Interesting details in Disney parks

[disneymom2000]

I would have to cite the queues for the newer rides like Expedition Everest, The Tower of Terror, etc.... The Tibetan courtyard detailing going in to Expedition Everest and then the Everest Yeti museum make you actually feel disappointed if you go during the off-season and just race through them. There's so much detail to savor that waiting in the queue becames an important and valued part of the ride experience.

I love off season just for this reason. I can walk slowly through the queue and check it all out at my leisure. If someone wants to hurry around me, by all means run ahead. The queue makes the ride that much more special.

[Phantod]

On a Backstage Magic tour, we learned about how the birds in the Tiki Room "breathe" in addition to their other movements. If you watch carefully, you see them inhale as they sing. They also breathe individually (they're not all programmed identically).

They explained the same thing to us. Walt had the imagineers create the birds, and with their first cut, they did everything but breathe. They presented them to Walt who told them there was a problem...they had no idea what they missed. So Walt explained about the fact that the birds needed to be breathing. That's Walt. That's why DL and WDW are so special. The imagineers were taught to think outside the box.

[Lakin]

The same is true for the Hall of Presidents. If you sit close enough, you will notice that many of the presidents fidget or make side comments to another president near them. I haven't noticed one just sitting there...they are always doing something lively

My mom kept laughing at the Presidents talking to each other in the background. I mean, can't they just sit and be quiet like the rest of us?

[Joannelet]

I love the details of each park. Its amazing and then once I find something I have to go back and see it again.
I LOVE finding new hidden mickey's that I've never seen before. I recently found one on Peter Pan that I literally screamed on the ride. I got sooo excited! LOL
Then there are other details like the lady and the tramp footprints outside Tony's restaurant or the details in the sidewalks-like the two toned sidewalk in liberty square where its supposed to look like a river is running through it...its supposed to be the sewage that would have been flowing through during that time period. The candles in the window for Paul's Revere ride. That there are no bathrooms there because they had no indoor plumbing during that time. Its just amazing the details that went into it.
I have much more...especially in AK since I worked there I was trained to know details of that park That park is such a treasure to me because I know so many backstories to things I would share them here but it would take days LOL
But the park details are sooo amazing. That is why its soooo amazing to go back again and again. I find different things EVERYTIME I go there and I was a previous cast member.
Its such a great place to go no matter HOW MANY TIMES you've already been there

[wdwnutz]

I just read a great book about WDW called The hidden magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 secrets of the MK, Epcot, DHS and AK by Susan Veness. It was so interesting!

[Maxwell]

[QUOTE=tcswife;1867816]The fact that it took a year to carve the animals into the tree of life, and the fact that the tree of life is a oil rig is really cool to me.
[QUOTE]

Umm....what do you mean it's an oil rig?!?

[Ten of Hearts]

I love the subtle background music they have practically everywhere, especially as you wait in line for the rides. It's magical- like little snippets from the Disney movies.
The breezeway between Adventureland and Frontierland adds a very nice touch too.
Another thing I enjoy is seeing the ibis birds.

[chrim]

[QUOTE=Maxwell;1974184][QUOTE=tcswife;1867816]The fact that it took a year to carve the animals into the tree of life, and the fact that the tree of life is a oil rig is really cool to me.

Umm....what do you mean it's an oil rig?!?

There was a show that first appeared on the History Channel about 4 years ago that talked about the making of some aspects of the WDW parks. When describing how the tree of life building came about, it was stated that Imagineering purchased a prefabricated section of a standard design off-shore oil production platform. These sorts of structures are usually put in place in the Gulf of Mexico. Disney bought one since it was the right size, was hollow inside (allowing for a 4D theater in the middle) and came with a complete set of engineering drawings and certifications that it was hurricane wind resistant. Thus, Disney saved lots of time and money, got a safe building, and was able to build an amazing structure.

I hope this answers your question.

[BigBaloo]

Definitely the queue's. For me it was first time I rode ToT & when you are in the basement & all of the boiler parts & controls are real. I sell these parts for a living so I was checking them out while waiting in line. It was cool!

[HauntedMansionManiac]

My favorite detail is on the Pirate's of the Carribean ride. When your going through the town and under the bridge, there is a pirate on the bridge. If you look up closly you can see hair on his legs.

[Tigger10]

I like when your walking through the queue in the POC, you'll find two Pirates playing chess in one scene. If you look closely for anyone who plays chess, you'll see that the Pirates are stuck in an endless Checkmate !! What a job the Imagineers have. Sign me up!

[JabberJaws]

There is sooo much attention to details in the parks, which is one of the things I love about them.

I think DAK is the best large-scale example of attention to detail and accuracy in themeing. For example, with EE, all of the bells and ribbons/flags were put in because during their trips to Tibet the sounds that could be heard all around were the flapping of flags/ribbons in the wind and the ringing of bells. Such a tiny detail that no one would miss if it was never there, but a FANTASTIC addition that makes the themeing all the more authentic.

Another one that I noticed a year or two ago on a trip. At the Haunted Mansion. At night outside the mansion, the exterior is all lit up with creapy lighting. The windows are backlit as if lit by candles. Every so often (very randomly...something in the realm of every 5-10 minutes or more perhaps) a shadow can be seen moving across a lit window, as if someone walked in front of the candlelight for a brief moment. This is an INCREDIBLY small thing that probably only 1 out of 100 or more guests notice, but for those few that do notice it is REALLY neat.

Another great place for little detalis is Muppet Vision 4-D. My two favorite are:

• On the brick archway just inside the doorway, written on the wall is "Watch your head." Just below that is a dent/crack in the brick as if someone smacked their head into it.
• My favorite is the sign just at the entrance that says "Key is under the mat." To the right of the entrance right when you walk in (off the path) is a very standard looking rubber mat. Sure enough if you lift up the mat, there is a key embedded in the floor beneath it.

[Joannelet]

Jabber Jaws: I had read about the person/shadow in the window a while back and always forgot to look for it. This past July when I was there I told my husbands cousin whom I was with that they say there is a shadow that walks by the window. So we stood there staring at the mansion. When we saw it we were both screaming...It must have been really funny for other people to see us screaming because most likely they had no idea what we were screaming about LOL
I too love the details you mentioned about the muppets 3D!!
I have soo many favorite details throughout each park!!

[johnO]

The attention to detail is incredible.

[WVParkfan]

- There is an area in Epcot (between Innoventions and the Land) that was at one time the "geographic center" of all of Walt Disney World. This is marked with a unique pattern in the sidewalk.

- At the queue for the Indian Jones stunt show at DHS, there is a well with a sign that says "don't pull the rope." If you do, then you'll hear someone down in the well.

- At the Muppet 3D show, there is a net full of jello. It signifies Annette Funicello.

- Lady and the Tramp have left their footprints in the sidewalk in front of Tony's Restaurant at the MK.

- On the Great Movie Ride, there are Egyptian Tiles all over the wall in the Egyptian temple room. Most of them are normal hieroglyphs, but several have pictures of funny MGM and Disney stuff. For example, one of the tiles has R2-D2 and another has C-3PO from Star Wars.

-The 13 lanterns hanging in the Liberty Square Tree in Magic Kingdom representing the original 13 colonies. It's the big tree to the left when facing the Paddle Wheel Boat.

- The hidden Mickey on the Mural at Maelstrom in the Norway pavilion at Epcot is hilarious!

- If you ride the last car on the train at the Magic Kingdom, you can ask to be the "guest conductor." Our kids did this, announced "all aboard," sat with the CM, and received cards that said: "Guest Conductor."

- On Cinderella's Carousel in Fantasyland, one horse had a gold ribbon on its tail. That's Cinderella's horse.

There are just so many more of these fantastic details that makes Walt Disney World unique.

[BigThunderFan]

I love how if you look at the map of Hollywood studios upside down there is a giant hidden Mickey built into the park. You can do this with satellite images too. Try it!

[dumbo_buddy]

My favorite detail is on the Pirate's of the Carribean ride. When your going through the town and under the bridge, there is a pirate on the bridge. If you look up closly you can see hair on his legs.

yeah, and his dirty feet!

[Laughin' place]

There are lots of "hidden" details that are lesser known and underappreciated on The Jungle Cruise. Look for details in the background music, postcards, notes and other items scattered along the line. There are several crates addressed to members of the Adventurers Club, including one that has the Club's real world address (Hill St., if I remember)

[eimeo]

wow so many interesting details, makes me want to go back right now !!!

[ILoveLegos]

This is a hidden safety feature that I've appreciated quite a few times in WDW which also happens to be in the "Lightening Strike Capitol" of the USA - (ahem, that is the entire state of Florida).

Nearly every structure has a lightening rod on it for safety reasons. Even the umbrella on Sunset Blvd in Disney's Hollywood Studios. A fact, I especially appreciated while standing under the "Message Board" one hot July while watching a particulary fierce Lightening Storm strike all around thousands of guests under patio umbrellas and it didn't harm anyone! (Don't try this on a golf course, )

Sometimes Disney details are life savers!