ElvisWorld

If you are not an Elvis fan you would not understand the nature of euphoria that will be experienced in a couple of days in Memphis when over fifty thousand people will sojourn to the Whitehaven community of Memphis for a candlelight vigil remembering the rock and roll giant's death 1977. For fans of the 'King of Rock and Roll', Elvis Presley's life and death will receive a boost as Elvis Presley Enterprises embarks on one of the most ambitious entertainment venues in history.

Similar to Walt Disney World, ElvisWorld as it is believed to be named, with entail one hundred acres of all things Elvis. With Graceland and the LisaMarie as the foundation, Elvis Presley Enterprises is looking to build an entertainment center that will add to the already massive Elvis brand. Currently, Graceland is visited by almost one million people annually. The Lisa Marie, Elvis' personal jet that is named after his daughter, the ex-wife of Michael Jackson, rests across the street at the entrance to the complex.

Filled with history and stories of the escapades of Elvis Aaron Presley, Graceland is the most visited address in Memphis. Situated on a sizable parcel of land on one of Memphis' busiest streets, Elvis Presley Boulevard, Graceland rests on a hill up from passersby who nightly see an illuminated brick estate with music notes resting on its gates. When you visit Graceland you will see suits worn by Elvis during some of his most memorable performances. You will visit the gravesite where he is buried along with other family members. And you will hear the stories of Elvis' favorite things, including a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.

In a day and a time when personal jets were only for the ultra-affluent, the Lisa Marie is a stunning large jet. In comparison to Hounddog II which is a private jet, the Lisa Marie included a conference room, a living room, and private quarters for Elvis when he was jet-setting across the world. In addition to the planes, when you visit the complex you will enter a recreation of a terminal that will transport you back to the 1970s, replete with video of the flying history of Elvis Presley.

With almost a million people visiting Graceland and the Lisa Marie every year, Elvis Presley Enterprises who is fierce about retaining ownership of the Elvis Presley brand, is looking to expand the experience tourists have when they visit the site. Whereas today, visitors get the mansion, the planes and a stop by the visitor's center. The goal is to create an entertainment complex that will include some kind of 'experience' where visitors will be able to get a closer, more personal look into Elvis Presley than they do today. Over the last five years, Elvis Presley Enterprises has been on a buying spree, acquiring a large amount of land to bring the land space to over one hundred acres. Some wonder if Elvis Presley Enterprises is finished buying. Some residents in this predominantly black community are hoping that EPE continues its buying spree.

Based on filing documents with the city, Elvis Presley Enterprises has been very profitable for land owners in the area. In a recent purchase, EPE paid twice the value of a property in order to get it under the Presley umbrella. Such is becoming the norm as management looks to acquire any and all pieces of property that can be used for future development of ElvisWorld.

Whitehaven is home to almost seventy-five thousand residents. The southern edge of Memphis, it borders the Memphis suburb of Southaven, MS. Over the last twenty years, Whitehaven as a community has languished as home values decreased and crime increased. With EPE making the investment it has, the city is looking for ways to curb the rising crime and make Whitehaven a viable community again. This will allow Elvis Presley Enterprises to make the investment it is committed to making. Already it has built a new hotel called the Heartbreak Hotel and it has become the home to a Harley-Davidson dealership, the Graceland Harley-Davidson.

With the investment Elvis Presley Enterprises has already made, ElvisWorld is sure to come to pass. More than theme park, ElvisWorld will not have the amusement park tides that come with thoughts of Disney World. Instead, ElvisWorld will focus on the experiential side of Disney World as it looks to captivate the hearts and minds of visitors with dynamic reminders of the very best of Elvis Presley. Imagine going to Disney World and not hearing, 'It's a Small World After all'. Unimaginable isn't it? For Elvis fans, so will, 'Blue Suede Shoes' does the same.

With the anniversary of his death on August 16, throngs of people will make their way to Graceland for its annual candlelight vigil. Visitors will laugh. They will cry. And they will remember.