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1 The Smells Aren’t All Natural
While walking through a Disney World park, your senses are hit with all kinds of overwhelming information. But while looking at the visually appealing construction and listening to the sound of fellow park-goers screaming on nearby rides are real, the scents your nose is picking up on are not. At least, not all of them.
According to former Disney employees, Disney actually pumps certain smells into the park to enhance visitors’ experience. Whether it’s the smell of popcorn and baked goods wafting down Main Street or the slight scent of gunpowder near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Disney uses special Smellitzer machines to make sure different scents are dominant throughout the park. Apparently, the smells are supposed to trigger a sense of childhood nostalgia, thereby enhancing the whole experience.
Disney Fanatic2 There Are Secret Tunnels Under Magic Kingdom
While Magic Kingdom is massive and magical from the perspective of a park visitor, it’s 100 times more impressive when you learn that the park also includes a system of underground tunnels. According to early stories, Walt Disney was absolutely committed to maintaining the flow of the park and ensuring nothing would disrupt the magic.
When he saw a cowboy walking to his post in Frontierland through Tomorrowland, he immediately knew that just wouldn’t do. To ensure employees could always reach their post without running into visitors in the park, Disney constructed a series of underground corridors. The corridors stretch along the entire park and even include cafeterias, dressing rooms, and prop storage areas.
Save At Disney World3 American Flags Are Fake
The national flag code outlines very strict stipulations for American flags across the US. However, Disney World’s Main Street, USA doesn’t necessarily want to follow all those requirements, such as putting the flags at half-mast on certain days. Still, the park needs American flags—it is called Main Street, USA, after all.
To get past the flag requirements, Disney World decided their flags simply wouldn’t be authentic. Most flags are missing a star or a stripe, meaning they don’t have to follow flag etiquette. Instead, they are considered pennants, which can be flown without many requirements.
Disney Wiki4 The Screams Around The Tower Of Terror Are Pre-Recorded
The Tower of Terror ride is scary enough that it surely elicits its fair share of real screams. But just to make sure visitors get a feel for the terrifying nature of the ride, Disney World decided to play pre-recorded screams over the park’s speakers.
Many of the screams you hear around Tower of Terror aren’t actually real and are just the result of a recording. The sound is supposed to make the ride more intimidating. If you’ve ever visited Disney World before, we bet you probably agree that it does the trick.
Disney5 The Secret Suite In Cinderella’s Castle
Cinderella’s Castle is the focal point for Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park. But most visitors to the park can only walk through Cinderella’s castle via the archway in the center. The archway leads tourists through the castle, but the inside of Cinderella’s magical home is a mystery to most Disney fans.
A select few, however, are actually allowed inside the hallowed halls of Cinderella’s castle. When the park was constructed, a secret suite was built in the castle for Walt Disney and his family to stay in. Today, special guests and contest winners can take up accommodation in the room. Of course, guests can’t book a stay in the castle, but they can enter various sweepstakes for a chance to sleep inside the park.
How To Disney6 Park Employees Must Know Everything
If you want to work at a Disney World park, be prepared to be on your A-game, day in and day out. While there are many rules cast members have to follow, one of the most difficult is that they’re not allowed to tell park guests “I don’t know.”
Instead, park employees must have an answer for every question, even if they don’t really know. However, they must also avoid lying, so asking around to see if their colleagues have the answer is common.
Wikipedia7 Main Street Hides Some Sweet Accolades
Main Street, USA in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is meant to mimic the small town in Missouri where Walt Disney grew up. But it also includes a few more nods to notable people in the Disney universe. All along the second level of Main Street, there are window inscriptions that praise a valued employee or Disney contributor.
For example, one inscription honors Buddy Baker, the composer of much of the music in Disney films and the theme park attractions. Another inscription thanks Roy O. Disney for opening the park even after his brother, Walt Disney’s, death. Other inscriptions thank the creators and designers of some rides, as well as other notable people who contributed to the parks.
Guide4WDW.com8 Lingering In The Park After Closing Pays Off
Once Magic Kingdom closes, everyone is supposed to make their way to the exits and head back to their hotel rooms. But if you linger in the park for a little bit, you’ll be met with a special surprise. Roughly 15 minutes after the park officially closes, the Cinderella’s castle lights up for the last time that evening.
While “When You Wish Upon a Star” is playing in the background, a special message is played over the loudspeakers. The message thanks visitors for coming and wishes them a final good night. The moment is known by Disney fans as the “kiss good night.”
WDW Magazine9 Mickey Mouse’s Shorts Color Is A Secret
While visiting Disney World, you can buy Disney paraphernalia to your heart’s content. However, there’s one thing that’s not available for purchase—shorts in the exact same color as Mickey Mouse.
Apparently, the precise red hue of Mickey Mouse’s shorts is proprietary and will never be released. While that’s certainly a disappointment for committed Disney fans, it also makes Mickey’s shorts all the more special.
Abandoned Southeast10 The Abandoned Water Park
From 1976 to 2001, Disney World operated a water park called River Country. However, the park was abruptly shut for unknown reasons.
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Despite closing 20 years ago, the water park still sits in an abandoned area of Disney World. It can be found on the island in the middle of Bay Lake, where it’s slowly being covered in vines and moss. While the rest of the park looks happy, the decaying state of this abandoned spot is actually rather dismal.
Wikipedia11 Epcot Wasn’t Supposed To Be A Park
Epcot is one of the many theme parks included in Disney World, but it wasn’t actually supposed to be another addition to the long list of attractions. Originally, Walt Disney wanted Epcot to be a futuristic community. Named Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, the park was nicknamed Project X by Disney himself.
Disney wanted Epcot to be a real community where people could work, live, and play. He wanted a citywide monorail system and a climate-controlled environment. However, the original plans were abandoned following his death, and Epcot was turned into just another theme park.
Celebrations Press12 The Areas Of The Park Are Made To Be Completely Separate
Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park is split into various sections, including Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and more. But when you’re in one section of the park, it’s easy to forget that any of the other sections even exist, and there’s a good reason for that.
The park is designed to ensure each “land” is truly its own separate world. If you’re in Fantasyland, you won’t be able to see Liberty Square, even though they’re right next to each other. Towering trees and well-placed buildings ensure you can only see one land at a time, further contributing to the illusion that each section of the park is a brand new world.
AllEars.Net13 Tinkerbell’s Flying Requires A Lot Of Upper-Body Strength
The Wishes Nighttime Spectacular, a beautiful fireworks show that often ends a day spent in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, features Tinkerbell soaring high above the ground, seemingly by magic. But the truth behind Tink’s nighttime flight is much more practical than you might assume.
To make it to the end of her flight path and back, Tinkerbell is given a good push from the window of Cinderella’s castle. The push has to be strong enough for Tink to float above the crowd while still making it all the way back to the window. If the push isn’t hard enough, however, Tink has to make her way back using her own upper body strength. Obviously, being Tinkerbell requires a lot more than just a pretty face.
The Disney Archives And Mysteries14 A Main Street Phone Plays a Secret Conversation
Next time you’re visiting Disney World, make your way to The Chapeau on Main Street, USA. There, you should keep your eyes peeled for a phone that looks like a prop, but is actually so much more.
If you put this phone to your ear, you’ll be able to listen in on a secret conversation. The recording depicts neighbors gossiping, sharing life advice, and generally chatting. If you listen long enough, you might walk away with some nugget of wisdom you can incorporate into your own life.
Disney Tips15 Liberty Square Strives For Historical Accuracy
Liberty Square is located in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park. It’s meant to be a replica of towns in colonial days, including its own Liberty Bell and Liberty Tree. However, the creators of the park decided to take things one step further when it came to historical accuracy.
Since there were no restrooms in colonial days, the park creators determined there would also be no restrooms in Liberty Square. However, they can’t leave park-goers with nowhere to take care of their business. So, they put bathrooms in both the Liberty Tree Tavern and the Columbia Harbor House. However, the bathrooms there are located so far back that they’re technically considered part of different lands, maintaining the historical accuracy of Liberty Square.
Sand and Snow16 A Special Family Opens Magic Kingdom Every Day
Some visitors like to arrive at the park the second it opens, but others take their time before making their way to Magic Kingdom. Either way, most visitors don’t know that Magic Kingdom has a special opening ceremony each day. For the ceremony, one special family is chosen to receive a tour of Main Street before the park opens.
Then, cast members from the park take the family members to the train station, where they take part in a music-filled opening ceremony known among fans as the “rope drop.” In order to be chosen for this special role, families must arrive at the park extra early, wearing their best Disney gear and looking especially enthusiastic.
Disney Food Blog17 The Haunted Mansion Stretching Room Isn’t An Elevator
The Haunted Mansion is a popular ride at both Disneyland and Disney World. However, the mechanics of the ride in each park are a little different. At Disneyland, the ride starts with the visitors being ushered into a room that slowly starts to stretch. Rather than the room actually stretching, however, visitors are lowered one level to complete the rest of the ride. The motion of the elevator moving down makes it seem like the room is stretching.
At Disney World, however, the ride is a bit different. Without the space constraints they faced at Disneyland, the creators of the ride were actually able to make a stretching room. Rather than moving visitors down a level, the Disney World Haunted Mansion room stretches up. It creates the same effect, but the technology involved isn’t the same at all.
WDW News Today18 The Jungle Cruise Features Recycled Props
The Jungle Cruise is a painfully kid-friendly ride, but it’s still one of the most iconic expeditions in the entire park. Still, considering the simple nature of the ride, it’s not surprising that it features recycled props from other rides across the Disney World parks.
The spiders on the ride were actually taken from the Haunted Mansion, as is the face of an explorer who is also seen in the Haunted Mansion’s graveyard scene. The monkeys looking for gold on the ride used to live on Living With the Land, a ride found at EPCOT. Other bits and pieces of the expedition pay homage to Disney World, including Trader Sam’s loincloth, which was made with the original fabric found on top of the Jungle Cruise boats.
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19 You Can’t Buy Chewing Gum
Chewing gum is perhaps the grossest piece of trash to come across when you’re walking down the street. Not only that, but it can also get stuck to your shoes or clothes, creating a complete disaster. Thankfully, Disney World has taken measures to decrease the amount of chewing gum in their parks.
In an effort to keep the parks cleaner, Disney World doesn’t sell chewing gum anywhere in the parks. However, they won’t stop you if you bring in your own gum. Still, you should try to make sure your gum ends up in the trash and not on the street where it might ruin someone else’s day.