101 Things You Didn’t Know About the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

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Walt Disney World is full of magic, fairy dust, and dancing characters. But one of my favorite aspects of Walt Disney World is their attention to detail. The Imagineers who design the parks spend countless hours researching and designing every minute detail. So it’s no wonder that in every single ride, attraction, show, restaurant, etc., there is an element you might not catch at first glance. This post is going to highlight 101 of those hidden details that you’ll definitely want to look for the next time you’re at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

Main Street USA

• Main Street is the opening act to your day at Magic Kingdom. If you look up to the second and third floor windows above the shops, you will notice a variety of names and company listings. The names are for people who were influential in creating Disney World and the various company names are the actual company names Walt Disney created when he was buying all of the land for Disney World, known back then as “the Florida Project.” Disney’s attention to detail is amazing and if you’re moving too quickly, you’ll miss out!
• Mainstreet USA -Make sure you read the signs on the windows; they are all tributes to people who have contributed to the park and The Walt Disney Company. My personal favorite is “If We Can Dream It – We Can Do It!” by Roy O. Disney – Dreamers & Doers Development Co.
• The smiling pianist at Casey’s Corner is a local institution. His name is Jim Omohundro, and he’s held the same job for more than 30 years now.
• There’s a flag lowering ceremony at the front gate at 5:00pm every day.
• On the Partners Statue in front of the castle at the Magic Kingdom – Walt is wearing an Irish Claddagh ring on his right ring finger. He and his wife, Lillian, bought them for each other on a trip to Ireland and wore them every day.
• When you are in the waiting room of the railroad on Main Street, they have these antique Mutascopes. I thought they were just for display, but when you put a penny in, they actually work! There are 4 or 5 of them, and some of the lightbulbs were burned out so didn’t work, but I know at least two of them did, and it only cost a penny to find out. The kids thought they were great. You put in a penny, start turning a crank and a short silent movie plays for you.
• The chalkboard in the barbershop on Main Street has all the Hurricanes listed as if they were next to get haircuts.
• Main Street offers the best place to take pictures with the family in front of Cinderella’s Castle. Since Magic Kingdom is the most popular of the four parks, it tends to get busy quick. If you want a photo without all the crowds, consider making a breakfast reservation at the Crystal Palace, located off to the left at the end of Main Street. If you have a reservation before the park opens, you’ll walk to the restaurant and Disney’s photographers are already in place to capture a great shot of you and your family! Plus, you’ll get a great breakfast and the company of Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger, too!
• The Chapeau located on Main Street has a wide selection of ears that guests may have monogramed on site. This shop has a secret, be sure to pick up the phone at the Chapeau.
• Walt Disney had a 500-square-foot apartment built above the firehouse on Main Street that he would stay in when he visited. Employees used to know he was in town because they’d see the lamp on a table turned on. The suite isn’t open to the public, but you can still spot it from the street; the park keeps that lamp on 24/7 as a tribute to its founder.
• Harmony Barber Shop. Most people are completely unaware of the fact that you can get a haircut in Magic Kingdom. Not only that, but you can do so in turn-of-the-century style at Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street, U.S.A.
• This fun little barber shop is the perfect place to get baby’s first haircut, which they actually sell a special package for. They also offer such exciting things as “pixie dust” and temporary hair dye for the kids, as well as simple haircuts for adults.
• In the Magic Kingdom Train Station, look closely for articles left by other “guests,” including Mary Poppins and other characters from Disney films.
• Main Street USA was inspired by Marceline, Missouri, where Walt Disney’s family lived from 1906-1910.
• If you hang out in the right spot on Main Street, U.S.A., you may start to hear certain background noises. Find the little nook/alleyway between the crystal shop and the jewelry store and simply sit there a while. Soon enough, you’re likely to hear the sweet sounds of piano lessons or tap lessons coming from the window above.
• Take a look at the pavement outside Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. You’ll see the paw prints of both Lady and the Tramp – a special homage to the dogs in the classic Disney animated movie (which is the inspiration for the restaurant itself).
• As you climb the stairs to the Main Street Railroad Station, listen out for an old-fashioned telegraph sending out a message. It’s a morse code version of Walt Disney’s opening day speech at Disneyland on July 17, 1955.
• The statue of Goofy sitting on a bench close to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant will sometimes talk to you if you sit next to him.

Tomorrowland

• The metal “palm trees” in Tomorrowland fold up at night and open during the day just like flowers! During the day, they collect solar energy.
• Buzz Lightyear. Some big points in Buzz can be found when you’re leaving the first room. Turn around and shoot the back of the Orange robot’s arm or the back of the buzz saw. The car turns automatically away from these, so turn back score big!
• Many guests ride the Tomorrowland Speedway unaware of this tip – upon exiting your race, ask a Cast Member for a driver’s license.
• Hidden Mickey alert- near one of the stability pillars in front of Astro Orbiter on the side facing Space Mountain. It is definitely an imprint of a classic Mickey in the cement.
• Buzz Lightyear. In the room with the large Zurg, shoot the target underneath him for 100,000 points.
• Near the Speedway on the way into Tomorrowland, there is a high streetlamp with three large round hooded lights. It was designed to cast a hidden Mickey on the ground twice a day when the sun is in the right place.
• Carousel of Progress. There is a Picture of Walt Disney hidden in the CoP. It is in the daughter’s room in the 1940s on the wall you are facing as you sit in front of the stage wall in the upper left corner.

• Space Mountain was the first ride to debut at Disney World before coming to Disneyland. *Extra fact: Astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and Jim Irwin were present at the grand opening of Space Mountain in 1975.
• Both the Carousel of Progress and It’s A Small World made their debut at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.

Fantasyland

• Be Our Guest Restaurant – The cherubs that are painted there have all been given the faces of Disney Imagineers’ children
• When you go to Sir Mickey’s Shop in Fantasyland, look at where the roof meets the walls. You will see Willie the Giant from Mickey and the Beanstalk peeking into the shop.
• The gardens that connect Fantasyland & Liberty Square provide a great hiding spot for a number of hidden pascals. In fact, we’d like to share more, but if you want to see the details that make the folks at Disney Imagineering excited to work on a project…it’s things like this that blend right into the background!

• In the nursery in Peter Pan’s Flight, over by Nana, there are some building blocks spelling out “DISNEY” and “P PAN.”
• The only place you can see The Beast is at the Be Our Guest restaurant during dinnertime.

• There are a lot of people who miss Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. You can see the Imagineers’ subtle nod to the classic ride in the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. If you look over your left shoulder as you enter Owl’s House, you can see a picture of Mr. Toad handing the deed to Owl.
• Next time that you’re thinking about which horse to ride during your ride on the Carousel, look for the stallion with a gold ribbon around the tail. Not only is it a cool detail…it’s also Cinderella’s Horse!

• Small World. There is only one nation or region whose name is actually written out anywhere in the attraction. Look carefully for the small hat with the name “Mexico” written on it as you venture through the South American portion of the ride!
• Pinocchio’s Village Haus is one of the hidden gems of Magic Kingdom. It’s a quick service restaurant that seems understated and simple on the surface. Some lucky guests know that it harbors a secret, though. A few of the tables in the building overlook the adjoining It’s a Small World attraction.
• The oldest ride at the Magic Kingdom is the Prince Charming Regal Carousel. The ride was originally built in 1917 by The Philadelphia Toboggan Company. 90 of its horses are originals, made of hand-carved wood. There are 11 fiberglass horses added by Disney.

Liberty Square

• Cast from the exact same mold as the original Liberty Bell in Annecy-le Vieux, France by Paccard Fonderie is a piece of history that fits perfectly into the story of Liberty Square! The bell that Disney has on display was unveiled just in time for the 1989 Independence Day Celebration.
• The windows! The shutters are crooked and that’s because during the period of time that the area is set in provided an understanding that the metal pieces had to be turned into ammunition for war-time activities. Folks would take the hinges of the shutters and replace them with leather, which would stretch over time…causing the slants!

• Liberty Tree Tavern -There are 13 lanterns hung on this real oak tree. They represent the original 13 colonies of the USA.
• In Town Square, there are a few flag poles with American Flags on them. The flag on the main flag pole is always taken down during rain storms and right before sundown, but the rest of the flags are not taken down and that is because they are not real American flags. They look like American flags, but they are all missing a star or a stripe that makes them not actual American flags. They actually serve as lightning rods.
• There are no bathrooms located in the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square, in keeping with the time period of that area.

• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was an  original park favorite. After it closed a tombstone was placed in the pet cemetery of the Haunted Mansion for J.Thaddeus Toad.
• The enormous Liberty Tree in Liberty Square is a live oak tree, and commemorates the meeting place of the Sons of Liberty (as seen in Disney’s Johnny Tremaine). It was transplanted from elsewhere on Walt Disney World property, is more than 135 years old and weighed some 35 tons when it was moved. The tree is the “parent” of more than 500young trees, each of which started out as an acorn harvested from the oak.
• As you visit the shops throughout Disney World, you’re bound to notice the fact that most of them offer very similar merchandise. This isn’t so at Memento Mori. This shop offers all kinds of unique, spooky, Haunted Mansion-themed merchandise. This is the ideal shop for fans of all things creepy.

• The hearse in front of the Haunted Mansion was used in the John Wayne movie, “The Sons of Katie Elder”.
• In Liberty Square, take a look at the two-digit addresses of each of the houses. Adding an “18” before these gives you the time period that each building is meant to represent.

• Take a look at the spires on the Haunted Mansion – each one is shaped like a chess piece.
• At night, take a look at the upper-floor windows of the Haunted Mansion…you may just see a few playful spooks.
• Liberty Square is very faithful in some of its historical details. Look out for the brown “stream” flowing down the middle of the streets – in frontier times, this acted as a urine trough to catch waste from horses!

Frontierland

• At the Frontierland RR Station, look for a wooden leg named Smith. It is a reference to a joke in Mary Poppins. “I knew a man with a wooden leg named Smith.” “What’s the name of his other leg?”
• Find a place in Frontierland to watch the afternoon parade. Choose a late lunch. Once you have a parade spot and have planted yourself there, send one person for food at Pecos Bill’s or a food cart, then eat while you are waiting. Don’t spend 35 minutes eating lunch (or longer at peak time) then another 45 waiting for the parade–combine!
• Notice the street lights when loading for Splash Mountain. One blinks when the boats are ready to go in motion.
• Splash Mountain. There is a bridge outside the ride, right in front of the big drop. For every third log boat that hits bottom for the big drop, there is a water cannon that shoots up an extra bit of water and sprays the bridge, soaking everyone who happens to be standing there watching!
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland is based on Monument Valley, Arizona and features six trains: I.B. Hearty, I.M. Brave, I.M. Fearless, U.B. Bold, U.R. Daring and U.R. Courageous.

Adventureland

• If you are near the beginning of the parade, once it is done, go the wrong way in traffic (it will be a challenge!!!) and head back into Pirates, Tree House, Magic Carpets, Jungle Cruise. They will be deserted.
• In queue area for Big Thunder, look for crate that says, “Lytum & Hyde Explosives Company.”
• Walk to the exit from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Behind the fence (on the left side as you exit the ride), between two metal carts and behind a cactus is a cutout in the reddish rock that resembles a side profile of Tinker Bell.

• The thatched roof material around Jungle Cruise is actually made of metal, not straw (reach up and touch it).
• In Adventureland, Pirates of the Caribbean inspired the Johnny Depp movies of the same name, which further inspired the Disney Imagineers to renovate and add several characters from the movies, such as Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa, to the attraction.
• An Imagineer named George was killed during the building of Pirates of the Caribbean.  It is said his ghost haunts the ride to this day. Workers say “goodnight George” before they shut down the ride each night as a superstition to prevent attraction break downs the next day.

• When in queue for Pirates of the Caribbean, the two skeletons playing chess have died playing because the chess game is at a stalemate-nobody can win.
• There is “A Pirate’s Adventure – Treasures of the Seven Seas” game. This is another adventure game, very similar in nature to “Sorcerers”, but instead of taking you all over the park, it sticks to Adventureland alone. Additionally, the time to play is much shorter, making it ideal for those on shorter visits.

• On the Jungle Cruise, look out for the back half of a airplane. The front half of this can be seen in the Casablanca sequence of the Great Movie Ride over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (contrary to rumors, this is not the same plane used in the movie itself).
• In Adventureland, look out for the large camel close to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Catch his eye and he may just spit on you!
• As you exit Pirates of the Caribbean, take a look at the “footprints” on the moving walkway. You’ll see single boot prints followed by a small circle – these belong to a peg-legged pirate.
• The murky color of the water in the Jungle Cruise and the Rivers of America is artificial. A biodegradable dye is used to create a natural look.

Cinderella’s Castle

• Cinderella Castle stands at 189feet tall, compared to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland which is just 77 feet tall. This is just short enough to keep it below the Federal Aviation Authority’s 200-foot limit, beyond which buildings must display a flashing red light at their top.
• Both castles used “forced perspective” techniques to make them appear larger – as each gets taller, its width gets smaller. This has the added effect of making fireworks that explode behind them look larger and more impressive.
• No stonework was used to create Cinderella Castle, despite its appearance. The building’s shell is made out of fiberglass.

• The mosaic murals in Cinderella’s Castle were designed by Dorothea Redmond. There are 500,000 tiles in 500 different colors, including some made of 14 karat gold.
• Sit in the outer edge of the Plaza restaurant…basically look at the castle, find the wire that goes from the castle down to the restaurant rooftop on the right, and go get a seat under it. Tinker Bell will fly down that wire and right over the top of your heads!

• Walking around Cinderella’s Castle is a pastime for photographers and storytellers like me, so this gem is often forgotten and missed by folks who stay on the main paths. On the right-hand side of the castle is a path that leads to Fantasyland…but there’s a great photo opportunity with a Wishing Well!
• Guests may walk into the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique located at Cinderella’s Castle for this treat. The Fairy Godmother in training will sprinkle anyone’s hair with wands of glitter. Guests may also stop by Castle Couture and ask a cast member for a dusting

• Located behind the castle (and next to a Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom portal), this fountain is more about getting the perfect angle when the crown is placed on Cinderella’s head. Such a great detail (and awesome photo!)
• If you don’t need to see Tinker Bell fly or see the front of the castle while watching the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom, go BEHIND the castle to see the fireworks. The view is fantastic, and you don’t have to fight crowds. In fact, you can grab a seat at one of the outdoor restaurants and enjoy! It’s a nice to sit down after a long day at the MK.

The Park

• Autographs are best gotten first thing in the morning
• Right after closing at the Magic Kingdom, make your way to Cinderella’s Castle and you’ll hear a familiar voice come over the speakers. Walt Disney’s 2-minute message of dreams, magic and family sends you home with a smile on your face and pixie dust in your heart:) Stay until closing at Disney’s Magic Kingdom for this gem. The Kiss Goodnight occurs every half hour after park closing and is a 2 minute beautiful way to say goodbye to guests.
• Ask a photographer for Magic Shots. These are included with your photopass or are available for individual purchase. Some notable Magic Shots available in Disney’s Magic Kingdom include holding various characters such as Lumiere, Tinkerbell, an iconic bunch of balloons and more. They add just an extra touch of magic.
• Be nice to the cast members. They can give you free stuff.

• The magical world of Disney is full of surprises wherever you go. “Not everything is on the schedules,” says a former quick-service cast member at Disney World. “Sometimes a character or a five-minute show pops up out of nowhere because the park may be trying to give the rides some relief time.”
• Walt designed the parks so when you pass from land to land, you don’t see the others. If you where in Liberty Square, you can’t see Fantasyland because of trees, buildings, and distractions like the water wheel. The noise keeps you from looking to your left and seeing the other lands (even the pavement changes to match the new [mood] land).
• No one knows how to get somewhere in the park better than a custodial cast member. Disney has a very strict policy that prohibits any of us from wandering away from our post. But custodians are the exception to the rule because they need to move freely around the park to maintain order and cleanliness. “If you don’t understand the directions a cast member gives you, a custodian can walk and talk with you,” says a former Disney World College Program participant. “An attractions, merchandise, or food cart cast member doesn’t have the same freedom to go around with you.” All you need to do is look for the man or woman dressed up in a pristine white jumpsuit.
• Disney World averaged 10,000 visitors per day when it first opened in 1971. Today that number has swelled closed to 50,000 visitors per day.

• Mickey is more of a fashionista than Minnie. He has over 290 different outfits in his closet compared to her 200.
• Over 200 pairs of sunglasses are turned into lost & found each day at Disney World
• The walkway in MK is red because Walt wanted to lay out the “red carpet” for all guests. This also helps the characters. They watch the color of the cement behind the scenes. When it changes color, they know that they have to be in character before they enter the onstage area. The same goes with leaving. As long as they are on that color, they must be in character even if it is behind the gates, just in case the gates are not closed and a child or anyone can look and see them.
• A widely unknown game takes place at Disney’s Magic Kingdom that allows guests to defeat villains. Register as a “Guest Sorcerer” for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Spell Card Game and find portals on the special map. Guests even get to keep the cards, making excellent souvenirs.
• As I mentioned before, “Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom” offers guests an opportunity to play an exciting adventure game in Magic Kingdom. However, this game takes quite some time to complete, and many prefer a shorter play time.
• The original Disneyland in California covers around 85 acres. The Magic Kingdom features the same basic layout, but is considerably roomier at 107 acres. Despite this, it’s still the smallest of Walt Disney World’s four theme parks!
• More than 12,000 cars can park in the Magic Kingdom’s sprawling parking lot, which is larger than the theme park itself at 125 acres.
• More than 1,000 audio-animatronic figures are spread across the Magic Kingdom’s various different attractions.
• The Seven Seas Lagoon is located in front of the Magic Kingdom. The soil that was excavated from the man-made lake was used to cover a complex of “utilidor” tunnels that sit underneath the Magic Kingdom (so, as a guest, you are actually above ground-level).
• The Magic Kingdom opened as the first part of Walt Disney’s planned Florida Project on October 1, 1971. Adult admission was $3.50. The park opened with 23 attractions, three unique to the park and 20 copies of attractions at Disneyland. *Extra fact: Walt Disney had passed away almost 5 years earlier, in December of 1966.

• One day at Disneyland in California, Walt Disney saw a Frontierland character walking through Tomorrowland. This mixing of themes bothered him. When the Magic Kingdom was built, tunnels (called utilidors) were built on the ground level to allow cast members to move around the park out of sight of guests.
• At the time of it’s opening, the Magic Kingdom was the only park at Walt Disney World. It opened concurrently with two hotels on the property: Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Resort.
• The Magic Kingdom’s trash collection system can handle up to 50 tons of trash per day. This is sent through the underground Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection System (AVACS) at 60 miles per hour to a central location for processing.
• No gum is sold in Disney parks. If you’re a chewer, better bring your own along.
• Hidden Mickey’s can be found everywhere. A hidden Mickey is the 3 circle silhouette of the head and ears of Mickey Mouse disguised and subtly hidden in decor, rock formations, table settings and designs of all sorts. Thousands of hidden Mickey’s have been recorded and more included with each park update.
• Disney World has only closed three times since it first opened in 1971. Hurricane Floyd closed the park in 1999. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001 closed the park as well as a 2002 power failure. When the park closed on 9/11, it took less than 30 minutes to evacuate and close the parks.
• Guests in Walt Disney World are never more than 30 steps away from a trash can.

So how did you do? How many of these hidden treasures did you know about? Comment below if you know of any others that I might have missed!

Planning your next Disney Vacation?

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Flights: Skiplagged

Place to Stay Off Property: AirBnB

Walt Disney World Park Packages & Tickets: Undercover Tourist

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