For those that don't know it, I belong to a great community of Disney lovers call the Disboards. And over the years of belonging to this forum, kind people have shared all sorts of tidbits of information I wouldn't have known otherwise. And in celebration and preparation for the new offer coming up, I thought I would start a new Post that I will update every week with information that can help make your Disney vacation even more magical. Today's post will focus on most everyone's favorite park, the Magic Kingdom!
Did you know?
- That as soon as you walk into the tunnels leading into the park, that it is made to make you feel like you are walking into a theater? The ticket area is like a lobby, the tunnels are then lined with "coming attraction" type posters, the train station is like the curtain and then after you have passed all, you're in the "show".
- In the Main Street Train Station lower level, there are belongings from characters from various Disney movies/shows. For example: There is Aladdin's lamp, there is an artificial leg with the name Smith on it (remember the joke from Mary Poppins?) and other such stuff-you can ask a CM (Cast Member for help locating items if you wish).
- If you hear the telegraph being typed out at the train station, its actually typing out Morse Code of Walt Disney's 1954 speech he gave at the opening of Disneyland.
- If you are there for the opening of park (also called rope drop) first thing in the morning (which I HIGHLY suggest doing, btw), if you take the first train out, you will get to Frontierland ahead of most people walking that way.
- As you approach Frontierland by train, you will see a "riverboat in a cave". It is part of Splash Mountain. There are also more items representing characters or movies from Disney in the Frontierland train waiting room.
- Back on Main Street, by the entrance to Tony's Town Square restaurant (which I recommend getting reservations to at night if you are going to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, right around the 5:30ish time, so you are right there up front for the parades!) there is a bench in which a statue of goofy sits. If you sit next to Goofy on that bench, he will begin to talk to you!
- If you didn't know it, Tony's Town Square Restaurant is named and themed after the restaurant in Lady and the Tramp where they share spaghetti in the back alley behind it. There is even a stained glass inside the restaurant with Lady and Tramps images on it.
- Main Street was designed to look longer going into the park but shorter leaving the park. (When you get there you have more energy than when you leave! :-))
- If you go into Exposition Hall (located adjacent to Tony's restaurant) and go to the back, there is a cinema that makes a perfect spot for resting in the air condition, because there they show old Disney films. This is also close to where characters come out to meet n greet, so you might catch several characters without the long lines!
- When you head down Main Street, you will notice that there are names on the windows, suggesting names in "movie credits"-keeping with the theater theme. Some names are of dummy corporations such as the one Walt used to buy up the land to build Disney World on-M.T. Lott (see if you can find it!) Walt's name is on the best view of the castle, above the ice cream shop!
- If you turn down the first side street to your right off Main Street (this is also where you will find the silhouette artists) there is a window that has "music lessons" on it. If it is quiet enough, you will hear someone practicing voice lessons from time to time or tap dancing.
- If you go into the General Store, look for an old style phone on the wall. If its still there, pick up the receiver and listen to hear a conversation going on.
- If you have your hair cut at the Barber Shop, they will put glitter in your hair. If its your child's first haircut, they do a celebration, give them a certificate and they used to give them a pair of Mickey Mouse ears as a memento of their first hair cut!
