Psst! 10 Walt Disney World 'secrets' and tips ... but don't keep them to yourself
Given that Walt Disney World covers around 40 square miles, there's a lot of ground to cover when it comes to sharing even a smidgen of its past, present and future.
The following 10 "secrets" and tips are just a few of the hidden gems tucked into mountains of history, mystery and magic.
– Britt Kennerly is a community issues columnist for FLORIDA TODAY
The world below Main Street USA
You're strolling Main Street USA, marveling at the hustle and bustle around you. But did you know Disney cast members are walking beneath the ground you're treading? That Main Street is actually the "second floor" of Magic Kingdom? You'll learn all that and more in a five-hour, $99 "Keys to the Kingdom" walking tour (which is temporarily unavailable). You'll access the “Utilidor" system of tunnels that allow people and supplies to keep Disney magic moving, unseen, around the park; learn trivia fit for a diehard Disney fan; eat lunch with other tour-goers; and much more. Other tours offer great behind-the-scenes surprises.
Those cushy Castle digs
Ever stared at the Cinderella Castle and wondered how you could snag a night in the luxurious suite there? It's a sweet dream: The accommodations are designed to resemble a 17th-century French chateau. Marble. Mosaics. Stained glass – and that iconic glass slipper on display. Sorry, but it's not as easy as a trip to booking.com. You'll either have to be invited (singer Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, stayed there on their first anniversary), win an auction, or score a night there in a contest, like the one during the "Year of a Million Dreams" in 2006.
In 2019, a night in the digs was auctioned on eBay in a fundraiser for The V Foundation (a cancer research nonprofit named for legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano). It came complete with flights for four; airport transport; one night in the castle; two nights at a Disney resort; a VIP tour; and a $2,000 Disney gift card. The winning bid: $75,100. If it's any consolation, you can try to book reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table restaurant inside the castle.
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'Hidden Mickeys' everywhere
Ears to the Mouse: "Hidden Mickeys" are defined as the "deliberate or accidental placing a circle with two other circles connected to it on the top in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head." The way the story goes, Hidden Mickeys date to the design of Epcot by Imagineers who worked what became a pop culture phenomenon into design elements, since Mickey and Minnie weren't going to be featured at the more-adult park.
Accidental or deliberate, they're everywhere, from movies to rides to resorts to topiaries to the fireworks at the end of the Soarin' attraction. To get a handle on the scope of just how many Hidden Mickeys populate this planet, you might want to read up. A good place to start: "Walt Disney World's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets" by Steven Barrett, aka "Hidden Mickey Guy." It's also a kick to watch for Hidden Mickeys that are accidental but natural, like when you're at a table at The Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland and a table and two chairs just happen to form a Mickey.
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Drop by the Tower of Terror
If you're truly terrified at even the thought of entering the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, know that you are not dropping all the way from the top to the bottom of that 199-foot-tall unearthly edifice. Just (yikes!) 130 feet, or 13 stories.
Other tidbits: That little girl who "disappears"? She's carrying a Mickey Mouse doll. The tower's design was inspired by Southern California landmarks including the Biltmore Hotel and the Mission Inn. And no, that's not really Rod Serling of "The Twilight Zone" narrating what's transpired in that surreal setting; it's voice actor Mark Silverman. Serling died in 1975; the jaw-and-all-dropping ride opened in 1994 (when Hollywood Studios was still Disney-MGM Studios). Be ready to be terrified. And to scream for that photo.
Does 'Stretching Room' really stretch?
"Our tour begins here in this gallery, here where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible mortal state." So says the Ghost Host at the fabled Haunted Mansion, in the first-stop "Stretching Room." But what's really happening there? According to insidethemagic.net, instead of bringing Disney Fans down below grade – as it does at Disneyland, where the Stretching Room elevator is a gravity-assisted elevator – "the room’s show ceiling and portraits stretch upward, allowing much of the same optical illusion without the same purpose." Then it's out a secondary door and down a hallway to hop into your "Doom Buggy" and go for a spooky spin.
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Countless coins in the fountain
If you've ever tossed change into a Walt Disney World wishing well, fountain or water-based attraction like 'It's a Small World," you've probably overheard someone pondering: "So what happens to all this money?" Well (sorry not sorry!), all those coins are collected periodically, and it adds up to solid donations for area nonprofits. In 2020, for example, it went to the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, which got $20,000 from the fountains to help provide a Thanksgiving meal for 650 Coalition residents and guests.
Press a penny or quarter
It's really no secret that collectibles at Disney parks can be pricey. But for a unique souvenir that might just be the least-expensive thing on site: a pressed coin with a Disney character or design on it. It'll set you back 51 cents to press a penny on the old hand-cranked machines; or $1 on the newer, digital versions ($1.25 to elongate a quarter, though the quarter-squishing machines aren't as plentiful).
According to the WDW website, there are dozens of different locations to press a coin, between those found at the four parks, water parks, resorts and Disney Springs. P.S. The digital machines also accept credit cards, and instead of paying $1 per coin, you can save a few pennies by buying a whole set; in some cases, eight for $5.
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Art inside; animals outside
If you're into both African art and animals, you'll be immersed in a swoon-worthy visual safari at Disney World's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Animals abound across the property and you don't even have to step outside to see some of them: The property's design invites views of more than 200 hoofed animals on the four savannas. And an artistic outing awaits inside: Did you know that Animal Kingdom Lodge has, according to Disney World, "one of the largest collections of African art in the United States," showcased throughout the lodge?
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You'll get a charge out of this
You're down to the last 4% of your phone's charge but you have 63% of your day left – and you forgot your charger. Enter Fuel Rods, cool little battery-sized chargers with adapters for both Apple and Android phones. Each park has machines where you can buy and/or swap-for-fresh the handy helpers, which have about an eight-hour lifespan.
They'll set you back $30 on-site (you can order them online cheaper), but are tiny lifesavers that you can recharge at home, too. If it's just a phone call you have to make before you get to your juice, there are courtesy phones for free local calls in a few locations resort-wide. They look like old-school payphones. You remember payphones. No? Ask your grandma.
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Club 33: Exclusive. Expensive.
Remember that old saying – supposedly uttered by financier J.P. Morgan when asked about the cost to maintain his yacht – about how if you have to ask the price of something, you can't afford it? Disney's Club 33, described on Walt Disney World's website as "a private membership club with a variety of tailored experiences for its members." It's so exclusive that the Disney World's website contain no FAQ with how much it costs to join, or to maintain a membership (rumor is that it's $33K to join and $15K annually after that), or where the clubs are located inside parks (clues abound on the internet).
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Club 33 originated at Disneyland as a spot for Walt himself to socialize and do business with investors and friends. Now, there are Club 33 locations dotting Disney parks worldwide, including one at each of WDW's four parks: "Each venue is uniquely themed to represent Walt and Lillian's adventures around the world," the website states, and boast "special access and exceptional service." If you've got the cash and/or the clout, send a letter of interest to [email protected], and then wait to hear from them. Word is, it can be a very long wait.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Walt Disney World 2021: Tips and secrets to know for your next trip