I have been to Disney World Orlando quite a bit lately. So much, in fact, that I recently bought the annual pass so I can go whenever I find a cheap flight! The rides, the restaurants, and the parks in general are always great, but after a while you need something new to do in Disney. You know, to keep things interesting.
During my last trip, I decided to search up some cool, little-known things to do in Disney. I came across some really interesting tidbits! My Disney squad loved hearing my Disney facts in each park, and playing little games I devised. Since it went over so well with them, I’m here to now share with you my Disney World Secrets.
Cinderella’s Castle
Did you know that Cinderella’s Castle isn’t really as big as it seems? It’s an optical illusion created by some genius Disney imagineers. They used smaller bricks at the top to make it appear taller, farther away. It’s all about perception!
Cinderella Fountain
Speaking of perception, adults and children always see things differently. Disney is big on little kids, big kids, and adult kids. Never lose the magic of being a kid! The Cinderella Fountain is designed to look different to adults and kids. From a child’s perspective, Cinderella is a princess. Bend down to a kid’s point of view to recapture the magic of youth.
Sorceror’s Scavenger Hunt
Next time you’re in Magic Kingdom, stop by the firehouse as soon as you enter (on the left). It’s a magic firehouse where Merlin the wizard will lead you on a sorcerer’s scavenger hunt, using magic spells all around the park to defeat the villains of Hades. It’s a little outdated, but for a new look on an older park, it’s worth a try!
Hidden Mickeys
Someone once told me there are over 1,200 Mickeys hidden throughout the Disney parks! I don’t know if the number is accurate or not, but you can spot the Mickey outline in lots of different places. I have seen it in rocks at the bottom of the aquarium at the end of the Nemo ride, shaped out of chainlink fence, and in the holes of a statue king’s bowling ball in Epcot’s Italy. Keep your eyes peeled for the three “Classic Mickey” circles!
Chapeau Hat Shop
The Chapeau Hat Shop is off a side alley on Main Street, so it’s never as crowded as the other stores. Pop in if you have a second and pick up the old-fashioned phone in the back of the store. It just looks like a prop, but you can hear a secret conversation on the party line!
Get A Haircut
Did you know you can get a haircut on Main Street? When you enter, just before the Emporium, is a real working barbershop open for magical trims in an old-timey atmosphere. Get baby’s first haircut in Magic Kingdom!
Liberty Square
Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom is home to the Hall of Presidents. It is not the home to any bathrooms! Liberty Square represents Colonial America, which is quaint and charming, but to be historically accurate, had no public restrooms. The nearest bathrooms are in Fantasyland.
Smellitizers
If 4D is a thing, Disney has perfected it. It’s a proven fact that tying smells create more solid memories and create immersive sensory experiences. The Disney Imagineers use a variety of smells across the parks, called Smellitizers, to create different sensations and really immerse you in the experience.
For example, the smell of vanilla and baking cookies is pumped down Main Street; standing in line at Pirates of the Caribbean you will smell the salty sea; Winnie the Pooh shares his honey scent on his ride; and you’ll smell burning lumber on Epcot’s Spaceship Earth when you see the fall of Rome.
EPCOT
Do you know what Epcot actually stands for? Grab a few friends and work through it together, you can figure it out.
It stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. (Time to go on Jeopardy!) Know why? Walt Disney created the concept of Epcot to simulate American ideas of urban living and a blueprint of the future. It was meant to be a sustainable community where people could live and create a company community. That means it could support itself in the event of a zombie apocalypse. It would grow its own food, filter its own clean water, and dispose of its own waste. After Walt Disney’s death in 1966, Imagineers gave up on the idea and turned Epcot into the theme park it is today.
China Pavilion
Did you know in Epcot’s China Pavilion features amazing acoustics that amplify sound. If you stand in the circle at the dead center of the pavilion, you will sound to yourself like you’re on a microphone! Only you will hear it, and once you step out of the circle the magic will be lost.
The center of the circle is also the perfect selfie spot, with the intricate geometrical ceiling above. Put your phone on selfie mode with a timer, place it in the circle, and have all your friends look down over it. The math people reading this will thank me for this magical photo opportunity!
Did you know that Christina Aguilera filmed her music video for the Mulan song “Reflections” in the Epcot China Pavilion back in 1998? Fun fact.
England
The Historic Research Section of the UK in Epcot lets you look up your family name and get any information about it. A cast member can then pull up your family crest and family name history and print it on a variety of items. Perfect for souvenirs!
Nemo Aquarium
Did you know you can scuba dive with the marine life in the Nemo aquarium? Of course, you do have to be certified. But it’s very affordable and will make everyone watching from the outside very jealous!
Tower of Terror & Haunted Mansion
These scary rides play off the unlucky number 13. If you see either the Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios or the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom with a wait time of 13 minutes, get in there – that means there’s no line!
Trash Cans
A little Disney World secret that no one ever notices are the trash cans. Walt Disney performed an experiment to find out the average number of steps people would take before dumping their trash on the ground. The magic number was 30 steps. Therefore, all trash cans in Disney World are 30 feet apart so you never have to walk more than 30 steps to a trash can.
Also, I bet you’ve never seen a Disney cast member walking through the park with trash bags. That’s because trash cans empty themselves. They are sucked down under the ground through tunnels that dump them out behind Space Mountain. It’s the little things that make the parks more enjoyable for all!
Cast Members
Did you know that Disney employees are not called employees – ever? They are forever “cast members.” Walt Disney wanted to make guests’ visits magical, so Disney cast members are always putting on a show. All of the parks are a stage! And because of this, cast members will never make reference to anything in pop culture outside of Disney. See what happens if you ask them about Harry Potter World…
Disney cast members must never point with one finger because it could be considered rude. You will always see cast members pointing with two fingers, or sometimes even the whole hand!
Cast members always go by their first names. There’s a rumor that this dates back to the days of Walt Disney telling everyone to call him Walt, not Mr. Disney. An even weirder rule is that no last initials are allowed, so no one with the same name is allowed. Disney can hire people with the same name, but they have to choose a different name to go by on their name tag. I guess everyone has a character to play!
Disney cast members have a special code they use to communicate unpleasant issues to each other. For example, Code V means someone threw up on a ride (avoid Code V rides at all cost!). Code P or Code U means there is a urine incident. If a parade horse poops in the park, it’s a Code H.
Did you know that characters have to go through a special autograph training handwriting class before they can play that character? This is so every autograph looks exactly the same, no matter who is playing the part. Each character’s signature has a recognizable look. It’s the little things like this that make Disney so magical.
No one is allowed to say that they play a character in Disney parks. If you’re lucky enough to be Mary Poppins, you can’t tell anyone that you are Mary Poppins. You are friends with Mary Poppins, but you are not Mary Poppins.
Finally, cast members must always know the answer. They can never, ever answer with “I don’t know.” If they don’t know the answer to a question, they have to ask another cast member or call a park operator to find the answer for you before they leave you. Is it rude for us unknowing tourists to try to stump them?
Have you found any Disney World secrets that I missed? Have you ever noticed any of the ones I mentioned? Do you get as excited as I do about finding things hidden in plain sight? Let me know in the comments!
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P.S. You might also enjoy Epcot International Food and Wine Festival or The Difference Between Disney Theme Parks