Orlando, Fla. – March 3, 2021 – GrayRobinson’s Kent L. Hipp, shareholder in the Orlando law firm office, was featured in the Orlando Sentinel article "Meet the General Who Mapped out the Magic Kingdom," (subscription required) sharing memories of his grandfather General William "Joe" Potter.
Potter, who, as explained by Disney author and historian Christopher Lucas, was "the architect of Disney World’s government, the mastermind behind the hidden tunnel system at the park, and the reason why Disney has no mosquito problem today." One of the first people to step foot on the 27,000 acre piece of land, Potter worked with Walt Disney and the architect who designed Disneyland to develop a masterplan for Disney World. He also traveled to speak with industry leaders to draw up their support for Epcot.
Potter passed at age 83 in 1988, but the memories still run deep with Hipp, who proudly displays a photograph of Walt Disney holding him as a baby in his office. Since Magic Kingdom’s opening day, there has always been a General Joe’s Building Permits in the window on Main Street USA. "It was always cool as a kid being able to look up at that window and see his name on that," Hipp said. "Just like a little nod. If you’re in the know, you know what this is."