25 Secret Things Most People Don’t Know About Disney Parks

The next time that you visit Disney, knowing these secrets will give you an entirely new perspective.

On the second floor of the firehouse on Main Street is the apartment of the Disney family, where Walt used to stay with his wife and children.

The lamp in the window used to be turned on when Walt visited the park. After his death, the light was always on, because Walt is always at the park in spirit.

Epcot was originally intended to be a model community and the home of some 20,000 residents. The diorama of Walt Disney’s vision is on display in the “PeopleMover” ride.

At the “Be Our Guest” restaurant, there’s a secret desert that’s not on the menu, which is mentioned in the song by the same name on “Beauty and Beast”. According to the song, “the grey stuff is delicious. Don’t believe me? Ask the dishes.”

In Cinderella’s castle is a secret suite which cannot be booked. The only way to get in is to win a competition.

The Main Street windows of Disney Land are covered in the names of families who sold their land to Disney. In Disney World, they’re covered in the names of the shell companies that Disney used to buy the land.

Look down when in line at “The Haunted Mansion,” and you might spot a wedding ring embedded into the concrete. It’s believed to belong to the hanging bride who you see on the ride.

On Tom Sawyer Island, there are a few paintbrushes hidden around the place. If you find one and hand it into the barge driver, they’ll give and your party free fast passes for one ride.

From the perspective of an adult, Cinderella Fountain seems sad. She’s looking down at the animals, and her face is hidden. From the lower perspective of a child, you can see that she’s actually happy and that the crown sits on her head.

In the window of the “Hall of Presidents” are two lanterns. They reference the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” in which the revolutionaries would light one lantern if the British came by land and two if by sea.

There are various backstage tours at Disney World that show you behind the scenes of the park. These include a tour of the Epcot Gardens, where the special hybrid fruits and vegetables are grown, like Mickey-shaped watermelon.

There are secret tunnels under Disney World that allow staff and cast members to move between different areas without Tomorrowland characters having to walk through Frontierland.

‘Smellitizers’ are hidden at spots all around Disney parks and emit scents that suit the setting. In Main Street, the air smells of baked cookies and vanilla, the line for “Pirates of the Caribbean” smells salty, and “Soarin’” smells like fresh citrus.

There are over 800 hidden Mickey Mouse heads in both of the Disney parks.

Main Street is based on America in 1910, while Tomorrowland was designed to represent America in 1986. Both dates were chosen because they were years that the Halley’s Comet was visible from Earth. The next appearance will be in 2061.

Near the Magic Kingdom is a very exclusive resort called Shades of Green. It was built exclusively for active and retired members of the military and their families, and despite being luxurious, is extremely cheap as a thanks for their service.

There are several abandoned areas of Disney Land. A former wildlife attraction in the heart of Disney World, it is rumoured that Discovery Island was left to run wild after bacteria capable of harming humans was discovered in the surrounding water.

River County, was the first water park at Disney World. It opened in 1976, and it closed in 2001, because the natural water could be potentially dangerous.

The brown path in Liberty Square represents the raw sewage that would have flowed down the streets of Colonial America.

Fourteen of the opening day attractions in the Magic Kingdom are still running. These include “Dumbo the Flying Elephant” and “It’s a Small World.”

On the signage for Animal Kingdom, a dragon can be seen amongst other less fictional beasties. There was originally going to be an area called the Beastly Kingdom, which was going to be dedicated to mythical animals.

When Pirates of the Caribbean was first being built in 1967, the Imagineers were rather unimpressed with the false skeletons placed around the ride. So, with the help of UCLA medical school, they were able to place actual human skeletons about the place. Most have since been removed, though the skull and crossbones on this headboard are still human.

Ask the conductor at Main Street Station and you can ride upfront on the Disney railroad.

Similarly, you can ask to pilot the Mark Twain riverboat.

Look closely at the hieroglyphics in the Indiana Jones sections of “The Great Movie Ride,” and you’ll spot Mickey, Donald, C-3PO and R2-D2.

Disney Land has two main problems – rodents and cats. After unsuccessfully trying to scare the feral cats away, the staff decided that the enemy of their enemy is their ally. In exchange for keeping the park rat free during the night, the cats are spayed, neutered, given regular shots, and fed.

In the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland is Club 33 – a private club with a decade-long waiting list for new members. The club is the only location that offers alcohol in the park, and its members are allowed exclusive access to areas of the park, like the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain and the engine compartments of steam trains.