Disney's best kept secrets and hidden gems!

[jmrothermel]

Unfortunately waking Tinkerbell is an experience that ended when they refinished the shop five plus years ago.
The paintbrushes on Tom Sawyers island are a thing of the past too.

See, it's a good thing this board is here . I'll revise my post!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

There have been several threads like this in the past, here is a good one with lots of info and cool hints and tricks:

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1712235

 

[Mom of a princess]

I think there is a free one guided tour of these resorts or may be both.
Does any know any details?

Thanks

 

[kris082668]

Bump

 

[gilltrooper]

After dark at The Haunted Mansion you can see a light moving past the windows & conservatory ! Be patient... The light doesn't move constantly. It looks like Master Gracey walking the halls by candlelight !!!

 

[csmith041177]

My favorite things are the rides / non-attractions that are in plain site...but people walk right by them! For example, the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, the Liberty Tree, Cinderella's wishing well, etc.

 

[Jrsy Boy]

This is not at all secret, but I love the pressed penny machines scattered around WDW. For 51 cents, you can make a little souvenir. There are several machines at each park and DTD, and at least one at each resort.

If restaurants were not enough, it's another incentive to visit all the resorts.
Much less expensive to collect than pins!


PS - If you google "wdw penny press locations", there are various maps showing the locations, even which machines are out of order.

You can also download an app called "Penny Finder" that will tell you where the nearby pressed penny machines are.

 

[W.E.D.]

If you feel up to walking and you want to park hop between Epcot and HS or visa versa, you can walk from Epcot's International Gateway to HS front gate in about 30 mins along a path that runs in front of Boardwalk. It's one of my favorite ways to park hop.

That's a very beautiful walkway too! We had a great time taking your route last visit.

 

[W.E.D.]

During the Christmas season at Fort Wilderness many campers decorate their camping areas with lights, blow up decorations, and some are just so crazy over the top! We happened upon this by accident last year by getting on a wrong bus from DTD.

This is also done in a lot of the windows at the resorts. It certainly added another level of magic when we stayed at POR in '11.

 

[W.E.D.]

When in the queue for Pirates of the Caribbean, the two skeletons playing chess have died playing because the chess game is at a stalemate- nobody can win.

From the Imagineer's Guide to MK: During a refurb the chess table got bumped. They had to find the original Imagineer's instructions to get the game set up in the original configuration.

 

[pnc76]

Does any one know if they offer death certificates at the haunted Mansion? I read that somewhere else.

 

[Darkside]

Well sort of. If you walk in the gift store that is at the end of the Animation Academy. You can go to the back and go straight to the meet and greets. The lines are usually short and features Wizard Mickey. The last time we were there we took pictures with Belle, Frozone and Stitch.

 

[Bflo Dave]

So what way would you walk to park hop between Epcot and HS by feet ?

 

[minniemous]

After dark at The Haunted Mansion you can see a light moving past the windows & conservatory ! Be patient... The light doesn't move constantly. It looks like Master Gracey walking the halls by candlelight !!!

Very Cool! I will look for this!!!

 

[myzel]

An interesting thing for the kids to do is collect transportation cards. Disney has trading cards for all of its transportation systems and the drivers usually have a couple on hand to pass out, but only if asked. As DS says some are stingy and their cards are hard to get.

 

[bocaj1431]

Love this thread! Thanks to the OP for starting this.

 

[JohnneeO]

So what way would you walk to park hop between Epcot and HS by feet ?

If you feel up to walking and you want to park hop between Epcot and HS or visa versa, you can walk from Epcot's International Gateway to HS front gate in about 30 mins along a path that runs in front of Boardwalk. It's one of my favorite ways to park hop.

I have never walked it; I just read about it yesterday. If you look at the Boardwalk Inn on Google Maps Earth View, it is a walkway labeled "Epcot Resorts Hollywood Studio Connector" at its northern and southern ends. It runs along the water, in between the water and the Boardwalk tennis courts, under Beuna Vista Drive, and along side the bus stops.

The post that I read said that the most direct route to/from Epcot IG is through the Boardwalk's pool area.

 

[LisaTC]

My DD loves doing the pressed pennies, too. They have books you can keep them in. She has filled one and is on another. You can do quarters, she discovered, but more pricey! Also, we had her silhouette done in MK on the left side of the Castle just before you get to the candle shops and HOP. It was about 17.00 for 2 copies and a frame. They were so awesome.

The photopass photographer at Haunted Mansion has an add in on your photo in front of the horse drawn hearse with a ghost that shows up on your photo. They ask you to act scared/surprised. It's pretty cool.

We like doing pick a pearl at Japan Pavilion. Less than $20.00 and the last time I got twins. It's fun.

There is a piano entertainer at POR in their River Roost lounge - YeeHaw Bob. He's funny, interactive, silly. Always draws a crowd. There was also a caricature artist at POR near the lounge the last time we were there. He was excellent and DD and DH had their picture done - in color.

We like going to Club Cool - For those who've never been:
"Club Cool is the place to go to cool down and sip a free beverage or two. Sponsored by Coca-Cola, this "exhibit" situated near Innoventions West, offers free samples of soft drinks from around the world, as well as Coca-Cola merchandise" I'm the only one I know who likes the Beverly!

CM's usually always have Mickey Head stickers. They were always giving them to DD.

School age kids can learn about Agriculture/food easily in Living in the Land ride. Might think it a little boring, but it is very educational and worth a look! My DD thought it very interesting, but she has her own little garden.

DD got her hair trimmed at styled in a bun at Harmony BBShop with pixie dust for $17.00 not including tip. Looked awesome & got lots of compliments.

Taking the boat back to MK from Hoop de Doo was awesome after. The castle was all lit up. Amazing.

Rainforest Cafe at AK has breakfast, DTD doesn't I don't think and it is really good and the coffee is awesome! We do breakfast there before park opening. They open at 8:30 and we were out by 9:15 and headed to Kilamanjaro in no time flat. Morning was great. Cooler and lots of animal sightings. I had a giraffe literally 4 inches from my nose. SWEET!

For you who see Carousel of Progress and go "YAWN" here's a few tidbits posted long ago:

Carousel of Progress—(1) There is a Picture of Walt Disney hidden in the CoP. It is in the daughter's room in the 1940s on the wall you are facing as you sit in front of the stage wall in the upper left corner. (2) Several HMs in the final scene: (a) Mickey nutcracker on the fireplace mantle, (b) a plush peeking out from a present, (c) a white pepper mill on the kitchen counter, (d) An abstract Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's apprentice from Fantasia in a painting on the dining room wall, (e) one of the Christmas presents under the tree (near the Grandfather's chair) is wrapped in red and white paper but has a large classic Mickey head cut out of green paper glued to the side of the gift (the gift is partially hidden by another present, so you see the ears and part of the top of Mickey's head), (f) a classic Mickey appears (just for a few seconds) on the top of a spaceship in the middle of the television screen (look for it just as the game starts on the TV before Grandma starts playing), (g) On the top of a cup, the lid is a HM. (3) The voice of the grandfather in the final scene is the voice of the man who was the main character voice in the original 1964 Worlds Fair version. Mel Blanc is the voice of Cousin Orville. Mel's son, Noel, is the voice of some of the characters on the radio in the earlier scenes. The current voice of the main character you may recognize as the voice of the narrator from "A Christmas Story". "Can't get no privacy” line sounds faintly like Yosemite Sam. (4) The dog holding the keys in Pirates of the Caribbean and the dog in Carousel of Progress are both Walt Disney's dog.

Oh...I wish I was there!

 

[meegsman]

I have never walked it; I just read about it yesterday. If you look at the Boardwalk Inn on Google Maps Earth View, it is a walkway labeled "Epcot Resorts Hollywood Studio Connector" at its northern and southern ends. It runs along the water, in between the water and the Boardwalk tennis courts, under Beuna Vista Drive, and along side the bus stops.

The post that I read said that the most direct route to/from Epcot IG is through the Boardwalk's pool area.

Once you leave Epcot via the Intl Gateway, always stay to the left when the path splits. You should find yourself going around the Boardwalk to end up on the "other side" of the Boardwalk pool. Continue along the waterway under the road bridge and HS will appear as you come out from under the bridge. The walk is ~20 min depending upon your walking speed.

 

[ibela]

Is it worth making the trip if we already stay at BC with their little campfire and movie?

The campfire at BC doesn't have Chip & Dale so if you have little ones that are big fans and you have a free evening, it's still worth going.

I'm not sure if at Chip and Dale it was ever free but a guest who was there the night my friend and I went said at other places like BC and one other the s'mores were free. I don't know if he was telling the truth or just complaining because I've never bento other camp fires.

Last campfire I went to was 2 years ago was at BC. Each person (kid?) got a free stick with 1-2 marshmallows but if you wanted the full smores (with chocolate and graham cookies), the kit had to be bought. I'm 99% sure it was the same when we went to the Chip & Dale one 4 years ago.