Oh sooooo many secrets!!! (It's funny, because I was asking over on RADP if anyone had heard of any books or publications that thoroughly revealed all these secrets). Anyway, here's a few that I know of -
MK -
Jungle Cruise - there's a hidden Minnie in the cave/temple. Very hard to see, just before you exit look on the left wall, it's on one of the support 'beams' (the only reason I know this one is from the Keys to the Kingdom tour)
Pirates of the Caribbean - two hidden mickeys in this ride - first, in the scene where the guy is being dunked in a well, look at the pirate on the left. He's holding some sort of beads, with some wire shaped in the mickey. Second, in the last scene (treasure room), just before you exit and are looking left, the 'lamp' on the right hand side of the arch is casting a shadow - look at the bottom of the shadow.
It's a Small World - there are only 2 characters here that represent the United States of America - in the last scene (all white, unity), at the end, above the exit there's a cowboy and an indian
Buzz lightyear - somewhere in the room where all the 'action' is going on the right side of the ride (where the volcano is), there's an alien on the left side worth a BUNCH of points that a lot of people miss. Also, in the room where it's kind of a 'movie'playing with Zurg's ship flying around, if you look carefully where the ship stops on each side there's a sensor on the wall. Keep shooting the sensor and rack up points!
Alien Encounter - much more fun if you go with a 'newbie' - and scare the living daylights out of them by grabbing their leg..... lol
Speedway - if you reach under the dashboard, you can find a button there. Push it, and your car will double in speed!
hahahahaaaa.... just kidding!
Exposition Hall - there's an area in the back that has cut-outs to take pictures with, and a small movie theater playing old Mickey movies (including Steamboat Willie!)
general - the Magic Kingdom uses enough energy in one day to power a small town for 16 years.
the magic kingdom has the largest working costuming department in the world. also, the longest-running 'consistent' 'show' in the world.
Epcot-
Spaceship earth - official hidden mickey is on the sleeping monk's page (kinda upper-right hand corner-ish). I found another in the room with the painter - just as you enter the room on the table on the left there's what used to be three paint cans left in that familiar shape, and the white paint left from the rims make the shape.
Also, just before you enter the Greek theater part, look up - it's pretty dark, but above the entryway there's a huge triangle in the stonework. Illuminati? Priory of Zion? Rosicrucians? Knights Templar? hmmmmm..... don't know, always made me wonder......
also, if the 'ball' were a golf ball, a human being would have to be a mile and a half tall to hit it with a club! (what I'd like to see is relative 'driving' distances....)
Living with the Land - what used to be part of the spiel years ago was that their methods of hydroponics cause the plants to grow an average of 6 inches a day!
Mission: Space - well, the whole thing's pretty much a secret, right?!?! LOL....
Universe of Energy - when they were building this ride, they were experimenting with a substance that resembled lava but could be touched (and, IIRC, would give off heat and smell like lava), but settled with the smellitzers... you can see what became of that throughout the 'dinosaur'part in the 'lava flows'
also, around 15% (again, IIRC) of UE's energy is generated by the solar panels on the roof
Japan - the pagoda has five levels, representing earth, water, fire, wind, and sky.
Norway - before boarding the ride, there's a mural on the far wall. someone's wearing Mickey ears....
MGM -
none that I can think of offhand, or that *most* people know....
???
Animal Kingdom -
Don't miss Devine! She's amazing!
conservation station (now Rafiki's Planet Watch) has *at least* 16 hidden mickeys (that I know of)... I've found 3. lol...
Chester & Hester's Dino Rama is gaudy and loud. OK, no secret here. LOL
Resorts -
AKL - around the lodge there are a few metal sculptures perched in various locations. The one I can think of offhand is just outside the door where Boma & Jiko are. Right where the railing ends on the right & the big rock is, there's a metal lizard there (that once made me literally jump about 6 inches... ).
The white sand on the beaches of the Poly & GF actually come from the bottom of Bay Lake.
The Grand Floridian's design is based, in part, on the Hotel del Coronado, on Coronado Island (I think) just outside of San Diego... where many movies and television shows were shot (even some Baywatch eps!).
Fort Wilderness - there's a *hidden* pathway that leads along the edge of Bay Lake and goes to the Wilderness Lodge (two notes - from what I understand it's ***off limits***.... and, don't take a golf cart there. bad idea. lol)
Conventions at Disney - the largest convention center is located at the Dolphin. Also, characters are available for conventions! Now wouldn't that be fun!
Beaches and Cream at the Yacht & Beach club has the *best* burgers on Disney property, hands down. (ok, that's just IMHO, but still a great *secret*... lol)
In the lobby of the boardwalk is a scale model and explanation of the 'elephant' hotel located just south of Atlantic City, NJ. complete with lights!
Other General stuff -
WDW is approx. 46 square miles, about 24,000 acres (last 'official' figures I personally heard). About 25% developed, 25% set aside for environmental protection - 50% still set for further development.... Roughly 55,000 employed here.
The ticket/transportation center is a mile and a half from the MK.
Anyone caught backstage will be whipped with a leather Mickey Tail and beaten into submission. hahahahaa just kidding...
The characters are never two places at once - they use the special Disney Underground high speed light rail to get from area to area. lol...
ok, now I'm just tired.
hope you enjoyed!
Mike
oh, one more thing - the turkey legs are not really turkey... they're emu.... lol
[ June 24, 2003, 05:04 AM: Message edited by: mikegts ]