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Thread: Didja Know...

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Didja Know...

    Magic Tunnels and Elevation

    The entire Magic Kingdom in WDW is actually more than an entire story elevated above the surrounding countryside, lending itself to a network of underground tunnels, dress shops and more. They came into design when it dawned that seeing a cast member from one land, in full garb, was spotted walking through multiple lands, somewhat ruining the magic. On average, you are 14 feet above the natural elevation. As a result, trees in the Magic Kingdom are actually planted one level down! Odd but true.

    Flags

    On Main Street USA, in the Magic Kingdom USA, there are a tonne of flags. However, as you may know, there are laws surrounding the raising and lowering of all American flags. To get around this and to keep all (bar the single main flag, which is subject to a dusk lowering and a patriotic mini fanfare) up consistently, there are always some minor discrepancies, meaning that the flags stay up for patrons 24/7. And did you know that the flag poles dotted around also acted as lightning rods? Strange, but true.

    EPCOT Tunnels

    Magic Kingdom isn’t the only park to have underground access tunnels! EPCOT also houses a few of its own, although to a far lesser extent.

    EPCOT Spaceship Earth Insulation

    The famous EPCOT Spaceship Earth is built in two layers, allowing for all rainwater to run off and into proper drainage systems, meaning that the ground underneath never gets wet.

    Coloured Water

    The waters in WDW are tinted a muddy green colour. No, that’s not dirt or sewage runoff, that’s on purpose, as it disguises the fact that the water is never more than a few feet deep, giving the illusion of depth.

    Frequent Bins

    Bins are never more than a few steps away in the parks – in fact there’s a set maximum distance, calculated by the number of steps taken by your average guest before littering: 30 steps. And even if a guest DOES decide to litter, there are people on guard to pick up the trash before it hits the ground!

    Gum

    Patrons to the WDW theme parks will know that gum is not for sale anywhere in the grounds. It’s a quick, easy way to minimise the amount to gum left underfoot. And if you decide to bring gum into the parks from outside, you can rest assured that Disney staff are on hand to clean it up immediately. Just compare Disney to any other park – no gum 😉

    Invisible Barriers

    Occasionally, a ride needs updating, building or demolishing. These sites obviously need to be screened from the discerning public and in doing so Disney erect barriers – in a certain greenie colour. People don’t really twig that these barriers exist due to their colour and bright adverts placed on them. The tinge has been dubbed “Go Away Green” and is applied not just to off-access areas but to anything imagineers don’t want you to see, such as fire hydrants.

    Piped Smells

    Pioneered by Disneyland and then WDW on Main Street USA in the front of the Magic Kingdom, pleasant, food like smells are piped into the air, making patrons hungry for certain foods which are on sale. This technique has been adapted across all Disney parks and even Las Vegas to encourage betting. They were so revolutionary, the even coined their own name: Smellitzers!

    Forced Perspective

    Another Disneyland first, Disney Imagineers quickly realised that if their signature icons in the parks – the castle, golf ball, tree of life etcetera – became too tall, they would be forced to be adorned with red flashing lights. The solution was simple – forced perspective. The size and angle of bricks on the castle, for example, make people think it is far taller than it actually is. Equally, Main Street USA was built at an angle that made it appear longer or shorter than it actually was.

    EPCOT Original Purpose

    EPCOT was, until recently, intended to be an actual city! It was Walt’s dream – an Experimental Prototype Community (or City) Of Tomorrow. It was to feature a hotel, industry, school, underground transport centre and more. Eventually this was abandoned and the park became, well, a park. But the dream lives on. In fact, a model of the city can be found on the People Mover in Magic Kingdom, WDW.

    Christopher Robin Bedroom

    In the English pavilion in EPCOT there is a blocked off area, in which is a bedroom, visible through a frosted glass windowed door. On the bed, there are toys from Winnie the Pooh. The room is, in fact, Christopher Robin’s bedroom, originally a meet-and-greet room. Since it was abandoned, it has been left in state.

    Free Water

    Florida can be hot. And Disney knows this. So instead of buying water, which is on sale in copious amounts, at a price, just ask for a glass! They have to provide you with some water, gratis. Unfortunately, it IS Florida water, so it’s not the tastiest, but it is free!

    The Ground

    At the entrance to the Magic Kingdom the walkway is painted red, so that patrons could be given the red carpet treatment. Further to this, depending where you are in the park, from land to land, the ground changes in design. They go so far as to represent in Liberty Square the tradition of waste being thrown into the street – gross, but true.

    No Restrooms

    As an aside, Liberty Square sports no rest rooms, since in colonial times there were no public restrooms to be had!
    Major EPCOT fan!

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  4. #2
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    Welcome to Intercot!

    Beth & David

    09/82 Treehouse Villas, 06/86 BVP, 10/95 CBR, 10/99 DI, 08/03 PORS, 10/05 POP, 11/06 AKL, 09/09 POLY, 10/10 Wonder, 05/11 Dream/PORS, 08/13 POLY, 11/13 GF, 04/15 POLY, 11/15 BLT, 11/16 Aulani, 03/17 BLT, 08/18 BLT, 07/19 AKL, 06/21 BLT

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  6. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by baldburke View Post
    Welcome to Intercot!

    Thanks!
    Major EPCOT fan!

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  8. #4
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    fun and interesting info
    KODABEAR
    FIRST TRIP MARCH '79 POLY
    175 plus trips

  9. #5
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    Telford, United Kingdom.......4,236 miles.
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    Thanks, I enjoyed reading this post.
    Disney World Visits:
    1. May-June 1998 (3 weeks)
    2. May-June 2001 (3 weeks)
    3. October-November 2004 (2 weeks)
    4. August-September 2010 (2 weeks)
    5. August-September 2017 (2 weeks)

    NOW APPROACHING: 6. May 2021

  10. #6
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    Haunted Mansion - Disneyland only...

    If you look at the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland, you’d realise there is NO WAY they can fit the entire ride into such as small building. In fact, they don’t! When you enter the stretching room, you are actually in a large, gentle elevator, that takes you down below ground, where you actually walk down UNDER a small mound of earth in the parks designed to hide the actual attraction building from view from within the park. It is within that building that the ride is held, out of sight, out of mind!
    Major EPCOT fan!

  11. #7
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    Yes. Knew all of those
    Cruises:
    Feb 12-16, 2012 (Dream), Oct 20-27, 2012 (Fantasy Eastern), Sept 8-12, 2013 (Dream) Jan 20-24, 2014 (Magic) Sept 14-18, 2015 (Dream) Sept 25-29, 2017 (Dream) Sept 22-29, 2018 (Fantasy Eastern) Sept 23-27, 2019 (Dream)

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