The Walt Disney World Conference Center was a chalet-style building that was designed for small and medium-sized business meetings. It opened in August 1980 along the banks of Club Lake and was then converted into part of the Disney Institute. It was later demolished when construction began on the Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which now stands on the grounds of the former Institute.
The conference center had four rooms which could be broken down into several configurations. The largest breakout room, at 6,500 square feet (600 m2), could seat 505 guests with theater-style seating. Each meeting room faced the lake and had automatic lighting that would turn on when external light conditions required them. Meeting planners could have themed entertainment with the Disney characters as well as the ability to arrange for a round of golf or a tennis match. The conference center could not handle large conventions and the large groups were forced to use newly created meeting spaces at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, Walt Disney World Swan, Disney's Contemporary Resort, and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa hotels, which resulted in the closure of the conference center.
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