The Disney World AAA Welcome Center used to be located in Ocala Florida.
It’s been closed now for almost 6 years. Shortly after I started this blog I wrote a piece on Disney’s slow withdrawal from outdoor advertising.
Disney’s outdoor advertising once was comprised of a huge amount of billboards reaching almost to the northern Florida border, the Disney AAA Welcome Center, and even an AM radio station.
The Welcome Center was a joint venture between Disney and the Automobile Association of America (AAA). Those traveling to WDW via car could stop there to get information, make reservations, buy park tickets and Disney Merchandise. They even had a small theatre playing WDW information films.
After Disney closed the Welcome Center it went through several different tenants over the years. The most recent occupant didn’t even put up a sign. There were just a few cars parked in the lot.
RIP Disney AAA Welcome Center
Well I was in central Florida the past few days for (surprisingly) non-Disney related stuff and as I drove by exit 350 on Interstate 75 I could see they’d torn the old Welcome Center building down.
Even after Disney closed it the building was used by other companies.
I stopped on the way home to snap some pics and thought I’d post this memorial.
Check out more pictures of the Disney Welcome Center during it’s heyday and my post on Disney’s outdoor advertising.
A Hampton Inns and Suites now sits where the Welcome Center was.
This article was written by Steve Bell, founder of Military Disney Tips.
Steve is a retired U.S. military member who has been visiting the Disney Parks since 1971 and writing about Disney military discounts and vacations for the military community for over 18 years.
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