September 21, 2018

Location: Main Street, USA, Magic Kingdom

In 1941 Disney released a short cartoon called "The Nifty Nineties" which took a look at life in the 1890s and consisted of Mickey and Minnie meeting one another, going on a date to a vaudeville show, and then taking a car ride. The short cartoon featured a cameo by two of the animators for the cartoon, Fred Moore and Ward Kimball.

The two appear in the vaudeville show in an act called "Fred & Ward, Two Clever Boys From Illinois." Both Fred and Ward were caricatures of the artists and the two animators provided the voices of their respective characters. But what does this have to do with Main Street, USA?

While in the queue for the Mickey Mouse meet and greet at the Town Square Theater, guests can find various flyers for other acts that have appeared in the theater and also various acts that may be coming in the future. One of these posters is for a future appearance by Mickey the Magnificent and the opening act is, you guessed it, Fred & Ward!

September 14, 2018

Location: Toy Story Land, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Toy Story Land is filled with subtle details to the Toy Story films. We've taken a look at a few of these details in the past, but today we will be taking a look at a detail that hints at one of the most often forgotten characters within the Toy Story franchise.

When people mention Toy Story, most people focus on characters like Woody, Buzz, Rex, Bo Peep, Jessie, and various other characters. Other people may think of the human characters like Andy, Sid, Al, Molly, or Bonnie, but it's rare for a person to instantly go to  one of the two named animals in the Toy Story franchise. At the end of Toy Story the toys have their worst fear become a reality when Santa brings Andy and Molly a puppy for Christmas. In Toy Story 2 we discover that the dog is named Buster and is happily living with Andy and his family at their new home.

The entrance for Slinky Dog Dash consists of a digital watch to show off the current time for guests Fastpass return times while the wait time is displayed on a giant gold circle. While the gold circle doesn't seem special at first, if you look at it while actually inside the queue you can see the following:

That's right! This is the back of Buster's dog tag! Not only is this an amazing reference to Buster, it also helps guests know that the timeline we are in while in Toy Story Land takes place roughly around the time that Toy Story 2 takes place in Andy's new home due to the fact that Buster is present!

September 7, 2018

Location: Fantasyland, Disneyland

The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has become a staple at Disney parks and cruise ships around the world. When they first debuted in the early 2000s they quickly became more and more popular resulting in most guests completely forgetting what the former resident was at the various locations.

Lucky for us, today we will be taking a look at a nod to the former home of the Disneyland location! Two years after Disneyland opened a toy shop opened next to Snow White's Scary Adventures which was named Tinker Bell's Toy Shop The shop remained open under the same theme until the mid 2000s when it had a brief run as  Once Upon A Time - The Disney Princess Shoppe.

Despite the changes, three characters remained at the entrance to the shop, and still remain there until today, to remind guests of what once sat in the location. Here guests can find Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and Tick Tock carved into the woodwork near the entrance:

August 31, 2018

Location: Sunset Boulevard, Disney's Hollywood Studios

At the start of this summer Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure was completely updated to a new land known as Pixar Pier featuring familiar experiences with new storylines. While Paradise Pier may not exist anymore, there's still a reference to it, but incredibly enough, the reference isn't found in Disney California Adventure, but Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Above the Villains in Vogue store there's a billboard that can be found advertising Paradise Pier. On this billboard guests can find attractions like The Golden Zypher, Mickey's Fun Wheel, and of course California Screamin'!

August 24, 2018

Location: Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay is a treasure trove of details just waiting to be explored. Scattered throughout the island are references to some of the most rare and obscure members of the Disney family. However, today we will  be taking a look at a reference to one of the most recognizable.

One of the activities guests can do on Castaway Cay is snorkeling (and my personal favorite). While guests explore some of the island's private reefs there are a few items scattered within the water waiting to be discovered. One of these items can be found towars the left side of the water when facing out towards the ocean. About halfway out, guests can find the following sight:

Minnie Mouse! While many of the items found scattered throughout the snorkeling waters have a history of originally belonging somewhere else, this Minnie Mouse statue was created exclusively for guests snorkeling in Castaway Cay!

August 17, 2018

Location: Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

Sir Mickey's is one of the most overlooked Magic Kingdom shops that is also quite possibly the most detailed of all shops in the park. The store takes elements from both The Brave Little Tailor and Mickey and the Beanstalk. Today's Fun Find Friday takes a look at the windows to the right of the main entrance.

Within the window on the right guests can find items that Mickey may have had in his work shop in The Brave Little Tailor. On the wall inside the window guests can find some sketches that Mickey may be creating. Here guests can find references to both Goofy and Pluto together along with Clarabelle Cow!

August 10, 2018

Location: Main Street, USA, Magic Kingdom

The meet and greet for Mickey Mouse lets guests out into the shop Curtain Call Collectibles which continues with the magician theme that guests can find during the met and greet with Mickey. Everything fits well with the theme, but one item seems to be a little off:

What is this miniature house doing up on the shelf? Prior to Mickey Mouse meeting guests on Main Street, USA he would meet with guests in the Judge's Tent of Mickey's Toontown Fair. Prior to entering into the Judge's Tent, guests had the opportunity to bypass the meet and greet and exit Mickey's Country House through his garage.

Inside Mickey's Garage he had a work station  with various projects he was recently working on. One of these projects was none other than the house that now resides in Curtain Call Collectibles!

August 3, 2018

Location: Mickey's Toontown, Disneyland

While searching throughout Walt Disney World in between 2004 and 2010 for references to Disney animated films, I was disappointed because I was constantly hoping to find a reference to the 1980s Disney animated film, The Great Mouse Detective, but sadly I couldn't find it anywhere.

That is, until I went on a trip to Disneyland. While walking through Mickey's House, guests can find various references to movies, books, food, and more with a twist to fit in with the fact that Mickey is indeed a mouse. One of these mouse references can be found below the TV, where a book for the long sought after reference awaits, The Great Mouse Detective:

July 27, 2018

Location: Toy Story Land, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Scattered around Toy Story Land are the various toys that Andy has left in the backyard. While we have spent the last few weeks taking a look at a few of the toys scattered here and the hidden meanings behind them, today we are going to take a look at the one section of the land that isn't based around toys, but around food: Woody's Lunchbox.

Woody's Lunchbox is the lunchbox that Andy has left behind in his backyard featuring Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete. Scattered throughout the area are various food items that one would typically find inside a child's lunchbox, but today we aren't going to be taking a look at a food item, but one of the most common items found within a lunchbox that isn't based around food, the parent's note.

Scattered around the area, guests find various wrappers that make up the various tables in the area. The one that is closest to the exit near the restrooms bears a striking resemblance to most lunchboxes found in elementary schools:

Here you can see a sign that reads "You're my favorite deputy! Love, Mom"

July 20, 2018

Location: Toy Story Land, Disney's Hollywood Studios

The details found within the queue for Slinky Dog Dash are incredible. The entire area is scattered with various toy boxes that guests can walk through. This includes the Dash and Dodge track along with Slinky Dog himself. Just before guests board, however, a box for everyone's favorite dino, Rex, can be found.

While most people may look at the fact that Rex appears to be a look more ferocious looking than the nervous Rex that we all know and love today. However, the detail you should pay attention to is the sticker on the upper left corner.

The sticker is from Al's Toy Barn which guests were first introduced to in the 1999 film, Toy Story 2, but what's even more notable are the numbers found on the sticker. at the top are the numbers 11 and 22 while the price is $19.95. What do the numbers represent? November 22, 1995, the date that the original Toy Story was released in theaters!

July 13, 2018

Location: Toy Story Land, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Toy Story Land is officially open and with it a ton of fun finds waiting to be discovered! Over the coming weeks and years we will be going into detail about all of them, but today we are going to start by taking a look at the entrance to Alien Swirling Saucers.

Does the entrance look familiar? According to the storyline, Andy won the Alien Swirling Saucers while at Pizza Planet. He took the play set and placed it in the backyard along with the Dash and Dodge coaster starring Slinky Dog. But why does the entrance look so familiar? It ends up the owners of Pizza Planet decided to keep the restaurant in the minds of kids after they got back home. To throw in this subliminal message, they made the entrance to the toy look like the entrance to Pizza Planet as seen in the film:

As you can see both entrances feature guards who hold shields shaped like pizzas with spears with a slice at the end!

July 6, 2018

Location: Main Street, USA, Disneyland Paris

There are a lot of similarities between the Disney parks in the US and the Disney parks found over in Paris. There's still the search for adventure in Adventureland, the whimsy of Fantasyland, and the charm of Main Street, USA. While there are a lot of similarities there are also some differences like Tomorrowland's transformation into Discoveryland.

Tomorrowland isn't the only name change, however. While famous Disney characters like Mickey and Minnie keep their names, Goofy's name changes to Dingo. Since Goofy's name changes it also makes sense that his circus counterpart in Storybook Circus named the Great Goofini switches as well.

While walking through the Disney & Co. store there are a few merchandise displays that have advertisements for the circus on the side. While the other advertisements make no mention of a country, Goofy's has the tagline of "Never seen in the United States!" with the name for the act being Dingofort the Mighty!

June 29, 2018

June 22, 2018

Location: Sunset Boulevard, Disney's Hollywood Studios

The Twilight Zone Tower of Hotel pays tribute to numerous episodes of the classic Twilight Zone television series. In the past we've taken a look at some of these references, but this week we are going to be taking a look at a reference that can be found at the end of the attraction. After going through the series of drops, guests end up at the bottom of the elevator shaft and in a storage room.

While the majority of the props found here appear to fairly bland, one item is extra creepy and often catches the eye of a the terrified traveler:

The ventriloquist dummy originally appeared in the Twilight Zone episode Caesar and Me. In the episode a man has a dummy who is alive and and gives out awful advice to anyone who comes their way.

June 15, 2018

Location: Tiana's Place, Disney Wonder

When New Orleans Square first opened in Disneyland in 1966 there was no previous Disney film that had a connection between New Orleans and the section of the park. Naturally, Disney had to create new and unique storylines for the land in the forms of Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. In 2009, however, Disney Animation released a hit film in the form of Princess and the Frog which takes place in the beloved city of New Orleans.

Recently the Disney Wonder decided to honor the Princess and the Frog by opening up the restaurant Tiana creates at the end of the film, Tiana's Place. While the entrance of Tiana's Place resembles the town of New Orleans, there is an ad at the entrance that should not go unnoticed:

Here guests can find an advertisement for various activities not just in New Orleans, but New Orleans Square.

June 8, 2018

Location: Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

Cinderella Castle is one of the most iconic locations in the world. Every year millions view the glorious landmark, but most of those people don't realize the secrets hiding in plain view. While most people know of the mosaics in the main hallway that depicts the story of Cinderella, few know that the story is told at one other location at the Castle.

In 2005, Disney created the Disney Dream Suite to allow guests the opportunity to spend one magical night inside Cinderella Castle. One of the details they added was a retelling of the story for Cinderella upon some windows. While the windows are best viewed inside the suite, guests can find the windows from down below as well. The first three face towards Sleepy Hollow:

Since the story is meant to be seen from inside the suite, when looking from the outside, the story panels from each window are viewed from right to left. Starting out with the far right window, guests can see the house of Lady Tremaine where Cinderella lives. The second window features the invitation to the ball While the window on the right depicts a clock about to strike midnight.

The story continues on the next set of three windows which face out towards the center of Fantasyland:

Continuing on the right  window, guests can find Cinderella's glass slipper which she leaves behind at the ball. The second window here features Jaq and Gus holding onto the key to rescue Cinderella from her tower, while the final window features the depiction of Cinderella Castle from the film where she ends up living happily ever after.

June 1, 2018

Location: Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom

The Carousel of Progress has a very rich history which began during the 1964 World's Fair. While the first three scenes have gone through a few changes during the years, the final scene changes drastically every time it goes through a massive update. The final scene currently finds the Progress Family sitting around waiting for their Christmas turkey to finish cooking.

While all of the other scenes only find John in the main scene, this scene actually finds all members of the family, including Grandma and Grandpa in the same room. The question is if the grandparents actually live with John, Sarah, Jimmy, and Patricia. The answer actually can be found on the back wall near the stove. Here a blackboard shows that Grandma and Grandpa flew in from somewhere. The flight number? 1964, the year the Carousel of Progress debuted. The arrival time, however, is a reference to the opening of the Magic Kingdom, 10:01 or October 1st.

Ironically enough, the Carousel of Progress wasn't around when the Magic Kingdom opened. It didn't make its way to the Magic Kingdom until 1975.

May 25, 2018

Location: Star Wars Launch Bay, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Today is the 41st anniversary of the original Star Wars along with the official release date for Solo, the 10th Star Wars film to be released. In honor of this today we are going to be taking a look at a fun find found in the Star wars Launch Bay. Just before entering the cantina, guests may notice two lights on either side of the doorway that seem to be a little odd, yet familiar.

If you recall, in 1980's Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back Luke Skywalker is attacked by a Wompa while the Rebel Alliance is stationed on Hoth. While recovering from the injuries, Luke is assisted by a medical droid to gain his strength back. The lamps found at the entrance to the cantina here are the same heads as the droids that nursed Luke bath to health on Hoth!

May 18, 2018

Location: The Oasis, Disney's Animal Kingdom

When Disney's Animal Kingdom first opened the park was going to revolve around real, extinct, and mythical animals. While the idea of mythical creatures fell by the wayside, the idea still stuck around with various signage throughout the park. In fact, the original logo of the park featured a lion, an elephant, a dinosaur, and an antelope. In the middle of these animals was a dragon representing the mythical animals that never came around.

As time went by, the original logo began to disappear throughout the park. Up until recent times guests could still find the logo on park benches and lamps found in the Oasis, however, recently the lamps in the Oasis have been replaced by different lamps which fit the theming of the area.

The lamps at the entrance plaza, however, still exist. They are a reminder of what the park's original vision intended to be, dragon and all:

May 11, 2018

Location: Top of the World Lounge, Bay Lake Tower

The top of Bay Lake Tower is home to the Top of the World Lounge, an area designed for Disney Vacation Club members and their guests. Keeping with the futuristic theme of the resort, the back window features a giant reproduction of one of Bob Gurr's original sketches for the Disneyland monorail:

While the details found in the window are amazing, there is one detail that often goes overlooked by people after it was added after the Lounge's original opening. In the bottom left corner, guests can find the actual signature of Bob Gurr, Imagineer extrodinaire!

May 4, 2018

Location: Animation Courtyard, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Happy Star Wars Day! In honor of May 4th, aka, May the 4th (Force) be with you, today we are going to be taking a look at an often overlooked spot in Disney's Hollywood Studios to have a very unique Star Wars experience.

Multiple times a day on the stage in the center of the park the Star Wars show, Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away takes place giving guests the opportunity to see some of their favorite Star Wars characters appear on stage together. For today's Fun Find, we are going to be taking a look at an even more up close and personal view of these characters.

Since the characters need to make their way backstage, before and after the show there's a small parade of sorts where the majority of the characters go to and from the stage.  If guests want an up close and personal view of these characters, they can wait for them to pass by with nearly no guests around near the restrooms over by Star Wars Launch Bay and the exit of Walt Disney: One Man's Dream.

April 27, 2018

Location: Hollywood Land, Disney California Adventure

With the new Avengers film being released today, it only makes sense to take a look at the newest area about to be built in Disney California Adventure in the form of a new Avengers Land! Last year when the Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout opened many fans noticed a detail found to the right of the entrance to the attraction:

Here they could find a hatch with the famous Avengers A found on the cover. Fans began to speculate correctly that a land dedicated to the Avengers would soon be opening up tying in the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction as well. So what is the hatch for? Currently the storyline focuses on the idea that the hatch is a secret entrance to the Avengers headquarters, but as the new area opens up in the future more details will emerge.

April 20, 2018

Castaway Cay is truly paradise on earth. However, there is one problem. You only have a limited amount of time on the island, which means many of the fun finds found on the island are still out there waiting to be discovered by people like me. Today we are going to take a look at what may be the first discovery guests come across while on the island.

Just after disembarking the ship and making your way to Castaway Cay, guests will find a building on the left hand side that appears to be insignificant at first glance, however, upon closer inspection guests can discover a nod to the head of the Walt Disney Company. Here guests will find a sign showing an advertisement for Captain Bob Iger:

Bob Iger is the current CEO of the company, and while he wasn't the CEO when the Disney Cruise Line first debuted in 1998, he still receives an honor by having his name featured here on the island. Much like the windows of Main Street, USA in various Magic Kingdom style parks around the world showcase nods to various people who have played an influential role in the creation of the Walt Disney Company, these signs can be found scattered all around Castaway Cay paying homage to influential members of the Walt Disney Company. And much like Walt's window being the first window we found on Main Street, USA, the CEO, Captain Bob Iger, is the first name we find here on Castaway Cay.

April 13, 2018

Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom

About a quarter of the way through the queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad guests will approach two large bulletin boards filled with various pieces of paper posted against them. In the very center of the left board, guests can find the following sheet of paper:

Here they can find the patent for the Automatic Train-Brake. Picture on Fig. 1 is a drawing of a train engine, along with the first car, for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. At the top of the sheet is the name T.W. Baxter. This is a reference to tony Wayne Baxter, the head Imagineer who worked on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad project resulting in him being recognized several times throughout the queue.

In addition to the nod to Tony Baxter, guests may notice that this invention was patented on July 17, 1877. the reference in the date isn't tied directly to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but to Disneyland which opened on July 17, 1955, 78 years to the day after Tony Baxter filed his patent for the Automatic Train-Brake.

April 6, 2018

Location: Dinoland, USA, Disney's Animal Kingdom

The Cretaceous Trail is one of the most overlooked sections in Dinoland, USA. Scattered throughout the trail are various dinosaurs guests can find while the entrance gives guests an opportunity to meet Donald Duck in paleontologist form. Near the entrance to the trail, guests can find a bulletin board filling in various information about duck billed dinosaurs.

Towards the top of the bulletin board is a piece of parchment that the showcases the last sighting of various duck-billed creatures. While some of the sketches found here feature pictures of duck-billed dinosaurs, there are a few pictures on here that are worth taking a closer look at. Starting towards the far right portion of the picture, guests can find the timeline has hit the year 1987 along with "yesterday". 1987 features pictures of Huey, Dewey, and Louie while yesterday features a picture of Donald.

 The picture of Donald from yesterday has him wearing his meet and greet outfit that is just a few yards away. Huey, Dewey, and Louie, on the other hand, are found in the year 1987. While the three ducks had made numerous appearances in short cartoons and comics prior to 1987, the picture here is referring to their debut in the hit TV show DuckTales. Their description even includes a nod to the Junior Woodchucks boy scout type group that they were in on the show.

Towards the left side of the piece of paper is the Late Cretaceous Period with a picture of the one and only bubba the Cave Duck. Bubba made his debut in the second season opener of DuckTales where he enters into the present day (1988) and is eventually adopted by Scrooge McDuck!

March 30, 2018

Location: Walt Disney Theatre, Disney Cruise Line

There are a few common things found throughout the four ships in the Disney Cruise Line Fleet, but the biggest common item is probably the Walt Disney Theatre where the nightly shows take place. At the entrance to each of these theaters, guests are greeted by a giant picture of Walt Disney:

While at first glance everything in this picture seems very similar to how we all remember Walt, there is one thing missing that was found on Walt at almost all times. A cigarette. When Walt first started doing his weekly television shows he always made sure that he would never be found smoking on the show

In order to keep with this image, the cigarette in Walt's hand was airbrushed out, however there is one thing the airbrusher missed. there is just a small little piece of smoke hovering above Walt's hand coming from the invisible cigarette below.

March 23, 2018

Disney Wonder, Disney Cruise Line

On the third level of the Disney Wonder, guests can find the adult district. The district consists of three lounge areas: Cadillac Lounge, Azure, and the Crown & Fin Pub. The Crown & Fib Pub pays homage to all things British, and in one corner it has nods to multiple Disney references. Today we will be taking a look at one of these references.

The pile of newspapers in the corner may appear to be sparatic, but in reality have some hidden treasures. The paper that sits below the box can barely be seen popping out:

Here guests can discover the newspaper article found in the film The Great Muppet Caper. The film focuses on twin reporters, Kermit and Fozzie, who head to the United Kingdom in hopes of cracking a jewel thief case. In the process the two get caught up in the action more than they ever dreamed they would, but on the plus side they made the headlines of the paper found here! 

March 16, 2018

Location: Main Street, USA, Magic Kingdom

The entrance to the Magic Kingdom is an extremely iconic sight. The train station stands between guests and the actual view of Cinderella Castle to act as a grand reveal of the castle, but there is more hidden here than meets the eye.

We've talked about the windows of Main Street in the past and how they honor the people who helped creat the Magic Kingdom, but we haven't gone into much detail about what it all means. The windows of Main Street are set up much like the credits of a movie. Honored on the windows are art directors, writers, designers, and so much more. Like the credits of most movies, the producer of the movie is typically the first name found at the start of the credits, which brings us to our first window on Main Street:

Above the Train Station, guests can find a window which reads "Keeping Dreams on Track. Walter E. Disney - Chief Engineer-" Walt Disney, the chief creator of the Magic Kingdom, gets the honor of being the producer of the credits found here at the entrance to Main Street, USA.

March 9, 2018

Location: Asia, disney's Animal Kingdom

I am often asked if I ever get sick of going to Disney every day and the honest answer is not at all. Every day there are new opportunities and experiences to have making every day unique at the parks. Even better than the new things are the old. No matter how often you go to the park, there are still times where you discover a detail that's been hiding right in front of you. Today we will be taking a look at one of those experiences.

The Maharajah Jungle Trek is easily one of my favorite locations in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The ancient ruins are full of so much detail that it's near impossible for me not to stop there every time I explore the path in hopes of finding a new discovery. I get so excited, in fact, that I often zoom by the entrance to the path where today's Fun Find Friday is located.

Just after entering the path, guests walk under a quick covering (pictured above) which is covered with various news paper articles found throughout Asia. Upon first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything special going on in the area, however, after taking a closer look, guests can find a hidden Disney character hiding in plain sight!

On the left side of the ceiling, there is a newspaper article that has a very small picture hidden upon it. While it would make sense to have a character like Mickey or Minnie who are often well known around the world found here, Imagineers decided to hide one of the most evil villains of them all here:

That's right! Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty, can be found here at the entrance to the Mahrajah Jungle Trek!

March 2, 2018

Location: Fantasyland, Disneyland Paris

There are two shops which reside within the castle. The one on the left (while entering from Main Street, USA) is known as Merlin L'enchanteur. Merlin's shop is one of the most detailed shops found throughout the park, which is saying something since all the shops here have intricate details. Due to the fact that the shop doubles as Merlin's workshop, there are multiple references to the film found within.

Due to the fact that while in the castle we are in the 1500s or 1600s seeing some of the items in here seem to be a little out of place. The most out of place item of them all hangs from the ceiling:

While seeing an airplane hundreds of years before it was actually created may seems odd, it's important to remember what actually occurs in the film, The Sword in the Stone. During the film, Merlin talks about how he has traveled to the future at various times and seen different items. One of the things he shows Arthur is an invention from the future: this airplane!

February 23, 2018

Location: Critter Country, Disneyland

One of the worst things about Disney parks is eventually some classic attractions close down. When Walt Disney World opened up in 1971, the majority of the attractions were duplicates of attractions found at Disneyland. One attraction, however, became the first attraction to open up in Walt Disney World before being duplicated in Disneyland. The attraction? Country Bear Jamboree.

When the attraction opened up in Disneyland it took over some real estate in Frontierland creating a brand new land in the form of Bear Country. Eventually Splash Mountain opened up changing the name again to Critter Country. Unlike Walt Disney World's version of the attraction, Disneyland's had two theaters resulting in a lot of open real estate disappearing.

Eventually Walt Disney World opened up an attraction based around The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh just around the same time when Disneyland's Country Bear Jamboree was starting to lose popularity. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was set to replace The Country Bear Jamboree in Disneyland, marking yet another attraction that originated in Walt Disney World before being replicated in Disneyland.

When The Country Bear Jamboree closed its doors, most of the residents disappeared, however three decided to hang around, literally. Just after exiting the Heffalumps and Woozles scene take a look up and you can find Max, Melvin, and Buff staring at the location of their former glory.

February 16, 2018

Location: Grand Floridian

The lobby of the Grand Floridian is a very elegant place. Everywhere guests look they can find the look and charm of a high luxury resort one may find in the early 1900s. At times it seems like you may not even be inside of the Walt Disney World Resort. Luckily, this isn't the case.

There are several nods to Disney characters found hidden throughout the resort and today we will be taking a look at my favorite one. When guests walk into the lobby from the doors which lead towards the pool, they will be located directly behind the grand staircase found in the lobby.

What most people don't do while entering from this position, however, is look down. If you looked down you would find the following image on the ground:

Here guests can find Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael flying off to Neverland!

February 9, 2018

Location: Adventureland, Disneyland

In 1989 the classic film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, hit theaters concluuding the original Indiana Jones trilogy. During the film, Indy and his father are in search for the Holy Grail, the very same cup which Jesus used at the Last Supper. When they finally arrive at the temple where the Grail is located, they find an old knight there who warns them that they must choose wisely amongst a few dozen cups in order to discover the correct one.

If they choose incorrectly, death will befall on them, but if they choose wisely, they will be granted ever lasting life. Indy, knowing that Jesus was a carpenter, chooses a wooden cup where he is informed that he did, in fact, choose wisely.

While exiting the Indiana Jones attraction in Disneyland, guests swerve through a seris of caves and a temple, but they aren't treated to as many surprises exiting the line as they are entering it, with the exception of one.

Hanging from the ceiling is a crate with some words of advice written upon it:

Just like the knight told  Indy, here we are reminded that "Real Rewards Await Those Who Choose Wisely"

February 2, 2018

Location: Future World, Epcot

The Fountain View location in the center of Future World is currently home to a Starbucks which replaced an ice cream location, which in turn opened up in the 1990s. However, prior to that the location was home to an original piece of Epcot history.

From October 1, 1982 until January 30, 1994, the central portion of Future World was home to CommuniCore. This area was like a prequel to Innoventions which allowed guests to discover futuristic technology that would possibly someday be used in their very own homes sometime in the near future.

In the past we have discussed various locations where guests can discover some of the original Epcot logos around the park. Upon the backside of the menu in front of Fountain View, guests can now find the very logo for CommuniCore which could be found at the original Epcot location from 1982 until 1994!

January 12, 2018

Location: Fantasyland, Disneyland Paris

In the back corner of Fantasyland is Toad Hall,, beloved home of Mr. J. Thaddeus Toad. Unlike Toad Hall in Disneyland, the one here in Disneyland Paris is home to a restaurant:

While the Toad Hall plaque usually reads Semper Absurda which is Latin for Always Absurd. Here in Disneyland Paris, since the facade of the building is home to a restaurant instead of an attraction, the Latin motto is slightly different.

The logo here reads No Consumus Froglagus, which while not actual Latin, is a playful way to let you know that this is the home of Mr. Toad so there is No Consuming of Frog Legs!

January 5, 2017

Location: World Showcase, Epcot

Have you ever noticed the height of the buildings found throughout World showcase? While walking around you may notice that, with the exception of towers in Italy and Japan, the world showcase pavilions that don't feature an attraction are much shorter than the rest.This is the case for almost all of the pavilions, but have you ever noticed how tall the Germany pavilion is?

When Epcot first opened there were plans to include a boat ride that would transport guests along the Rhine River on the Rhine River Cruise. Along the way, guests would pass by miniatures of locations found throughout Germany.

The attraction never came into being, but there was some preparation for the attraction. For instance, a door was put up where the load area would sit. In addition to that, the building which houses Biergarten was raised up in preparation for the attraction. Due to this preparation, the height of the building is higher than most of the buildings around World Showcase much like Norway and Mexico,

December 29, 2017

Location: Future World West, Epcot

A few weeks ago we took a look at the names found on the door halfway through Journey Into Imagination with Figment and as promised, today we are going to talk about the meaning behind the door that the door sits by.

Just after passing the Sound Lab, guests head over to the Sight Lab, but along the way they pass by a computer room which to most people seems to fill no real purpose. We all know that it does however, so let's take a look at the door:

Here guests can see a sign which clearly reads, "No Tennis Shoes Allowed" while a letterman jacket can be found hanging in the window and tennis shoes sit outside. As discussed the other week, the lab here has several references to The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. While all the mishaps in the film occur due to a accident which occurs in the computer lab, the computer referenced in the title of the film doesn't deal with an actual computer, but a person!

Dexter Ridley, the main character in the film, absorbs all the knowledge of the computer making him a super genius. Dexter, who attends Medfield College, has his letterman jacket hanging in the window here on the attraction, while his shoes sit outside. It's a reference that most won't catch, but it's one of the largest references to a Disney film inside an attraction that isn't directly related to the film.

December 22, 2017

Location: The Landing, Disney Springs

One of the most famous scenes of any Indiana Jones films is the very first scene featured in any of the films. The film starts off with Indy in Peru in 1936 where his guide and him enter into a temple filled with booby-traps. After retrieving the golden idol found within the temple, Indiana Jones has a daring escape from a giant boulder just to be bested by his rival waiting outside to retrieve the idol for himself.

Indiana then has to escape from the angry tribe which the idol belongs to and eventually makes his way to a seaplane waiting in a river being piloted by Jock Lindsey. Since then Jock Lindsey has set up a bar at Disney Springs filled with many items from his travels around the world.

In the back left corner of the bar, high upon a shelf, it looks like Jock Lindsey may have escorted Indy back to Peru. Here guests can find the idol that Indiana Jones first tried to retrieve on his first adventure featured on the big screen:

December 15, 2017

Originally published August 12, 2016

Location: Backlot, Disney's Hollywood Studios

I know we visited Sci-Fi Dine In recently, but after dining there again last night I discovered something I've walked past several times in my life. After walking into the lobby area there are two different hallways that lead to the dining area. Unlike our last fun find, this week's can be found on the hallway on the right.

 Before we get to that, let's do a little history about the restaurant and Disney-MGM Studios. When the park first opened up on May 1, 1989, there were only three attractions: The Great Movie Ride, Studio Backlot Tour, and the Magic of Disney Animation. As time would go on, Imagineers did their best to connect various attractions and resstaurants to other portions of the park. Some of these connections were large like the various references to Who Framed Roger Rabbit while others were fairly small and simple, like today's Fun Find Friday.

When Star Tours opened up in late 1989 there weren't a lot of ways to connect it to other sections in the park. Sure, there were a few references to Star Wars in The Great Movie Ride, but overall the attraction stood alone. That is, until April 20th, 1991, the day Sci-Fi Dine-In opened up nearby. With both the attraction and restaurant focusing on a Science Fiction theme, it just made sense that the two would blend together in someway, shape, or form.

Sure, last year the restaurant celebrated Star Wars by having a dining overlay with the films and characters in the restaurant, but what the restaurant really needed was something permanent, which brings us back to that hallway on the right.

While walking down the hallway, guests can find various items scattered in little cubbies on the left-hand side. Towards the end of the hallway two small boxes feature pieces of paper that at first glance don't seem to be anything but random decoration:

So what are these pieces of paper exactly? Upon further investigation, guests can see that each picture shown consists of three pictures and words written underneath. In the picture below you can see that the words written state "Rex makes a sharp left bank as we continue our fall. Ahead a crate can be seen entering the room." Above the words the picture on the left features a robot, the picture in the middle looks like a Death Star trench, and the picture on the right is R2D2.

This, along with the other drawings are the storyboards for the original Star Tours attraction! Rex was the pilot in the original attraction. Much like the original attraction and the storyboard, Rex was on the left side of the cockpit, while in the middle of the attraction was the screen showcasing where we were, and on the screen on the right was a video featuring R2D2!

December 8, 2017

Location: Future World West, Epcot

In the past we have talked about the doorways leading towards the load area for Journey Into Imagination with Figment and their connections with films like Flubber, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Today we will be taking a look at a section of a doorway on the actual attraction and see how it connects to one of the doorways in the queue.

One of the doorways in the queue belongs to the often forgotten about Disney character, Dean Higgins. Dean Higgins appears in the Disney films The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Now You See Him, Now You Don't, and The Strongest Man in the World. In the trilogy of films he is the Dean of Medfield College where he often gets caught up in the craziness created by Dexter Riley and his friends.

While his door in the hallway appears to be random to about 99.9% of the people who pass by it, it's important to remember that in his films a group of college students imported the memory of a computer into a college student, made a student become invisible, and also used their brain power to have one of these students become the strongest man on the planet. Throughout all these fantastic stories, the heart of the films was Imagination.

How does this connect to the ride? Just after passing the sound lab and heading into the sight lab, guests pass by a room with four name plaques on the outside:

Here you can find the names for Professor Quigley, Wilby Daniels, Dexter Riley, and Merlin Jones. Professor Quigley is a professor at Medfield College who is often found supporting Dexter Riley and his friends in their crazy adventures, but is also the middle man between them and Dean Higgins.

Dexter Riley, played by Kurt Russell, has to save the college from bankruptcy in all three films that he appears in. In The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes he has to win an academic decathlon to keep school funding, in The Strongest man in the World Dexter creates a potion to give him super human strength and uses his new found powers to restore financial stability to the college while in Now You See Him, Now You Don't, Dexter discovers a potion to create invisibility which, you guessed it, helps restore the college from financial instability.

Wilby Daniels, whose name can also be found on the door, is a character best remembered for The Shaggy Dog, The Shaggy D.A. and The Return of the Shaggy Dog. While Tommy Kirk, who plays Wilby Daniels in the original Shaggy Dog film would appear in multiple Disney films set in a college age storyline, The Shaggy Dog was not one of them, however, his character of Wilby Daniels would eventually live in the town of Medfield, the location of Medfield College in the Shaggy D.A. when the character was played by Dean Jones.

While Professor Quigly and Dexter Riley's stories focus around things that the characters created through the power of imagination, Wilby Daniels happened to just have found an old ring that was cursed resulting in him being transformed into a dog.

The final character on teh door is Merlin Jones, who is also played by Tommy Kirk.Merlin Jones appears in The Misadventures of Merlin Jones and the Monkey's Uncle. Much like the Dexter Riley trilogy, both films focus on a college that will receive funding if the college students come together to create some sort of scientific innovention . The film takes place at Midvale College, yet another fictional college created by Disney. By the time Dexter Ridley and Wilby Daniels would make apperances in the late 1960s and early 1970s Disney would rename the college from Midvale College to the Medfield College we all know and love today.

So while going past this hallway in the attraction, you are passing a lab where some of the greatest imaginations that have ever appeared on screen have joined together to most likely save the college once again.

But why are their names found on this specific door? Join us next Fun Find Friday to have that question answered!

December 1, 2017

Location: Main Street, USA, Magic Kingdom

When the Magic Kingdom first opened, the West side of Main Street, USA was divided into two sections. The South end was still a massive store known as the Emporium while the North end consisted of Coke Corner (now Casey's Corner), the Penny Arcade, the Main Street Bookstore, and the House of Magic. The area between the South end and North ends of the streets was a continuation of Center Street which still exists on the East side of the street today.

In 1995, Center Street on the West end disappeared by having another an expansion to the Emporium built connecting the South and North ends of the street together. Unfortunately, with this addition the Penny Arcade, the Main Street Bookstore, and the House of Magic became history. While the interior was still considered part of the Emporium, the exterior became different store facades including the Hall of Champions.

Inside the Hall of Champions various trophies and sports items were scattered around the store to fit with the theming although many of the items inside the store were typical merchandise items. All seemed lost to the past of Main Street, USA until last month.

One of the sections in front of the Emporium which used to have the Hall of Champions signs disappeared and was replaced by an old friend:

Sure, the store is still part of the Emporium and isn't a working magic shop like it was when the park first opened up, it's nice to have a little piece of opening day Magic Kingdom back on Main Street, USA.

November 24, 2017

Location: Mickey's Toontown, Disneyland

The queue for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin is extremely detailed and deserves a walk through to find all the secrets waiting to be discovered. As soon as guests enter into the building they can find two walls with license plates scattered upon them. Each of these plates references a different Disney location, film, character, song, or phrase:

The license plates here read "CAP 10 HK" (Captain Hook), " L MERM8" (Little Mermaid), "101 DLMN" (101 Dalmatians), "FAN T C" (Fantasy), "RS2CAT" (Aristocats), "ZPD2DA" (Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah), and "3 LIL PGS" (The Three Little Pigs).

The other wall has the following:

The plates here read "2N TOWN" (Toon Town), "BB Wolf" (Big Bad Wolf), "MR TOAD" (Mr. Toad), "1DRLND" (Wonderland), "1D N PTR" (Wendy and Peter), and "IM L8" (I'm Late).

November 17, 2017

Location: Studio Backlot, Disney California Adventure

The Collector, also known as Taneleer Tivan,is the  owner of the Tivan Collection, aka home of the Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout attraction. The Collector is the original member of the Elders of the Universe, a group of the final members of a race that finds obsession with various tasks. In Tivan's case, it's an obsession with collecting various items throughout the galaxy.

In the newest chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor and Hulk battle it out before the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster has an obsession with gaming, and much like the Collector, he is a member of the Elders of the Universe. So what does this have to do with anything?

Inside the Collector's exhibit at Disney California adventure, guests can find the following painting:

Here guests can see that The Collector and the Grandmaster have participated in a game of some sort and the Grandmaster, who specializes in gaming, appears to have lost to the Collector. Just one more way to show the connections between various characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe while in the theme parks!

November 10, 2017

Location: Studio Backlot, Disney California Adventure

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout is home to the Tivan Collection, the personal collection by The Collector of items from around the galaxy from the Guardian of the Galaxy films. While a lot of items in the collection may seem odd and strange to visitors, there are a few artifacts here that are very familiar to Disney park fans. Today we will be taking a look at one of these items.

After passing through the Collector's personal office, guests enter into the loading chamber for the elevator lifts that will bring guests to see the rarest item of them all, The Guardians of the Galaxy! While here, however, a few surprises are in store.

In preparation for Disneyland's 60th anniversary, the park received several upgrades around the resort. Included in these upgrades was the replacement of the yeti on the Matterhorn Bobsled attraction. The former yeti, lovingly known as Harrold, was replaced by a more terrifying beast to keep up with the times.

While it would appear that Harrold was lost forever to some, The Collector stumbled across this tossed aside beast and has decided to have him take up residency within his collection. Harrold can be found on a balcony halfway through the boarding area of the attraction!

November 3, 2017

Originally published April 12, 2013

Location: Muppet Vision 3-D, Disney's Hollywood Studios

This past Monday Disney lost one of its most beloved Disney Legends, Annette Funicello. Annette was one of the original stars of the Mickey Mouse Club, handpicked by Walt himself, who would eventually go on to a successful singing and acting career. From singing Tall Paul to starring in The Monkey's Uncle, Annette had a truly memorable career with Disney.

To show their love for Annette, Imagineers added a detail to the preshow area of Muppet Vision 3-D when the attraction first opened. While we've gone into a lot of detail about this amazingly detailed area, I think it'd only be appropriate to focus on this object right here in Annette's memory:

Just after passing through the hallway and entering the room, this net can be found almost immediately to your left. So what is it exactly? Well, those orange and green cubes are blocks of Jello. I know, pretty random, but this is the Muppets we are talking about here. So what on earth does this mean? Well, since it is the Muppets it's a clever play on words. This is indeed a net full of Jello, a very close name to Annette Funicello!

October 27, 2017

Location: Echo Lake, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios has been going through some drastic changes over the past few years. In early 2015, the Sorcerer's Hat disappeared, later that year the Magic of Disney Animation closed. Shortly after that the Studio Backlot Tour closed followed by Lights, Motors, Action and the Streets of America. And in the middle of all of it, in 2015, the original park icon, The Earful Tower, disappeared.

While a lot of these items may be gone forever, their spirit still lives on over at the ABC Commissary. Just above the order area is a giant mural of Disney's Hollywood Studios before the Sorcerer's Hat even made it's way to the park in 2001!

Upon the mural, guests can still find the entrance of the Magic of Disney Animation sign along with the Earful Tower off in the distance!

Just goes to show that not everything at Disney disappears forever!

October 20, 2017

Location: Fantasyland, Disneyland Paris

Unlike the American Disney parks, Disneyland Paris has a slower moving vibe around it. In place of multiple attractions where guests board ride vehicles, guests explore walk through attractions that take guests on trips through Captain Nemo's submarine, Aladdin, or a maze in Wonderland. Due to these slower moving experiences, it makes sense that a slow moving animal can be found hidden upon Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Crawling up the Castle turrets, guests can find little golden balls decorating the side. While at first they appear to be simply little balls, upon further inspection it's the animal that best symbolizes the pace of the park:

That's right! A group of snails can be found slowly and silently ascending the castle!

October 13, 2017

Location: Sunset Boulevard, Disney's Hollywood Studios

It's Friday the 13th which means it's time for a trip over to the Hollywood Tower Hotel!

AAA has always given awards to hotels and resorts around the country a coveted 5 Star Award for exceptional service. While many hotels have strived to reach this coveted award, the Hollywood Tower Hotel, home of the Tower of Terror, strived for a little more.

While in the lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, take a look at the wall behind the concierge desk. Upon the wall guests can find the following plaque hanging there:

While difficult to see, AAA awarded the Hollywood Tower Hotel with a special unprecedented 13 Star Award to commemorate the 13 stories that guests plunge during their visit!

October 6, 2017

Location: Grand Avenue, Disney's Hollywood Studios

This past week the Baseline Tap House, along with Grand Avenue, opened up at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The new section of the park has taken over the former area known as Streets of America. While Streets of America may be gone, there are still some references to the previous area that are still found in the area.

One of the most beloved shops in Disney's Hollywood Studios, The Writer's Stop, has been replaced by the Tap House, but the Writer's Stop lives on in a simple detail found upon the shelves.

The Base Line Tap House is meant to represent the inside of a printing press shop, so due to this, scattered throughout the store are various items that one may find in a printing press. On the shelves are a total of ten letters scattered around revealing a nice nod:

If you read all the letteres from left to right you can see that it reads Writer's Stop. Not only that, but the letters found here are the actual letters from the sign from the old shop!

September 29, 2017

Location: Adventureland, Magic Kingdom

While guests enter into Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, they will pass underneath the following sign at the entrance:

When the attraction first opened up in 1973, the name written here was simply El Castillo, which translated from Spanish means The Castle, a fitting name due to the fact that the fortress that Pirates of the Caribbean is housed in looks reminiscent of of a castle. The name of the fort would eventually be renamed to the Castillo del Morro due to the influence that the Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico had for the design of the attractin's exterior.

Underneath the Castillo del Morro section of the sign, guests can find the date MDCXLIII A.D. While originally the Roman Numerals found here were a representatation of 1973, the year Pirates of the Caribbean opened in Walt Disney World,, the reference here is actually to 1643, the year that the actual fort in San Juan was established!

September 22, 2017

Location: All-Star Sports

The All-Star Resorts are often overlooked by most guests as cheap and gimmicky resorts that may not have as much backstory as the rest of the resorts found throughout Walt Disney World property. While that may be true at times, there are some details found within these resorts that are often overlooked by guests even though the details are larger than life.

In the Football section of All-Star Sports, guests can walk through a football field that has various plays laid out upon the large field. While the play may result in a a touchdown, it's the pennants that circle the section that lead us into today's fun Find Friday.

While the Baseball section of the resort's pennants focus solely on Major League Baseball teams, the Football section does not feature a single team from the National Football League. Instead, guests can find team names for college teams such as Bulldogs, Boilermakers, and my personal favorite, Badgers.

While that seems like a nice little detail, there's two notable teams from the state of Florida that are missing: the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. So how can Disney reference so many college teams without paying tribute to the biggest rivalry in the state of Florida?

As mentioned earlier, sometimes details are larger than life and staring at us without us knowing it. The two giant football helmets are painted in Orange and Blue and Garnet and Gold, aka the school colors for Florida and Florida State!

September 15, 2017

Location: Future World, Epcot

Spaceship Earth is one of the most iconic attractions found throughout Walt Disney Word with several details just waiting to be discovered. While we could go on and on about  the audio-animatronics in the attraction (that'll be for another time), today we are going to be looking at a detail found towards the end of the ascent in the attraction.

While guests begin to get closer to modern forms of communication like Newpapers, movie theaters, and television, there's a detail found on the right hand side of the attraction that may be overlooked on your first and second or twentieth ride through. The detail can be found in the radio scene:

While the scene seems very simple with not a lot of detail, the item that needs to be given the attention here is the microphone in front of the radio announcer. Here we can see that the radio station is WDI. While this isn't a nod to an actual radio station, it is a nod to the creators behind Disney parks around the world: Walt Disney Imagineering!

September 8, 2017

Location: Discovery Island, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Pizzafari is one of the most detailed restaurants on Disney property. Every room has a unique theme while focusing on special details throughout the rooms that most people may never notice. The detail we will be looking at today isn't just a detail that most guests miss out on, but a detail that an Imagineer overlooked as well!

The largest dining room in the restaurant is the upside down room. All of the animals painted upon the walls and found scattered throughout the room are hanging upside down in some way with the exception of one animal (which will be a whole different Fun Find Friday). Today, we will be taking a look at the back portion of this room where an Imagineer started a detail that was never finished.

Upon the wall guests can find a row of opossums hanging from a tree. While at first nothing seems to be odd about the picture, but at closer look, you may notice something wrong with the third opossum from the right:

No, not the one with the body. The third opossum over is missing! Here you can just find a tail hanging from a tree with a missing body!

September 1, 2017

Location: Main Street, USA, Disneyland Paris

While in Disneyland Paris one wouldn't expect to find too many references to one of the most American films Disney ever created, however Main Street, USA still pays tribute to all things American including a very slight nod to the walt Disney live action film, "Pollyanna."

Within the gift shops on the right side of the street there are various department signs hanging from the ceiling. While most of these feature items like clothing, children, toys, among other things. In the second section of stores on the right hand side, about half way down, guests can find the following sign:

The sign reads Harrington's, and if you recall in Pollyanna, that was the name of the Glad Town that Pollyanna came to and slowly changed the lives of everyone who lived there.

August 25, 2017

Location: Mickey's toontown, Disneyland

It's no question that Mickey Mouse is a pretty big deal. Throughout the past 89 years he has touched the lives of millions in his short films, feature length films, theme park appearances, television appearances, and much more. The mouse has really done it all throughout the years. And what better way to celebrate his achievements, than by walking around Mickey's House in Disneyland's Toontown?

Scattered throughout the house guests are treated to numerous fun finds, but today we are going to be taking a look at this detail found on a shelf in Mickey's living room:

The certificate of merit reads: "Awarded to Mickey Mouse for excellence in Alpine Climbing" and is dated July 25, 1936. Next to the certificate is a picture of Mickey climbing up a mountain. The picture is from the classic Mickey Mouse short, Alpine Climbers. The short cartoon debuted on, you guessed it, July 25, 1936!

Another detail to pay attention to is the name of the mayor of Toontown. While most characters mentioned around Toontown are familiar to guests, the mayor is a new character made specifically for the land. Her name? Anna Mation

August 18, 2017

Location: Hollywood Boulevard, Disney's Hollywood Studios

This past Sunday Ellen's Energy Adventure and The Great Movie Ride closed up for good. While the two beloved attractions may be gone, that's not going to stop us from sharing some amazing details in both attractions! This week we will be taking a  look at a detail in the Alien scene of The Great Movie Ride that was often overlooked by guests.

While first entering the spaceship Nostromo, there are multiple computer screens on the lower left hand corner. While some of these just feature nonsense numbers and letters, the first one looks a little like this:

The middle paragraph reads "The Nostromo welcomes all aliens visiting today from the Glendale Galaxy. We hope you have a pleasant stay with us." This is a nod to the fact that Walt Disney Imagineering is located in Glendale, California!

August 11, 2017

Location: Hollywood Boulevard, Disney's Hollywood Studios

With The Great Movie Ride closing up in only two days, today we are going to be taking a look at a fun find found in front of the classic attraction. In order to get into this fun find, we need to take a look at a brief history of how the attraction came into being.

The idea for a movie making pavilion was first proposed for one of the empty locations in Future World over in Epcot with the main attraction focusing around a Great Movie Ride that took guests into some of the most classic scenes in American cinema. It was quickly decided that the idea was igger than just an individual pavilion, but had the legs for an entire theme park.

So the idea took off quickly and Disney began to search high and low for various activities that they could do to give guests a completely immersive Hollywood experience while still remaining in Florida. Film production began on multiple films and television shows, animators began to work on films like Mulan, Brother Bear, and Lilo and Stitch, and attractions began to be thought up of that would give guests the ideas of how a film truly was made.

There was just something missing though, and that was the actual celebrities. Sure, guests were meant to be the star of their own story, but Disney wanted to bring actual stars to the guests to feel like they truly were in Hollywood.

It was decided that in front of The Great Movie Ride, handprints would be placed out front mimicing the handprints found in front of the actual Chinese Theater in Hollywood which the exterior of The Great Movie Ride was mirrored after.

Disney brought out some of their biggest stars like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Dick Van Dyke, some of their biggest collaborators like George Lucas and Jim Henson, and then of course, some true Hollywood legends. Most of these ceremonies were held in front of actual guests so they could truly get a feel for what Hollywood was all about. I know, I know. What's the Fun Find? Today's Fun Find takes a look at one square which has a very unique background to it:

April 29, 1989, just days before Disney-MGM Studios opened to the public, several celebrities were invited to have their handprints placed in front of the attraction so guests visiting on opening day woul d have handprints already set in stone to give the theater a feeling of having been around for ages already up to that point.

Audrey Hepburn, who was best known for films like Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, and Breakfast at Tiffany's began to choke up while making her mark in cement. When she was asked why she was getting so emotional she let the press know that throughout her entire career, she had never been selected to have her handprints placed in actual Hollywood and that being honored at Disney-MGM Studios was like having a dream come true for her.

Quickly the actual Graumann's Chinese theater got hold of the story and apologized to her for being overlooked and they quickly insisted that she come out to have her handprints immortalized in front of their theater. She responded by politely declining stating that her handprints were at Disney and that would always be good enough for her.

August 4, 2017

Location: Future World, Epcot

In the Fall of 1999, the entrance of Epcot received the brand new addition known as Leave a Legacy. From 19999 until 2007, guests could purchase a tile that allowed their face to remain at the entrance of Epcot for at least ten years:

While looking through the tiles, you can find numerous guests that have visited the parks throughout the years, but one thing most people overlook is the fact that sometimes celebrities visit the parks as well. On the fourth row up in section F on the front right section of the Leave a Legacy, guests can find the five members of the Orlando, Florida based band NSYNC. The band was still together when the Leave a Legacy originally debuted and the five members still stand together here in Epcot:

July 28, 2017

Location: Future World East, Epcot

When I first started this website, it coincided with my book which takes a look at the Disney animated film references found throughout the Walt Disney World. The website would allow me the chance to update new references to films that I may have missed while doing research in 2009. For years I have often wished I hadn't missed an obvious reference in the original draft, but I've been wanting to write about it for quite some time.

The reference can be found at the Universe of Energy's Ellen Energy's Adventure. With the attraction closing in less than three weeks, it's time that we finally take a look at this missing reference.

The most exciting portion of the attraction is when guests have a chance to go through a giant diorama featuring multiple dinosaurs. While several of the influences come from the Grand Canyon Concourse on the Disneyland railroad, one specific scene is taken from the 1940 classic, Fantasia!

During the Rite of Spring portion of the film, viewers watch the struggles that dinosaurs would have gone through including the battle between a Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Luckily for people visitng Epcot, they have had a chance to witness this famous battle for the past 35 years here at the Universe of Energy!

Ellen's energy Adventure will be closing for good on August 13, 2017. Make sure to check it out before it's gone for good!

July 21, 2017

Location: Adventureland, Magic Kingdom

At times connections between the parks and movies are extremely obvious, like Dumbo the Flying Elephant presenting Dumbo from the classic film. Then there are other references that aren't even meant to represent a film, but due to both the film and the attraction taking inspiration from the same sources, happy coincidences occur. Today we are going to be talking about one of these happy occurrences.

While recently at Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room I took a look at a nearby Tiki statue and was shocked to see a detail that would have meant little to me this time last year:

In addition to the Enchanted Tiki Room being inspired by the islands of Hawaii, the 2016 hit Disney film, Moana, was also inspired by the islands. During the film, Moana is given the task of returning the heart of Te Fiti to its rightful location. Along the way she meets up with Maui who stole the heart in the first place and the two take on the task together while singing some catchy tunes.

The heart of Te Fiti was an already existing shape found in Hawaiian culture and clearly the animators for Moana were not the first ones to take inspiration from the shape. As you can see, the stomach of the tiki god here also features this shape and has for 45 years before it made its debut in Moana!

July 14, 2017

Location: Pandora, Disney's Animal Kingdom

We are once again returning to Pandora - the World of Avatar this week to take a look at an often overlooked detail in the exit of Avatar Flight of Passage. While guests travel the first portion of the queue, they enter into a cave featuring multiple hand prints and cave drawings in one of the earliest documentations of the Na'vi residents on Pandora. Amongst these Na'vi handprints are the handprints of humans as well as they began to visit the planet

After leaving the initial cave area, the handprints become less scattered and not as present as they are in the first room. Once guests are leaving the attraction, however, there are three handprints that can be found on the bottom wall on the right hand side in the long corridor that leads back to the land of Pandora. What's different about these three handprints are the initials that accompany each one:

So who are the the owners of these three handprints? They actually don't symbolize characters from the film, but the creators of Pandora (both on screen and in the park). The JR stands for Joe Rohde, who is an Imagineer that not only helped design the land, he was the main creator for both Pandora and the entire park that is Disney's Animal Kingdom. The JC and JL belong to the two main filmmakers for the Avatar film, James Cameron and Jon Landau!

July 7, 2017

Location: Pandora, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Since Disney's Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, there has been a weird phenomenon occurring at Disney parks and it revolves around the evolution of the restroom. Prior to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the theming of the restrooms was practically non-existent and a restroom was just a restroom.

In the past 19 years though, the restrooms around Disney have started to help tell the story found around the land in some way or another and the restrooms in Pandora follow suit with their very own storyline.

Outside of the restrooms located near the entrance to Pandora guests can find the following sign on the building out front:

Since the Mo'ara Valley was once inhabited by humans trying to retrieve the energy source precious to the Navi, there are remnants of the culture they left behind scattered all around. The sign outside of the restroom shows that the building that now houses the restroom was at one point a decontamination station.  To take it a step further, the sign even subtly hints that the stalls found within the restroom were at one point decon stalls that would allow guests to get rid of waste they may have caught while exploring the planet. Subtle? Due to the majority of guests passing by the sign without paying attention, it's surprisingly subtle while also being in your face about the new purpose of the decontamination center!

June 30, 2017

Location: Frontierland

The first attraction guests come across in Frontierland is the often overlooked Frontierland Shootin' Arcade. Here guests have the opportunity to shoot 97 different targets that, when shot, interact in various ways. Some of them result in items moving, owls hooting, and tombstones creaking. the most popular target is the sign in the middle of the room, which when shot, turns into a For Sale sign from the usual sign instructing guests that the name of the town is Boothill.

But why Boothill? While most people associate it with Tombstone, Arizona  where the cemetery in the legendary town is known as Boothill Cemetery, that's actually only partially true.

Boothill is actually a common phrase for graveyards in the 1800s  where men would be buried with their boots on after losing in gunfights within various towns. So next time you are in Frontierland, stop by and pay respect to those men who just weren't quick enough on the draw.

June 23, 2017

Location: Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom

Beginning in the late 1920s until the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Walt Disney Studios was located on Hyperion Avenue. Throughout the years, Disney has paid homage to the studio where the classic Disney characters, along with the first full length feature animated film was created throughout their parks. Today's Fun Find takes us into the queue of Space Mountain for one of these references.

While in line for Space Mountain, guests can find several maps on the left wall featuring maps of various galaxies. The second map along the wall  The second map along the wall features the Titan Stations - Sector Two. While most of the locations found here represent names that would appear in a galaxy far, far away, pay special attention to the location on the map on the far right:

That's right! This spot in the galaxy is home to the Disney's Hyperion Resort, a nice little nod to Hyperion Avenue in an attraction that opened forty years after Disney earned money for their new studio in Burbank!

June 16, 2017

Location: Carsland, Disney California Adventure

Today the third film in the Cars franchise will be released so naturally we will be taking a look at a Fun Find in Carsland, the California Adventure land dedicated solely to the very first Cars film.During the credits of the original Cars film, there is a great scene where Mack arrives at a drive in movie theater. In honor of that drive in theater, today's Fun Find Friday will take a look at a nod to a live action Disney film found within the land.

While waiting for Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters, guests can find a bulletin board filled with several memorabilia items placed upon it. While most of these items focus around racing stars in the Cars world, there is a movie poster for a Disney live action film that is set inside the world of Cars. The film? 20,000 Leaks Under the Sea (a play on words for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea):

June 9, 2017

Location: Contemporary

The monorail offers up some of the most unique views found throughout the Walt Disney World resort whether it's sailing by Spaceship Earth or traveling through the Contemporary. One monorail loop features a very unique view that can only be seen from that specific monorail loop. For guests traveling upon the Magic Kingdom Express loop from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom, guests can find a statue of Mickey that is difficult to see from anywhere else.

Just before entering the Contemporary, take a look at the building on the right hand side to find Mickey sitting on the ledge in metal form:

If this Mickey seems familiar, it should to guests who have explored the grounds of the Contemporary! After exiting the lobby of the resort through the back door, guests can find a perfect photo opportunity of Mickey Mouse sitting on a pair of Mickey ears! The metal design is exactly the same as the one found sitting on the building!

June 2, 2017

Location: Panodra - The World of Avatar, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Pandora - The World of Avatar at first seems like an odd addition to Disney's Animal Kingdom, however the idea of conservation is found throughout the entire land. During Avatar, the RDA, a mining company, travels to the moon of Pandora to claim a precious energy source that can only be found on the moon. As the conflict between the Na'vi people and the humans conclude, the RDA has put quite a dent on the landscape of the moon from their destruction.

Scattered throughout the land of Pandora, guests can find various items that the RDA had built or brought and left behind on the far away moon. As time went by, these various man made items slowly became one with the land itself, which brings us to this week's Fun Find Friday! Just after entering the land through the main entrance, guests can find the river on their right-hand side which originally called Camp Minnie-Mickey home:

Hidden within the woods is a small little mound which helps showcase the way that the moon of Pandora has begun to reclaim it's land from the devastation that the RDA brought to it. Hidden here is a helicopter which is beginning to be reclaimed by the landscape as the plants begin to overtake it:

This isn't the only spot in the land where the planet is beginning to overcome the destruction that was brought to the moon, but that will be saved for another week!

May 26, 2017

Location: Winter, Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf

The Winter Summerland Miniature golf course and Blizzard Beach have always gone hand in hand with one another. And due to the fact that Blizzard Beach is a water park, it only makes sense that their would be some sort of extended relation between Winter Summerland and Typhoon Lagoon. The relationship between the two takes a unique turn on hole 16 on the Winter side.

Just last year at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, guests had the opportunity to swim with sharks in a shark reef. If you take a look at the mantel on the chimney you can find a sign:

"Going snorkeling at Shark Reef. Be back soon... I hope. "Santa Jaws"

Obviously this reference doesn't exactly work anymore with the closure of the Shark Reef, but hopefully the sign will stay for years to come as a nice tribute to the former Typhoon Lagoon attraction!

May 19, 2017

Location: Pandora - The World of Avatar, Disney's Animal Kingdom

With Pandora - The World of Avatar being only 8 days away from opening, previews have been in full swing and I've been lucky enough to explore this fantastic new land. While there are so many details to be discovered throughout the land, today we are going to take a look at a detail which takes us to the most important aspect of any Disney park.

In the back corner of the land, guests can find the snack stand feature in the picture above, Pongu Pongu. While most of the details here look thrown together, we all know that some of the items here have a deeper meaning. Today we are takin a look at the little orange and black tags hanging from the ceiling. At first glance it doesn't seem like anything special, but upon closer inspection, one may notice that there are faces upon them:

So who are these people? As stated earlier, this is about the most important aspect of any Disney project. And that of course, is the Imagineers. The faces found on these tags are the Imagineer team that brought the world of Pandora to life!

May 12, 2017

Location: Main Street, USA, Magic Kingdom

Tinker Bell has had several homes in the Magic Kingdom over the past 10 years. She could first be found in a drawer in the old shop Tinker Bell's Treasures. She then was found as a character who flew throughout Tinker Bell's Treasures. She eventually made her way to Mikcey's Toontown Fair followed by Adventureland, and currently can be found in the Town Square Theater on Main Street, USA. Just before meeting Tink, guests can find this larger than life teacup that's upside down:

On the bottom of the cup (which is actually sticking up) reads
"Honorable Barrie
Bone China
England
Emerine-Rapport-Davis 1906
Kensington Gardens"

The honorable Barrie is a ference to Author Sir James Barrie who was the author of Peter Pan. The stories of Peter Pan were inspired by Sir Barrie after he met some neighborhood boys. He wrote about their adventures which stemmed from Kensington Gardens in England! The story of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens was originally found in a story written by James Barrie called The Little White Bird, which was the precursor for Tinker Bell!

May 5, 2017

Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom

A few years ago we took a look at the barrel  found near the exit of Peter Pan's Flight which honors a Lost Boy who is named Richard Le Pere, Jr. Amazingly enough, this "Lost Boy" also has a reference to him near the exit of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:

Here we can see that according to the crate here in Frontierland, Richard Le Pere Jr. is the Fire chief, but is there a hidden meaning behind his name being here? Of course there is! Richard Le Pere Jr. is a very real person with a very real connection to the Walt Disney World Resort. As time goes on, the crate here will switch as time goes by due to one very specific circumstance: who the fire chief of Reddy Creek Fire Department is.

that's right! Richard Le Pere, Jr. is the actual fire chief of Walt Disney World's fire department. Hidden inside the crate is an actual fire hose that the actual fire department can use in case of a dire situation. Just another clever way to disguise a modern day tool in a setting where that modern appliance wouldn't be found.

April 28, 2017

Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom

This week we are traveling back into the queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Over the years we have discovered various references to the 1975 Disney live action classic, The Apple Dumpling Gang. In the film, Theodore Ogelvie and Amos Tucker are a pair of bumbling crooks that team up with a group of children while going on adventures in the Wild West. While in the queue line, guests will come across the following sign:

While the sign doesn't necessarily scream The Apple Dumpling Gang, there are two things mentioned on the sign which reference the film. The most obvious line is at the bottom of the sign stating to "Try the Apple Dumplings - a Specialty of the house!" The least obvious is at the top of the sign, where the advertisment states that when in Quake City, guests should stop by the Hard Times Cafe. Quake City is the main location for the film where Theodore and Amos join forces.

April 21, 2017 (Originally published May 24, 2013)

Throughout the years Disney has created some of the most memorable characters for audiences to love. From Mickey Mouse to the Genie to Tiana and Zazu, each character has a distinct personality of their own for fans to fall in love with in their own unique way. The same is true for the Disney parks. Several characters have made their way into the parks for guests to fall in love with all over again. Unlike the Disney films where people can watch their favorite characters over and over again, at times the characters within the parks will have their attraction close down for good, which unfortunately brings an end to their career as well.

Back in 1987, Star Tours debuted in Disneyland as a huge crowd pleaser. Due to its popularity it eventually made a home at Disney-MGM Studios in December of 1989. While the attraction wasn't as advanced as its current form, guests were treated to the lovable rookie pilot, Captain RX-24 or Rex for short (he's sure it's your first flight and it's his too).

Rex, voiced by Pee-wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens, took guests on a journey to the moon of Endor. Along the way guests wound up in an asteroid field and joined the Rebel Alliance's attack upon the Death Star. While he did nearly kill every guest aboard, the knuckleheaded droid did eventually return his passengers safely.

When Star Tours went under a major refurb to introduce Star Tours 2.0 many guests began to speculate if Captain Rex would be returning for the new attraction. Then the news came: this attraction would be taking place between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars Saga, which also meant before the original Star Tours attraction. This caused one slight problem: Captain Rex makes it very clear that it is his first flight. This unfortunately meant RX-24 would not be returning to the newly refurbished attraction. So what happened to Captain Rex?

Next time you are in the queue, take a look to your left just after entering the baggage room to see the following image:

Here you can find Captain Rex with a sign which reads, "Defective!" Due to this storyline taking place before the original Star Tours Imagineers decided to incorporate Rex by showing that he had the potential to possibly be our pilot for this trip on Star Tours, but there were still a few things that needed to be worked out so we ended up with ACE.

April 14, 2017

Location: Main Street, USA, Disneyland Paris

Two days ago, Disneyland Paris celebrated it's 25th anniversary since it first opened up (as Euro Disney). Keeping the tradition that began with Disneyland, Paris' park also has a Main Street, USA which features a massive storm known as The Emporium. Within the shop, guests can buy various souvenirs scattered within some Fun Finds just waiting to be discovered.

Behind two of the counters are murals depicting two other emporiums found throughout the world. One of these murals depicts the original Emporium featured in Disneyland:

Throughout most of the park there are tributes to Walt Disney and his impact of dreaming up Disneyland leading to the eventual creating of Disneyland Paris. The dedication plaque in Town Square is almost verbatim to Walt's opening speech in Disneyland in 1955, there's a street dedicated to Walt and Roy and the Studios park next door, and then there's the nod to Walt in the mural here.

As you can see in the picture above, the Disneyland Emporium apparently opened in 1855, 100 years prior to the park's actual opening, while the proprietor found here is Walt Disney himself!

April 7, 2017

Location: Frontierland, Disneyland Paris Park

 With Disneyland Paris having it's 25th anniversary this coming up week, it only seems appropriate to visit one of my favorite attractions at the park: The Phantom Manor! Unlike the typical Haunted Mansion attraction guests know in the U.S. Disney parks, Disneyland Paris' focuses on a slightly different storyline while still focusing on the idea of a mansion. This time around, however, the story focuses around a phantom who will forever haunt the house until the end of times in order to make sure that the bride will never achieve her happiness of being with her true love.

While there are some differences in the attraction compared to the Haunted Mansion we all know and love, there are several spots throughout the attraction that allows guests to see the similarities between the two attractions separated by the Atlantic. Today's Fun Find is going to take a look at a sign that is similar, yet different, which sits outside the attraction:

While there are some similarities to the Haunted Mansion sign, one of the most interesting differences on this sign compared to the ones found in the United States is the line found on the bottom of the plaque: "Non Omnis Moriar." The phrase, which is Latin, refers directly to the Phantom himself: "Not everything dies."

Make sure to join us next week as we take another look at a fun find in Disneyland Paris in honor of it's 25th anniversary!

March 31, 2017

Location: Dinoland, USA, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Throughout the years I've mentioned several times about how I love the intricate storyline found throughout Dinoland, USA. There are multiple characters found throughout the land in the form of documents scattered throughout the land and nearly every visit to the land I discover a new detail hiding under my nose. Today's takes us to the Boneyard near this dinosaur:

Actually, it takes us behind the dinosaur to the very first step. Upon the step I stumbled across some carvings into the cement., at first glance it appears to be someone who has vandalized the park in a subtle way, but upon closer inspection, I saw the following:

On here we can see the name Sam Gonzales along with '76. In addition to that is a R+A +Sam's name.This helps answer a few questions we've always had about Dinoland, USA, but also opens up a new one. Sam Gonzales' name is found throughout the area and in addition to being one of the researchers of the area, but he's also the computer brain of the area as well.

One of the big questions that has always been asked about the land is when the researchers we are with first made appearances around Dinoland, USA.We know from the story that the Boneyard was founded in 1948 while the Dino Institute was created in 1978. Thanks to tis new discovery we now know that they were there in 1976 at least.

The question is,, who is A and M? Around the land are more references to other characters, however, for this week's Fun Find Friday, the mystery stops here and will be looked into more in a future Fun Find Friday!

March 24, 2017

Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom

While researching my upcoming book, A Closer Look: At the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn and Cafe has two nods to my birthday, March 24th! The two pieces of "official" paper can be found behind the toppings bar near the window closest to Splash Mountain:

The first sheet of paper is a Warrant of Authority giving Pecos Bill himself, whose current occupation is Defender of the Defenseless entitlement of the role Provisional Captaincy. the day which this honor was bestowed was the 24th day of March in 1894.

The second sheet of paper gives Widowmaker, the horse of Pecos Bill, the opportunity to join the Ranger Force of the State of Texas. Widowmaker also joined Pecos Bill in the prestigious role on the 24th day of March in 1894!

March 17, 2017

Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom

March 10, 2017

Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom

In 1975, Disney released a live action film starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway called The Apple Dumpling Gang. In the film, the two are bumbling bank robbers who befriend a group of children and thus form The Apple Dumpling Gang. While guests walk through the line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad they can find multiple references to the classic live action film, but one of the posters pays special tribute to the actors in the film:

During the film, Don Knotts plays the role of Theodore Ogelvie while Tim Conway plays Amos Tucker. Underneath each character's profile is a description of each actor right now to their age when the film was released (Don Knotts being  51 years old and Tim Conway being 42!

March 3, 2017

Location: Adventureland, Disneyland Paris

A few weeks ago we took a look at the entrance of Adventureland in Disneyland Paris to discover the connection it had to the True Life Adventure films:

There is a detail hidden in the picture above, however, that we didn't touch. Notice that small circle in the bottom right corner? Most people that walk by probably think it's just some sort of clever design to add a little more life to the mosaic found here, but in reality it's a signature!

In the past we've talked about how rare it is for Disney Imagineers to be able to leave their mark in the parks by signing their artwork. There have been exceptions that have been cleverly done like the mosaic found in front of The Land pavilion at Epcot or the mosaic found inside Cinderella Castle (must be a mosaic thing). Unlike previous signatures though, this one is a little more unique:

The circle consists of three letters offering up the signature to the entire Imagineer team at WDI, or Walt Disney Imagineering!

February 24, 2017

Location: Muppets Courtyard, Disney's Hollywood Studios

This week we are heading back to the relatively new Pizzarizzo restaurant in the Muppets Courtyard. On the second floor of the restaurant is a reception area which is set up to look like a reception hall for a wedding. Prior to entering, guests will see this sin next to the door:

In 1984, the Muppets starred in their third full length feature film, Muppets Take Manhatten. The film follows the characters as they achieve their greatest dream of landing a show on Broadway. With all of their dreams coming true, Kermit and Miss Piggy decide that it's probably time for the two of them to finally get married. There's just one problem. Kermit is hit by a car, gets amnesia, and due to the fact that he doesn't wear clothes, has no type of identification on him.

Kermit gets into an advertising agency where he tells the staff that his name is Phil. He then learns that the people who work at the agency are named Gil, Jill, Lill, Will, and Bill. Kermit, under the name Phil, becomes quite the ad man by making slogans like "Ocean Breeze Soap will make you clean." Eventually Kermit regains his memories, performs on Broadway, and marries Miss Piggy.

So while looking at the board, we see the line "Somebody Got Married!" which is a reference to the final song in the film, "Somebody's Getting Married." Underneath that we see that the wedding is for Gil and Lill who are the daughters of Will and Jill and son of Phil and Bill. This is obviously referencing Kermit's time as an advertising guru.  The final line shows that the band playing at the wedding is the Electric Mayem, which is the name of the band that is part of the Muppets starring Dr. Teeth!