Your best Disney fact or insider story...

[crazymomof4]

"The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World" is a great book for this kind of thing!

 

[nemodeb]

I love the tributes to past attractions. Like Mr Toad handing off the deed to Owl, the Nautilus in the play house.

 

[nemodeb]

Oops. Still learning the posting system. sorry.

 

[nemodeb]

Because the hippos on the Jungle Cruise are submerged in water they function on air pressure so as not to risk hydraulic fluid contamination in the water. Thus they are constructed only with top portions that are visible thus making them.....

wait for it....

it's really a bad punchline but it's true....

Hippo-bottomless

That's too funny!

 

[GenieCat]

i also have done the kttk tour, and can add some things ...

and the one i found strangest is all the animatronics use clear fluid for one reason when they debuted the Hall of Presidents Lincoln sprung a leak on his left shoulder leaving a large red mark right about where he was shot.

President Lincoln was actually shot in the back of the head not in his shoulder.

This Day in History

I'm just now getting through all 35 pages of this. Everyone has come up with some terrific information. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Chuckers]

I may have posted this previously, but in 35 pages, I can't remember. The waterways in the MK are all connected. The water is actually enhanced with coloring. They add the coloring at the falls in the Jungle Cruise so it will mix in when going over the edge.

 

[crazymomof4]

I have a tidbit, not a "WDW secret" per se, but a backstory that definitely speaks to the diligence of Disney Imagineers when it comes to detail and authenticity. I think those following this thread will appreciate it.

My uncle has been an Imagineer since a few years after Disneyland opened. He eventually worked on the creation of every Disney park in the world, relocating for months to do so. He is what they call a "scenic artist". When he was working on the Jungle Cruise in Hong Kong his boss flew him to Cambodia so he could literally stand at the site of the Temple there and, using his color wheel find the EXACT MATCH for paint colors to create the Cambodian Temple scene in the Jungle Cruise. While in Cambodia he also made a small scale model of the temple ruins to take back to Hong Kong with him. My uncle said that during the decades he's worked for Disney, autheniticity and exact detail has become things ever increasingly stressed in his department. I was rather impressed by that.

 

[bcrook]

I have a tidbit, not a "WDW secret" per se, but a backstory that definitely speaks to the diligence of Disney Imagineers when it comes to detail and authenticity. I think those following this thread will appreciate it.

My uncle has been an Imagineer since a few years after Disneyland opened. He eventually worked on the creation of every Disney park in the world, relocating for months to do so. He is what they call a "scenic artist". When he was working on the Jungle Cruise in Hong Kong his boss flew him to Cambodia so he could literally stand at the site of the Temple there and, using his color wheel find the EXACT MATCH for paint colors to create the Cambodian Temple scene in the Jungle Cruise. While in Cambodia he also made a small scale model of the temple ruins to take back to Hong Kong with him. My uncle said that during the decades he's worked for Disney, autheniticity and exact detail has become things ever increasingly stressed in his department. I was rather impressed by that.

That is cool. Maybe the title of this thread should be Disney Backstory. .

 

[MrsSilvaStrat]

For anyone else who wants my partial list, please send my your e-mail in a PM. The list is too long to PM and the system won't let me. Plus my file has a pretty mickey background

Thanks!!

 

[njforumrider18]

Not sure if it has been mentioned already, but there is a hidden Oswald The Lucky Rabbit near the sign for ETWB. Also if you look at an overhead map of Expedition Everest, the layout of the ride is a hidden Mickey and hidden Oswald combined!

 

[MidnightParade]

When Haunted Mansion was first being imagined for DL it was going to be a walk through. People would be led from room to room. The story was going to focus around the sea captain and his bride.

 

[bcrook]

When Haunted Mansion was first being imagined for DL it was going to be a walk through. People would be led from room to room. The story was going to focus around the sea captain and his bride.

This sounds a little like The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Thankfully, they changed their mind and went ahead and created the greatest ride in the parks.

 

[Chuckers]

When Haunted Mansion was first being imagined for DL it was going to be a walk through. People would be led from room to room. The story was going to focus around the sea captain and his bride.

In keeping with the Haunted Mansion at DL... There's a bullet hole in the glass overlooking the dining room where some kid hit it with a slingshot years ago. The glass on the balcony is one long piece and, like the yeti, it can not be removed without dismantling a major part of the ride. They've taken to placing a 'spider' over the hole.
(If I remember correctly, it's in the left most glass section towards the top)

 

[GotLabradors]

Mods, can this thread be made into a sticky? My DH, who has never, ever been to Disney, thought a lot of these were really interesting. I'm hoping it makes him start thinking more about the fun we'll have rather than the money we're spending.

 

[shannon006]

I love reading these There is so much more to the Disney Parks than most people know. DH who use to go and enjoy the parks, now is really enjoying all the details and stories that go into our happy place and he wants to go more often and truly is immersed into the magic

 

[racefans44]

Splash Mountain was originally named "Zip-a-dee River Run" during it's concept stage. The name was changed to "Splash" to promote the DVD release of the movie Splash. "Mountain" was added to keep the continuity of Space Mountain, Matterhorn Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
I credit this information to Marty Sklar in his book Dream It! Do It!. I highly recommend this book, it's fascinating. I also liked The Vault of Walt, Volume 1 & 2 books by Jim Korkis. They are absolutely full of fascinating Disney information.

 

[crazymomof4]

I credit this information to Marty Sklar in his book Dream It! Do It!. I highly recommend this book, it's fascinating. I also liked The Vault of Walt, Volume 1 & 2 books by Jim Korkis. They are absolutely full of fascinating Disney information.

Thanks! As per your recommendation, I just reserved the Sklar book from our local library! It should be a fun read as we anticipate our Sept trip!

 

[PetersonFamily]

I was actually ashamed of not knowing this until last week since I'm a HUGE Beatles fan and a huge Disney fan. I read that John Lennon officially dissolved the Beatles in one of the rooms at the Polynesian Resort. He was on a Christmas holiday with his son, Julian, and girlfriend May Pang. He decided to skip the formal meeting with Paul and George in New York, so they sent him the paperwork while he was vacationing. While in a guestroom, he signed the documents officially ending the greatest band of all time! It was 12/29/1974. Who knew? I just wish I knew which room they were staying in. We'll be there in 3 months!

 

[Zooshoveller]

Bump!

 

[kirstenh]

I have spent the better part of this day getting nothing done except for reading this thread. Thought that it was worthy of a bump. So much great info.

Same here. This is awesome. Just ordered two of the books recommended on here, will be fun flight entertainment!