Secrets & Little Known Facts about rides

[webstah]

Are the following 4 'secrets' still there?
* At the Frontierland RR Station, look for a wooden leg named Smith. It is a reference to a joke in Mary Poppins

I looked for this last year.
It has apparently been removed, and the CMs didn't know if it would be back.

 

[Dznefreek]

I went on Body Wars Years ago. I believe the entire Wonders of Life was shut down to to Met Life the sponser ended there contract. There use to be a DNA model out front. I loved Cranium Command . The Art of Disney years ago sold the cels from the Movie with Buzzy the lttle boy. The Building is in being used for the Food & Wine festivals.

 

[Kren]

Other things I remember from the olden days ... hopefully someone can confirm what I've always believed as fact but never nailed down -- when Space Mountain first opened, wasn't it a LOT faster than it is now? I remember going on it in the first year or so and practically coming off it with whiplash. I also believe there was a fatality around that time, and that's when they slowed it down.

At least, that was the scuttlebutt amongst us Florida residents who were high-schoolers at the time (and yes, I have seen Space Mountain lit up from ON the stopped ride) ...

Oh, also, having been to Grad Night, I can also confirm the presence of many mind-altering substances ... LOL...ah, those were the days!! Talk about hidden Mickeys!!!!!

 

[JediGFRMickey]

That could be fun (though probably capacity limiting if you had to give each guest their own speederbike.) Really though, I'm just referring to the fact that the frame story for Star Tours is that you're going on a nice pleasure trip to the forest moon of Endor until Rex takes you on an accidental detour. Much as I like the ride as it is, there's a part of me that wishes there was a second option for the ride where you actually made it to Endor and got to cavort around with the Ewoks. But I'm probably just being silly.

You are not being silly I would love to have landed on Endor and hang out with Ewoks.

 

[Maine-iac]

That could be fun (though probably capacity limiting if you had to give each guest their own speederbike.) Really though, I'm just referring to the fact that the frame story for Star Tours is that you're going on a nice pleasure trip to the forest moon of Endor until Rex takes you on an accidental detour. Much as I like the ride as it is, there's a part of me that wishes there was a second option for the ride where you actually made it to Endor and got to cavort around with the Ewoks. But I'm probably just being silly.

You are not silly. You know that is my favorite of the Star Wars trilogy. I would like that version of the ride.

 

[buffettgirl]

Other things I remember from the olden days ... hopefully someone can confirm what I've always believed as fact but never nailed down -- when Space Mountain first opened, wasn't it a LOT faster than it is now? I remember going on it in the first year or so and practically coming off it with whiplash. I also believe there was a fatality around that time, and that's when they slowed it down.

At least, that was the scuttlebutt amongst us Florida residents who were high-schoolers at the time (and yes, I have seen Space Mountain lit up from ON the stopped ride) ...

Oh, also, having been to Grad Night, I can also confirm the presence of many mind-altering substances ... LOL...ah, those were the days!! Talk about hidden Mickeys!!!!!

I can't confirm or deny the speed, but I've often thought the same. I've actually thought a lot about it, too, and I feel that it was darker inside years ago, and the darkness seemed to make the ride feel faster, just my opinion. But as a kid I just remember how dark it was, and not being able to see the track AT ALL. The last few times we were on it I could easily see the track the entire time.

I think the dark is what makes Space Mountain. It's a rather small rollercoaster with very little excitement, until you turn the lights off.

 

[JenniBarra]

re: Western River Expedition

Some of the show scenes were "recycled", certainly -- there, and (strangely) at Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris (in the "Ghost Town" sequence. BTW: the name of the town Frontierland at DLP is set in? Thunder Mesa).

Phantom Manor is in Frontierland so, IMO, it doesn't sound out of place.

 

[JenniBarra]

Other things I remember from the olden days ... hopefully someone can confirm what I've always believed as fact but never nailed down -- when Space Mountain first opened, wasn't it a LOT faster than it is now? I remember going on it in the first year or so and practically coming off it with whiplash. I also believe there was a fatality around that time, and that's when they slowed it down.

There's a great chapter ("Crash Mountain") in the book Realityland all about the development and early days of Space Mountain.

 

[shafke]

I can't confirm or deny the speed, but I've often thought the same. I've actually thought a lot about it, too, and I feel that it was darker inside years ago, and the darkness seemed to make the ride feel faster, just my opinion. But as a kid I just remember how dark it was, and not being able to see the track AT ALL. The last few times we were on it I could easily see the track the entire time.

I think the dark is what makes Space Mountain. It's a rather small rollercoaster with very little excitement, until you turn the lights off.

I think that one of the reasons why it seemed darker and was harder to see the track is that before they reconfigured the cars you used to sit lower in the seats.

The seat used to be bench seats like you would find on a flume ride. They could hold two per seat/four per car. Since you were sitting lower in the seat if you looked left or right your line of vision would have been straight or up but not down. This is especially true for those of us who were kids at the time.

With the current configuration of single seats I think you are sitting higher up in the car so that when you look around it is easier to see down to the areas that are more lit up.

When they changed

 

[wdwiala]

The light bulb has come on for me. I remember sitting in those cars on space mountain as a kid. Being the youngest/smallest, they put you in the front. That meant first to see whats coming, first down the track, first scared out of your mind! When I returned as an adult, it seemed to me that the ride was not the same as when I was a kid. Car and seating change! Now I get it!!

 

[M.I.C.]

This may have been said, but Tower of Terror is exactly 199 feet tall because if it was any taller, a red light would have to be installed for Orlando International Airport.

I thought that was the castle? Or is it both, making them exactly the same height?

 

[TarheelPrincess]

Great thread!

I don't think this was posted, as this is more random triva, but it would take 329 gallons of tea to fill one of the teacups in the Fantasyland ride.

 

[disneybridetobe]

Great thread!

I don't think this was posted, as this is more random triva, but it would take 329 gallons of tea to fill one of the teacups in the Fantasyland ride.

I can't say I've ever heard that before. Neat! Thanks for sharing!

 

[freepixie]

Not all the countries participate in Illuminations - look around the lagoon as each country lights up and Norway and Morocco do not light up - not sure the exact reason why, the rumor I heard was that because those 2 countries are owned by their respective countries' governments and they didn't want to pay the electric bill to put lights on the buildings for Illuminations.

Also along with Illuminations, the storage area for the fireworks is located behind the China pavilion because the Chinese invented fireworks!!

 

[disneygirlinnj]

I can't confirm or deny the speed, but I've often thought the same. I've actually thought a lot about it, too, and I feel that it was darker inside years ago, and the darkness seemed to make the ride feel faster, just my opinion. But as a kid I just remember how dark it was, and not being able to see the track AT ALL. The last few times we were on it I could easily see the track the entire time.

I think the dark is what makes Space Mountain. It's a rather small rollercoaster with very little excitement, until you turn the lights off.

We were told once when we were there that the speed is actually the same. It's due to the heavier weight of people that it SEEMS slower. Same as why they had to adjust the boats in POTC. The cars don't 'whip' around the turns like they used to because of the extra weight. And I can kind of believe it. My friends and I went on the ride twice in a row during the P&PP once and the first time we had a FULL car. No one was overweight but the car definitely didn't 'whip' around turns that much. The second time, we all sat in the same seats but only 4 of the 6 seats were full and it felt like we were FLYING around the turns and going to fly off the track. So who knows?

 

[wdwiala]

If You Had Wings, which opened in 1972. It became If You Could Fly in 1987 when Disney removed references to Eastern after Eastern withdrew sponsorship. It went through a couple more versions until it was rebuilt as Buzz Lightyear's Space Rangers Spin.

Was this the ride that at the end you felt like you were traveling "fast"? The "fast" being from a video cave of sorts that the ride went through and fans on the floor pointed at you to make you feel like you were flying like the wind.

 

[fairestoneofall]

Was this the ride that at the end you felt like you were traveling "fast"? The "fast" being from a video cave of sorts that the ride went through and fans on the floor pointed at you to make you feel like you were flying like the wind.

Yes! We LOVED that ride! When I think about the fans on the floor now, I just completely crack up at how archaic that was!

 

[wdwiala]

Yes! We LOVED that ride! When I think about the fans on the floor now, I just completely crack up at how archaic that was!

They didn't even try to hide the fans. Just your typical floor fans.

 

[Tiki Room Fan]

Yes! We LOVED that ride! When I think about the fans on the floor now, I just completely crack up at how archaic that was!

Didn't that ride open for a few years as Delta Dreamflight? I've seen it as a few different names but basically the same ride - I liked that ride!! I still miss it!

 

[BradyBz12]

Norway and Morocco do not light up - not sure the exact reason why, the rumor I heard was that because those 2 countries are owned by their respective countries' governments and they didn't want to pay the electric bill to put lights on the buildings for Illuminations.

Hadn't noticed or heard about Norway before (I'll definitely look next time) but I believe Morocco is the only gov't sponsored pavilion. I've heard/read that the it actually isn't lit is because the main building in the pavilion is a replica of the Koutoubia (sp?) Minaret prayer tower, which is a significant religious structure and therefore not permitted to have lights strung on it like the other pavilions.

Some info on that HERE