15 secrets you didn’t know about Disney theme parks
THERE'S more magic than meets the eye when you visit one of Disney’s famous
theme parks in the US.
From vacuum-sucked bins to hidden rooms and underground tunnels where
characters travel from one ‘land’ to another, there’s a hive of
behind-the-scenes activity going on to keep the parks running at maximum
efficiency.
Here are 15 incredible facts about the secret world of the Walt Disney
amusement parks...
1. You will never see a bin being emptied
Small pipes vacuum the rubbish through the hidden tunnels underneath the Magic
Kingdom at 60mph. This process happens every 20 minutes and means that you
will never see people moving trash around.
2. It’s not only rubbish in the tunnels
There are miles of tunnels underneath the parks and these are used for
employees and cast members to walk through to reach their destinations
without characters being spotted in the wrong land. These tunnels also
contain the costume departments and a resident hairdresser.
3. Cat's how they keep rodents under control
At night, Disney World is home to around 200 feral cats that are let loose to
keep down the rodent population at the parks.
4. Never a bad smell
Devices called Smellitizers are hidden in the parks to maintain a pleasant
smell in the air. Examples include the baked goods in Main Street and the
salty sea air at the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
5. Organic growing in Epcot
Epcot gardens grow over 30 tons of fruit and veg per year to help feed the
hungry visitors. Many vegetables are grown hanging from the ceiling – and
pumpkins are cultivated in Mickey Mouse cases so that they come out in the
shape of the cartoon character.
6. No electricity bills
Disney has its own power plant which lights up the 150 tractor trailer-loads
of decorations for its Christmas holiday celebrations.
7. Secret suite hidden away
There is actually a secret suite inside Cinderella’s castle which cannot be
booked and is only used for promotional giveaways.
8. Realism in Liberty Square
There are no toilets to be found in Liberty Square to keep it realistic as
there was no indoor plumbing in colonial America. There is even a brownish
winding path to represent the raw sewage.
9. The Tree of Life cannot die
The 14-storey Tree of Life in the Animal Kingdom was actually fashioned from
an old oil rig that can withstand hurricane-strength winds, meaning its
contents are safe in extreme weather conditions.
10. Aladdin’s spitting camel has great aim
The Magic Carpet ride has a camel that spits water at passing guests –
however, this is not powered by an electronic machine. Someone is paid to
sit near the camel and when they think they can hit park-goers, they’ll
command the camel to spit.
11. Secret menu items
In the Be Our Guest restaurant, ask for The Grey Stuff which is referenced in
the Be Our Guest song to try this secret menu item – a chocolate mousse-like
dessert.
12. Enhanced safari experience
In the Animal Kingdom, there is piped chilled air on the ledge of Pride Rock
to encourage lions to sit up and pose for the perfect picture opportunity.
13. Walt Disney’s private apartment
In the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney had his own
private apartment on Main Street above the fire station. The little-known
Victorian pad remains almost exactly as it did 60 years ago.
14. Edible plants in Tomorrowland
If you’re hungry but don’t want to splash the cash on an unhealthy overpriced
burger, pop into Tomorrowland in Disneyland – where all the plants are
edible.
15. The original Disneyland only took a year to build
Construction for the Anaheim Disneyland began in July 1954 and opened within
the estimated time span of 365 days. It cost £11million.