For all you EXPERTS....show your stuff!

[Destination Disney]

Just when I think I know it all along comes someone to out do me! I am intrigued by the amount of knowledge on the DIS! I am earning my degree in Disneyology!
Tell me... what do you know that I don't?

I know about the paintbrushes on TSI (We just found one on April 7th)
The picture of Mr. Toad handing over the deed to OWL on the Winnie the Pooh ride,
The headstone with the moving eyes at the Haunted Mansion
And about Cinderella's horse on he carousel

What else is there? I am facinated by these hidden treasures and treats that only a handful of people know about while in the parks.

Please share with me!

 

[Vemnox]

Broad question, but I'll give you a few about Epcot -

- The Horizons logo in the middle of the 360 degree space station in the Mission:Space queue.
- The Food Rocks stage is still intact just behind the left wall as you enter the Soarin' queue.
- Japan was originally supposed to have a roller coaster.
- The entrance to the Biergarten restaurant in Germany was originally supposed to be the entrance to a Rhine River ride which was axed and the plans for the ride ended up turning into Maelstom at Norway.
- Italy was originally supposed to have a gondolla ride and it is rumored that the gondola that is sitting by the Italy isola is one of the original ride vehicles.
- There is a "chatty" trash can inside of the Electric Umbrella by the old condiments bar.
- The huge original Epcot "rose" logo circa 1982 on the opposite side of the Fountain of Nations behind Spaceship Earth was, at the time of contruction, the center of the property.
- Inside of the American Adventure, you can see a mini-museum of sorts with many interesting historial items including George Washington's chair and Abe Lincoln's stove-top hat!

There are just a few off the top of my head...

 

[amyhughes]

One of the imprisoned pirates in POTC is based on a janitor at the Walt Disney Studios. The tall one in the center got his start sweeping and mopping the floors in the California studio, the Imagineers who were designing the attraction saw him and were inspired to place him in their new pirate themed boat ride.

Cinderella Castle is not constructed with one single brick.

The voice of Tony the Tiger can be heard in the graveyard scene of the Haunted Mansion. Thurl Ravenscroft, who also sang "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" provides the bass to Grim Grinning Ghosts.

Main Street USA is based on a town Walt grew up in named Marceline, MO. He was not born there, and only lived there a short while, but it made such an impact on him that it truly shaped the construction of this iconic trademark of Disney parks.

Most of the buildings in Walt Disney World (Main St. especially and DHS) and Disneyland were constructed using Forced Perspective to make them appear taller than they really are.

When you walk into the Magic Kingdom you actually are about 10 feet above ground level. There is a reason, though I don't want to spoil it for folks who want to preserve the magic!

 

[Moviejohn]

Some additional fun facts:

* The Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom is built around the skeleton of an oil rig

* The tiles of Spaceship Earth get "cleaned" with natural rain water, and you'll never get wet standing underneath it because the rain is funneled into a system created between the tiles, and the water flows into the World Showcase lagoon

* The sound of the train on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was recorded and used as part of the mine-car sequence in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"

* The voice of Captain Rex on Star Tours is Paul Herman, aka Pee Wee Herman

* The replica of the Chinese Theater (although now blocked by an unfortunate Sorcerer's Hat) is so exact that Mann Theaters contacted Disney when they restored the real thing in 2000

* In the library(ies) of the Tower of Terror are prop replicas from the original "Twilight Zone" TV series

* When it was designed for Disneyland, two competing concepts for the Haunted Mansion were each popular among Imagineers and with Walt Disney -- so the two ideas were "smushed" together ... which is why the creepy interior of the house gives way to the comedic exterior/graveyard

* Madame Leota in The Haunted Mansion is named after Imagineer Leota Toombs

* Although it is, sadly, now just a retail location (yes, we needed more, apparently!), the Main Street Cinema used to show silent films and black-and-white Disney cartoons and you could enter at any time

* Akershus Restaurant in the Norway pavilion is named for and modeled after the actual Akershus Castle, which is on Oslo Fjord in the city of Oslo

* As is the custom in the Muslim world, the Morocco pavilion contains no representation of natural items; all decoration is geometrical (and absolutely beautiful); there is also a prayer room in the Morocco pavilion.

These are just some of the fun facts I've picked up over the years!

 

[singjenn]

Disney has their own firework patents.

The roman numerlas on the clock on Cinderella's Castle are wrong. (Just number 4)

It takes Disney from August to Thanksgiving to put up the Osborne Family Christmas Light Display in MGM but it only takes them two weeks to take them down

During the "Keys to the Kingdom" tour, some tour guides show you a neat little fact that is easily confirmed. As you walk towards the Castle, walk up the right-side walkway where there is a water fountain. Behind the water fountain, there is a fountain with a statue of a princess in it (not sure who it is). Behind the statue, there is a crown painted in a mural. If you get down real low as you are drinking water from the water fountain & look up, the crown looks as though it is sitting on the head of the princess.

I love this one: The Real Estate window on Main St USA contains the dummy company that Walt used to buy the land for Disney World (MT Lott = Empty Lot). He knew that if he used his name, as soon as word leaked it was Disney buying the land, the price would sky rocket!

Walt Disney designed the Cinderella Castle at 180 feet tall because he wanted to create a focal point, so in case guests got lost they would be able to find they way out of the park.

There is a movie made that tells the "story" of the Tower Of Terror.

A funny fact: A lady tried to sue Disney World on the accusation that a brick from the castle fell off, and hit her. They waited until after she spent all the money for court and the lawyer to tell the judge that the castle is made up of concrete....not bricks.

The animals in Animal Kingdom on the Safari ride apear to be on "one land" just as they would be in the wild. They are actually seperated by gully's and duggouts. This prevents the animals from using there natural instincts and killing each other.

This one is probably well known: On all Disney maps, the parking lots/behind the scene area's are shown as treed areas.

The front of the Haunted Mansion is actually a fascade. The ride is in a part of the building "behind" the mansion.

There is an imprint of a "wedding ring" at the exit gate of the Haunted Mansion. It's supposed to be the ring of Master Gracey's wife however it is actually the reamins of a pole. The ring story has added alot to the spooky atmosphere of the Mansion.

Notice the hearse out front of the Haunted Mansion. There is no horse in the harness. It's a ghost horse!

My favorite of all (copied) : Do you ever wonder how the characters at the parks seem to appear as if by, well, magic? There is a story behind that. One day while strolling through the park, Walt Disney saw a Frontierland cowboy walking through Tomorrowland. He then decided that for Disney World that some needs would have to be hidden. Trash, costume characters, etc. had to be out of sight. To do this, each area, section, or ride was first planned out in story boards. Then, the Imagineers constructed models, and viewed them in every angle. To hide the utilities, underground tunnels put in for Walt Disney World. Disney built a nine acre network of tunnels so Cast Members would be able to move around out of the public view!

 

[fairytale]

I'm loving these hidden "magical" facts.

Subscribing. Any more anyone

 

[myAAbatteries&aTD]

I love these, too! Thanks, everyone, for sharing!

 

[Mickey moos]

The airplane in the "Casablanca" scene on The Great Movie Ride turned out to be the original used in the movie.

 

[centurythree]

The airplane in the "Casablanca" scene on The Great Movie Ride turned out to be the original used in the movie.

Are you sure about that? I thought that Disney purchased an old plane, cut it in half, and used half for The Great Movie Ride and half for the Jungle Cruise. I don't think a real plane was used for Casablanca.

 

[Robo]

DId someone mention the key under the mat just inside MuppetVison 3D?

 

[jiggerj]

Speaking of Mr. Toad...you can find his "froggy" gravestone in the pet cemetary as you exit HM.

 

[stopher1]

There's a small little image of one of the 20,000 leagues subs, on the upper doorpost, inside the Pooh tree house at the Pooh play area in the MK, honoring the former "resident" of that particular site.

The Haunted Mansion was the first fully completed attraction built at the MK during original construction - since the decision was made by the Imagineers early-on in deciding what would be included when WDW opened. DL's version opened in August 1969 and as they made the sets and ride components for DL, they simply made a duplicate set and stored it for WDW's 1971 opening.

Carousel of Progress came to WDW after a 6 year run at DL, after a nearly 2 yr run at the 1964-65 NY World's Fair.

POTC was NOT included in the original plans for WDW, since the imagineers felt that people in FL would not want to experience pretend pirates, given the proximity to the actual Caribbean and various pirate "sites" in and around FL. After a major backlash, POTC opened in Adventureland in 1973 - 2 yrs after the MK opened.

The WDW railroad trains were originally used on the Yucatan peninisula in sugar cane plantations.

WDW's Main Street, while modeled after the Disneyland original, takes on more of a Victorian flare, with more gingerbread curlicues and curves...whereas the DL version has more of a midwestern, simple feel with more straight lines and angles than curves and curlicues.

 

[Bete]

Duplicate, sorry.

 

[Bete]

Don't forget all the Hidden Mickeys everywhere including the resorts.

There are books written about these topics, if you want to get real serious about it all.

 

[bradk]

Main Street USA is based on a town Walt grew up in named Marceline, MO. He was not born there, and only lived there a short while, but it made such an impact on him that it truly shaped the construction of this iconic trademark of Disney parks.

I'm not sure how much of this applies to MK per se. might actually all be true for all I know, but this is something interesting to note, especially for Disneyland. Main Street, USA wasn't really meant to be lifted from Marceline, it was supposed to be a composite of all those types of small turn-of-the-century towns. Unbeknownst to Walt, however, Disneyland's Main Street USA was lifted directly from Fort Collins, CO

* Although it is, sadly, now just a retail location (yes, we needed more, apparently!), the Main Street Cinema used to show silent films and black-and-white Disney cartoons and you could enter at any time

although they do this at Exposition Hall now. Disneyland still has the cinema.

The roman numerlas on the clock on Cinderella's Castle are wrong. (Just number 4)

never noticed this. does this mean it's IIII or IV? because while IV is the traditional Roman numeral 4, the Romans actually used IIII on their clocks/dials.

there is a fountain with a statue of a princess in it (not sure who it is). Behind the statue, there is a crown painted in a mural. If you get down real low as you are drinking water from the water fountain & look up, the crown looks as though it is sitting on the head of the princess.

it's Cinderella

The front of the Haunted Mansion is actually a fascade. The ride is in a part of the building "behind" the mansion.

there's a lot of this, at both Disneyland and WDW. POTC also at both locations is in a building outside the park. Indy at Disneyland was built on a parking lot. that queue at Space Mountain at WDW is so long because Space is well outside the park's perimeter. there's a lot of interesting stuff you can see from satellite photos.

There is an imprint of a "wedding ring" at the exit gate of the Haunted Mansion. It's supposed to be the ring of Master Gracey's wife however it is actually the reamins of a pole. The ring story has added alot to the spooky atmosphere of the Mansion.

not anymore. definitely not since the long refurb, although they tried patching over it even before then.

Are you sure about that? I thought that Disney purchased an old plane, cut it in half, and used half for The Great Movie Ride and half for the Jungle Cruise. I don't think a real plane was used for Casablanca.

this is true. chances are even if it were the case that the plane was from casablanca, imagine the uproar of destroying such a key prop.

There's a small little image of one of the 20,000 leagues subs, on the upper doorpost, inside the Pooh tree house at the Pooh play area in the MK, honoring the former "resident" of that particular site.

 

[Disney Fool]

In front of Tony's Town Square restaurant, look down at the pavement. Lady and the Tramp have placed their footprints in a carved heart with cupid's bow and arrow. Too cute.

Tinkerbelle's lantern hangs in Liberty Square in the big tree.

the original plan for Disney's Hollywood studio--if you can find an old map is shaped like Mickey's head

 

[Brian_WDW74]

The roman numerlas on the clock on Cinderella's Castle are wrong. (Just number 4)

Nope. The "IIII" usage is correct. Here's an official Disney list of "Magic Kingdom Fun Facts." Take a look at the fact I've highlighted in red.

Magic Kingdom Fun Facts​

• Towering Height: Cinderella Castle soars 189 feet into the sky and can be seen from two miles away.
• Architectural "Wows": The castle boasts 18 towers and its spires are topped with sparkling gold-painted finials.
• Mosaic Masterpiece: Five tile mosaics designed by Imagineer Dorothea Redmond tell the story of Cinderella just inside the Castle Breezeway. Each of the panel tile mosaics is 15 feet high and 10 feet wide.
• Wishing on a Star: The nighttime fireworks extravaganza "Wishes" explodes in a dazzling display of color each evening, with sage Jiminy Cricket narrating to classic Disney film tunes.
• Flight of the Fairy: Tinker Bell, the mischievous pixie of "Peter Pan," wows guests as she "flies" from a castle turret each evening during "Wishes."
• "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes": As part of "The Year of a Million Dreams Celebration" through 2008, Imagineers built a fourth-floor castle suite with centuries-old charm and modern amenities. During the celebration, a Walt Disney World guest and up to five members of his or her party are selected randomly to experience a dream-come-true overnight stay in the suite.
• Disney Family Salute: The sculpted coat of arms posted over the castle front and rear entrances belongs to the Disney family.
• Clock Oddity: The numbers on the face of the clock on the front of Cinderella Castle all are Roman numerals except for the number "IV," which instead consists of four straight lines. Why? Ancient Romans used "IV" interchangeably with "IIII" (which can be seen above one of the Coliseum's doors), and it's easier to differentiate "IIII" from the number "6" or "VI" on a clock or sundial.
• Castle Confection: In 1996-97, to celebrate Walt Disney World's 25th anniversary, the castle was transformed into a huge "cake" with large decorations and more than 400 gallons of pink paint.
• Royal Feast: Cinderella's Royal Table, featuring one of the most popular Disney character dining experiences, is located upstairs inside the castle. Formerly known as King Stefan's Banquet Hall (with a nod to the father of Sleeping Beauty), the restaurant was renamed in 1997.
• Makeover Magic: Inside the castle breezeway, fairy godmothers-in-training at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique perform magical makeovers on kids eager to become a "Disney Diva," "Pop Princess" or "Cool Dude."
• Fairytale Garden Fun: In the shadow of the castle, Belle of "Beauty and the Beast" gathers guests for story time in the Fairytale Garden several times daily.
• Sincerest Form of Flattery: Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland features an exterior that replicates the one at Walt Disney World Resort. Instead of housing a restaurant, the Tokyo castle interior features the Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour attraction.

As an additional FYI, the clock at the American Adventure in Epcot also uses the "IIII" convention.

 

[Mickeefan]

Tinkerbelle's lantern hangs in Liberty Square in the big tree.

Is this true? I know that there are 13 lanterns in the tree in Liberty Square to symbolize the 13 original colonies.

 

[bradk]

I'm trying to research this myself.

Romans only used IIII on sundials, not in normal numbers and from what i could find out, they may have even used VIIII instead of IX at one point.

I can't get a clear reason why. What is clear is that Romans didn't have clocks, but British clocks continued to honor the tradition. the why is a big question mark.

 

[aldango]

this is true. chances are even if it were the case that the plane was from casablanca, imagine the uproar of destroying such a key prop.[/img]

I'm pretty sure you're right about this. I believe I saw it on one of the "Fact or Fiction" featurettes on the the Disney on Demand channel.