Since Walt Disney World in Florida welcomed its first visitors in 1971, it has become ingrained in the American perception in a way few organizations have. But Disney's triumph was no accident. The park was influential due to its relentless importance to its visitors and their experiences, and maybe just a bit of pixie dust.
However, when your resort welcomes millions of guests each year, you have a lot of experience to deal with. And in general, a lot goes on behind the scenes. From its secret underground tunnels that only a few can see, to its 30,000 rooms where you will spend 68 years of your life, Disney World has a lot that most visitors never see or know about.
Read on for 43 surprising facts about America's beloved theme park. Oh, and if you're worried, we guarantee that no matter how much you know, it won't break the spell.Image: Flickr
1. Increased number of employees
If you added up the number of employees at all the other Disney parks in the world (Disneyland Resort California, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and Shanghai Disney Resort), you would still lose about 5,000 people out of 70,000 people. I miss the jobs at Walt Disney World in Florida. Additionally, all of the park staff, from the costumed princesses to the front desk staff, are affectionately referred to as "artists." And with multiple people hosting the show each day, Walt Disney World is the largest single-site employer in the United States.
Source: medium.com, Image: Flickr
2. Flag Ceremony
A military veteran participates in a flag-raising tradition every day at 5 pm. on Main Street, USA, in the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World.
Source: disneyworld.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
3. The French Fry Engine
How does the famous Disneyland steam engine work? It works with frying oil. Yes, as interesting as it sounds, the oil left over from frying potatoes is transformed into biodiesel so that the trains can run with it.
Source: disneypark.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
4. The history of the Beatles
The story of the dissolution of a world famous band is linked to Disneyland! They are the Beatles. Here, at the Polynesian Resort, the Beatles disbanded the group. It was the year 1974.
Source: medium.com, Image: Flickr
5. Behind the Dumbo promenade
The mouse on Dumbo's ride was instrumental in making him fly. Before they held a whip, but after a while it turned into feathers.
Source: medium.com, Image: Flickr
6. Identical trips
The track layouts for the Indiana Jones attraction at Disneyland and the dinosaur attraction at Disney World are almost the same.
Source: medium.com, Image: Flickr
7. Cinderella Castle
Cinderella's Castle, which is a favorite of most of us, is not quite what it seems! It looks like it's made of stone, but it's actually fiberglass. They had to get special permission from the government to use the material, as it is generally not allowed. Also, to make the castle look bigger, it was built on a sloping hillside.
Source: snopes.com, Image: Flickr
8. No cheater
A former president addresses an audience in the ballroom at Disney's Contemporary Resort. you can guess Well, it was Richard Nixon who gave his infamous "I am not a thief" speech in 1973.
Source: orlandoweekly.com, Image: Flickr
9. Hidden Rooms
Magic Kingdom is housed in a two-story building that includes several rooms for employees to relax and do other things. There are more than 30 secret paths that lead to the park. That's the whole "secret tunnel" theory.
Those: businessinsider.com
10. Time Out
The expected waiting time is not really as expected! Confused? Well, the expected time is exceeded by 5-10 minutes to make visitors believe that they had a shorter wait than expected.
Those: medium.com
11. Don't lose your sunglasses
Every day, people lose about 250 pairs of sunglasses, which are reported to Disneyland's Lost and Found Department. So be careful or you'll have to pull it out of a bunch.
Source: popsugar.com, Image: Flickr
12. Turkey legs
Turkey thighs are one of the most popular meals at the Disney parks. It was first introduced exclusively to Disney World in the 1990s. However, due to its increasing popularity, it has spread to other parks as well. A whopping 2 million turkey legs are sold at Disney parks each year. They're so popular that you can even buy turkey leg-inspired merchandise at the gift shop.
Source: disneypark.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
13. Cinderella Suite
There is a secret hotel suite in Cinderella's castle. Well as expected it sleeps 6 and the tv is disguised as magic mirrors on the walls. However, you can't just make a reservation and call it a day. There is a raffle every day in the park.
Those: disneypark.disney.go.com
14. Inflammation at the entrances
When the park first opened, tickets were around $4. However, the price has now increased to $120 per person!
Those: disneypark.disney.go.com
15. The city of tomorrow
Walt Disney dreamed that there would be a "city of tomorrow." However, it came to a sad ending. But on the plus side, the park itself is something of a city, with its own fire stations and emergency services.
Those: medium.com
16. To protect animals
Have you heard of the Disney Wilderness Preserve? Located 15 miles from Disney World, it is actually a project that Walt Disney bought in the 1990s. The project is based on preserving wildlife and vegetation in exchange for the impact on the land caused by the construction of Disney World.
Source: disneypark.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
17. A lifetime of hotel stays
The hotels here are so extensive that if you decide to stay in one hotel room every day, it will take you about 68 years to go through them all!
Source: disneyworld.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
18. Not exactly in Orlando
Disney World Resort is not actually in Orlando as everyone thought, but on Bay Lake. Orlando is really just a neighbor. Bay Lake is just a Reedy Creek Improvement District, a single taxing district acting with due influence and duty as district administrator. The reason Walt Disney helped develop the county was that he had stronger authority over his projects. There are only a few dozen residents in the county, all employed by Disney!
Those: disneyworld.disney.go.com
19. Impossible to book
Cinderella's castle has nothing more to offer than its great looks. Inside, there's just a cafe, Cinderella's table, Bibbidi Bobbiddi boutique, and a super-impossible-to-get hotel suite. Bonus fact: This suite was originally intended to be Walt Disney's residence.
Those: disneyworld.disney.go.com
20. Drink without a straw
You may have to go without a straw when you drink your drink at Animal Kingdom. Out of an abundance of caution for animals, they do not offer any!
Those: disneyworld.disney.go.com
21. The cleanest theme park
Disney World is full of trash cans and you will find a trash can every few feet! So don't worry about the mess, they take care of everything!
Source: cheatsheet.com, Image: Flickr
22. Find Hidden Mickey
Hidden Mickeys has become a kind of game between people and children. They can be found anywhere, from the desk to the drawer and…everywhere! So keep your eyes open and pay attention as much as possible.
Those: disneyworld.disney.go.com
23. Bring your own gum
Chewing gum is something that children love to do. However, for cleanliness reasons, it is not sold on the site. If so, bring your own!
Source: touringplans.com, Image: Flickr
24. Tricks behind the safari
Kilimanjaro safari is a dream as you will meet so many animals! But have you ever wondered how easy it is to spot them? How kind they are! Well the staff use some tricks to give you the best! They throw groceries at the gorillas and sprinkle honey on the vehicle to attract the elephants. The lion's den heats up! The only harmless species that live in the wild are zebras and giraffes.
Source: disneyworld.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
25. The infamous
There are many things besides sunglasses that get lost in the park every day! And believe me... they found the strangest things, which are also claimed later! Includes a glass eye, a prosthetic leg and a potty trainer.
Those: medium.com
26. The Mystery of the Screams
The screams you constantly hear in the park are not all real! you are shocked too Well, although most of them are real, some of them are just recorded screams to add a little more excitement to the rides. You must have heard them when you visited the Tower of Terror!
Those: medium.com
27. Really this American?
American flags at Disney World must follow the rules for raising, lowering and flying at half mast during designated times of the day. So to prevent this, all the flags at Disney World are missing a star and stripe so they can fly permanently.
Source: bbc.com, Image: Flickr
28. Haunted Visitors
Unfortunately, when Pirates of the Caribbean was being built, an imagineer named George was killed. According to legend, it is his ghost that haunts the boardwalk to this day. The cast say "Goodnight, George" at the end of each night as a superstition to prevent the attractions from closing the next day.
Those: bbc.com
29. All the ghosts in the park
People love to scatter the ashes of their deceased loved ones at Disney World, as per the wish of the deceased. There are special cleaning protocols for this occurrence.
Those: wsj.com
30. Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studio was actually a studio and not a theme park as it is today. The Mickey Mouse Club House was filmed here before it became a tourist attraction.
Those: wikiwand.com
31. Christmas Tree Party
You can't imagine having so many Christmas trees in one place! During the Christmas season, there are more than 1,500 of them. And can you imagine how big the garlands that decorate the entire park are?
Source: explorethemagic.com, Image: Flickr
32. Number of closures
As popular as it is, Disney Park has only closed four times! The most important one was for Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The next one was for the terrorist attacks of September 11. And the third involved a power outage in 2002. The fourth was during Hurricane Matthew in 2006. It takes no more than 30 minutes to evacuate people from the park.
Those: explorethemagic.com
33. Rock and Roll Roller Coaster
Hollywood Studio's first choice for the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was U2. But after they turned down the offer, they gave it to Aerosmith.
Source: explorethemagic.com, Image: Flickr
34. Mickey's Miles and Miles
If connected end-to-end, the popular Mickey Mouse hats would travel more than 175 miles. Can you believe it?
Those: wdwnews.com
35. That fashion sense
It seems that Mickey is more fashionable than his girlfriend Minnie. He has almost 300 pieces of clothing for her collection while Minnie only has...200.
Source: shopdisney.com, Image: Flickr
36. The Tower of Secrets
Disney's tallest attractions, The Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest, measure exactly 199 feet tall. If they were a foot taller, they would have to turn on their flight lights. Wouldn't that kill some of the magic?
Those: eater.com
37. Automated vacuum collection
Garbage collection is on a whole new level. In the Magic Kingdom, an automatic vacuum cleaner is used that removes garbage from absolutely everywhere (even from the secret tunnels!). The waste is then dumped into dedicated processors where it is naturally processed. It is then pushed underground at a speed of 60 miles per hour, where it is treated so it can be sent to a landfill.
Those: waste360.com
38. Disney World Railroad
The Railroad at Disney World is cool and quite photogenic. All the machines are powered by steam and transport 1.5 million people a year. All four trains have been in perfect working order ever since.
Source: disneyworld.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
39. A controlled community at EPCOT
Walt Disney had big strategies for Disney World, and that included a dream of building a regulated city at Epcot, which is short for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The seemingly dystopian idea was to select 20,000 people to reside in the city, which would consist of shopping malls, private homes, movie theaters, restaurants, and, highly questionable, an air-conditioned environment. After Disney's death, the scheme was deemed nonsensical and rejected.
Source: disneyworld.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
40. The hole at EPCOT
The tallest fountain in the world is in Busan, South Korea. However, how does this relate to Disney? Well, funnily enough, the Epcot fountain at Disney is 150 feet tall, which is only 30 feet smaller than the Korean fountain! If all the fountains at Epcot were gushing at the same time, that would add up to 2,000 gallons.
Source: disneyworld.disney.go.com, Image: Flickr
41. Coca-Cola Drinks
The proportion of visitors who buy Coca-Cola is much higher than that of water buyers. While the tail averages 75 million a year, the water is only 13 million.
Source: theguardian.com, Image: Flickr
42. For night actives
Visit Disney Animal Kingdom is also possible at night! An evening safari is offered to all visitors. In addition to a tour of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve exploring the flora and fauna, the event also includes a feast of African-inspired dishes and local spirits such as beer and wine.
Those: disneyworld.disney.go.com
43. Cheap campsites
Disney is all about thrift, so everyone can enjoy the same! Plus, there's a more robust experience! For around $55, you can camp at The Campsite at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. Here, guests can pitch a tent in the park's 750 acres of forest. If you are lucky you may find some bucks, rabbits, ducks or armadillos.
Those: disneyworld.disney.go.com
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