Secrets & Little Known Facts about rides

[donaldsgal]

I was reading a trip report by a DISer (girlbomb), and at one point she mentioned sticking around after the preshow in Haunted Mansion to hear the whispering voices at the end of the stretching room. That got me to thinking that there are probably MANY of these little known treasures in our favorite rides.

There's the obvious, like the place setting in the HM in the shape of a Hidden Mickey, and maybe lesser known ones (at least to me ). Enlighten the group with your hidden treasures within Disney shows/rides/attractions!

 

[BradyBz12]

Not so much a ride secret, as storyline related. Pay attention to the portraits in the HM attic scene. In each successive picture, "Constance" is wearing one additional pearl necklace... 5 total... one for each husband.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Not so much a ride secret, as storyline related. Pay attention to the portraits in the HM attic scene. In each successive picture, "Constance" is wearing one additional pearl necklace... 5 total... one for each husband.

Constance is also said to be the woman in this portrait:

The Ghost Host can be seen in this portrait:

(You'll notice that he's holding his noose in one hand and a hatchet in the other.)

Some other gems taken from a post I made in an earlier thread:

The chairs used in the Dining Room scene in "The Haunted Mansion" feature film were used for the final scene in Disney's re-imagineered Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (it's the chair Jack Sparrow is reclining on while he hoists a goblet of rum).

The Pipe Organ in the Mansion's ballroom in Disneyland was used in the 1955 classic Disney film "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". The organ at WDW's mansion is an exact replica created by MAPO (Disney's Manufacturing And Production Offices -- and named for MAry POppins).

"Blackbeard's Ghost" was the film in production when Walt Disney died. The spellbook in Madame Leota's Seance Room displays a spell used in that film ("A spell to bring to your eyes and ears one who is bound in Limbo," followed by Kree Kruh Vergo Gebba Kalto Kree).

 

[Disneyfan71]

The Matterhorn (At Disneyland) has a small basketball court inside the mountain. From what I read and have seen, there was some kind of height restriction (and someone correct me if I'm wrong)...anyways, in order for it to be built, this basketball court was added. It's inside where the "mountain climbers" take their breaks.

 

[Sherwin]

The Matterhorn (At Disneyland) has a small basketball court inside the mountain. From what I read and have seen, there was some kind of height restriction (and someone correct me if I'm wrong)...anyways, in order for it to be built, this basketball court was added. It's inside where the "mountain climbers" take their breaks.

Ah, yeah, that's a myth. Not true. Convincing, though.

The real story is that some of the old mountainclimbing Cast members would pass the time inside the top of the Matterhorn very bored, and one day, a fellow brought a basketball hoop (or something of that sort). Thus, the Matternhorn court was born. I think it might be on Snopes.

 

[mrFDNY]

Hi gang,

I have a few...

In the testing phase on test track an empty ride vechile actually crashed, this was before it opened and again the ride vechile was empty.


The monorail station at epcot was built wrong/backwards, but by the time it was discovered it was too late to fix and would have cost millions more to knock down and rebuild. The way it was supposed to be is when arriving from the ttc or mk, you were supposed to be droped off at the station before going around the whole park,then those exiting the park were supposed to go around the whole park and then off to ttc or mk.

On the winnie the pooh ride just as you enter the first scene you can see mr.toad handing owl the deed to the ride. Mr. toads wild ride is the ride that use to be there before winne the pooh.

When they ran the first test on the tower of terror the basement walls blew out from all the air pressure that the elevator being pulled down caused. They had to be rebuilt with large vents allowing all that air pressure to escape.

The tomorrowland speedway had to be shorten to allow mickeys toontown to be built.

I will think of more and post.

 

[cmassey]

Ah, yeah, that's a myth. Not true. Convincing, though.

The real story is that some of the old mountainclimbing Cast members would pass the time inside the top of the Matterhorn very bored, and one day, a fellow brought a basketball hoop (or something of that sort). Thus, the Matternhorn court was born. I think it might be on Snopes.

interesting.

you state that there is no small basketball court in the top of the matterhorn, and then describe how the small court in the top of the matterhorn came to be.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Ah, yeah, that's a myth. Not true. Convincing, though.

The real story is that some of the old mountainclimbing Cast members would pass the time inside the top of the Matterhorn very bored, and one day, a fellow brought a basketball hoop (or something of that sort). Thus, the Matternhorn court was born. I think it might be on Snopes.

Actually, if you have Comcast On-Demand, you can watch a series on the Disney Travel section called Fact or Fiction, and there's a piece about the Matterhorn basketball court. There really is one. They actually show it.

 

[DisneySweetheart]

On the Haunted Mansion Ride at WDW, just as you are exiting the cemetary scene and getting ready to go into the next part of the ride, the doom buggy turns....lean up and look out to the right. You will see a ghost with an outstretched arm. Where his hand should be is a "hidden mickey".

Also, if you look in the cemetary outside of the Haunted Mansion, a small Mr. Toad made out of stone is there. It is said to have been put there by some Imagineers as a tribute.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Actually, if you have Comcast On-Demand, you can watch a series on the Disney Travel section called Fact or Fiction, and there's a piece about the Matterhorn basketball court. There really is one. They actually show it.

I think they give reference to it in "The Disney Mountains: Imagineering At Its Peak" book. I got it during while we were there in October. I highly recommend it for any people obsessed w/ the Disney mountains.

 

[scrappinmom]

I don't have any to share...but wanted to sat THANKS! These are fun...I love "amazing" my kids when we're on a trip...they think I know everything!!!!!!! (shhhhhhhh don't tell them!)

 

[Faldred]

Heard but not verified... in the queue for Pirates of the Caribbean, two pirates playing chess have turned to skeletons... the game is unfinished because it's a stalemate.

 

[bosspringsteen]

Ah, yeah, that's a myth. Not true. Convincing, though.

The real story is that some of the old mountainclimbing Cast members would pass the time inside the top of the Matterhorn very bored, and one day, a fellow brought a basketball hoop (or something of that sort). Thus, the Matternhorn court was born. I think it might be on Snopes.

There's a court there http://www.snopes.com/disney/parks/matterhorn.asp

 

[pattirjs925]

Actually, if you have Comcast On-Demand, you can watch a series on the Disney Travel section called Fact or Fiction, and there's a piece about the Matterhorn basketball court. There really is one. They actually show it.

here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63TKKg-KRP0

 

[mountdew1]

Heard but not verified... in the queue for Pirates of the Caribbean, two pirates playing chess have turned to skeletons... the game is unfinished because it's a stalemate.

Possibly. BUT CMs do apparently change the pieces/play the game as I have seen many pictures of the pieces in different positions.

 

[Disney1976]

Hi gang,

I have a few...

In the testing phase on test track an empty ride vechile actually crashed, this was before it opened and again the ride vechile was empty.

That's true! I actually worked with a woman at the time who knew one of the imagineers working on this ride and she told me about this! As I recall from what she told me, the vehicle crash was completely unexpected and occurred during final testing -just days/weeks before the ride was supposed to open and did some damage.

 

[summermac]

I think PP was mostly just saying that the story about the court posted wasn't true not that the court wasn't there. (Haven't looked at the Snopes link yet). This is an interesting post. Thanks for sharing everyone!

 

[WDWBlaze]

I think PP was mostly just saying that the story about the court posted wasn't true not that the court wasn't there. (Haven't looked at the Snopes link yet). This is an interesting post. Thanks for sharing everyone!

I was about to say this too. PP is just saying the story behind the Hoop ( it is not really a court, too small to even be a 1/2 court) ended up there was a myth.

 

[eliza61]

Can't believe that I haven't seen this one.

Space Mountain opened today 1/15/1975 in tomorrowland.
the plaque reads"
One Giant step-dedicated to the men and women whose skills, sacrifice, courage and teamwork opened the door to the exploration of man's exciting new frontier.

 

[mykidsand_i]

Actually, if you have Comcast On-Demand, you can watch a series on the Disney Travel section called Fact or Fiction, and there's a piece about the Matterhorn basketball court. There really is one. They actually show it.

I have to agree here, there are actual pictures of it somewhere...I don't know what to believe about this...I've seen pictures (video pictures), but so many people say it's not true. I'd love to hear about it from a CM there, maybe someone who's actually been inside of the MT.