April 29 - Disney's All-Star Resort

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On this day, in 1994, the first phase of Disney's All-Star Resort, All-Star Sports, opened for business in Walt Disney World. As Michael Eisner's plans to keep guests from ever needing to leave Walt Disney World property kept moving forward, it became glaringly obvious that there was a big flaw in them. Anyone who didn't want to spend a couple of hundred dollars a night for a hotel room would automatically be leaving the confines of the Florida Project every night, eating at restaurants and shopping at gift shops that weren't Disney owned. Disney needed to start catering to guests who didn't need a lot of bells and whistles, just a place to lay their heads. And maybe a pool.

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The first hurdle that had to be overcome was how to create an economy resort with making it sound like a cut rate place. The solution: insinuate that this is where the important people, the Stars, come to stay and, heck, not just some of the stars but All of them. Not only does the name make you feel good about staying there, but there are stars in all sorts of genres of entertainment, so the resort would have plenty of opportunity to expand without making it all seem the same. Because even though these were going to be pretty basic hotel rooms with pretty basic amenities, the resort was still on Disney property so story was going to be important.

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A sports theme was chosen for the first phase of the All-Star Resort and the task of designing the place was given to Arquitectonica, a Miami, Florida based firm. Phase one was divided into five areas, each themed around a different sport. It isn't hard to tell which area your room is in, all you have to do is look for the three story tall football, basketball, baseball, tennis or surfing equipment that adorns the ends of each building. With a couple of sports themed swimming pools and a food court, the resort fulfills all the needs of most families.

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The second phase of the All-Star resort to open was the Music themed part just seven months later in November 1994. All-Star Music has the same basic look as Sports with bright colors and oversized icons. Instead of football helmets and surfboards, there are juke boxes and drums. Interestingly, the phase with the theme you might think would have opened first, given the fact that Disney is known for their characters, was the last to come to life. All-Star Movies didn't open until January 1999 and features larger than life Love Bugs, Dalmatians and Green Army Men.

All told, Disney's All-Star Resort has over 5,400 rooms making it the largest resort on Walt Disney World property (if you consider the three parts to be one big resort) room wise. Situated near the southern edge of the property, it's also one of the few things that is located in Osceola County as opposed to Orange County.