Disney parks always have a way of surprising you, even if you’ve been there dozens of times. Turn a corner and there’s something new–or at least you’ve never noticed it before. All the tiny details are taken care and they add up to one fantastic experience for everyone from first-timers to old fans.
But, we’re willing to bet even you old fans didn’t know about these extra-special details.
Scroll through these 14 new-to-everyone facts. Maybe it’s time you went back.
1. The Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was designed to blend in visually with Epcot.
Since the Tower of Terror would be visible in the background of Epcot’s Morocco pavilion, it was designed with similar colors and a style that would blend.
2. The smells at Disney are specially engineered.
From the sweet aromas on Main Street to the watery fragrance on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, the iconic smells of Disney are planned to enhance your experience.
Photo Credit: Flickr
3. Adventureland is home to a leprechaun.
At the bottom of a tree close to the entry to Indiana Jones Adventure is the doorway to the home of Patrick Begorra. The main character in the 1955 children’s book Little Man of Disneyland,
Begorra gives permission to Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Pluto to uproot his home to build the park, provided he gets to live inside.
4. In the line for Dinosaur at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, there is an inside joke directed to the attraction’s original sponsor.
McDonald’s at one time was the sponsor for Dinosaur.
Right before you get on the ride, there are pipes overhead colored in red, yellow and white. On the pipes are the chemical formulas for ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
It’s a secret nod to the the Golden Arches.
Photo Credit: Reddit
5. There’s a fun way to get an extra FastPass at the Magic Kingdom.
Play along in “A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas” by picking up a pirate map and complete a couple of missions.
Once you do, you may get a FastPass for everyone in your party for the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Photo Credit: Flickr
6. You can eat the landscaping in Tomorrowland.
Although, don’t try it.
But yes, all the plants are edible and the area “doubles as a potential farm.”
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7. Even Disney’s trash cans are well thought out.
Walt Disney was concerned about the garbage situation in his parks.
He didn’t want the sight or smell of trash to get in the way of the visitor experience. He had his garbage cans enclosed with flaps.
He also watched to see how far people were willing to carry garbage in their hands and decided it was 30 feet. At Disney, you will never be outside of 30 feet of a garbage can.
Photo Credit: Flickr
8. Liberty Square’s house numbers contain interesting architectural information about the home.
Liberty Square’s homes are in chronological order from the colonials in the east to the frontier structures of the west.
Add an “18” before the house number and you will get the year of the home’s architectural style.
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9. Frontierland also gives you a lesson in architecture.
As you move from Liberty Square into Frontierland, you’re getting a lesson on how our country moved westward.
The numbers on the buildings in Frontierland, like in Liberty Square, show the year of that building’s architectural design.
Photo Credit: Flickr
10. There’s a Millennium Falcon hidden in the Millennium Falcon at Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy Edge.
Look for it on the side of the ship that’s closest to the entrance to the Smugglers Run attraction.
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11. There’s a super-exclusive $15,000 food and wine package available above Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.
You and 11 of your closest baller friends can book a secret suite for a feast and private balcony viewing of Fantasmic.
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12. Once, there was a cigar and tobacco shop on Disneyland’s Main Street.
It sold tobacco from around the world, as well as other smoking accessories.
The store closed in 1990 and now there’s no smoking allowed in any of the parks. But the traditional “cigar store Indian,” which at one time served as an advertisement for tobacconists, still stands.
Photo Credit: Flickr
13. The shutters on the buildings on Liberty Square are crooked for a reason.
This is an accurate detail. During the Revolutionary War, all metal went to the cause.
Shutters had to be hung on houses with leather straps that would stretch after a time and made the shutters sag.
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14. Lady and her Tramp left their paws prints at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
This sweet symbol of their love–their paws inside a heart with an arrow through it–is carved in the pavement outside of the restaurant.
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Disney always goes 100 percent, especially in their parks. An excellent guest experience is their ultimate goal.
So, next time you visit, see if you can find these little hidden gems—and the many others at your almost every step.
