Disney invests huge sums of money to create the immersive lands at its theme parks. Whereas the budget for most theme park attractions is spent almost entirely on the actual ride mechanism, Disney devotes a huge proportion of its spend to other features that most other operators would consider to be unnecessary luxuries. Ride designer John Wardley, who created classic attractions such as Nemesisat Alton Towers, recently remarked that the theming budget for the UK park’s £18 million The Smiler roller coaster “wouldn’t have covered the decoration of one of Disney’s post-ride shops”. Given that Alton Towers is owned by the second largest attraction operator in the world behind Disney, the Merlin Entertainments Group, this shows the enormous level of investment that Disney makes in scenery, props and other theming elements. Next time you are at Walt Disney World, keep an eye out for these intricate details – and many more besides.
10. The shutters in Liberty Square (Magic Kingdom)
The shutters in Liberty Square sag. Why? At the time of the Revolutionary War, colonists melted down hinges sold to them by the British to make shot for their weapons. Leather hinges were used in their place, resulting in the sagging shutters. Disney’s “leather” hinges, ironically, are made of metal.
9. The “urine trough” (Magic Kingdom)
Elsewhere in Liberty Square, look out for a host of other historical details. In particular, notice the brown “stream” flowing down the middle of the streets – in frontier times, this acted as a urine trough to catch waste from horses!
8. The metallic foliage (Magic Kingdom)
The metal palm trees located close to Space Mountain in Tomorrowland are not just there for show. They fold up at night and open during the day, and are even used to collect solar energy.
7. The chimneys (Epcot)
The pavilions in Epcot’s World Showcase are great examples of Disney’s commitment to great theming. As an example, look closely at the ornate chimneys in the United Kingdom Pavilion. They were painted with blackened soot to give the impression that they are still working.
6. The “flawed” tiles (Epcot)
Look at the mosaic tiles in the Morocco Pavilion. Each mosaic has at least one flawed tile in it – as local beliefs dictate that only Allah can create something that is “perfect”.
5. The perfect amount of dust (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Image: Disney
Disney’s cleaning staff have to be careful not to keep the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios spotless. Imagineers have specified exactly how dusty and cobweb-covered the different areas and items in the Hollywood Tower Hotel should be – but, of course, modern litter does need to be removed.
4. The hand-made tree (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
The iconic Tree of Life is the centerpiece of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Most guests will notice the 325 animals that are carved into it, which are the work of 10 artists and three Imagineers over an 18-month period. But few will consider the tree’s leaves – more than 103,000 of them. Each of them was individually placed. There are rumors that they will all be replaced by new leaves capable of changing color as part of a night-time show that is coming to the park.
3. The “cracked” walkways (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
In the Africa area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, take a look at the walkways. The leaf prints and mud cracks were created using a mold – with Imagineers going as far as making casts of patches of mud. The cracks were widened using pressurised water jets.
2. The landscaping (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Most guests breeze past the various plants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom without giving them a second thought. Yet more than 4 million trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grasses and more from every continent on Earth (except Antarctica) were planted during the construction of the park. A great example is the area surrounding the Forbidden Mountain, which hosts the Expedition Everestroller coaster. To recreate the lowlands surrounding Mount Everest, more than 900 bamboo plants, 10 species of trees and 110 species of shrubs were planted.
1. Authentic materials (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
The queue line for Expedition Everest begins in the village of Serka Zong. All of the buildings in the village were made using “rammed earth” bricks, which are created by mixing water, dirt and straw together and hammering the mixture until it becomes rigid.
Discover the hidden secrets of Walt Disney World!
To discover more intricate details at Walt Disney World, check out our recent set of articles covering hundreds of hidden secrets at the resort!
