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Disney From The Twenty-Something: Hidden Secrets of Walt Disney World IV

Caitlin CorselloOver the last few years, I’ve done several posts about hidden secrets and details that can be found throughout Walt Disney World®. I’ve gotten some great feedback from you guys, so I am back with a fourth post! I am obsessed with learning about the meaning and history behind many of the small details in WDW, and I have come to really appreciate taking my time while exploring the parks in order to stumble upon new things every time. I encourage you to do the same, and discover some hidden secrets and amazing details of your own! As with the other lists, I am not including any pictures of the hidden secrets in this post as I strongly believe that finding them is half the fun! So get searching!

  1. In the Magic Kingdom® ParkSplash Mountain® is well known for several Hidden Mickeys, but there is one that is tricky to spot despite it being pretty big. In the opening, at the top of the main drop on the attraction, pay close attention to the rockwork and look for a certain mouse’s nose jutting out. From the outside of the attraction it can be found on the right, from the logs while riding it can be found on the left.
  2. The Haunted Mansion® gives off an ominous feeling the moment you lay eyes on it, but if you look closely at the roof, some of the architecture seems to be familiar in an odd way. This is thanks to Imagineer, Claude Coats, who helped to design the façade of the mansion and who was an avid chess player. If you look closely, you’ll notice that several of the decorations on the roof seem to resemble chess pieces!
  3. While strolling through Liberty Square, it’s hard not to get into the patriotic spirit and feel as though history is all around you. Be sure to look on the second story of the surrounding buildings to locate a window with one candle in it. This is a reference to the famous Paul Revere and the warning “one if by land, two if by sea.”
  4. Over in Epcot®, Spaceship Earth is home to several Hidden Mickey,s but one of my favorites can be found in the Renaissance scene. Just past the sleeping monk on the left of the ride vehicle, look for a table holding various paint supplies. Three paint cans have left behind rings forming a classic Hidden Mickey.
  5. While Journey Into Imagination with Figment is full of stimulating visual cues, there are two props which may strike guests as being a little out of place. While moving past a computer lab, look to the right for a pair of red high tops and a red and white letter jacket. Both represent Medfield College, the fictional setting of the classic Disney feature films The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Absent Minded Professor.
  6. As you walk through World Showcase, take a moment and look across the lagoon from near the now defunct Odyssey Restaurant. If you focus on Morocco, you should be able to identify a tall building seemingly off in the distance. That building would be the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ which was stylistically constructed to compliment the décor of the Morocco Pavilion once Imagineers realized that it could be seen in the distance.
  7. Moving on to Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, while waiting on the queue for Toy Story Midway Mania!, look all around you for some larger than life toys and board games from childhood. One thing to really get a look at is a huge Viewfinder disk featuring slides from the original version of Disneyland®’s Tomorrowland®.
  8. If you are feeling hungry, stop by the Sci-Fi Dine In Restaurant for a truly unique atmosphere featuring dozens of classic cars modified as tables. Check out the license plates on the cars – they may seem like random strings of numbers and letters but many of them are Imagineers’ initials and birthdays.
  9. Over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, take a few minutes to check out the main entrance gate and the mural of animals above it. One creature looks a little out of place – a dragon. Upon the creation of the park, there was a proposed section which was supposed to feature mythical beasts. Unfortunately, this idea never came to be, but the representing dragon can still be found on some signs near the entrance to the park.
  10. In the lobby of It’s Tough To Be A Bug!®, there are several posters advertising previous productions that the bugs have put their own twist on. Some of them honor classic Broadway productions or famous movies, but one poster is especially familiar. Look for a poster advertising “Beauty and the Bees” and listen closely for some nearby bees serenading you with the classic tune “Beauty and the Beast.”

Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and find these hidden secrets!

(Photo from the author’s personal collection.)

What are some of your favorite Hidden Secrets in WDW? Have you ever spotted some of the ones on this list? Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Caitlin Corsello was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Adelphi University with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2012. Her love for Disney started as an infant and has continued to grow with family vacations to Disney parks almost every year since. She holds a particular interest in WDW’s parks and attractions, never passing up an opportunity to visit. She looks forward to continuing to explore and learn about all things Disney and to share that passion with readers.

 

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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