Did you know?

[Main Street Jim]

Did you know:

1) Magic Kingdom (107 acres), EPCOT (300 acres), *and* Disney's Hollywood Studios (89 acres) can *all* fit inside Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park (over 500 acres) - at the same time? Magic King alone can fit inside the "footprint" for the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction.

2) Magic Kingdom's "Wishes" and EPCOT's "Illuminations: Reflections of Earth" fireworks are launched by compressed air? The computer-controlled system uses differing air pressures to launch the pyrotechnics at varying heights.

3) The Walt Disney World Railroad uses real steam trains? The locomotives and tenders were originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA between 1916 and 1928. They operated hauling sugar cane in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico before being sent to a scrap pile, where they were discovered by Disney "scouts" in 1968.

4) On Seven Seas Lagoon, near the Polynesian Resort, there used to be a surf/wave machine? The machine operated for a very short period of time (less than six months) very early on in Walt Disney World Resort history (late 1971-early 1972). The machine was turned off for good after determining that it caused too much "beach erosion".

5) that the original Walt Disney World Preview Center still exists today? Along Hotel Plaza Boulevard, near Downtown Disney, is the American Amateur Athletic Union headquarters (about halfway between Downtown Disney and the SR 535/CrossRoads intersection). This building, opened in February of 1970, housed the original Preview Center that guests traveling along Interstate 4 could visit before their stay at the "new" vacation destination.

[Donald]

Cool! Thanks for the information!:mickey:

[EllieMae]

Very cool! I love learning new WDW facts :mickey:

[Elias1901]

Great information! Cool new idea, Jim!

[Main Street Jim]

Did you know:

1) Ferry boat or Monorail? Usually the first choice guests have to make after arriving at Walt Disney World, especially at the Transportation and Ticket Center. Actually, during peak times, when all three boats are operating, and five monorails on the Express loop, they're "about the same speed". The ferry boats can carry up to 625 guests straight across the Seven Seas Lagoon. The Monorail holds 325 guests, and "swings out" around the lagoon. Both forms of transportation arrive at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Since the ferry carries twice as many guests as the Monorail, but at a much slower pace; and the Monorail has to "swing out and around" but carries half as many guests as the ferry boats, they both actually take just about the same amount of time. :thumbsup:

2) Guests in the Magic Kingdom are actually on the "second floor" of the park? When Florida's Magic Kingdom was designed and built, tunnels - commonly referred to as "Utilidors" by Cast Members - were actually built at ground level, so that Cast Members could access areas of the park unseen by Guests (unless, of course, you take the "Keys to the Kingdom" tour). Fill was used to "build up" around the tunnel system, and that "hole" where the fill came from became the Seven Seas Lagoon.

3) That the Tomorrowland Speedway "race cars" were patterned after a 1968 Corvette? The original Autopia cars at Disneyland had outlived their "futureness" of the late 1950s and through the 1960s, and ride-vehicle designer Bob Gurr wanted something more "racy" for the Florida park. He looked to the Corvette for inspiration. In 1969, Disneyland's Autopia received the new-look sports cars, and they debuted at Florida's Walt Disney World with the opening of the Grand Prix Raceway in Florida. The cars there sported authentic racing decals, including Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), NASCAR, and United States Auto Club (USAC) decals.

4) There was actually a fifth Walt Disney World Railroad locomotive purchased, along with the four that are seen today by guests. However, the fifth train was deemed too far gone to be salvageable, and was sold for scrap. In the mid 1980s, another "fifth locomotive" showed up, this time, in a trade from Sandusky, Ohio's Cedar Point amusement park. This "second fifth train" was actually named - to the Ward Kimball. However, it was too small to haul the large coaches at the Florida park, and was put on display at EPCOT Center for a time. It was then traded again for yet another locomotive, which made its way west to Disneyland - and *that* locomotive became Disneyland's fifth train - the Ward Kimball. Kinda confusing :)

5) That Space Mountain - the frenetic, in-the-dark, scare-your-pants-off roller coaster....goes a *whopping*....*twenty-seven miles an hour*. :thumbsup: Because of all of the tight and twisting turns, and the thrill of being in the dark, guests' experiences feel like the rockets are a LOT faster. The main lift hill carries "astronauts" seventy-seven feet above the floor, and the biggest drop, about two-thirds of the way through the two-and-a-half minute space excursion, is a hair-raising *twenty-three* feet. Oh - and even though the rockets are numbered 1-31, there is no #13, leaving fifteen rockets (thirteen on track at max capacity, and two "spares") for each side - Alpha and Omega.

[Elias1901]

Good to know about the monorail and ferry boat.

[indytraveler]

Did you know:


5) that the original Walt Disney World Preview Center still exists today? Along Hotel Plaza Boulevard, near Downtown Disney, is the American Amateur Athletic Union headquarters (about halfway between Downtown Disney and the SR 535/CrossRoads intersection). This building, opened in February of 1970, housed the original Preview Center that guests traveling along Interstate 4 could visit before their stay at the "new" vacation destination.

My very first recollection of WDW was this preview center. When I rediscovered this building several years ago as an adult I was amazed at how far it was from Downtown Disney. But if we knew what and where the Preview building was/is can we call it Lake Buena Vista instead of Downtown Disney?

[Elias1901]

It was then traded again for yet another locomotive, which made its way west to Disneyland - and *that* locomotive became Disneyland's fifth train - the Ward Kimball. Kinda confusing. :)

Does the Ward Kimball actually come out and haul coaches on the tracks? Any pics of this locomotive?

[Main Street Jim]

Does the Ward Kimball actually come out and haul coaches on the tracks? Any pics of this locomotive?Yes, and yes :)

Just do a "Google image" search for "Disneyland Railroad Ward Kimball", and THOUSANDS of pictures will come up.

If you're interested at all in Disney railroading, I can hook ya up :)

[Elias1901]

If you're interested at all in Disney railroading, I can hook ya up :)

Uh... MOST DEFIANTLY! If I was able to convert my backyard into a model (Disney themed, of course) railroad I would. Unfortunately I don't have the money to burn and the winters we get here would be so cruel to it.

[Main Street Jim]

Uh... MOST DEFIANTLY! If I was able to convert my backyard into a model (Disney themed, of course) railroad I would. Unfortunately I don't have the money to burn and the winters we get here would be so cruel to it.E-mail me, or look me up on FaceBook (Jim McKinley, Canal Fulton, OH).

[Elias1901]

E-mail me, or look me up on FaceBook (Jim McKinley, Canal Fulton, OH).

Will do! Thanks, Jim!

[Main Street Jim]

Will do! Thanks, Jim!Did you ever look me up yet? ;)

Did you know:

1) that Walt's favorite song from any of his movies, animated or live-action, was "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)" from Mary Poppins?

2) that Walt's favorite scene from any of his movies, animated or live-action, was the "transformation" of Cinderella from the maiden to the princess dress?

3) that the quote, "If we can dream it, we can do it", is almost always incorrectly credited to Walt? The line was written by Tom Fitzgerald specifically for the "Horizons" attraction, but, somehow it got credited to Walt - who had passed away some sixteen years earlier.

4) that Sonny Eclipse, the "star" of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe', is actually a spare "Trixie" audio-animatronic from Country Bear Jamboree? When Tomorrowland was redesigned in the early to mid-1990s, a full-time "entertainment show" was needed for Cosmic Ray's (formerly the Tomorrowland Terrace). The show producers were given a very small budget to work with. Instead of designing and building an entirely new animatronic for Sonny, he was designed around an exisiting one - and Imagineering ended up using a "Trixie".

5) that a "cowboy stunt show" was performed on the rooftops of the early Frontierland? When Florida's Magic Kingdom first opened, Frontierland ended at Country Bear Jamboree and the Mile Long Bar (now Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn). Besides CBJ, something was needed to draw guests to the "Wild West", and the stunt show was born.

[Elias1901]

Did you ever look me up yet? ;)

Haven't got around to it yet. I will search for you when I log onto Facebook tonight! :)

[indytraveler]

5) that a "cowboy stunt show" was performed on the rooftops of the early Frontierland? When Florida's Magic Kingdom first opened, Frontierland ended at Country Bear Jamboree and the Mile Long Bar (now Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn). Besides CBJ, something was needed to draw guests to the "Wild West", and the stunt show was born.

Did these "gunfights"end up in the street too? Very faint recollections of something like this.

[Elias1901]

Did these "gunfights"end up in the street too? Very faint recollections of something like this.

I saw a glimpse of something like that on the DVD, 'Disneyland: Imagineering the Magic" that I picked up a few years ago. Not sure about Florida though.

[Main Street Jim]

Did these "gunfights"end up in the street too? Very faint recollections of something like this.Yep!

I *believe* there's a page for it over at Widen Your World.

[Elias1901]

Did you ever look me up yet? ;)

Also... I added you on FB. :mickey:

[Main Street Jim]

Also... I added you on FB. :mickey:Which one are you? I added four or five people last night. LOL...PM me if ya want.

Did you know:

1) that the Walt Disney World property is its own government as well? When Walt Disney started buying up the property in central Florida, one of the concessions he wanted was complete control over it, including issues relating to how the property would be governed, environmental issues, roadways, building codes, utilities, and all sorts of things. The building and utility codes are much more stringent than Florida code (such as building codes to withstand hurricanes, electrical codes, etc.). The Reedy Creek Improvement District was implemented to control the 27,000-acre resort area. It controls everything from drainage and water treatment facilities to fire departments all over property.

2) Horizons, the EPCOT/Future World attraction that was replaced by Mission: Space, was meant to be a sequel to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress? In fact, in the attraction, you would hear the Carousel of Progress' theme song, "There's a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow". The story was meant to be a continuation of the CoP family's "future living", with a look at three possible future living quarters - an underwater seabase, fertile farmland in the desert, and a space station. Guests actually got to choose how their trip ended - the first (I believe) of the "interactive" attractions.

3) You can take surfing lessons at Typhoon Lagoon? If you've ever wanted to be a "Big Kahuna", the water park offers a surfing "school" prior to the park opening.

4) The Matterhorn at Disneyland was the world's very first tubular-steel track roller coaster? Every steel coaster built since then owes its roots to the Matterhorn.

5) That there were, at one time, not just one, but two riverboats on the Rivers of America in Florida's Magic Kingdom? The Richard F. Irvine and the Joe Fowler plowed the river for the first 25 years of the park's existence. In the mid 1990's, the Fowler was sent to drydock for an extensive refurbishment, but, the deck was too far gone. The Irvine was refurbished into the lone boat that guests now know as the "Liberty Belle".

[Elias1901]

5) That there were, at one time, not just one, but two riverboats on the Rivers of America in Florida's Magic Kingdom? The Richard F. Irvine and the Joe Fowler plowed the river for the first 25 years of the park's existence. In the mid 1990's, the Fowler was sent to drydock for an extensive refurbishment, but, the deck was too far gone. The Irvine was refurbished into the lone boat that guests now know as the "Liberty Belle".

Oh wow! I was never aware of this! Very cool information, Jim. Do you know if both ships were identical paddle-wheelers? Or were they different? I don't suppose one of them was a sailing ship like at Disneyland! So, that's why I assume they are similar in style. Kinda like... Mark Twain "Lite" -- clones?

[Main Street Jim]

Oh wow! I was never aware of this! Very cool information, Jim. Do you know if both ships were identical paddle-wheelers? Or were they different? I don't suppose one of them was a sailing ship like at Disneyland! So, that's why I assume they are similar in style. Kinda like... Mark Twain "Lite" -- clones?They were, in fact, both paddlewheelers, but very different deck, cabin, and boiler/steam designs. Do a Google photo search on both boats.

Legend has it that the Fowler actually sank *in* Seven Seas lagoon on its way *TO* the drydock (just north of the Contemporary Resort). When they tried to crane it out of the water, the deck literally broke in two, damaging the boat beyond repair.

The Fowler had twin stacks, while the Irvine had a single stack.

[Elias1901]

The Fowler had twin stacks, while the Irvine had a single stack.

Very interesting! I do like the twin stack design better than the single. Did the Fowler look more like the Mark Twain did? I guess I can just do a Google image search now.

Isn't there another Fowler as the name of one of the TTC - MK ferryboats?

[Main Street Jim]

Very interesting! I do like the twin stack design better than the single. Did the Fowler look more like the Mark Twain did? I guess I can just do a Google image search now.

Isn't there another Fowler as the name of one of the TTC - MK ferryboats?Yes.

The original names of the ferry boats (TTC) were "Kingdom Queen" I, II, and III. They were renamed "General Joe Potter", "Richard F. Irvine", and "Admiral Joe Fowler".

[Elias1901]

Yes.

The original names of the ferry boats (TTC) were "Kingdom Queen" I, II, and III. They were renamed "General Joe Potter", "Richard F. Irvine", and "Admiral Joe Fowler".

Any story behind the names? People at Disney? Or something else?

[Main Street Jim]

Any story behind the names? People at Disney? Or something else?Yep :)

Richard Irvine: In the early 1950s Walt Disney asked Irvine to help construct Disneyland. He moved from 20th Century Fox to the Walt Disney Studio in 1952 and became a senior figure at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI). Until his retirement in 1973, he headed design and planning for all Disneyland attractions including the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Irvine became executive vice president and chief operations officer at WDI in 1967.

Irvine's daughter Maggie followed in her father's footsteps and also joined WDI. His son married Kim Thomas (now Kim Irvine, who currently is an art director at WDI), who is Imagineering colleague Leota Toombs's daughter.

Irvine died in 1976 in Los Angeles, California after suffering an illness that prevented him from visiting the complete Walt Disney World Resort, which opened in 1971. In his honor, one of the original Walt Disney World riverboats was named after him.

Admiral Joe Fowler: a retired Naval Admiral who played an important part in the building of Walt Disney World. Admiral Fowler had run the San Francisco naval shipyard during WW II, when Walt Disney was looking for a naval expert to help with the building of the Mark Twain Steamship in 1954 for the then under-construction Disneyland. He found the retired Admiral supervising the construction of tract homes in the San Francisco region, and hired him as the construction boss for the whole Disneyland project. After Disneyland was completed, Fowler stayed on as General Manager of the park for its first 10 years, and assisted with the construction of Walt Disney World. He retired from the Disney organization in 1978, though he continued as a consultant.

General Joe Potter: Potter masterminded much of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the theme park running, such as canals and underground utilities that were considered revolutionary in the '60s and '70s. Dick Nunis, president of Walt Disney Attractions, said Walt Disney World would not exist were it not for Potter's ingenuity and dedication.

''He was a man Walt Disney was very fond of,'' Nunis said. ''Without a Joe Potter there would be no Walt Disney World today.''

Before joining Disney, Potter was a veteran of major construction projects. He had served 38 years with the Army Corps of Engineers and was second in charge of construction at the New York World's Fair in 1964. He also was governor of the Panama Canal Zone and president of the Panama Canal Co. in the 1950s.

An engineer, Potter was determined to build an infrastructure for Disney World, including underground sewer, power and water treatment plants, which many civic leaders termed impractical and ''futuristic.'' His dedication to the Disney project helped him prevail against strikes and other setbacks that threatened the park's opening on Oct. 1, 1971. In 1968, facing a strike by equipment operators seeking to unionize, Potter said, ''Only the weather can keep us from getting back on schedule at this time.''

Walt Disney and Potter met at the New York World's Fair and are said to have had a congenial rapport.

''It didn't take you long to realize that Walt was a beginner of things, not a finisher,'' Potter said.

[Elias1901]

Thanks again Jim! I can always count on you for my fill of Disney know-how!

[Main Street Jim]

Did you know:

1) That there are 24 total individual characters (23 in the current show) in the Country Bear Jamboree?:

Henry I, II, and III (next time you see the show, notice Henry appears in three different locations)
Trixie
Teddi Barra
Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred, and Tennessee
Wendell
Shaker
Ernest
Big Al
Max, Melvin, and Buff
Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah
Oscar and Mayer (the "baby bear" with the "teddy bear" on stage)
Sammy (the raccoon)
and...Rufus.

Rufus could only be heard during the Vacation Hoedown and Christmas shows.

2) that there are four Tom Sawyer Island rafts? The Tom Sawyer, the Huck Finn, the Becky Thatcher, and the Injun Joe. Tom was the easiest to maneuver, and Joe was a bit of a pain...LOL They're all free-floating, as well - not on a rail at all.

3) that the roller coasters, like Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain get a little bit faster as the day goes on? That's because early in the day, the grease for the urethane wheels hasn't quite "warmed up" and thinned out yet. As the coasters move throughout the day, the grease gets "worked in" and thins out a bit, thus creating a bit less friction - and a bit quicker ride :thumbsup:

4) that the Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort were once used by Disney International College Program Cast Members? In 2004, the Treehouses were damaged by multiple hurricanes; at one point, we had four hurricanes in three weeks. Trees fell and damaged several Treehouses. In about 2006, Disney and Buena Vista Construction started reworking the villas and clearing out damaged trees, and ICP's - College Program kids from abroad - were housed in the treehouses until Disney managed a full reworking of the villas into what you now see.

3) that prior to CyberSpace Mountain at Downtown Disney's DisneyQuest, and The Sum of All Thrills at Innoventions East, there were kiosks inside of CommuniCore at EPCOT Center where you could design and "ride" ("test") your own rollercoaster? I mean, we're talking monochrome green-and-black computer terminals and the early to mid-1980's here, kids...LOL

4) that part of Walt Disney's railroading legacy lives on at WDW's Wilderness Lodge? Over in the Villas, you can view the Iron Spike room, where two of Walt's cars from his backyard railroad, the Carolwood Pacific, are on display, along with some *great* railroading artifacts.

5) that there was once a "river cruise" at Disney's Animal Kingdom? The boats departed docks at both the front and back of the park. It was supposed to be a one-way trip - if you boarded at the front of the park, you disembarked at the back, and vice-versa. However, guests would stay on the boats for a round-trip, expecting a Jungle Cruise-like experience, and the lines at the docks backed up for sometimes two and a half hours. There were some pretty cool things to see along the way - the dragon shooting fire out of the cave (near Camp Minnie-Mickey, and still visible to this day - and was supposed to be hint of Beastly Kingdomme), exploding geysers...so, due to the crowds, Disney tried to change things up by turning the ride into the "Radio Disney Cruise". Extremely bad guest feedback and reviews resulted in the lines quickly vanishing - and so did the attraction.

[Elias1901]

5) that there was once a "river cruise" at Disney's Animal Kingdom? The boats departed docks at both the front and back of the park. It was supposed to be a one-way trip - if you boarded at the front of the park, you disembarked at the back, and vice-versa. However, guests would stay on the boats for a round-trip, expecting a Jungle Cruise-like experience, and the lines at the docks backed up for sometimes two and a half hours. There were some pretty cool things to see along the way - the dragon shooting fire out of the cave (near Camp Minnie-Mickey, and still visible to this day - and was supposed to be hint of Beastly Kingdomme), exploding geysers...so, due to the crowds, Disney tried to change things up by turning the ride into the "Radio Disney Cruise". Extremely bad guest feedback and reviews resulted in the lines quickly vanishing - and so did the attraction.

I've heard about this. I've been curious about the fire-breathing dragon to this day. You say it is still down there? I've never seen it! Where abouts is it? Is the dragon visible at all? :confused:

[Main Street Jim]

I've heard about this. I've been curious about the fire-breathing dragon to this day. You say it is still down there? I've never seen it! Where abouts is it? Is the dragon visible at all? :confused:The "dragon" is really just a flame-thrower "stuck into a cave". The cave is visible from the bridge between the Oasis and Camp Minnie-Mickey, to the right if you're heading into CMM.

[Elias1901]

The "dragon" is really just a flame-thrower "stuck into a cave". The cave is visible from the bridge between the Oasis and Camp Minnie-Mickey, to the right if you're heading into CMM.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GGAg16fJ8nA/TFEMm2YRPSI/AAAAAAAAAys/1-k4KF2Z4Xo/s1600/dragon_ak.jpg

This is it? Sure doesn't look like much... I assume the fire doesn't billow anymore, correct? Were there sound effects as well?

[Main Street Jim]

That *could* be. Those look like where the geysers were, over near the Harambe bridge. I never got to experience the "flames", as the attraction was closed when we first visited in 2000.

Here's the "dragon-shaped rock" visible from the Camp Minnie-Mickey bridge:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/943766_3155289016879_1170981613_n.jpg

Here's my pic of the "geyser rocks":

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/931308_3155292816974_1619979958_n.jpg

**EDIT**: AHHHhhhhh...I *did* have a pic of the former "dragon-flame cave". It's just up the river from the dragon-shaped rock, but it is/was still visible from the bridge:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/11807_3155295177033_605869095_n.jpg

And, in addition, found another Web site/page with a story on an Iguanodon animatronic that stood along the water....

Aaaannnd....I *did* manage to find a pic of the cave "in action". I just Googled "Animal Kingdom dragon cave" under Google Images.

To add to all of this, if you YouTube "Discovery River Boats Animal Kingdom", you can see the caves and geysers - but I haven't been able to find a video with the flames...

[Elias1901]

Iguanadon animatronic? Any pictures of that? Was it relocated to DINOSAUR or something?

[Main Street Jim]

I can't post the link, but if you Google "Animal Kingdom dragon cave", it's one of the first few links.

[Elias1901]

Cool, I'll take a peek!