Recently I spent some time reading and searching the Internet for interesting facts and secrets to explore during our next trip to Disney World this Christmas season. Here are some of the best ones I have found. Please add any that you think I might have missed in the comment area. Often at Disney World we are rushed and burdened with schedules and dining plans but, we miss the subtle things that the Imagineers put in for guests to enjoy. Take the time to take it in.
-In the shop Tinkerbell’s Treasures in the Magic Kingdom (behind the castle) there is a little dresser up against the wall with a keyhole in one of the drawers. If you put your eye up to the keyhole you can see a little light and hear a bell as if Tinkerbell was stuck in the drawer
If you are the first to visit this in the morning, you get to be the one to wake her up.
-In Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland there are talking garbage cans along the left wall in the main area. (Look for the electrical cords leading to them)(first you have to put something in them.)
-Go into Muppet Vision 3D, at the entrance turnstiles on the right is a ticket window with a notice that says – “Closed – Key under Mat”. I have read that you should look under the mat and see if the key is really there.
-Just by the Indiana Jones show, there are some crates hidden in the bushes, which are marked ‘don’t open’ – go ahead & open them!
-Again, Near Indiana Jones is a well with a rope in it, pull the rope for a surprise
-If you pick up the telephones in the stores along Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, you can hear funny conversations.
-In the shop next to Pizza Planet in DHS you’ll see several large wooden packing crates. Try lifting the lids of a few of them.
-I have heard there is a hidden paintbrush on Tom Sawyer’s Island in the MK and if you find it first you get a prize.
-Outside of Tony’s restaurant in the MK, if you sit on Goofy, he laughs.
-At the Haunted Mansion, there is a tombstone outside on the far right of the cemetery of a woman and every couple of minutes, she opens her eyes and looks around.
- There is a hedge maze in the back of the UK in Epcot
-There is a new dream suite that you can win a night in Cinderella’s castle. When the park was being built this space was supposed to be a apartment for Walt and his family to live in but since he passed away before the park opened they used it for storage, until now.
-The best way to win “dreams” such as the ultimate fastpass for the day, mickey ears or that night in Cinderella’s castle is to get to the parks early in the morning. That is usually when they’re handed out.
-There is a pay phone in tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom and if you pick it up you can hear Sunny Eclipses manager on the other end who also happens to be the fake alien singer in the restaurant Cosmic Rays in Tomorrowland.
- In Disney-MGM Studios, there is a “Singing in the Rain” umbrella attached to a lamp post. It is a great photo opportunity and a pressure pad under the umbrella usually (unless malfunctioning) will release “rain”. The lamp post is in the Streets of America area across from Lights, Motors, Action!
- As you exit Star Tours (outside of the gift shop) in Disney-MGM Studios, you’ll see a “Speeder Bike” in front of an Endor background. People often assume that it is only for display but you are welcome to sit on it – this makes a great picture. Other wonderful photo opportunities in Disney-MGM Studios are the car outside Sci-Fi Dine In and all over the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area.
- In Animal Kingdom, there is a bridge near Kali River Rapids. There are buttons that cause the elephant statues to spray water on the riders in the rafts below.
- The Animal Kingdom Times Guide does a terrible job of highlighting all the wonderful live entertainment available at this park. One of our favorites are “DiVine” on the trail between Asia and Africa. She looks like a vine and literally blends in with the landscaping when she isn’t moving. Two other excellent groups are the Karuka Acrobats and the Tam Tam’s of Congo which both perform in the Harambe area of the “Africa” area.
- Did you know that closing time at the Magic Kingdom just means you must be on your last ride or in line for the ride by that time? The shops along Main Street generally stay open for about an hour after closing time. There’s no good reason to rush to the lines forming for transportation so take your time and enjoy a few last views of the castle when it is lit up after dark. Stop and notice the window displays in the Emporium (right side of the street as you face the train station, near City Hall). Each window display is a shadow-box or diorama that depicts a different Disney animated movie and most have some form of movement. Most people walk right by and never notice these fascinating displays.
For more information go to Disney for Dad's.com
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Congratulations Kerrie! I will contact you by email.
