My Disney World Fun Facts and Tips

Planning on a trip to Walt Disney World soon? Impress your friends and family by reciting some of these fun facts and save time with these helpful tips. I’ve been going to Disney all of my life and enjoy reading books, magazines, and blogs about Disney World.

Fun Disney World Facts

Green font = Credit goes to this Mousejunkies book

The voice of the ghost host on the Haunted Mansion is none other than Paul Frees, the voice of Boris from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show.
The voice of the daughter of Carousel of Progress is Debi Derryberry, the voice of Jimmy Neutron and the grumpy cousin Orville is Mel Blanc, voice of Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh rides makes a subtle nod at the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride which used to stand in its place when you go through the first set of doors inside the ride to your back left you can see a painting of Mr. Toad delivering the deed to Owl.

My mom and I did a Segway Tour
in Epcot because we’re that cool, yes.

It’s a Small World is sung in English, Spanish, Japanese, Swedish and Italian.
In Haunted Mansion, the farthest left singing bust in the graveyard is voiced by the guy who did Tony the Tiger.
Pirates of the Caribbean has 125 audio animatronic figures.
Look for the Hidden Mickey on Soarin’ in the PGA West coast golf scene. Mickey is on the golf ball.
There are 325 animals in the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom. It took artists 18 months to build.
The song they play on the radio on Kilimanjaro Safari is called “Hapa Duniani” by African Dawn
In the pre-show video for Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom, the woman is Phylicia Rashad from The Cosby Show and the guy is Wallace Langham from CSI. Who knew?
The most expensive restaurant at Disney World is at the Grand Floridian’s Victoria and Albert’s.
People used to toss loved one’s ashes on rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion.
A horror film called Escape From Tomorrow was secretly made in Walt Disney World. You can buy the film on iTunes. Knock on wood but Disney hasn’t sued them yet. It’s a psychological thriller that adult Disney fans can enjoy.
The Tower of Terror is the most popular ride for employees to work at because they don’t have to smile when they work there.
Employees used to joke that EPCOT stood for “Every Person Comes Out Tired.” It actually stands for Experimental Protocol City of Tomorrow.
You can get married in front of Cinderella Castle…if you’re willing to say “I Do” at 8am before the park opens.

Surprisingly, no one in Denmark
wore hats like this.

Walt Disney World Tips

To boost your score on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin aim for targets that move, small or far away. If you hit the back of the first room robot’s left wrist or Planet Z Zurg’s space scooter you’ll score 100,000 points.
Try on the funny hats in the gift shops and take a picture. It’s cheaper than buying the $20 hat and makes for a cute memory.
In general, choose the line to the left. Most people go right.
To avoid crowds, start in the back of the park and work forward.
Send one person ahead to get all of your Fastpasses.
We like to go early in the morning, nap in the afternoon and go back to the park at night
Start your day early in the park which will have Extra Evening Magic Hours. So, basically do the opposite of what you would normally do.

Tip: On Spaceship Earth, make a goofy
face when they take your picture.

Don’t be afraid to make an ugly or goofy face. Rides like Splash Mountain, Spaceship Earth, Buzz Lightyear and more take your picture in obvious spots so pose for the camera. Then, sneakily take a picture of that picture.

We bring a small backpack and share it between the two of us. It contains essentials like gum, candy, fruit snacks, granola bars, a small water bottle, phones, cameras, and wallets.
To save money on food, go to a nearby grocery store and stock up on snacks. Bring said snacks into the park with you and sneakily eat them on boring rides such as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority or the Hall of Presidents.
For a unique souvenir, ask the characters to sign a baseball cap, t-shirt or something like that. This way, you can show off the signatures and they won’t just sit in an old autograph book. Note: they won’t sign the t-shirt if you’re wearing it.
Talk to the characters. Don’t just shove the autograph book in their face, smile at the camera and walk away. Ask Belle what book she’s reading, call Aladdin a street rat (see what he does…), bring a frog stuffed animal to Tiana, compliment Pocahontas’ necklace, or compare muscles with Gaston. Characters are always ready to play with guests. (Belle asked me what book I was reading and then I asked her what she was reading. She and the Beast were reading Romeo and Juliet.)
If you wear a name tag, cast members will call you by name. We bought name tags that resemble cast member name tags and we often get called out for it by friendly employees. You can go to Guest Services and tell them it’s your birthday to get a neat personalized birthday button. Everybody will refer to you by name.
All counter service restaurants will give you a free cup of water or a free cup of hot water.
Attractions don’t close when the parks close. This means you can get in a 90-minute line at 10:59 p.m. when the parks close at 11 p.m. and be in the park well past closing.
If you see a tree heading down the sidewalks of Animal Kingdom, stop and watch. It’s actually DiVine, an incredibly talented and camouflaged performer. Also, if you see a trash can roaming around Tomorrowland, stop and chat with it. His name is Push. See if you can spot the cast member talking into his backpack nearby.
My final tip is to stop and smell the roses. Take your time in the park by looking up, down and all around you at all of the details that the Imagineers have put in. Notice the Hidden Mickeys, listen to the music, and talk to the cast members. It’s the little quirky details that are the things you remember most.