Disney Phychology Secrets?

[chartle]

Also, I thought I had heard that Main Street apparently gets wider as you walk towards the castle, giving the appearance that it is longer than it is when you are walking towards the castle and allowing Guests to feel like it's a shorter walk at the end of the night when you're towards the Train Station.

I don't think wider, but the shops get shorter to make the Castle look taller.

If it got wider towards the castle would mean it would get narrower towards the train station and that could cause bottlenecks getting people out at the end of the night.

 

[MegSmethurst]

There are 2 skeletons playing chess in the pirates of the carribean ride . They are stuck in a never ending check. Any moves after would move them back into check. It's a continuous loop!

Once when they were renovating the ride, they had to take the pieces all apart and when it was time to put the table back together they couldnt remember the position of all the pieces! But after a lot (a lot) of looking, they found the positions scribbled on the back of another plan for pirates.

Now it's back to it's continuous loop of check!

 

[GRUMPY D]

look at the walkway in liberty square the pavement starts off a light color and then gets darker in the middle , Disney did this because in that time period there was no indoor pluming and everybody emptied there --- buckets out the windows and it all run to the middle of the streets and also if you look at the house numbers on the doors and put a 18 in front of them that is the stile of building for that time period the house was built , at AK all the animal are trained to respond to a sound , at EPCOT after the fireworks somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes after they burn off the gas in the barge

 

[OKW Lover]

Some really interesting stories here - many of them true, or at least partly so.

I know there are little things disney do like you're never more than 40 paces away from a trashcan because thats how long they calculated it takes to eat a hotdog, but are there anymore

The placement had nothing to do with eating a hotdog. Think about how long it takes you to eat one and how far you could walk in that time. Then think about what really happens when you get a hotdog - most likely you stop and either sit down or stand in one place eating it. The actual origin of this (and I believe its a certain number of feet not 40 paces) is a casual study that imagineers (not Walt himself) did in observing people in the parks.

Animal Kingdom's entrance is built on a slope due to the fact that Disney has no control on how active the animals will be. The slope makes people walk slower giving them a better chance of being able to see some animal action!

Which certainly explains why there are so few animals actually in that section of the park?

This was included in the History Channel's Modern Marvels about Disney World... About how Cinderella's Castle was designed with forced perspective to give the allusion that it is hundreds of feet high. But it is 189' high.

The reason behind this, was that Walt wanted to maintain the belief that the guests were in a magical place. He felt that the feeling would be lost if, a blinking beacon was attached at the top (At the time, in FL, any structure over 200' had to have the beacon in order to warn planes). So as you look up, the windows and turrets look smaller, not because you are looking further away, but because they are smaller.

The 200' restriction isn't a FL specific one - its an FAA regulation. The forced perspective part is true. Another great example is the Canada pavilion in Epcot.

OK one more. The lake between the MK and its parking lot is to try to insulate you as much as possible from the outside world.

The Story goes Walt saw a young family leaving the park early, around 5:00 PM. He asked why and they said while riding the Skyway, they saw traffic building up and they wanted to beat the rush.

Thats also why he bought so much land in FL. He wanted to keep the real world as far as possible from the parks.

Its true that Walt wanted a lot of land so that he could insulate the guest from the outside world based on what happened to the area outside DisneyLand. However, even without the lake the outside world wouldn't be seen from the Skyway (now gone at the MK) anyway.

The real reason the lake is there is two-fold: first, that's where they got the soil to build the second floor of the MK. Second, when WDW first opened this provided a further mental separation for the guest leaving the real world behind. They had to leave the last of their real world reminder in the parking lot and take either the Ferry or the Monorail to get to the MK.

The entire Magic Kingdom is actually on the 2nd floor, its 14ft above ground level. One of the issues Walt Disney didn’t like about Disneyland is that cast members from one land were seen walking through another. Underneath the kingdom are utilidors that allow cast members to travel from one area of the park to another.

You will never get wet from the rain when walking underneath Spaceship Earth...the water is actually collected in the spheres and recycled back into the World Showcase Lagoon.

True, although its not really recycling. That's simply where the rainwater drains to.

The only part of Magic Kingdom without music playing is in between the Indy Speedway and the Mad Tea Party. The reason is because there was no natural way to link Tomorrowland with Fantasyland.

Hmm, you mean they could do a great job of linking the Caribbean with FrontierLand, but couldn't figure out how to transition between Fantasyland and Tommorowland?

Picture the space between the Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for a moment. All of the architecture between these two landmarks along the Rivers of America follows a specific timeline in American history. Notice how it starts with the 16th Century Gothic style Haunted Mansion. As you walk towards Frontierland, you'll find that the buildings are becoming more and more modern including the Hall of Presidents (which is more true to the classic Colonial American style of the late 1770s) and continues through the early days of pioneers towards the beginning of Frontierland and works it's way into the Industrial Revolution by the time you get to BTTR. Pretty cool huh?

I believe you're talking about the section of the park between liberty square and Splash.

Also, I thought I had heard that Main Street apparently gets wider as you walk towards the castle, giving the appearance that it is longer than it is when you are walking towards the castle and allowing Guests to feel like it's a shorter walk at the end of the night when you're towards the Train Station.

Actually the street is the same width. Next time you are there, go ahead and pace it off. Even if that were true - it works backwards from that - it would need to be narrower, not wider as you walk towards the castle.

My husband just now told me he swears he saw a tv show somewhere that showed how trash is sucked from the bottom of the trash cans to tubes in the tunnels below. He said when we went in June he noticed them changing the trash bag in the can and was disappointed. So I guess this one is not true...yet!

The trash is taken out of the trash cans just like any other place, in plastic gags. The bags themselves are then brought backstage and placed into the vacuum (Avac) system which whisks it away to a central collection place.

 

[ToddyLu]

Face characters are giving a very short time in which to learn how to apply their makeup. All wigs for the princesses are made with real hair. The Tree of Life is structured around an off shore oil rig. The Dancers in the Ballroom at HM are in reverse, the ladies lead. I think there are only about 5 Mickey's in WDW at any given time. They make every effort to have Mickey leave Chef Mickey's and be at MK in time for the 3:00 parade. I am not joking the logistics of that are a very big deal. No two Mickey's in one park at a time--EVER. You cannot have Mickey at Camp Minnie Mickey and in the Jungle parade at the same time.

 

[Jakesmom504]

Same is true for the bakery on main street. The smell of fresh baked cookies is vented out onto the street so that everyone who walks by can smell them.

One of my favorite things about MK!! Love it!

 

[YensidFl]

The Haunted Mansion is the only attraction located in 4 different lands in 4 different parks, New Orleans Square at DL, Liberty Square in DW, Fantasyland at TD and Frontierland at DP

The restaurant in Cinderella Castle was King Stefan's Banquet Hall but was renamed Cinderella's Royal Table in 1997. King Stefan was actually Sleeping Beauty's father, not Cinderella's

Construction of MK was commanded by and Army General and Navy Admiral

The addition of Bill Clinton to the Hall of Presidents during the 1993 refurbishment marked the first time the attraction featured words spoken by a sitting US President

Unlike DL in the US, Paris, and Hong Kong, Dumbo the Flying Elephant at MK is the only version without a water feature. Utilidors are under the ride where the pipes need to be

All the flowers in Liberty Square are either red, white or blue

Main Street is 850 feet long and rises about 6 feet from the train station to the castle

The Main Street Fire Station Engine Co. 71 refers to the MK opening in 1971

Following their success, Roy and Walt bought their parents a house and moved them LA. Unfortunately the heating system was faulty and only a month after moving, their mother passed away of carbon monoxide poisoning. The guilt haunted Walt for the rest of his life.

When Walt says "it started with a mouse" he doesn't mean Mickey Mouse. Walt adopted a mouse as a pet while working in his Laugh-O-Gram studio in Kansas City.

And for a biggie that alot people don't know about.....

Walt Disney never owned Disneyland. He was the creative genius behind the concept and had stock in the company but never owned a controlling share.

 

[YensidFl]

The Haunted Mansion is the only attraction located in 4 different lands in 4 different parks, New Orleans Square at DL, Liberty Square in DW, Fantasyland at TD and Frontierland at DP

The restaurant in Cinderella Castle was King Stefan's Banquet Hall but was renamed Cinderella's Royal Table in 1997. King Stefan was actually Sleeping Beauty's father, not Cinderella's

Construction of MK was commanded by and Army General and Navy Admiral

The addition of Bill Clinton to the Hall of Presidents during the 1993 refurbishment marked the first time the attraction featured words spoken by a sitting US President

Unlike DL in the US, Paris, and Hong Kong, Dumbo the Flying Elephant at MK is the only version without a water feature. Utilidors are under the ride where the pipes need to be

All the flowers in Liberty Square are either red, white or blue

Main Street is 850 feet long and rises about 6 feet from the train station to the castle

The Main Street Fire Station Engine Co. 71 refers to the MK opening in 1971

Following their success, Roy and Walt bought their parents a house and moved them LA. Unfortunately the heating system was faulty and only a month after moving, their mother passed away of carbon monoxide poisoning. The guilt haunted Walt for the rest of his life.

When Walt says "it started with a mouse" he doesn't mean Mickey Mouse. Walt adopted a mouse as a pet while working in his Laugh-O-Gram studio in Kansas City.

And for a biggie that alot people don't know about.....

Walt Disney never owned Disneyland. He was the creative genius behind the concept and had stock in the company but never owned a controlling share.

Also, there is not a single attraction that is piloted by a CM

The Magician in Fantasia is named Yensid. Disney spelled backwards

The Liberty Oak, which is the focal point of the Liberty Square area, is the parent of more than 500 young trees throughout the MK. They all started out as acorns harvested from the majestic oak

Country Bear Jamboree was the first major attraction to actually debut at WDW

More than 40 coat of arms are on display at Cinderella's Royal Table. Each one represents someone who played a significant role in the heritage and history of the Walt Disney Company


Whew. thats enough for now.

 

[Cinderella<3]

I meant The Oasis my mistake

 

[Cinderella<3]

Some really interesting stories here - many of them true, or at least partly so.



The placement had nothing to do with eating a hotdog. Think about how long it takes you to eat one and how far you could walk in that time. Then think about what really happens when you get a hotdog - most likely you stop and either sit down or stand in one place eating it. The actual origin of this (and I believe its a certain number of feet not 40 paces) is a casual study that imagineers (not Walt himself) did in observing people in the parks.



Which certainly explains why there are so few animals actually in that section of the park?



The 200' restriction isn't a FL specific one - its an FAA regulation. The forced perspective part is true. Another great example is the Canada pavilion in Epcot.



Its true that Walt wanted a lot of land so that he could insulate the guest from the outside world based on what happened to the area outside DisneyLand. However, even without the lake the outside world wouldn't be seen from the Skyway (now gone at the MK) anyway.

The real reason the lake is there is two-fold: first, that's where they got the soil to build the second floor of the MK. Second, when WDW first opened this provided a further mental separation for the guest leaving the real world behind. They had to leave the last of their real world reminder in the parking lot and take either the Ferry or the Monorail to get to the MK.





True, although its not really recycling. That's simply where the rainwater drains to.



Hmm, you mean they could do a great job of linking the Caribbean with FrontierLand, but couldn't figure out how to transition between Fantasyland and Tommorowland?



I believe you're talking about the section of the park between liberty square and Splash.



Actually the street is the same width. Next time you are there, go ahead and pace it off. Even if that were true - it works backwards from that - it would need to be narrower, not wider as you walk towards the castle.



The trash is taken out of the trash cans just like any other place, in plastic gags. The bags themselves are then brought backstage and placed into the vacuum (Avac) system which whisks it away to a central collection place.

I have collected many Disney information books. I have found my information in "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World" I worded my first part of information wrong about Animal Kingdom, as for the second part about the music I worded it exactly the way it was written in the book.. Just because you seem to have your own opinions about how they decided to link the different lands does not mean the information I contributed is in your words "partly true."

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Wow...that is fascinating! Never would have even occurred to me that they could do something like that!

On the Disney cruise ships they save all the condensation created by the air conditioning and use the water to power wash the cruise ship down. Learned this from the ships chief engineer.

 

[sierraWDW]

Also, there is not a single attraction that is piloted by a CM

What about the Safari at AK?

 

[MikeP22]

No two Mickey's in one park at a time--EVER. You cannot have Mickey at Camp Minnie Mickey and in the Jungle parade at the same time.

Not so sure about this one...
We ate dinner at the Garden Grill in Epcot one evening and Mickey was there. As we were leaving we hit the character stop and Mickey and crew were there.

 

[Sleepy425]

The trash is taken out of the trash cans just like any other place, in plastic gags. The bags themselves are then brought backstage and placed into the vacuum (Avac) system which whisks it away to a central collection place.[/QUOTE]

Since you happily pointed out other's wrong information, I will point out yours. MOST of the trash cans do not have bags. The can is emptied into other empty cans (or, if it is full traded out with an empty can), then the collected cans of trash are dumped into the trash vacuum backstage. The cans in the lines do often have bags, because custodians are not in charge of emptying them. The attractions cast members take care of these garbages.

(And yes, this may be trivial - but so was you pointing out Liberty Square and Splash instead of HM and BTTR)

 

[Disney-Chick]

I heard that the tallest building is the TOT & not the castle. I read that online about facts regarding WDW. All these reponses are so intersting. Keep em' coming!!!!

 

[kjs1976]

I was a former CM through the college program. What I thought was smart was that WDW has a central building where all the sheets and towels are washed and dried, then taken to respective resorts, etc. I was really fascinated by this when we did our Traditions training before we became CMs. I think this is the same with all of the cast uniforms as well. We had to either get our uniform the night before our shift from the uniform dept or get it when we clocked in the day of our shift.

 

[OKW Lover]

The trash is taken out of the trash cans just like any other place, in plastic gags. The bags themselves are then brought backstage and placed into the vacuum (Avac) system which whisks it away to a central collection place.

Since you happily pointed out other's wrong information, I will point out yours. MOST of the trash cans do not have bags. The can is emptied into other empty cans (or, if it is full traded out with an empty can), then the collected cans of trash are dumped into the trash vacuum backstage. The cans in the lines do often have bags, because custodians are not in charge of emptying them. The attractions cast members take care of these garbages.

(And yes, this may be trivial - but so was you pointing out Liberty Square and Splash instead of HM and BTTR)

Thanks - its always good to get the correct information out there.

 

[nblake05]

As you walk down Main St. look in the upper story windows. They look like advertisments for the "town's" business proprieters, but they are actually the names of imagineers and artists, dummy company's etc. that held important roles in the creation of the MK. Their corresponding businesses relate to the real life role they played. For example, the window for "Uptown Jewlers" reads: "If we can dream it- we can do it! Dreamers and Doers, Roy O. Disney, Chairman," thus honering Roy's financial acumen that made the dream of the MK happen.
A good book with a lot of infor like this is The Hidden magic of Walt Disney World, by Susan Veness

 

[martyshoney]

Love all of this!

 

[Hootch]

As you walk down Main St. look in the upper story windows. They look like advertisments for the "town's" business proprieters, but they are actually the names of imagineers and artists, dummy company's etc. that held important roles in the creation of the MK. Their corresponding businesses relate to the real life role they played. For example, the window for "Uptown Jewlers" reads: "If we can dream it- we can do it! Dreamers and Doers, Roy O. Disney, Chairman," thus honering Roy's financial acumen that made the dream of the MK happen.
A good book with a lot of infor like this is The Hidden magic of Walt Disney World, by Susan Veness

is a book available that has brief bios of the people mentioned on the windows and pictures of some of the windows in WDW and DL - Windows on Main Street.