Secrets & Little Known Facts about rides

[nic100308]

WHEW!!! It took me a few weeks but I made it through all 48 pages!! I do have some questions for the veterans:

Someone mentioned something about A,B,C,D,E tickets. I was just wondering what they were and how they used to work.

and two off topic questions:
Buzz!!?!?! What is it like to work for Disney World. Mine and hubby's dream is to retire and go work for Disney. Just seems like the best darn job in the world.

Someone mentioned that there were threads designed to boost your post count. I have been a long time stalker, but new member. Can someone tell me where to find those?

 

[LadyGracey]

There's probably someone else who can explain this better, as I grew up just as they were phasing out the A-E ticket system--but basically, it was like a state fair, where you needed a ticket to experience each attraction in the park. The attractions were each designated A through E, with A tickets being the least expensive and for the simplest attractions, while E tickets were the most expensive and were reserved for the "headliner" attractions (some vets will still refer to rides like Space Mountain as "E-ticket attractions", or you may have heard the old pre-EMH term "E-ride nights"). You could buy books of assorted tickets, or purchase individual/extra tickets once you were in the park. In preparation for the opening of Epcot Center, the A-E ticket system was phased out in the early 1980s, in favor of the single admission price and multi-park ticket system we have today. AllEarsNet has a really interesting section discussing the old systems, with photos of old tickets.

Can't help you with the other two--though I know Buzz just LOVES his job

Here's another one:
I heard about a Hidden Mickey I've never seen, but I am going to check it out tomorrow: The "hole" in Splash Mountain where the logs come out is a side-profile Mickey head. I will try to post a picture if I can find it, and remember to take one!

 

[ZeroToHero]

"Being a character is one of the most gratifying jobs in the park. They are instantly, automatically loved... the strength of that love is incredible. Mickey Mouse was being mobbed near Mr. Lincoln one afternoon, when a small boy broke free from his father, pushed through the crowd and flung himself at Mickey. "Mickey Mouse," the boy said. The child was autistic and those were the first words he had ever said." - David Koenig, Mouse Tales

I cried a little when I read this quote. What a wonderful thing!

Is that from my signature? I forgot I had posted here! It does that to a lot of people... you're not alone.

And LadyGracey, have a great trip tomorrow!


As for my tidbit - in Epcot, the height of each country's tallest point is exactly the same. Forced perspective makes them look different. They also have the same amount of front-space on the walkway, although some widen as they go back.

 

[LadyGracey]

Thank you! Stormalong Bay is calling my name...

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Uncle Orville at CoP is voiced by the late, great Looney Tunes voice actor Mel Blank.

Grandpa (in the final scene) is voiced my comedian and "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me" panelist Roy Blunt, Jr.

 

[ZeroToHero]

Thank you! Stormalong Bay is calling my name...

Take a spin in the whirlpool for me! I had the hardest time with that as a kid, but now it's like nothing.... Still fun though.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Buzz!!?!?! What is it like to work for Disney World. Mine and hubby's dream is to retire and go work for Disney. Just seems like the best darn job in the world.

LadyGracey hit the nail on the head re: the A-B-C-D-E Tickets.

Working for Disney is quite unlike any other job I've ever had -- it's chock-full of paradoxes. It's one of the hardest jobs I've ever worked, but also one of the most rewarding. It pays the least but has far and away the best benefits. I love what I do, I love how my interactions impact my Guests' experience, and I'm proud to call myself a Disney Cast Member.

 

[LadyGracey]

Oooh, I did good!!!
Thanks Buzz--
Wait...that should be "I did WELL." Darn my summertime grammar!

I wish we could all say that about our jobs. How much better life would be!

ZeroToHero...yes I will take a spin in that whirlpool for you, right after I tube down that lazy river and have a Beaches & Cream milkshake while listening to Off Kilter in the distance

 

[delilah]

Um...well everyone has beat me to many of my tips on the parks...There used to be a 'flip movie' viewer you could really view for free in one of the shops in Main St. (or maybe it was a penny?) I've heard it was moved to the train station, but haven't seen it since it was in the shop.

We saw the movie viewers you describe our last trip in June. They are on the train platform at Main Street on the end closer to the monorails (as opposed to the buses).

 

[LadyGracey]

OOOH I have another one--I got this from a Disney secrets book:

There are 3 bathtubs in the Magic Kingdom!
-One in CoP
-One on BTMRR
-One in Mickey's Toontown

Bonus points if you can describe exactly where each one is.

 

[BunsenH]

We saw the movie viewers you describe our last trip in June. They are on the train platform at Main Street on the end closer to the monorails (as opposed to the buses).

There are a few of these at the Boarwalk Inn also.

 

[nic100308]

Hey does anyone have any regarding the resorts?!?! I know I saw somewhere on here about the owls at the Contemporary, and just last night I was reading up on our resort (POR) on All Ears and found this one:

Where does the name Ol' Man Island come from?
The Legend of Ol' Man Island: "Settled in 1835 by a Young Man, the island became his home in the solitude of the Bayou Country. Years later, as Riverside was settled and prospered, Ol' Man Island was discovered by the children of the town. They would steal away to play on the island where a wondrous world had been created. The island is a tribute to the Ol' Man and the happiness he gave the children and all of Riverside's Neighbors."

ooo and this one:
You'll see that the buildings in the Resort, starting with Parterre Place in Magnolia Bend, begin very luxuriously, and become more rustic and dilapidated looking as you move up river, culminating in the backwoods settings of Alligator Bayou. As the "legend" goes, this is due to the fact that, as pioneers traveled up the Sassagoula River, they started building residences with the grandest of building materials from the "city" of the French Quarter. As they got further upstream, the building supplies started running low, and they were forced to improvise. Similarly, the exterior of the Resort commercial center starts out looking mighty fancy at the Medicine Show Arcade, becoming rustic and weather-beaten by the time it reaches the Cotton Mill building.

ok, one more:
Sassagoula River is the American Indian word for "Mississippi"

Not sure if they are accurate, but they seemed fun and cute to share. If someone knows different, please correct me.

 

[MKandy]

OOOH I have another one--I got this from a Disney secrets book:

There are 3 bathtubs in the Magic Kingdom!
-One in CoP
-One on BTMRR
-One in Mickey's Toontown

Bonus points if you can describe exactly where each one is.

Great observation!

The CoP one is in the scene where uncle Orville is sitting in it with his new "air-conditioner"

The BTMRR one is hard to describe where it is. It is outside, near the water. Where the ride seems to tilt back and forth. Is that good enough?

The one in Toontown is going to be a guess for me. I would assume it would be in Mickey's house, although I'm not exactly sure.

Have a magical day.

 

[BounceyOne]

I can't believe I read the entire thing!

 

[W.E.D.]

Professor Cumulus Isobar, the ill-fated rainmaker seen in the town of Tumbleweed at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, was modeled after Disney Legend Marc Davis.

Where is he? I wish I could go through that ride just once slowly. I know I'm missing a lot of stuff.

 

[W.E.D.]

I've also seen space mtn. with the lights on!
the track looks completely unscary not in the dark!

I have to respectfully disagree. I saw it too. I thought it looked like someone dumped a big pile of scrap metal in the middle of the room. I will definately be keeping my arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times!

 

[abandcsmom]

On Spaceship Earth the children in the 70s room watching TV were once the 2 who were Chatting from US and China before the refurb. Remember the fiber optics going from one computer to another "across the ocean"?

There was also something really cool we noticed outside one of the windows in SE, but it's slipping my memory right now. I distinctly remembering thinking of this thread when I saw it...

I spotted a hidden Mickey last trip on Journey into imagination. When the big "blast" happens and the walls drop, look to your right at the bottom. It's in with the purple circles. Its very clear, and easy to see if your looking.

These tips aren't much, but I agree with someone else who said this thread is too good to die yet, so they are all I have for now.

We realized about the 70's kids being the kids talking across the ocean. Also, we noticed in June of this year that one of the characters in SE looks like the Father from Carousel of Progress. I can't for the life of me remember which scene. Maybe someone else knows, or I'm sure DH will remember and I can come back and post later on.

 

[lnh'smom]

I have to respectfully disagree. I saw it too. I thought it looked like someone dumped a big pile of scrap metal in the middle of the room. I will definately be keeping my arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times!

Last time we rode SM, DH said that he had his arms straight up above his head and hit something twice! Did not think he should be able to touch anything

 

[W.E.D.]

Finally read the whole thread--only took a couple weeks! So, here's the traditional BUMP.

 

[MKandy]

Did you know that the entire Magic Kingdom can fit inside Kilimanjaro Safaris? Thats crazy!


NOTE: I've also heard that this figure should also include the TTC parking lots. Not sure though. I haven't measured it yet.

Have a magical day.