Little-Known Facts About Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, first opened its doors in 1971. Since then, it has become one of the top family destinations in North America, welcoming 50 to 58 million visitors each year.
As one of the world's most recognizable theme parks, Disney World is bound to have some strange secrets and stories. Take a look at these little-known facts about the park.
There is a decommissioned airfield on Walt Disney World property
Opening in the 1970s, the Walt Disney World STOLport was intended to connect Disney World to other major airports. However, due to low usage, it closed in the 1980s. Today, it is used for employee parking and storage.
Women lead the men in the Haunted Mansion's ballroom scene
The Haunted Mansion ride creates many of its spooky effects using a phenomenon called the Pepper's Ghost Trick. Because this trick reverses whatever image is being shown, it appears as if the female ghosts are leading the men in the ballroom scene. This was done accidentally at Disneyland in California, but for the Disney World version, Imagineers made the mistake on purpose.
Pirates of the Caribbean's auction scene was updated in 2018
A famous aspect of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was the "Bride Auction," showing women chained up and a sign that read "Take a wench for a bride." The scene was updated to something more family-friendly in 2018, showing a regular auction with a group of people holding various items and treasures.
Have you ever heard of "go-away green"?
"Go-away green" is a particular shade of gray-green used throughout the park. The color camouflages easily into the surroundings, making it the perfect choice to disguise utility boxes, employee doors, and construction scaffolding.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends aquarium is one of the largest in the world
The aquarium is home to thousands of marine creatures, including fish, sea turtles, sharks, and manta rays. The saltwater tank holds 5.7 million gallons of water and is the second-largest aquarium in the United States after the Georgia Aquarium.
The stone lantern in the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT was gifted to Roy Disney
Japanese Emperor Hirohito presented the stone lantern to Roy Disney, Walt's brother, in 1971. The gift was a symbol of friendship and features carved deer as a nod to Nara Deer Park in Japan.
Most American flags around the park are fakes.
Many of the American flags seen on Main Street USA and around the park are missing a star or stripe. This was done intentionally to avoid the need to comply with the strict U.S. flag code requirements, such as daily lowering or special lighting.
The word "EPCOT" is an acronym
It stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The term was created by Walt Disney himself in 1966.
The Yeti in Expedition Everest has been stationary since 2006
When Expedition Everest opened, there was a lot of attention on the ride's state-of-the-art Yeti animatronic. However, the sheer size of the animatronic became a safety issue that caused damage to the ride's structure when it moved. The yeti has been mostly stationary since then, with strobe effect lighting to give it the appearance of some movement.
The park is home to one of the largest laundry facilities in North America
Given the number of hotels and resorts at the park, it's no surprise that Walt Disney World needs to handle a large volume of laundry every day. The park's facilities clean about 285,000 pounds of laundry daily.
There is an entire world of secret tunnels under Magic Kingdom
In order to preserve the enchantment of Magic Kingdom, employees rely on a vast network of underground tunnels to move seamlessly through the park without being detected. These come in handy for costumed cast members who need to get to their meet-and-greet locations without being mobbed.
"Code Grandma" is used among cast members for a morbid reason
If you ever hear an employee call a "Code Grandma," it might be best to look away. This code typically means that a guest has decided to spread a loved one's ashes on the park's grounds. Apparently, the Haunted Mansion is a popular spot to do so.
Imagineers often reuse old ride parts when attractions are updated
Over the years, many rides have been revamped to keep the park fresh and to reflect new popular characters. Instead of tearing down rides and rebuilding them from scratch, Imagineers reuse old ride parts whenever possible. An example is Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which kept the original log ride format of Splash Mountain.
Liberty Square is very dedicated to remaining historically accurate
If you find it difficult to locate a bathroom in Liberty Square, that was done on purpose. Given the area's colonial theming and that public bathrooms weren't common in that era, park designers intentionally left them out (although they can be found in restaurants and taverns).
Even the trash cans have been engineered to be magical
The park uses an AVAC pneumatic tube system that sucks garbage into a central location. This ensures that garbage cans aren't overflowing and that the park can maintain its spiffy appearance.
There is a tombstone for Mr. Toad outside the Haunted Mansion
After Mr. Toad's Wild Ride shut down to make way for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a stone statue of Mr. Toad was added to the Pet Cemetery outside The Haunted Mansion.
The Cinderella Castle Suite was created to give the real-life princess experience
Inside Cinderella's castle is a suite that was designed for royalty. The Cinderella Castle Suite cannot be booked or reserved by anyone. The only way to spend the night there is to win a sweepstakes, making it one of the most exclusive spots in the entire park.
Animal Kingdom is the only park with doors in the bathrooms
Most Disney World bathrooms use a zig-zag, doorless entryway for optimized traffic flow. However, in Animal Kingdom, doors were installed in the bathroom entrances in the event that any of the animals escaped from their enclosures, allowing the bathrooms to be turned into emergency safe zones.
Disney purchases more explosives than any other entity in the United States (other than the Department of Defence)
While that fact sounds alarming, the reason why Disney needs so many explosives is for its daily fireworks shows. It is estimated that Disney World goes through $40,000-$55,000 in fireworks every night.
No stores sell chewing gum in the park
Walt Disney wanted the parks to maintain a clean look and banned the sale of chewing gum. While you won't find any gum for sale, guests are welcome to bring their own and encouraged to dispose of it in one of the park's many garbage cans.
Forced perspective makes Cinderella's castle look taller than it actually is
Cinderella's castle is one of the iconic landmarks at the park and seems to tower over Magic Kingdom. The castle is actually 189 feet tall, but looks bigger because designers used forced perspective to shrink the size of windows and other details in the castle's towers. This effect tricks the brain into thinking the structure is larger than it actually is.
Even the smells are by design!
Many people swear that Disney World has a signature scent, and they're right! "Smellitizers" are placed throughout the park to pump out scented air and create a completely immersive environment.
Admission to the park used to be $1 for children
On opening day on October 1, 1971, admission for children was $1 per ticket, while adults paid $3.50 each. Today, those prices are long gone. The average park ticket price is well over $100 and that doesn't even include money for resorts or food.
An army of feral cats keeps the pest population under control
Feral cats roam the park, but because they perform a helpful service, employees leave them alone. These cats have been known to hunt mice and rats, keeping the park's pest population under control for guests.
The Tower of Terror is exactly 199 feet tall
Like every other tall building in the park, the Tower of Terror was built so that it would be under 200 feet tall. This is because the federal aviation rules require any buildings over 200 feet to have a red warning lights on them to alert aircraft.
The Prince Charming Carousel is over 100 years old
The carousel was originally known as the Liberty Carousel and was located in Palace Gardens, in Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. The carousel was acquired by the Disney company in 1967 and has been at Disney World since opening day in 1971. It is the park's oldest amusement ride.
There are hidden Mickeys all over the park
By now, guests know to keep an eye out for hidden Mickeys located throughout the park. These can be found in queues, restaurants, resorts, and architecture. It's estimated that there are at least 1,000 hidden Mickeys in the park.
The Liberty Bell in Liberty Square was made from the same mold as the original bell
This makes the bell an authentic, second generation replica. The mold also broke after Disney's bell was made, so no more replicas can be made in the future.
Disney World sells a lot of popcorn
Every day, Disney World sells $40,000-$50,000 worth of popcorn which is enough to cover the cost of the park's daily fireworks show. In a year, 5.2 million servings of popcorn are sold to hungry guests.
The Carousel of Progress is the longest-running stage show in American theater history
The experience features a rotating stage showing a family as they live through different eras of American History. It is the only attraction at Disney World that was designed by Walt Disney himself.
