Disney's Best Kept Secrets (Posted)

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BUSES—(1) More than 230 buses transport guests, making Disney the 3rd largest in
Florida, behind Miami and Jacksonville.

CHRISTMAS—(1) Each Christmas season, Walt Disney World Resort is decked with more
than 11 miles of garland, 3,000 wreaths, and 1,500 Christmas trees. The tallest is a 70.
tree in Disney's Contemporary Resort. In addition, trees, which range in height from 45
to 70 feet, are placed in prominent positions in the theme parks.

EMPLOYMENT—(1) Disney employs more than 54,000 CMs . Disney is the largest single-
site employer in the United States.

GOLF COURSES—(1) With the addition of the Pete Dye-designed Eagle Pines course and
Tom Fazio's Osprey Ridge, Walt Disney World Resort now boasts 99 holes of golf. That
makes this one of Florida's largest golf resorts.

HIDDEN MICKEYS (“HM”) —The first HMs began as inside jokes of the “Imagineers.”
In designing, constructing, or adding the finishing touches to an attraction, Imagineers
would subtly “hide” MICKEY MOUSE silhouettes in plain sight. Word spread of these
images, and co-workers and friends sought to find them all. That search continues to
this day Unofficially, a HM is defined as an image of Mickey Mouse concealed by
Imagineers or Disney Artists to blend in with the design of something in the theme parks
or resorts. It is not just the traditional "three circle" image that is considered a HM.
In addition, just because three circles appear together, does not necessarily make them
a HM. Unfortunately, there is no official way of tracking down every HM. Imagineers
have never kept track of where they are, and since attractions change or are enhanced
throughout the years, HMs can disappear. Others have been created by a new generation
of Imagineers. There are countless places at the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort for a
HM to hide. Where the next one will appear is anyone.s guess. MICKEY MOUSE.S image
has also been incorporated into many designs as a decorative enhancement to new and
refurbished areas. You might say they are “Deliberate Mickeys” because they are
specifically intended to make MICKEY MOUSE a visual addition to the surrounding
artwork or as an identifying logo. A Mickey head on a manhole cover is an example of a
deliberate or a decor Mickey.

INFORMATION—(1) Go into any Park store--the CMs have stickers behind the desk.
Ask them for the "I Made Magic Today" sticker. They will give you 10 Mickey stickers
and 1 "I Made Magic Today" sticker. Your job is to pass out the 10 Mickey heads to
people that aren.t looking so happy and make them smile w/the sticker or people that are
having a great time and telling them it.s because they are so HAPPY. At the end of the
10 stickers, you end up w/your sticker, and you know that every time you look at that
sticker YOU MADE MAGIC!!! (2) Ask the bus drivers if they have any of the tradable
bus cards! (3) WDW has over 2,000 acres of grass to mow! That's 18 miles around the
Earth's equator! (...and Disney mows THREE times a week!) (4) In some attractions,
there are VIP lounges. If there are celebrities visiting WDW (or politicians, etc.), they

 

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can be taken into the VIP lounges. There are drinks and snacks available in the lounge,
photo albums of different celebrities and people who have been in the lounge, and they
get taken on to the front of the line when they are ready to ride. (If you look at
Spaceship Earth from the back, there is a building attached to it with some window
looking things. That's the lounge in SE!) (5) IF YOU ASK FOR A LARGE CUP OF ICE
WATER THEY WILL GIVE IT TO YOU AT NO COST, AND YOU CAN GET AS
MANY AS YOU WANT AT A TIME. (Get two when you get food or when you need
something wet and cold. Drink one right way and use one to carry around so you can stay
hydrated longer.) Disney won.t tell you this, but they won't turn down your request.)
(6) When leaving MK at closing time, hop on the Resort monorail and skip the massive
lines heading to the TTC via the direct Monorail. The resort monorail stops at TTC but is
not express. It is more relaxing as you can usually get a car to yourself and can sit. Also,
no standing in line on tired feet waiting and waiting, and once you get to the TTC, it is
usually between arrivals of the express monorail and there is a lull in the crowds trying to
get to the trams. (Additional note: Have one person in your party drive to the Park you
are going to [if you are a Resort Guest] and park for free. The rest of your party can
ride the bus, boat, etc. [for the fun part of it]. Then, at the end of the night, no waiting
in long lines on tired feet. Just hop in your car and go back to your resort!) (7) If you
have a special needs child with a disorder that falls under the autistic spectrum or is
hypersensitive, you can get a note from their doctor and take it to guest services. They
will give you a special assistance card. When you get to an attraction, show it to the CM
working there. It doesn't mean that you don't have to wait in line, but they will try to
take you into a quieter area for your wait. You can get a sample note from
www.allearsnet.com. (8) A bottle strap that you buy at the parks for cokes/water
bottles works great for carrying around Pal Mickey. (Put it around his neck.) (9) Disney
World bought about 150,000 gallons of paint -- enough to cover nearly 7,500 average
sized homes in 2004. (10) If you were to stack all of the buttons used by the Costuming
Plant Seam Team in one year, you would have a stack 96 times taller than the height of
Cinderella's Castle. (11) Number of trees, shrubs and flowers: more than 7 million!
(12) Daily water usage: 15 million gallons! (13) Largest working wardrobe in the world with
more than 1.5 million operational garments in use and over 7,000 different garment types.
In addition, there are over 2 million pieces of entertainment costumes. Each day, the
costuming plant processes between 27,000 and 31,000 garments. (14) More than 50
million soft drinks sold annually. (15) 10 million hamburgers, 7 million hot dogs, 9 million
pounds of french fries, and 300,000 pounds of popcorn sold annually. (16) Uses 194,871
miles of toilet tissue, 24,409 miles of paper towels, uses 319,353 lbs. of chocolate, 1.2
million pounds of watermelon, 741,150 pounds of sugar, 1.8 million pounds of flour,
245,000 pounds of fruit filling, 38,000 pounds of white icing glaze, 2.9 million pounds of
eggs, 606,000 pounds of bananas, and 510,000 of grapes. (17) Serves more than 1.5
million soft pretzels, more than 639,000 pounds of macaroni and cheese, and more than
3.8 million ballpoint pens annually. (18) Uses more than 337,000 pencils annually, nearly
148 million sheets of recycled copier paper annually, and 730,102 gallons of bleach
annually. (19) 214,000 bandages were provided to guests during the year 2004. (20) In
2004, Walt Disney World recycled 18,322,000 pounds of paper products. (21) WDW

 

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uses human waste as fertilizer! They treat the waste on-property and put it to good use.
(22) In the morning (usually from around 8am-12pm) when the lines are really long to get
on the monorail from TTC to MK, take the boat! The TTC boat offers wonderful views
and a great breeze in about the same amount of time that the monorail would have taken
to get you to MK. A great added bonus: If you get on the TTC boat at those times, Chip,
Dale, and Pluto love to hang out on it! Perfect opportunity for your kids to see their first
characters at DW-before they even enter the park! Not too many people on the boat
either, so there are great opportunities for pictures with the characters. (23) If you
are the first family of the day to request the photo that they take of you on the ride,
they will give it to you free!! (24) Did you know that Disney merchandise that is exclusive
to Disney World has a gold castle logo on the package somewhere? It's kind of nice to
know that you're buying something that isn't sold anywhere else.

LAUNDRY—(1) CMs launder an average of 240,000 pounds each day. In addition,
between 30,000 and 32,000 garments are dry-cleaned daily.

LOST & FOUND—(1) Lost and Found is one busy place. Every day, an average of 100
pairs of sunglasses are turned in at the MK alone. Enough shades come in each year to
outfit every resident of Sun City, Arizona; Sun City, California; and Sun City, Florida.
Since 1971, an estimated 1.5 million pairs of glasses have found their way into the lost
bin. According to long-time lost and found staffers, the most unusual items turned in
have been a glass eye and a potty trainer. Both, incidentally, were claimed (but not by
the same person).

MERCHANDISE—(1) There are enough of the famous "Mouse Ear" hats sold each year to
cover the head of every man, woman, and child in Pittsburgh and enough Disney character
t-shirts to put Mickey Mouse's smiling face on the chest of every Chicagoan. (2) More
than a half-million character watches (mainly Mickey) are slipped onto wrists from Walt
Disney World gift shops each year. At any given time, there are more than 200
different varieties of character watches. The most popular timepiece is a gold-tone
relief of Mickey Mouse.

MICKEY MOUSE—(1) What the Mouse will be wearing depends entirely on the occasion.
Mickey Mouse himself has 175 different sets of duds ranging from a scuba suit to a
tuxedo. Minnie Mouse.s wardrobe contains some 200 outfits including everything from a
cheerleader ensemble to evening gowns.

MONORAILS—(1) Backstage at the MK (on the far northeast side of the park), there is
a monorail barn. Ten of the twelve monorails spend the night in there. Why only ten?
Because when the barn was built, WDW was only supposed to have a total of ten monorail
trains, but two more were added out of necessity for more guest capacity. Each night,
two monorail trains have a sleepover in one of the other stations, and if the temps get
below freezing, they go deluxe and stay in the Contemporary's station. Because of
regularly scheduled maintenance, no two trains ever spend more than one night in a

 

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schedule rotation outside of the barn. Someday, when you're at the MK and you have a
few spare minutes, go outside the gates and turn left. Walk down the pathway under the
beams toward the Contemporary, and just before you come to the intersection where
North World Drive goes backstage, stop and look up. Above your head is a switch beam,
which can move a train between the outer (Express or Exterior line) and inner (Resort or
Lagoon line) beams. If you're really lucky, you might witness an actual switch. While
looking up, you'll also note a spur track that goes north into the backstage area, which
then continues into the barn. If you happen to have a recent property map, the Magic
Kingdom area spur track and the barn are actually shown on the map, although neither is
identified as such. On the Epcot line, there is another spur track to the northeast of the
Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC), which connects it to the Express beam. What
happens in the event that one monorail breaks down along the beam and can't get back to
barn under its own power? There are three diesel powered tractors that can pull a fully-
loaded monorail into the nearest station. The passengers are dropped off there, and the
tractor then moves the empty train backstage to the barn for maintenance. By the way,
the monorail trains also share the barn with the WDW Railroad steam trains. The
monorails occupy the upper area of the building and the steam trains have the lower area.
TRIVIA: The two "extra" trains added to the fleet are Monorail Lime and Monorail
Coral. The way to tell the difference between Monorails Green and Lime and
Monorails Pink and Coral is by the white delta shape painted on Lime and Coral's
color identifier stripe on the side of the train. (2) Since 1971, total miles logged by
WDW monorail trains would be equal to more than 30 round trips to the moon. One
dozen new cars were put into service along the 14-mile beamway in 1990 as the original
fleet received a well-deserved retirement.

PICTURES—(1) Kodak estimates that approximately 4% of all amateur photographs taken
in the US are snapped at Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland.

SIZE—(1) Covering 47 square miles, Walt Disney World Resort is about the size of San
Francisco or two Manhattan islands. Of the more than 30,000 acres, less than ¼ has
been developed, with another quarter designated as a wilderness preserve.

WEDDING PAVILION—(1) It was designed to provide the Bride and Groom a view of the
MK.s Cinderella Castle while standing at the altar.

MAGIC KINGDOM--General Info—(1) Walt designed the parks so that when you pass
from land to land, you don't see the others. If you are in Liberty Square, you can't see
Fantasyland, trees, buildings, and distractions like the water wheel. The noise keeps you
from looking to your left and seeing the other lands (even the pavement changes to
match the new [mood] land). (2) Small pipes shoot the trash through the utilidors under
the Magic Kingdom at 60 mph. (3) If there are 2 lines and you can't see the loading area
from where you are, take the line to the left. (4) In the MK, you will rarely see a
Frontierland CM walking around in Tomorrowland. Most CMs arrive to work in their own
clothes and then check in at costuming to pick up their costume. When going on breaks

 

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etc., they use the tunnel system under the MK (which is really ground level) to travel
between lands, as not to ruin the effect of each land. (5) Ever notice there isn't a lot of
gum stuck on rides, trees, waiting areas in WDW? That's because they don't sell it, just
for this reason. (6) There are more than 20,000 different colors of paint used in Walt
Disney World. (7) If you were to wash and dry one load of laundry every day for the
next 44 years, you'd clean about as much as the Cast Members at the Walt Disney World
Laundry do in a single DAY! (8) The Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue in MK--Did
everyone see what is on Walt's right ring finger? (9) The walkway in MK is red because
Walt wanted to lay out the "red carpet" for all guests. (10) The characters watch the
color of the cement behind the scenes. When it changes color, they know they have to
be in character before they enter the parks. The same goes with leaving. As long as
they are on that color, they must be in character even if it is behind the gates. That is
in case the gates are not closed and a child or anyone can look and see them. So, they are
not allowed to take the costume off and be out of character. They don't want anyone to
see Mickey without his head. (11) On the Keys to the Kingdom Tour, they mention that in
WDW no trashcan will ever be more than 30 steps away from you. It seems that Walt
went to other parks when he was designing the park and counted how long a person would
hold onto a piece of trash before dropping it on the ground. He came up with 30 steps.
(12) 50,000 people could fit into the underground tunnels called the Utilidors.
(13) OPENING-After the rope drop, get on the train and take it to the Adventureland
stop. Get Big Thunder Fastpasses for the family and then jump on Splash Mtn. We do
this every trip with good to awesome results. This past Dec. was awesome. We rode
Splash Mountain three times without getting off. Then BTM twice. We gave away the FP
we got for BTM because the time was still 10 minutes away, and we were on our way to
Liberty Square. The worst the train trip will do is to get you on Splash Mtn. fast and
then onto Big Thunder with a FP. (14) All the Spanish moss you see hanging off any trees
in WDW are fake. They're stapled onto the trees, for obvious reasons. (15) In Florida,
everything is pretty much sea level. In order to build the required access tunnels
beneath the MK, they needed to pile A LOT of earth up onto the area of the Park to
make it easier to lay the network of "people pipes" that run under the park. This earth
was removed from an area in front of the MK site, and later became the Seven Seas
Lagoon.

Celebrity Voices--Many celebrity voices—(1) Tim Curry as S.I.R. in Alien Encounter to
Pee Wee Herman in Star Tours. (2) He's not widely known for much more than being the
voice of Tony the Tiger, but check out the official Disney section of this Thurl
Ravenscroft fan site to get in on all of the voices that you know and love on Disney
attractions that Thurl provided like the drunken pirate, the singing dog, and one of the
minstrels in Pirates; Fritz in the Tiki Birds; Buff the buffalo head in Country Bear
Jamboree; and you can hear -- and SEE -- Thurl as the busted bust singing Grim Grinning
Ghosts in The Haunted Mansion.

Parking Lot—(1) In the MK parking lot, only 6 of the 7 dwarfs have a lot named after
them! There is Sleepy, Dopey, Happy, Grumpy, Bashful, and Sneezy. No Doc! Why?

 

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Because while naming the sections in the world's 3rd largest parking lot, the designers
were afraid people might get the Boat Dock and the Parking Lot "Doc" confused. (2) You
could fit all of Disneyland into the MK parking lot and still have room to park 500 cars!

Phones--One in Tomorrowland under the TTA and Astro Orbiter. There's also one in one
of the shops on Main Street (candy store?). I believe there may be one in the Main
Street Railroad Station??? Pick them up and listen to the interesting conversations.
(**Update-7/8/07—Heard Main Street phone taken out!)

Adventureland--The last two trips to MK when we entered the park at opening, instead
of heading to the right (Tomorrowland) or beeline straight to Fantasyland, we veer to the
left, over the hub that leads to Adventureland. No one is there. We can do the entire
land and not wait in a single line. That includes Pirates (walk right on), Jungle Cruise (walk
right on), Swiss Family (no lines), Tiki Room (actually wait for it to open), and Magic
Carpets (okay, by the time we get to this one there is a line, but not too long). The last
time we did this, Genie was just standing there alone, waiting for company. We were
happy to oblige.

Aladdin.s Magic Carpet Ride—(1) The Golden Camel in front of the Aladdin ride is
controlled by someone hidden nearby and shoots unwary guests as they walk by. I stood
there taking video from a distance and laughed my head off. Whoever was controlling it
was able to nail a few people in the back of the head! (2) Its really not a secret, but
after you get off the Magic Carpets of Aladdin Ride, go to the concession stand behind
it. They have the best ice cream called the Citrus Swirl that is vanilla ice cream mixed
with orange juice, and it.s GOOD!

Ariel’s Grotto—There is a bathroom right behind Ariel's Grotto that no one knows
about...not that interesting of a Disney secret (unless you have to go to the bathroom
really bad) but worth knowing!

Astro Orbiter—Hidden Mickey--near one of the stability pillars in front of Astro
Orbiter on the side facing Space Mountain. It is definitely an imprint of a classic Mickey
in the cement.

Barber Shop—(1) For $5, you can get glow-in-the-dark streaks put in your hair. Great
for kids who are nervous about the dark rides! Washes out easily. (2) Paint little Mickey
heads on the back of the kids. heads. (3) Sprinkle 'Mickey dust' on everyone! (4) The
chalkboard in the barbershop on Main Street has all the Hurricanes listed as if they
were next to get haircuts.

Big Thunder Mtn.—(1) Walk to the exit from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Behind the
fence (on the left side as you exit the ride), between two metal carts and behind a cactus
is a cutout in the reddish rock that resembles a side profile of Tinker Bell. (2) Hidden
Mickey--Three rusty gears lying on the grass as you reenter the station. (3) In queue

 

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area for Big Thunder, look for crate that says, "Lytum & Hyde Explosives Company."
(4) One of the five trains is slightly faster then the rest (though which one is a CM
secret/ but I say it doesn.t hurt to ask a CM), and there is a storyline to the coaster
that most people don.t know. It has to do w/the flood of Amityville, a mining town, and
the color and the shape of the rocks in the mtn. are based on those found in AZ and the
Grand Canyon. (5) If you ride in the afternoon, the grease on the rails are hottest so
that will make the ride a little faster.

Buzz Lightyear—(1) A CM at the end of the Buzz Lightyear ride (just before the gift
shop area) may choose you to find a hidden Disney Character somewhere in the area from
the entrance of the shop forward. You get a free copy of your picture and a free
souvenir if you can point it out in under 5 minutes! (2) The big points in Buzz are found
leaving the first room. Turn around and shoot the back of the orange robot.s arm or the
back of the buzz saw(100,000 points). The car turns automatically away form these so
turn back score big! (3) Hold the button on your blaster down--don't let it up as you
move it around and aim. (4) In the very last Buzz Lightyear room where you are still able
to shoot, look forward at the top left corner, there's a planet with Mickey on it. This
same planet is also on the map of planets in the waiting area just as you enter. The
planet is blue. (5) If you make a silly face for the camera on the Buzz ride, your photo
will come up on the monitors as "Zapped by Zurg."

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) You should be able to spot several HMs in the
final scene: (a) Mickey appears as a nutcracker on the fireplace mantle, (b) a plush
peeking out from a present, (c) a white peppermill 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.

Castle—(1) Sit in the outer edge of the Plaza restaurant...basically look at the castle,
find the wire that goes from the castle down to the restaurant rooftop on the right, and

 

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go get a seat under it. TinkerBell will fly down that wire and right over the top of your
heads! (2) Discover the little mice (Gus & Jacques) in the throne room at Cinderella.s
Royal Table. (3) Behind the castle is a fountain with Cinderella. If you bend down and
look at the fountain, the crown on the back wall appears to crown Cinderella. (4) When
you take a walk down Main Street, take a good close look at the castle. You will notice
that the "bricks" get smaller the higher up the castle goes. The Imagineers called it the
"forced perspective" technique. The castle looks a little taller than it would if all the
"bricks" were the same size. (5) Inside the walls of the walk-through of the castle are
several mosaics. On the mosaic wall farthest from the entrance are the two stepsisters,
Anastasia and Drusilla. The mosaic shows one of them with a red face and the other with
a green face. Red with Rage and Green with envy!!! (6) Approximately 1,000,000 mosaics
to make up the scenes. (7) If you sit on the stone ledge on the side of the castle, you will
hear Stitch giggle and tell you to be quiet because he's hiding. (8) There is also Story
Time with Belle at the small theater to the right of the Castle. There, Belle asks for
young volunteers who she puts in costumes of Chip, Miss Potts, Garson, and others. It is
another very rare picture moment. (9) I'm not sure if this was mentioned in all the pages
but at Cinderella's Royal Table in the room where you get your picture taken with
Cinderella there is a flag on the wall that is actually the Disney Family Crest. It is the
flag with the Three Lions on it.

Characters—(1) If you see a human character, like Mary Poppins, ask them a question
about their movie, and they go right into character. I had Mary doing Supercalifragilistic
backwards! Kiss all the female "non-human hands" and watch their reaction. (2) During
the morning session about 15 min. before Buzz and Woody are scheduled to come out, the
Army men come out in their Jeep and do a preshow. They choose 8-9 kids that are there
early to line up. They have them shout their names and handed them weapons. Buzz and
Woody made their appearance for a group photo with all of them. (3) Cinderella comes
into the downstairs lobby of "Cinderella's Royal Table" restaurant a few times a day, and
you don't have to eat your meal there. (4) The characters at the Fairy Tale Favorites
line at the Toontown Hall of Fame change on the hour, but the Mickey's Friends and Pooh
Friends are the same all the time. Go late in the hour, come out, and jump back in line for
the top the hour. Some characters might pop out from behind the Judges Tent. (5) CMs
playing Snow White and Ariel are not allowed to get a tan, even when they are "off duty."
Snow White can't because she must have fair skin, and Ariel can't because mermaids
don't have tan lines. (6) We have gotten lucky a couple of times and come across a ton of
characters at the "teardrop" area in the Magic Kingdom. It's an area by the train station
in Toontown. It's kind of hidden, but if you are riding the train, you pass by it right
before the train stops in Toontown. (I think it might be a smoking area?) Anyway, we
think they might be doing some kind of market research or something because what
appear to be CMs in business casual clothing escort the characters out and take pictures.
Last time we found it, there was a CM videotaping. You can really get a ton of pictures
with all kinds of characters, some of which are rare, with little to no wait (unless, of
course, the train has just let out)! Some examples of characters we have gotten are:
Pinocchio and Gepetto, Darkwing Duck and Launchpad, the three mice from Cinderella,

 

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Friar Tuck, Rafiki, Dopey, and several others. You can't ask about it at guest services
b/c it's supposedly "unscheduled," but we came across it around 2. If you're in
Toontown, doesn't hurt to stop by. (7) This isn't "official," but we bought my son Mickey
hands one year, and all day long CMs and Characters came up to slap him five, and during
the parade, almost every character made a point to come over to him to do the same.
(8) You can get great pictures with characters by taking them when you interact with
them and not just pose with them. (Example: Scratch Pluto behind the ear and snap the
picture.) (9) Check out the details on the characters' costumes. Woody has a pull-string
on his back just like the toy, Buzz has a (c)Disney printed on his butt just like the plastic
toy ( I don't know if "Andy" is on their boots, though), and the Green Army Man has
plastic molding on his boots and helmet like the toy and a unique block print autograph.
(Buzz can't sign, he has a stamper--maybe his gloves aren't flexible enough?) King Louie
from the Jungle Book can't give autographs-his arms are too long. (10) All the character
greeters carry a phone number with them so they can call and see at what time a specific
character is going to be out and where. If you have a special character you would really
like to see, I would ask a friendly-looking character greeter (these are the people who
accompany the characters out into the parks) if he/she knew when they would be out and
where. (11) Costumed characters are instructed on subtle body movements, such as a toe
tap, to communicate with their CM escorts of requests, problems, issues, etc.

Cinderella’s Carousel—(1) There is only one horse on the carousel that has a gold ribbon
on its tail. This is Cinderella's horse. Prince Charming.s horse is next to it. (At least
that's what the fairy godmother said.) (2) On Cinderella.s Carrousel is the only place in
Fantasyland where you can see a picture of Cinderella running with her prince to their
carriage after just being married. (3) Cinderella's Carousel was built in 1917 by the
Philadelphia Toboggan Company. At the time it was constructed, it was red, white, and
blue (symbolizing patriotism) and was located at Detroit Palace Garden Park. In 1928, it
was brought back to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was refurbished and then relocated
to Olympic Park in Maplewood, New Jersey. Maplewood closed in 1967, and the carousel
was due to be silenced, if not for the watchful eye of a Disney person. The Carousel was
fully restored, given the Cinderella theme, and was unveiled at the opening of the Magic
Kingdom on October 1, 1971. (4) There are 90 horses on Cinderella's Golden Carousel.
(5) Know what the difference is between a merry-go-round and a carousel? A carousel's
horses all move up and down, while merry-go-rounds have some non-moving horses.

Country Bears—The claw marks on the floor of The Country Bear Jamboree.

Exposition Hall— (1) There's a small theater that shows old Disney cartoons (like the old
Main Street Cinema but in color and with seats), a couple exhibits, some nice photo
opportunities, and usually in the late morning, I've seen a variety of Disney Princesses
there (Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White, Mary Poppins). (2) Most characters come from
the Hall to the outside for meet and greets. Every character that came through stopped
to say hi or mess with us. It was air-conditioned, and no lines to stand in! (3) There is a
Mr. Toad ride vehicle behind a curtain in Exposition Hall!!

 

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Fantasyland—(1) When you go to Sir Mickey's Shop in Fantasyland, look at where the
roof meets the walls. You will see Willie the Giant from Mickey and the Beanstalk
peeking into the shop. (2) In Fantasyland, the pavement changes a few times. One is
near Ariel's Grotto. The pavement is cement mixed with sea shells like you would find
near an ocean town. Another is right in front of the carousel where Merlin the Magician
picks a lucky lad to remove the Sword from the Stone. The pavement there is shaped
like sword blades.


Ferry Boats—When you take the ferry to and from the Magic Kingdom, look down at the
concrete pylons where you pull into the dock. They are covered with coins (mostly
pennies) that people have thrown overboard.

Fireworks—If you don't need to see Tinkerbell fly or see the front of the castle while
watching the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom, go BEHIND the castle to see the
fireworks. The view is fantastic, and you don't have to fight crowds. In fact, we usually
grab a seat at one of the outdoor restaurants and enjoy! It.s nice to sit down after a
long day at the MK.

Food—(1) Get a Dole Whip at Aloha Isle at MK. (2) Eat lunch at The Pinocchio Village
Haus and look out of the window that overlooks the loading/unloading area inside of It's
A Small World. Pinocchio's Village Haus is made up of seven themed rooms. They are
named Blue Fairy, Cleo, Figaro, Jiminy Cricket, Monstro, Stromboli, and Geppetto's
Workshop. Also, one of the chairs has a Mickey head craved into the back it. (3) Not
sure if this counts as a theme park secret, but it is very helpful if you have small
children. The sticks from the Mickey Ice Cream Bar will fit through the slit in a soda cup
top. This works great at catching ice cream drips for the little ones. (4) Try having a late
evening meal or snack outside on the second-story balcony of Pinocchio's Village Haus as
the lights are coming on at night in Fantasyland. All the trees and rides are lit up, and it
is a wonderful spot to sit and relax! (5) The talking trash can in the McDonald.s
restaurant by the AllStars. My husband was so startled by it that he actually dropped
his tray into the trash!

Frontierland Railroad Station—At the Frontierland RR Station, look for a wooden leg
named Smith. It is a reference to a joke in Mary Poppins. "I knew a man with a wooden
leg named Smith." "What's the name of his other leg?"

Frontierland Shootin. Arcade—(1) Drop $0.50 in the machine, and then, hit all of the
targets with the flash from your camera. Amaze your kids! (2) If you get there early,
you may be able to shoot for free.

Hall of Presidents—(1) Has anyone found the HM in the Hall of Presidents? Look at the
picture near the entrance of the viewing hall. In this picture, George Washington is

 

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holding a sword. Look at the bottom of the sword. (2) The curtains in the windows above
the exit door are hand sewn.

Haunted Mansion—(1) After riding the elevator/stretching room down, as you walk to the
cars, there is a lobby with a desk and lamp. On the desk is a dictionary that is turned to
the word death. This is not easy to see since it.s supposed to be behind a barrier, but go
ahead and look because nobody is there to stop you....or is there? (2) HM on dining room
table, in the library, and on the right hand corner of the spirit. (3) HM as you face
Liberty Square and are at the iron gate. Look to the left--the thing that holds the gate
at the bottom is a Hidden Mickey. (4) If you're by the Haunted Mansion at night, look up
at the top story right above the front door. If you watch it for a while, you'll notice a
light pass by it and some shadows. It looks like 2 people are walking by with a lantern.
(5) The 17th-century mansion of Master Gracie is supposedly on the Hudson River. The
Hall of Presidents is supposed to represent Pennsylvania. I think the river for the paddle
boat was supposed to be on the Mississippi, but my notes are a little confusing to even
me. Also, have to check what Tom Sawyer's Island actually represented. The Diamond
Horseshoe is at the gateway to the west, St. Louis, MO. The old wooden cottage of the
Country Bear Jamboree symbolically represents Colorado. (6) The top architecture is
very easy to recognize as chess pieces. The architect was famous for building structures
that had chess pieces as a part of the structure. When he was commissioned to build the
HM, he continued his "signature" and added some chess piece architecture to the top of
it. The only chess piece missing from the outside is the knight. This is because it is
always (k)night INSIDE! (7) Two Hidden Donalds embroidered in the chairs--red velvet
chairs in the hallway area--Donald's face is on the whole "back" of the chair. One is by
the piano with shadow and one is in the hallway w/floating candelabra. (CM said there
were 2 Donalds, 5 Mickeys, and a hidden ring.) (8) At the HM, the carriage in the
courtyard is being led by an invisible horse, notice the hoof prints (go at night if you can).
The invisible horse is called "Old Glue" or "Elmer" and the black hearse is the same one
used in a John Wayne movie called THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER. Follow the hoof prints
(and wheel tracks of the hearse) out to the area where the fast pass machines are
housed. This is the stable (you can see horse whips, bridles, and horse shoes hanging
down from above). (9) Stand in front of the hearse at the Haunted Mansion and listen.
You will hear the "ghost" horse whiney. (10) In the pet cemetery at the very, very back,
in the top left corner (I think), you can see Mr. Toad! (11) Loeota Toombs (Thomas) is
the woman on the gravestone and the small bride right before you exit urging you to
"hurry back"--this is actually her voice played here. She is the head in the crystal ball,
but the voice of the crystal ball Leota is actually Eleanor Audley, who did the voice for
Maleficent and Lady Tremain (from Cinderella). Leota was not an Imagineer; she was part
of the costuming department (wigs). Walt saw her as he was touring the department and
said, "You've got a face that should be in the Haunted Mansion." What he meant was
that she was quite beautiful, and he wanted her likeness as the now-famous Madame
Leota. (12) At one point in the ride, you fall out of an attic window and die! I think this
occurs when your doom buggy turns backwards, and you make that steep descent.
Supposedly, if you pay close attention, the ghosts have not acknowledged you before that

 

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point, but after you "die," you enter the party scene, and that's when they acknowledge
you for the first time! (13) The creepy organ music you hear in the stretching room
"Grim Grinning Ghosts" slowed way down. You are hearing one song the whole ride,
starting very slow and getting faster as the ride goes on. (14) The "hands" on the clock
are actually fingers! (15) The one-winged bat really has both wings--one is extended as if
stretching the wing and the other is still by the side of the body. (Once you leave the
stretching room and make your way through the queue to your doom buggy, you pass posts
to which the chains are attached. Those posts have bats at the "head" or top of them.
There are three "one-wing-stretched" posts. Look where you make your turns to change
the direction the line moves. (16) Towards the end of the graveyard of the Haunted
Mansion (while inside the ride), there is a ghost in a window-type thing holding some keys
well the key holder is a HM. (17) In the Haunted Mansion in the ballroom scene, there is
an old lady sitting in a rocking chair. This animatronic figure is a duplicate made from the
Grandmother in one of the side scenes of the Carousel of Progress. (18) The well in front
of the Haunted Mansion contains an info red emitter (which activates the info red
receptor in Pal Mickey's nose). (19) 2nd ring in the pavement is a "fairy ring" formed by
paving stones just beyond the well. This marks the spot where a huge oak tree once
stood. It was removed when the fast pass machines were put in. If you stand in the
middle of the fairy ring on the night of a full moon and call out "Leota" three times, she
will come briefly to one of the upper windows of the mansion with her candle. (20) The
area from the well to the building entrance is called the Colonnade. Towards the end of
the Colonnade is the Family Plot with Imagineer "credits" on the tombstones. (21) A
berm behind the Family Plot conceals the gigantic building for the ride -- none of which
takes place in the brick mansion! (22) The Foyer is the only spot in the mansion in which
you can take a flash photograph. (23) Six separate images are in the Aging Portrait
above the fireplace as the young man ages and decays. The portrait was inspired by an
Oscar Wilde novel called THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY. (24) The Foyer and two
Stretch Rooms form a Hidden Mickey. (25) Side step the ride and use the exit on the
right side of the foyer to find a little corridor leading to the exit side of the mansion
(used as a VIP or wheelchair entrance). In the passage is a row of servant bells.
Though the attic is not one of the locations for which there is a bell, Madame Leota has
one. (26) Be among the first to exit for the Doom Buggies by standing on the side with
the painting of the lady with the parasol (a painting of Master Gracey's first wife who
was lured to her death by the machinations of Madam(e) Leota). (27) Who is the woman
who screams in the stretch room? Some say this is the voice of a woman who has thrown
herself down from the rafters and you can hear a dull thump at the end of the scream.
(28) Notice the yellow bats painted on the conveyor of the load area. (29) Hippogriffs
guarding two separate staircases. (30) There is a sea captain with a harpoon pictured in
the Portrait Gallery. HM lore includes a story about the owner of the house being a sea
captain who murders his bride. (And the weather vane at Disneyland's HM is a sailing
ship!) (31) The piano player in the Music Room is invisible, but you can see his moving
shadow on the floor. (32) The flowers in the conservatory wake scene are not dried out
and shriveled (like the wreath on the mansion's front door). They are all still bright and
alive. (33) There is a Hidden Tinker Bell in a pane of broken glass over the coffin! (34) A

 

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ghostly shadow of a claw sweep across the Ghostfather clock. (34) Look for the duelists
who lean out of the paintings in the Grand Ballroom and shoot at each other. (35) Look
for the Lon Chaney PHANTOM OF THE OPERA poster in the attic. (You can only see it
when the lights are on.) (36) There are stars twinkling overhead in the graveyard scene!
Notice that the outside of this house looks nothing like the brick manse outside. (37) A
shaggy haunt by the singing executioner (and the knight) is the very same haunt that
appears as one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts at the end! These three are Phineas, Ezra, and
Gus. (38) HM was based on an actual Manor--The Gracey Manor. After all the family
members died, the common people started rumors of seeing weird things happening. Walt
Disney World then decided to create a walk-through telling the story of one of the
rumors told. It ended up as a ride though. Also, they couldn't decide whether they
wanted the HM to be scary and serious or humorous, so that is why at the beginning it is
so grim and at the graveyard the singing busts and the hitch hiking ghosts make it funny.
(39) If you look up at the cemetery gate when you are first going into the cemetery
scene, you can see a paper tag hanging off of the gate. That is actually the purchase tag
that was accidentally left on the gate when it was purchased from a California
manufacturer. It has been there for so long they leave it as a private joke to
themselves. (40) One small, almost completely unnoticeable enhancement is in the
Stretch Room. If you linger behind the crowd as they are exiting this room, pay
attention to the gargoyles. They speak and chatter and laugh. It.s difficult to hear, and
you need to pay attention, but they are definitely making noise. This is a VERY minor
effect -- only a true Disneyphile would even care -- but if you.re like me and want to
experience everything, then don.t rush out of the Stretch Room.

It’s a Small World—(1) There is only one nation or region whose name is actually written
out anywhere in the attraction. Look carefully for the small hat with the name "Mexico"
written on it as you venture through the South American portion of the ride! (2) Only
two of the figures represent the United States. The cowboy and the Eskimo. (3) In the
jungle room of Small World, the purple vines hanging from the ceiling are all HMs. (4) In
the African section, right above the giraffe on the right side of the boat, there are some
leaves. One leaf is in the shape of Mickey's silhouette. (5) In the Australia scene, there
is a kangaroo bobbing back and forth, and the shadow of it on the wall makes a HM.

Jungle Cruise—(1) At the exit of the Jungle Cruise, there is a large black board with a
list of missing persons and boats. The names are things like Ben Eaton for people and Run
Aground Sue for boats. (2) As you are coming to the end of the Cambodian temple, on
the left side, there are areas of the wall that look like it's been worn away. One of these
worn away areas is a Minnie profile. This was pointed out to me by the tour guide on the
Keys to the Kingdom Tour. (3) Each of the scenes in the Jungle Cruise attraction is
taken from the True-Life Adventure Film Series that Walt Disney produced in the early
1960s. (4) In the new Jungle cruise FastPass area, there are several inside jokes. The
machines are made to look like crates. One is addressed to "Trader Sam's Cranial Curios,
London, England,” and one is addressed to Pamela Perkins President of the AC. Several of
the items in the storage cage are addressed to various characters at the Adventurers'

 

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Club (at Pleasure Island). (5) While on queue at the Jungle Cruise, one hears assorted
scratchy 1930s records played over the PA system with a somewhat witty DJ bantering
and making corny announcements and reading "The Jungle News" on Congo's KBGO. One
of the songs he plays is "You're the Top," by Cole Porter, and parts of the lyrics, which
are very clearly audible and discernible, go like this: "You're the melody/from a
symphony/by Strauss! /You're an O'Neill drama! /You're Whistler's mama! /You're
Mickey Mouse!" (6) Listen to the chanting tribesmen--one of them says "We love disco!”
(7) The thatched roof material around Jungle Cruise is actually made of metal not straw
(reach up and touch it). (8) Just before boarding the boat at Jungle Cruise, look for sign
that says "Employee of the Month." It reads "E.L. O'Fevre" (Yellow Fever).

Liberty Square—(1) The Liberty Tree is well over 100 years old (a.k.a. Southern Live
Oak). The 13 lanterns hanging in the tree represent the original 13 colonies. (2) Listen
for the subtle music changes between lands in the MK. Also, notice how the pavement
changes as well, especially as you travel across the nation and through time from Liberty
Square (the Colonial Eastern US) into the Frontierland (Western US). (3) In Liberty
Square, where they have the building fronts with just door after door, stop and take a
look at them. (This is the area right behind the outdoor eating area.) The addresses on
the doors are all two numbers. If you put 18 in front of them, that is the style of door
they would have had for that year. As you walk along, you can see the progression of the
style. From the windows to the hardware to the door and the window styles themselves.
(4) There are no bathrooms located in Liberty Square, in keeping with the time period of
that area. (5) As you enter the Columbia House Restaurant from the Fantasyland end
nearest Peter Pan's Flight (London), it is decorated to represent England, and as you walk
through, the decor changes to early American. As we change lands, Fantasyland to
Liberty Square, we are virtually crossing the Atlantic when you enter the Columbia House
Restaurant end nearest the Small World attraction leaving the Old World Behind to make
our fortunes in the New World. (6) In Liberty Square in MK, all of the shutters are hung
slightly at an angle. This is because during the revolutionary war, England stopped
shipping the US almost everything made of metal because the colonials would melt them
down for bullets. One thing they did continue to ship was shutters. The colonials would
take the metal hinges off the shutters to melt down for bullets and would hang the
shutters with leather straps. Over time, the leather would stretch out, causing the
shutters to hang at an angle. (7) Liberty Square was supposed to represent the East
Coast of the United States all the way across to the Train station behind Splash
Mountain which was to represent the West Coast of the United States. Pennsylvania is
the "Liberty Tree and the Liberty Bell.” The small bridge and creek next to the "hat"
shop near the shooting gallery is referred to by CMs as the "Little Mississippi.” (8) In
Liberty Square, look down at the main walkway (which is also the parade route). Instead
of just plain cement, there's also an area a couple feet wide that goes all the way down
the walkway and looks like a brownish/yellow gravel. In frontier times, the streets had a
urine trough in them for the horse urine. The gravel area represents the urine trough.
(9) Liberty Square Christmas shop--Look closely! It's actually three separate shops with
the walls opened between them. They are supposed to be owned by three different

 

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colonial families--a German family, a woodcarver's family, and a musician's family. (10)
The 17th-century mansion of Master Gracey is supposedly on the Hudson River. The Hall
of Presidents is supposed to represent Pennsylvania. I think the river for the paddle
boat was supposed to be on the Mississippi. The Diamond Horseshoe is at the gateway to
the west, St. Louis, MO. The old wooden cottage of the Country Bear Jamboree
symbolically represents Colorado. Big Thunder Mountain and the tiny town of
Tumbleweed were near Monument Valley, MT, and lastly, the train stopped in
Frontierland, representing CA. (WHEW!) (11) Hidden park in Liberty Square in the back
of the Christmas Store. (12) The large bell is made from the same mold as the Liberty
Bell. (13) Look at the 2nd story windows in Liberty Square. One has a rifle and another
has 2 lanterns for "1 if by land, 2 if by sea.”

Main Street—(1) Talking Goofy, if it is still there. On Main Street right by the
entrance, there is a Goofy statue sitting on a bench. When you sit by him he talks.
(2) Check out the old-style phone mounted on a wall in the General Store (Main Street
Market House?) (on the right side of the street as you're headed in). Pick up the
receiver and listen in to a conversation going on. You can hear a conversation between a
mother and her daughter, Annie. They discuss what they are going to buy at the store,
the cost of certain items, and how to attract a man. Every now and then, a nosey
eavesdropper, Miss Klump, listens in and is politely told to hang up by the mother. When
I asked the CMs at the store about it, they just replied, "Of course, the tenants
upstairs!" (Rumor: TAKEN OUT) (3) There is a shop on Main Street that will do a
silhouette of a child's profile. About $5-$7. They don't take credit cards; you can only
pay cash or charge it to the room. (4) Be at Magic Kingdom at dusk for the flag lowering
ceremony. (5) If you turn down the first side street to your right on Main Street on a
more quiet day and look up at the windows that have signs that say something like "music
lessons," you'll hear a voice practicing scales and someone tap dancing. You can't always
hear it; it has to be pretty quiet. (6) The entrance to the park is like a theatre. The
ticket area is like a lobby. Then, you go through the tunnels lined with "coming
attraction"-type posters. The train station is the curtain, and when you go through it,
you're in the “show.” Now, for the credits--If you look up at the names on the windows
of the buildings along Main Street, you see the names of all the people who were
responsible for building the park. The very last name is Walt's. It is on the backside of
the last building on the right (ice cream parlor?). It seems like he's almost hidden from
view, but Roy wanted him there so that he would always have a view of the castle. Walt is
the last name as you walk in (being the director, always listed last at the beginning of a
movie), and he is first on the way out (being the director - always listed first at the end
of the movie). Some of the names (i.e., M.T. Lott) are both references to dummy
corporations used by the Disney Company and inside jokes referring to the Imagineers,
etc. (7) Main Street is designed, through forced perspective, to look as if it's much
longer than it is when you're heading towards the castle. In the mornings, you are all
excited and have the energy to walk. When you're walking away from the castle towards
the exit, it looks shorter. That's good for the way out when you're tired. Also, since
most people walk on the right side of the street, all the food shops are on the right as

 

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you enter for those wanting breakfast, while the shops are on your right on the way out!
(And when you walk into the shops on your right, they have stuff for a day in the park
[cameras, water bottle holders, etc]. When you are coming out, all the shops on your
right have gifts and souvenirs.) (8) The fire station on Main Street is Station No. 71.
The Park opened in 1971. (9) Be leisurely when leaving the MK. It was so nice to walk
around the lands going back from BTMR to Main Street just looking around and enjoying
the empty feeling. Also, get yourself a spot in front of the castle at about 30 minutes
after the park closing. You'll be treated to the "kiss goodnight" from the
castle...something really cool to see. (10) In Town Square, there are a few flag poles with
American flags on them. The main flagpole is always taken down during rain storms and
right before sundown, but the rest of the flags are not taken down. That is because they
are not real American flags. They look like American flags, but they are all missing a star
or a stripe that makes them not actual American flags. (14) The Main Street Emporium
sells (or at least used to sell) a scavenger hunt book for about $4 that is fun to do.
(15) Firemen from around the country can either bring to MK or mail in their firemen
patches, and Disney will put them up on display in the Main Street Firehouse. They're all
framed for everyone to see. (16) Ride up Main Street on the trolley horse;

Main Street Railroad—(1) Following Hurricane Charley, a tree that was uprooted was cut
up and some of the trunk pieces arranged as a Mickey head on a lawn, visible from the
WDW railroad train a little ways past the Main St. station (may be temporary). (2) If
you sit in the very last car, the one that with the little platform out the back, they will
ask you to be the guest conductor. You get to yell, "All Aboard!" into the microphone and
announce the different lands. (3) The telegraph you hear at the train station is tapping
out Walt Disney's speech at Disneyland's opening in Code. (4) On one of the shelves, you
can see Aladdin's lamp as well as other characters belongings waiting to be picked up at
the train station. (5) “Go-away green." When you ride the MK Railway, there is a huge
green building off on your left that you really never notice. The color of green does not
draw the eye. (6) In the Train Station, you can find articles left by other "guests,”
including Mary Poppins and other characters from Disney films. (7) Before the MK opens
for the day, the WDW train is perfectly centered in front of the train station for those
wishing to take pictures. It is the only time during the day that this occurs. (8) WDW
Railroad Motto--Dreams are made to come true. (9) What are the names of the four
genuine steam engine locomotives? Lilly Belle - Walt Disney - Roy Disney - Roger Brogg.
(9) The Walt Disney World Railroad engines get a whopping 792. per gallon of gas!
(10) When you are in the waiting room of the railroad on Main Street, they have antique
Mutascopes. When you put a penny in, they actually work! Put in a penny, start turning a
crank, and a short silent movie plays for you. (11) The mechanical band machine plays for
a quarter. Here is the secret: In the upper right hand portion of the mechanical band,
there is a switch. If you flick the switch, it plays for free. (12) Look at the departing
trains schedule at the WDW Railroad Station on Main Street. One train is headed for
Kimball Canyon, a salute to legendary Disney animator Ward Kimball.

Mickey’s Philharmagic—(1) The carpeting when exiting Philharmagic has some HMs.

 

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(2) Look to the right of the "stage.” There are musical instruments going down the wall.
Look closely at the tubing on the French horn. You will see Mickey. (3) The music playing
in the beginning and end fit together and play m i c k e y m o u s e! (4) Donald's voice in
Mickey's Philharmagic is actually created by classic performances from the original voice.
Whoever does the current voice added only a few lines not recorded in the past (e.g.,
humming Be Our Guest). (5) In the waiting area for "Mickey's Philharmagic," there are
many amusing posters featuring Disney characters, but there are also funny inscriptions
in the little one or two inch plaques on the poster frame bottoms. (6) This one may be
obvious, but I'll post in anyway: At the end of Mickey's PhilharMagic, Donald's behind
can be seen in the back of the theatre wall. As guests exit into the PhilharMagic gift
shop, they'll see his angry front side if they look up.

Pecos Bill’s—The dining area is usually totally full with no where to sit. Simply stroll down
the little hallway, past the restrooms, and into Adventureland. On the other side, there
are a bunch of tables and chairs set up, in the shade, and usually there is no one else
there! Peace and quiet!

Peter Pan—In the nursery, over by Nana, there are some building blocks spelling out
"DISNEY" and "P PAN."

Pirates—(1) Years ago, a maintenance guy (or Imagineer) named George was killed during
the building of the Pirates ride. They say his ghost haunts the ride to this day. The
workers have to say "goodnight George" before they shut down the ride each night, or
there will be problems with the ride the next day. My 12-year old asked the attendant
while we were boarding the boat if he said goodnight to George. He said, “Of course! We
don't want the ride to break down!” The thread also said that if you yell out George 3x
during the fire scene, something "may" happen. The kids had a blast with this and yelled
out even though people were looking at us! (2) The storyline of Pirates is a backward
dream sequence, with the opening Bayou scene being the modern day. The portrait of the
red-headed woman in the drunken skeleton room is actually a portrait of the red head
being sold at the auction after she had been acclimated to the pirate lifestyle some
years after her sale. (3) When in the queue, two skeletons playing chess have died
playing because the chess game is a loop position where every possible move leads to a
series of moves that will lead back to the same position --nobody can win. After a
refurb, the Imagineers couldn't get the configuration right and had to search through
Marc Davis' notes to set the chess board back to the proper condition! (4) On the
Pirates of the Caribbean ride, on the first bridge that you go under into the next room,
sitting on the bridge is a man with one of his legs hanging over and another man standing
next to him. If you look at the face of the man sitting, it is the face of Sid Caesar. One
of the designers really loved Sid Caesar and made the face to look this way. (5) Look at
the ENTIRE lock at the dog/jail scene to see the hidden Mickey, not just at the keyhole.
(6) Towards the end, when you pass under the bridge, the pirate sitting above you and his
leg dangling…once upon a time, the red handkerchief sitting on the bridge beside him was
between his toes dangling downward. Apparently, too many guests would stand up to try

 

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and grab the red hankie so they removed it from his toes and placed it on the bridge
beside him. There is a gap between his big toe and second toe if you look. (7) The dog
holding the keys in Pirates of the Caribbean and the dog in Carousel of Progress are both
Walt Disney's dog, or so I've heard. (8) Just a little thing to notice...On Pirates, as you
pass the auction scene, watch as the pirate on the left hand side fires his gun, the sign on
the other side of the water "pings" and swings back and forth. (9) At Magic
Kingdom....upon exiting Pirates of the Caribbean, answer the trivia questions at the
farthest left side cashier and get a certificate and free gift from the treasure box.

Riverboat—Ask to ride in the pilot house and receive official riverboat pilots
certificates.

Share a Dream Parade—(1) There is a hidden Walt on every float. They were very hard
to find and had to be pointed out to me by a fellow CM. (2) We ate lunch outside at
Pecos Bill.s on Thursday (next to Splash Mountain), and as we were finishing, realized the
parade was starting. Since we were at a table right next to the fence (and the parade
route!) we stood on our stools and had the perfect, unobstructed view! As the
characters rounded the corner, almost ALL of them caught our eye -- and the females
seemed to love seeing our DS! (3) Find a place in Frontierland to watch the afternoon
parade. Choose a late lunch. Once you have a parade spot and have planted yourself
there, send one person for food either at the burger place or back around by Pirates at
the taco stand. (They branch out from the same center kitchen). Then eat while you are
waiting. Don't spend 35 minutes eating lunch (or longer at peak time) then another 45
waiting for the parade--combine!!! (2) If you are near the beginning of the parade, once
it is done, go the wrong way in traffic (it will be a challenge!!!) and head back into Pirates,
Tree House, Magic carpets, Jungle Cruise. They will be deserted.

Snow White—(1) Mickey is hiding on the mural. He's by the flowers! (2) Look at the
laundry hanging out to dry. One pair of shorts has Mickey polka dots. (3) Chip and Dale
in Snow White's Scary when Dope waves goodbye.

Space Mtn.—(1) One of the asteroids is actually a chocolate chip cookie! (2) Hidden
Mickey in the last Red Star picture as you walk up the ramp in line. It is 3 white stars in
the shape of a classic Mickey toward the middle left side of the picture. (3) The ONLY
attraction located OUTSIDE the perimeter of the WDW RAILROAD!

Splash Mtn.—(1) The opening of the top cave of Splash Mountain (the one you exit as you
take the final plunge) is a hidden Mickey. It is noticeable from inside the cave and
outside. It is profile shaped, not the traditional mouse and ears. (2) The queue for
Splash Mtn is filled with great touches. In one, you can see the shadow of Brer Toad
sitting in a rocking chair and hear him singing. (3) Bird houses in the trees. I know when
they first opened the ride you could listen and hear birds "talking" and "arguing" in the
bird houses. (4) Notice the street lights when loading for Splash Mountain. One blinks
when the boats are ready to go in motion. (5) There is a tiny HM on a barrel (where the

 

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paint looks like it oozed down the side) right before your first fall into the inside of the
ride. (6) The little critter, in the cave-like room just before the last drop…He comes
upside down out of the ceiling and says "Go FSU!" An Imagineer that graduated from
Florida State put it there. (7) There is a bridge outside the ride, right in front of the
big drop. For every third log boat that hits bottom for the big drop, there is a water
cannon that shoots up an extra bit of water and sprays the bridge, soaking everyone who
happens to be standing there watching! (8) The water on Splash Mountain is required by
law to be drinkable.

Swiss Family Treehouse—(1) Outside the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse are crates
with addresses to persons on them. I know I don't have the facts 100% accurate, but
there's enough here to snag your interest. One is to Johann David Wyss (author of the
book). It is being sent to McGuire Blvd. (Dorothy McGuire was Mother Robinson), and the
other crate is to John Mills who was Father Robinson. It was sent to Bora Danno. James
MacArthur played son Fritz Robinson. James MacArthur later played as Jack Lord's
(Det. Steve McGarrett) second-in-command Det. Danny ("Danno") Williams (1968-79) in
Hawaii Five-0. (2) The view from the top looking out at the castle is absolutely amazing
at night. A lady came up when we were up there in December. She said she had been
going regularly for many, many years and was amazed about the awesome view that she
had been missing. This is a must do for me every trip. (3) The Swiss flag in the Swiss
Family Treehouse is the only flag of another nation that is on display permanently over a
Disney attraction.

T.T.A.--The attraction was originally called "The WEDway People Mover" from July 1,
1975 until the debut of the "New Tomorrowland" on June 11, 1994. Although the ride
itself has remained essentially the same, the soundtrack has had several changes, some
minor and some major: (a) the "WED" part of WEDway is for WED Enterprises, the
original name for Walt Disney Imagineering (or WDI for short). WED is, of course,
Walt's initials (Walter Elias Disney), (b) the model city the Tomorrowland Transit
Authority passes is the model for Walt Disney.s personal vision of E.P.C.O.T., and (c) in
the hair salon scene, look for a Hidden Mickey on the lady's belt buckle. (2) In the bus
stop as it's called (right after the City of Tomorrow), there is a robot holding a green
tube/paper thing in his hand. If you look at the top of the green thing, you will notice a
small rim of red. A CM told me that it is a horn you blow on New Years Eve. He put his
initials and the date and stuck it in there.

Tiki Room—(1) My seven year old daughter befriended the cast member at the Tiki room
before a lightly-attended show. She was introduced as a "helper,” greeted everyone, and
"woke up" Michael to start the show by tapping on his perch. (2) Look at top of Tiki Room
from Frontierland and notice bulls sticking out of tower. This is because the top of Tiki
Room sticks out above buildings and can be seen from Frontierland. It is a way of
disguising the building.

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park opens. The store is right behind the castle. My DD walked in and went up to the
first CM we saw and asked, "Could I please wake up Tink this morning?" Being the first
one in there, she was allowed to do so. They had her stand on a little stool, gave her a
wand, and her tap the treasure box three times saying loudly, "Wake up Tink." As she did
this, the lights and music started to play. They presented her with a certificate that
said something along the line of "Had a Magical Moment." If you go into the store and
hear the music, you know she has already been waked up. If it is quiet she is still
sleeping. (2) Has anyone ever noticed that when you go into Tinker Bell's Treasure's shop
that it is also divided into two sections? When you enter the door nearest the castle,
you are actually in the Darling Children's nursery. The merchandise shelves are beds,
dressers, chest of drawers etc. There are dolls, kites, and other toys all around the
ledge at the top of the room. Then as you go to the other end, the shop is laid out as
Capt. Hook's ship. There is even a "bridge" where one could imagine a ship's wheel. You
can see the tree where the Lost Boys live. You will even get to see TinkerBell fly into one
of the trunk/limb openings to warn the Lost Boys of Hooks "gift." (3) If Tink is already
awake, you can watch her fly around the shop and land in a dresser drawer.

Tom Sawyer’s Island—(1) Be the first to find the six hidden paintbrushes and receive a
special Fastpass! They tend to be on the main part of the island--not across
"Superstition Bridge" to Fort Langhorn. They seem to hide them fairly close to the raft
landing area. (2) While in Harper's Mill on Tom Sawyer Island, look closely at the wooden
gears operating. On one of the gears that rotate horizontally, look closely between the
cogs. You will see a little bluebird sitting there.

Tomorrowland—(1) A talking trashcan is in Tomorrowland too! His name is Push. He
comes out from Mickey's Star Traders every hour or so and roams for 20 minutes.
(2) Near the Speedway on the way into Tomorrowland, there is a high streetlamp with
three large round hooded lights. It was designed to cast a HM on the ground twice a day
when the sun is in the right place. (3) The metal "palm trees" in Tomorrowland fold up at
night and open during the day just like flowers!

Tony's Town Square Restaurant—(1) At the back of the restaurant, there is a beautiful
three-paned dark blue window, through which you can see the shadowy silhouettes of
Lady and the Tramp sharing their late-night meal of spaghetti. (2) A checker board
outside of La Chapeau in the MK. It is right next to Tony's right by the flagpole. It was
a great five-minute break from the hustle and bustle of the trip. (3) The Lady and the
Tramp paws in front Tony.s at MK.

Toontown—(1) When you go to Minnie's house, make sure you turn all of the knobs in the
kitchen. Hear the popcorn pop, etc. (2) Take the back walkway from Toontown to
Tomorrowland and avoid the Toontown crowds. (3) Toontown is a concept that did not
exist prior to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" This is Mickey's Toontown, the Florida
version. Toontown opened in October 1996. Mickey, Minnie, and the gang all live in
Disneyland. Their vacation homes are at Walt Disney World. Toontown had many things