In 1959, Walt Disney began looking for land for a second resort to complement Disneyland, which had opened in California in 1955. Walt  first flew over the Orlando site (one of many) on November 22, 1963. 

To avoid an explosion of speculation, Disney used various fake corporations and cooperative individuals to acquire 27,400 acres.  After the majority of the land had been purchased, the truth of the property's owner was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel on October 20, 1965.  A press conference soon was called for November 15.  At the presentation, Walt Disney explained the plans for the site, including Epcot, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, before his vision was realized.  His brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney, postponed his retirement to oversee construction of the resort's first phase.

Construction of drainage canals was soon begun by the district, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic Kingdom Park.  Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground were also completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971.

Roy O. Disney dedicated the property and affirmed that it would be known as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honour.  Roy died on December 20, 1971, barely three months after the property opened.

Epcot Center opened in 1982, a theme park adapted from Walt Disney's vision for a "community of tomorrow".  The park permanently adopted the name Epcot in 1996.  In 1989, the resort added Disney-MGM Studios, a theme park inspired by show business, whose name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008 . The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.

The Walt Disney World Resort occupies approximately 122 square kilometres, roughly the size of Ottawa.