Whether or not you’ve been to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, you probably know that it’s a very magical place. A lot of thought and effort went into creating a theme park that feels like its own little world; the attention to detail is astounding. Everywhere you look there are tiny details that add to the visitors’ experiences in the parks. The Imagineers (the people who design the theme parks) came up with many inventive ways to make the parks even more magical — here are a few that you might not know about.
- Forced Perspective
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Disney uses a technique called forced perspective in the design of many of its buildings in order to make them look taller or smaller. For example, the bricks on Cinderella’s castle get smaller the higher up on the building they are in order to create the illusion that the building is taller than it is. On the other hand, the main building of the American Pavilion in Epcot looks like it is 2-3 stories, but the doors and windows are enlarged to make it look this way, even though it is really at least 5 stories.
- Phones
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There are several phones around Disney that look like props, but if you pick up the receiver, you’ll find an easter egg — a hidden conversation that you can listen in on. There’s one phone in Tomorrowland near the entrance for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and the Astro Orbiter. Another one can be found in the hat shop on Main Street.
- The Cinderella Fountain Statue
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This is another case of Disney using perspective in an inventive way, but in this case it’s not forced perspective that adds an extra touch of magic to the park’s design. If you kneel down in front of the Cinderella fountain in Fantasyland, you can see it from a child’s perspective. There, the crown on the mosaic behind her will line up with her head so it looks as if she is wearing it.
- Hidden Mickeys
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You may have heard about the Mickey symbols that are hidden throughout Walt Disney World. Approximately 1,000 hidden Mickeys have been found and recorded around the parks, but there could be even more than that! If you want to try to find these hidden Mickeys on your next trip to Walt Disney World, try using this book to help you find and check off a bunch of them.
- Main Street Flags
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Many visitors probably don’t look too closely at the American flags on Main Street USA. Of course they don’t look out of place in this replica of a picturesque American small town, but have you ever noticed that none of the flags have 50 stars? This is not to be historically accurate, it’s because flags with less than 50 stars don’t count as official flags, so Disney World does not have to take these down in bad weather or light them up at night.
If you’re headed to Orlando any time soon, keep an eye out for the many hidden secrets in the Walt Disney World parks!
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