Collections

The Disney Ephemera Collection is a collection of reports, brochures, memorabilia, articles and news clippings about Disney Enterprises and the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida. The collection contains materials related to the different locations within the resort complex, including information about the Disney parks, resorts and other attractions. Publications in the collection were produced by both the Disney Corporation and outside sources.

Compiled by attorney Robert P. Foster, the collection consists of a variety of documents, clippings, maps, and photographs, all of which pertain to the process of purchasing and developing land in Central Florida for the purpose of creating the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), where Walt Disney World would be constructed.

The Harrison "Buzz" Price collection, 1952-2006 is comprised of reports, proposals, research, photographs, and company files related to Price's work career as an economics consultant for theme parks and tourist attractions. The collection primarily documents the business activities of the Harrison Price Company (HPC), but some materials from earlier projects with Economic Research Associates (ERA) are also included. This collection offers insight into the theme park and tourism industry in the U.S. and internationally. It features background research involved in planning attractions, feasibility analysis reports for attraction locations, and notes from collaborative sessions on project ideas. Price was involved in projects for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Six Flags, Universal Studios, MGM, Cedars Fair, Knott's Berry Farm, and several other entertainment organizations and resorts. The papers are divided into eight series: Reports, Proposals, Speeches, World's Fairs, Images, Subject Research Materials, Project Research Materials, and Price Company Files. Harrison "Buzz" Price was born in Oregon City, Oregon on May 17, 1921. In 1930, his family moved to San Diego, California. In 1942, Price earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. After serving in the Army during World War II, he also earned an M.B.A. from Stanford in 1951. That same year, Price joined the Stanford Research Institute, where he assisted in locating the site for Disneyland in Anaheim, California. He managed the Stanford Research Institute's LA office for several years before founding Economic Research Associates (ERA), a consulting company in economics, in 1958. While at ERA, Price helped to locate the site for Walt Disney World in Central Florida in 1963, wrote a Universal Studios tour feasibility analysis in 1964, and carried out 6,000 consulting studies. In 1969, Price sold ERA to Planning Research Corporation, the world's largest conglomerate of professional service consulting. He became Planning Research Corporation's Chairman of the Board after serving seven years in corporate management. Price went on to start an independent consulting company in 1978, founding the Harrison Price Company. In 1994, Price was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and was elected to the International Association of Amusement Parks Hall of Fame in 1995. For 37 years and up until his death, Price served, alongside Edie Wasserman, as a trustee of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Price also published a book in 2004 about his work in the themed entertainment and attractions business titled Walt's Revolution! By the Numbers. Harrison "Buzz" Price passed away in Pomona, California on August 15, 2010, at the age of 89.

The Robert H. Brown Tourism Collection, 1900-2013 (bulk 1970-2010), documents tourism in and around Florida during the twentieth century. It chiefly consists of postcards, brochures, and guidebooks relating to the tourism and theme park industries, as well as press kits and other promotional materials. This collection provides insight into the marketing and promotion of tourist attractions in and around Florida. Many of the attractions documented are no longer in existence or are in decline after the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort in 1971, offering a glimpse at the tourist landscape of Florida prior to and immediately after the resort's domination of Central Florida tourism. Robert Hugh Brown grew up in Miami, Florida. He developed a fascination for roadside attractions while touring the state of Florida extensively. In the 1990s, Brown created "Florida's Lost Tourist Attractions," or Lostparks.com, a website dedicated to documenting the many attractions that sprang up and later fell by the wayside following the opening of Walt Disney World. His research for the website led him to collect thousands of brochures, postcards, flyers, and other ephemera detailing Florida tourism. As of 2024, Brown is retired and currently resides in Ocoee, Florida.

Robert "Bob" Lewis Glasser worked as a Contract Administrator and a Senior Environmental Analyst for the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. During his employment with Disney, he collected various reports, promotional materials, publications and memorabilia mainly related to the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) Center. Bob also worked for the Office of Florida's Secretary of State between 1962 to 1970 as a Director for Buildings & Grounds Division and gathered a few campaign and election materials which can be found within the collection.