what I'm telling you is that you're the only Louisiana public official who I was ever with, alone, for three hours or more who hasn't asked me for a bribe,'" Caruso Sr. said.
So, Disney returned to California, then opened Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, in the Orlando area, Oct. 1, 1971. That plot of land is now home to four Disney theme parks: the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Other parks, including Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando, later located in the area, all combine to attract tourists from around the world.
The architect gave Caruso his number at the Disney headquarters in California, which the mayor called and verified, but nothing came of the Slidell meeting with local businessmen, because capital wasn't available at the time.
As for Walt Disney, the city of New Orleans, itself, had always been an inspiration to him. He would show that by adding New Orleans Square, replete with verandahs, wrought ironwork and the sounds of jazz, to his California park in 1966.
He even invited then-New Orleans Mayor Victor H. Schiro to share in the grand opening festivities on July 24, 1966.
"Imagine how many people's lives would have been dramatically different if Disney World had been built here," Caruso said. "It would have changed everything even more, because remember, the city of New Orleans is, itself, a big attraction on a worldwide basis, really. And certainly nationally, it's a big tourist attraction on its own. And if you had been able to put together the energy of that plus a new Disney development, Disney World, imagine what would've happened here."
If only.
