The happiest place on Earth also happens to be one of the most interesting. Disney World has been around for nearly half a century, and with age comes good stories — and lots of them. We've rounded up 39 Disney World secrets even die-hard fans will be shocked to discover.
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Disney says that "since 1971, an estimated 1.65 million pairs of glasses have found their way into the 'lost' bin. On an annual basis, Lost and Found cast members collect more than 6,000 cell phones, 3,500 digital cameras, 18,000 hats and 7,500 autograph books."
Mickey Mouse has over 135 sets of different outfits, and Minnie has more than 100.
People who work for Disney World are not called employees; they are called cast members and must always be in character when on duty.
Disney says that "guests can see that each of Cinderella's stepsisters appears with her own special facial tint. One sister displays a red tint to show that she is 'red with rage,' while the other sister displays a green tint to show that she is 'green with envy,' as they both watch Cinderella try on the glass slipper to reveal a perfect fit."
It spans about 40 square miles, making it the size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands. According to Disney, of the approximately 25,000 acres, about a third is conservation land.
Not to mention 13 million bottles of water.
It's for the safety of the animals!
Rumor has it a cast member operates the camel and decides which guests to spray with water.
According to Disney, if you washed and dried one load of laundry every day for 52 years, you'd clean as much as cast members at Disney World do in a single day. In addition to the 285,000 pounds they wash, 30,000 to 32,000 garments are dry-cleaned daily.
Now Walt Disney World is the most expensive Disney park in the world.
Walt Disney originally built the little apartment for himself but died before it was finished. The suite sleeps up to six people, but money can't buy you a chance to stay there. You can't make reservations; the only way you can get in on this amazing experience is by winning a sweepstakes Disney prize drawing.
The discovery showplace covers 305 acres and first opened on Oct. 1, 1982.
It's just under 200 feet tall.
That's 3,000 football fields.
Walt Disney came up with the word in 1966, because he wanted Epcot Center to be a futuristic functional community where people actually lived.
There are even entire sites dedicated to logging all of the ones people have found.
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground boasts 409 cabins and 799 campsites for people to stay at.
The first movie filmed at then-unfinished Disney-MGM Studios, now called Disney Hollywood Studios, was Ernest Saves Christmas.
The entire building is built out of fiberglass, concrete, steel, cement, and plaster. No bricks or stones were used at all.
The trees all started out as acorns that were harvested from the tree.
Stormalong Bay is the largest pool in the world with a sand bottom.
If all of the "shooters" were set off at the same time, there would be 2,000 gallons of water in the air.
But that doesn't mean that they are fluent.
It's held the No. 1 spot for a few years now, followed closely by Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland.
What many Disney fans assumed was urban legend is actually a proven fact. The tunnels are not underground, however, but ground level — and beneath the Magic Kingdom. Nicknamed "utilidors," the passages are designed so that cast members and service workers can travel from place to place unseen by parkgoers so that the "magic" of the place is not disrupted.
The first theme park opened on Oct. 1, 1971.
That's why you never see it stuck in unfortunate places! Here are other things you can't do at Disney parks.
Plants in the ride are now native to the jungle and can survive on their own.
Main Street USA typically smells like cookies and vanilla, but around Christmastime, the strategically placed vents release the smell of peppermint.
People believe that it belonged to the hanging bride you see on the ride.
In the song "Be Our Guest," the memorable lyrics say "try the grey stuff, it's delicious!," and you can actually order the dessert off the restaurant's menu.
Check out more Walt Disney World tips here!