The majority of guests at Orlando’s theme parks are too busy racing from ride to ride to notice the incredible, expensive little details that pack the attractions and the themed areas that they are enjoying. Disney, Universal and SeaWorld are home to some of the world’s best rides and shows, and it’s often difficult to slow down and look past these. But keeping an eye out for the hundreds of hidden details at the parks can really add to the experience. Here are 10 examples to get you started – and you’ll find a link to many more at the end of this article.
10. The ice wall (SeaWorld Orlando)
The Wild Arctic simulator ride at SeaWorld Orlando is similar in style to Star Tours: The Adventures Continueover at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and carries guests to the frigid polar exhibits of SeaBase: Wild Arctic. Once they arrive at the base, most guests rush straight to the beluga whale exhibit. Slow down, and take a look at the shimmering wall on your right as you exit the ride. You may assume that it’s fake, but it’s actually very real – at about 4-feet-high by 20-feet-long, this is one enormous slab of ice and one of the best places to cool down on a hot Florida day.
9. The former presidents with unusual new jobs (Epcot)
Audio-animatronic figures are very expensive. So, from time-to-time, Disney will reuse the designs. In the ballroom scene of the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom, for example, an old lady sits in a rocking chair. Does she look familiar? Yes – it’s the grandmother from the Carousel of Progress! Of course, many of Disney’s existing animatronic figures are presidents, as seen in the Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom. And many of them found unusual new roles in Epcot’s Spaceship Earth. Teddy Roosevelt, for example, is a Roman senator, with Zachary Taylor as a centurion. John Adams is a monk, while Dwight D. Eisenhower is humble mandolin player.
8. A tribute to a giant former resident (Universal Studios Florida)
Kongfrontation was one of Universal Studios Florida’s original rides, and boasted two enormous animatronic figures of King Kong that stood at some 39-feet-tall. Kong’s reign over Universal Studios Florida came to an end in September 2002, when Universal closed the ride to make room for the Revenge of the Mummyroller coaster. Many fans were up-in-arms about the closure, and some still are. There’s a a tribute to Kongfrontation in its replacement. Among the gold statues in the Treasure Room is one depicting Kong himself.
7. Split in half (Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Magic Kingdom)
Image: Sam Howzit, Flickr (license)
The front half of an airplane can be seen in the Casablanca sequence of the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Contrary to rumors, this is not the same plane used in the movie itself – but it is a real Lockheed plane that Disney cut in half. The back half can be found in the Jungle Cruise over at the Magic Kingdom.
6. Splat! (Islands of Adventure)
Image: Universal
Look on the ground at the entrance to Doctor Doom’s Fearfall. You’ll see the outlines of the Doctor’s unfortunate previous victims! And they aren’t just any victims – those are the imprints of the Fantastic Four.
5. A treasured possession (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Image: Disney
Look closely at the little girl who appears in several scenes on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Tower of Terror. She’s holding a 1930s-era Mickey Mouse doll (the incident that led to the closure of the Hollywood Tower Hotel is said to have taken place on October 31, 1939).
4. The Hidden Shamu (SeaWorld Orlando)
Disney is renowned for hosting dozens of “Hidden Mickeys” in its theme parks – representations of Mickey Mouse, subtly inserted into the design of a ride, attraction or area. SeaWorld, of course, has its own icon: Shamu the killer whale. Its most recent E-Ticket attraction, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, includes a “Hidden Shamu”, which can be found hidden behind South Pole Beverages. There are also king penguins carved into the rockwork.
3. Hidden Formulae (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
In the loading area for Dinosaur, check out the pipes overhead. These are red, yellow and white – and each is marked with a chemical formula. Let’s investigate further: The red pipe is marked with Lycopersicon lycopericum (a misspelling of Lycopersicon lycopersicum – better known as the common tomato), C6H12O6 (the formula for a number of sugars), CH3COOH (acetic acid or vinegar), C6H12O6 (another sugar), NaCl (sodium chloride, or salt) and Allium cepa (the common onion). What do these ingredients make up? That’s right – tomato ketchup. The yellow pipe is marked with CH3COOH (vinegar), H2O (water), Brassica juncea (a species of mustard plant), NaCl (salt), Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Allium sativum (garlic). Yep, it’s mustard. The white pipe is marked with Glycine soja (wild soybean), Ovae (a reference to egg yolks), CH3COOH (vinegar), H2O (water), NaCl (salt), C6H12O6 (sugar) and Citrus limon (lemon). It’s mayonnaise!
2. Up in the rafters (Islands of Adventure)
Look up in the rafters of The Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You’ll see shadows of house elves and owls moving about.
1. It’s tough… (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Image: Disney
When the announcer on It’s Tough to be a Bug says “will all honorary bugs remain seated while all the lice, bed bugs, maggots and cockroaches exit first,” look at the exit signs on the left. You’ll see firefly-style creatures lighting up the signs as they depart.
Discover more hidden secrets at Orlando’s theme parks!
You can discover hundreds more little details at Orlando’s theme parks by checking our guide to the hidden secrets of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
