WDW Facts! Did you know...

[MyGoofy26]

I kinda debated with myself over posting this one since it's probably not something most would like to think about while in the parks, but something I learned in training (and got chills the first time it happened) Disney won't use the intercom system to page anyone in the parks unless it's an absolute emergency - most, if not all, of the times, this is due to a guest having a death in the family. They won't even page for lost children (they have another 'method' in place that works quite well without paging) so that gives you an idea of how serious a situation has to be.

On a lighter note, there are never any lost children. . . only lost parents. "Well you're here with me, and we're right here in front of the castle. We can't be lost, because we know exactly where we are. Now your parents, who knows where they are. . . they're the ones who are lost!"

 

[TXTink]

I kinda debated with myself over posting this one since it's probably not something most would like to think about while in the parks, but something I learned in training (and got chills the first time it happened) Disney won't use the intercom system to page anyone in the parks unless it's an absolute emergency - most, if not all, of the times, this is due to a guest having a death in the family. They won't even page for lost children (they have another 'method' in place that works quite well without paging) so that gives you an idea of how serious a situation has to be.

We have been to WDW many times and have only heard someone get paged once. It was the last time we were at MGM, we just stopped and said a prayer. We didn't know if it was a death or not, but it had to be serious.....

 

[ampooh]

Did you know that Cindy's Castle DOES have an apartment built into it. When it was first built Walt and Roy's family were asked if they would like to have it set up for them. They declined and the room was used for storage for many years, prior to its current use as a "green" room for performers at the castle.

I saw on a Disney special on the Travel Channel that there was going to be an appt for Walt in the castle but since he died before it was complete is was turned into a phone operations room.

 

[InnerStrength]

did you know every time I pass by splash Mt I have to pee

To Pop Dad ~ TMI, LOL

 

[Daxx]

I thought I posted this already ... but couldn't find it, so here it is again:

This according to a great CM/Disney College Intern, Leah, who I met on the bus to DTD one night last Oct.:

All CM's who are characters have to learn how to sign their characters names. They have to look identical to everyone else who signs that name. So, if you get Mickey's autograph 3 times from 3 different Mickey's, each one will look the same.

All face characters must do their own make-up. No make up artists to do it for them. Also, if a face characters eyes do not match the color of their character (ie: if Cindy has blue eyes and a CM has brown eyes), Disney provides color contacts at no charge to the CM.

All face characters have to know their character inside and out b/c guests like to ask questions.

If any character is asked an "unsavory question" by a guest (ie: Ariel is asked how big her seashells are), they are told to reply "this is a family place!" in a pleasant tone (although I'm sure they'd love to bop the guest on the head!).

One from MGM Studios -- in the Muppet 3-D movie, there is a huge cargo net hanging from the ceiling. In the net are boxes full of jell-o. This is a tribute to mouseketeer Annette Funicello (get it -- a net full of jell-o / Annette Funicello?!).

In Frontierland, the streets are painted brown on the sides to represent the frontier days when sewage was tossed curbside.

 

[alabamagirl]

Snow White and Ariel, even when they are off duty are not allowed to get a tan. Snow White because she must have white skin and Ariel because mermaids can't have tan lines. Cinderella has certain makeup colors (eyeshadows and blush) that no other character is allowed to wear.

This goes for all face characters. They all have certain makeup that is provided and they must wear those certain colors. Also, getting a tan is frowned on as hardly any of the Disney characters (with the exception of a few like Jasmine) are tan.

 

[InnerStrength]

I
This according to a great CM/Disney College Intern, Leah, who I met on the bus to DTD one night last Oct.:

All CM's who are characters have to learn how to sign their characters names. They have to look identical to everyone else who signs that name. So, if you get Mickey's autograph 3 times from 3 different Mickey's, each one will look the same.

Daxx (and great CM Leah),

I beg to differ on this one since DD has numerous autographs from the characters, and no two are alike. One autograph that she received from Goofy was the best (this was at Cape May Cafe) as Goofy actually drew a picture of himself in the signature, using the 2 O's as the eyes. I was pretty impressed since it can't be very easy to write with a pen in a big Goofy hand/glove, let alone draw a picture. Another she has from Goofy is a plain jane and is hardly legable. This is just one example.

 

[Princess Nancy]

Um, no, it's not. WDW uses 2 communication systems, neither of which are "open to the public"

1. (older system) Commercial-grade two way radios, set up to use a professional repeater system (all units transmit to a central location, which then "repeats" the transmission to all other units, rather than communicating unit-to-unit as is done by consumer-grade units). Disney owns the rights to several radio frequencies in the Orlando area. Although the transmissions could be picked up by someone with a police-scanner type device, it's unlikely that your average guest will have one of these with them.

2. (newer system ... most of WDW has been transitioned to this system) Nextel phones, set up to use a custom talk-group. (actually, different talk-groups depending on where you are, probably several for different business areas in each park)

Good to know, last time I was there, someone kept telling me they were Disney and to get off their channel!!! Hmmpf!!!!

 

[alabamagirl]

The goal is for them all to be the same, but everyone has different handwriting and if a character is in a hurry, unfortunately the autographs will not be as good. It is true that you have to learn each character's autograph from a book they give you and you are expected to go home and practice with oven mitts on your hands.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Lillian Disney christened the Empress Lilly on May 1, 1977! It closed for an extensive rehab in 1995 and then reopened May 10th, 1996 as Fulton's Crab House!

 

[Laurajean1014]

Magic Kingdom can hold up to 100,000 people

So, next time - consider yourself lucky in a 60 minute Splash Mountain wait time

 

[Laurajean1014]

About fifteen kids get lost each day in the Magic Kingdom and are found by workers who find their parents.

Thank you Security!

 

[Laurajean1014]

Robin Williams and Steve Martin were both sailors at one time for the Jungle Cruise in Disney Land. (How hilarious were these two?).

 

[Laurajean1014]

It was estimated that 100,000 people would attend the opening day at the Magic Kingdom, but only 10,000 visitors came through the gates on the first day of operation.

 

[Laurajean1014]

The average speed of Big Thunder Mountain is 30 mph, with a maximum speed of 40 mph -it is 197ft tall.

10 years of planning and 18 months of construction went into Big Thunder Mountain, not to mention 650 tons of steel, 4,675 tons of specially- formulated "mud", and more than 9,000 gallons of paint.At 17 million (US $)BTM cost equal that of Disneyland opening in 1955. 300,000 was also spent on authentic set decorations.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Only an insider would look for this:

During the parades, look at the second story windows on Main Street, they open and close automatically just before and after the parade to reveal the speakers that play the parade music.

 

[Laurajean1014]

The Hotel du Canada is modelled on Ottawa's Chateau Laurier. All of the Canadian provinces are represented.

The Victoria Gardens were inspired by the Butchart Gardens in British Columbia.

The fir trees you see perched atop the Rockies spend three years adapting to the Florida climate before they go onstage, where they are not actually planted, but rather nestled among rocks in large plastic planters. Each tree has an understudy waiting in the wings, so a quick switch can be made in the event that the tree is struck by disease or hit by lightning.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Golden fiberglass sculptures of Disney characters were added to embellish Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom. Attaching them was not a problem since the castle is made of fiberglass, not stone. But making life-sized statues of Disney characters can be tricky for flat-screen cartoon characters that only recently were fleshed out for 3-D films. To get the angles of a flying Peter Pan and Wendy right, Disney sculptor Joni Van Buren used photos of her 11-year-old nephew doing a bellyflop into a ball pit at McDonald's as a guide.

 

[Laurajean1014]

The restaurant in Cinderella Castle was originally know as King Stefan's Banquet Hall, and was renamed Cinderella's Royal Table on April 28, 1997. Oddly enough, King Stefan was actually Sleeping Beauty's father, and not Cinderella's.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Although we may consider the use of the four "I" as "incorrect," the use of the Roman numeral "IIII" on the clock at Cinderella Castle was actually used in early times, including colonial America. The same numbering convention can be seen on the clock in the American Pavilion in Epcot (among other places).