37 Disturbing Things I Have to Know About Disney World Because of My Job

Disney World has no shortage of exciting things happening.

From new updates to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to the latest news for runDisney and Genie+ updates, there is always something going on in the parks! Thanks to this job, I’m always up to date on parks news but there’s also quite a bit of weird information that lives in my brain, so here are 37 disturbing things I have to know about Disney World because of my job.

I go to Disney World almost every single day so I’ve seen a thing or two and learned a thing or two you might not notice. This list is just some of the most bizarre things I’ve learned, and it’s a bit of a doozy, so let’s hop right into it!

• How Disney Releases News. One strange thing I’ve learned is Disney doesn’t just announce one big piece of news, normally they announce several large pieces of news at once.
• My Knowledge Of Politics. Everyone here on the AllEars team knows more about the politics of Disney World and the Walt Disney Company than the average human probably should.
• Very Specific Dates. I personally think it’s disturbing how, at almost any point, I can tell you specific dates for almost any Walt Disney World activity off of the top of my head. That’s just something I can do now, apparently.

• The Importance of Cupcakes. While this is very niche, Walt Disney World cupcakes are of huge importance in my life as well as everyone here at AllEars. It’s a little disturbing, but a new cupcake is breaking news in our world, and I’m glad for it.
• Code V. Cast Members have their own special language and talk in “code” so that certain issues going on in the park don’t draw a crowd (hopefully). Code V alerts other Cast Members when someone has..ahem… gotten sick. (If you catch my drift.)
• Code A. See the bullet point above. Code A unfortunately means that Cast Members have found ashes somewhere on the property. Here’s your daily reminder that the only folks who can spend the afterlife in Disney World already have their rooms in the Haunted Mansion.

• It’s Can Be Hard To Please Disney Fans. I say this as a fellow passionate Disney fan, but we can be a hard group to please. While we love a Disney news announcement, it normally leads to more questions — mainly regarding details about the Disney Dining Plan. (Which I want to know, too, but ya know, be patient. One thing at a time.)
• Guests Can Be… Difficult. As someone who goes to Disney almost everyday, I have seen my fair share of horror stories. Though they are in the minority, some visitors can be pretty hard on Cast Members — when I can almost promise you it’s not that Cast Member’s fault. This is your daily reminder to be kind to the cast.
• How Much Disney Tracks Us. I’m not sure if you know this, but Disney tracks you when you’re at the parks. Now they don’t necessarily have your location on GPS, but through your Magic Band and My Disney Experience app, Disney can tell what rides you’ve been on, what lunch you’re having, and what your future plans are. (Don’t freak out though! It’s not as scary as it sounds. You can read more about it here.)

• Knowing Pricing By Heart. It does seem a bit strange, but I know a lot of pricing by heart. For example, I know that cheeseburger spring rolls in Magic Kingdom are 2 for $9.50 (but when they first came out they were only $4.25).
• Disney History. I know an absurd amount of Disney history. Now I’ll admit, I knew a weird amount before I started this job, but now I know a disturbing amount.
• Where All Of the Water Bottle Refill Stations Are. Hydration is the key to surviving a trip to Disney World and after you’ve been there more than you’re at your home, you start to remember things. That’s why I know where all of the water bottle refill stations are by heart.

  

• Park Reservation Specifics By Heart. There are a lot of niche Disney World things I know. One of those things is too much about the park reservation system and the specifics of making it work for my benefit. (You can learn all of the secrets about it here.)
• There Used To Be Human BONES in Disneyland. Now this isn’t Disney World specific, a lot of people think it is! It’s disturbing to know that there used to be real human bones on Pirates of the Caribbean over in Disneyland.
• Ghosts haunt Disney World. Apparently, Pirates of the Caribbean is disturbing on both coasts because supposedly there is a ghost named George that haunts the attraction. The rumor goes that if Cast Members don’t say “Good Morning George” or “Good Night George”, he’ll cause the ride to break down during the day.

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• There’s An Abandoned Water Park. Yes, it’s pretty disturbing but there is an abandoned water park in Disney World. The water park, River Country, closed in 2001 and never reopened. Disney announced its formal closure in 2005 but never demolished the property. In October 2018, Disney announced that Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge Vacation Club Resort, would be built in its spot, but it looks like those plans have changed.
• There’s a Secret Club. While this club isn’t so secret anymore, there is a “hidden” club in each of the four Disney World theme parks and Disneyland. Club 33 is an exclusive club only available for select Disney guests — and it costs a pretty penny. You can learn about the origins of the club here!

• There’s A Ventriloquist Doll Haunting Tower of Terror. The doll’s name is Ceasar, and I’m very scared of him.
• The Ghost Host. The Ghost Host is the narrator who takes you through the story of the Haunted Mansion. You also see him…um…hanging around during the pre-show. It’s pretty disturbing if you really think about it.
• What Nanny Chairs Are. The Nanny Chairs at BoardWalk Inn are nightmare fuel. They are chairs you can find in the lobby of the resort that were originally intended for adults to sit in on 19th-century European carrousels while kids rode the moving animals. They are unfortunately very creepy and frankly, disturbing.

• What ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter Is. This ride was a bit of a miss for Disney World. This ride was supposed to show you some new teleportation technology but things go awry and an alien ends up in the teleportation device! It was overly scary and only lasted roughly 8 years.
• Richard Nixon Isn’t A Crook. Remember when we talked about politics? Disney has been involved in politics for a while. Richard Nixon gave his famous “I’m Not a Crook” speech at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
• The Beatles Broke up in Disney World. To continue with historic moments, The Beatles officially broke up when John Lennon signed the legal paperwork at Disney’s Polynesian Villiage Resort.

• There’s A Show Where Bugs Crawl Under Your Seat. Feeling bugs crawl under your butt is disturbing! Take this as a warning before you go see It’s Tough To Be A Bug.
• Poachers Used To Be In Animal Kingdom. Well, not real poachers, but once upon a time there was a storyline on Kilimanjaro Safaris that involved saving some elephants from poachers. I remember it vividly, and I was scared.
• Kids Lick Railings A Lot. It’s so gross and truly disturbing but I have seen so many kids like the handrails at Disney World.

• There Are Caves Hidden in Magic Kingdom. Well, they aren’t hidden but they are overlooked! On Tom Sawyer’s Island, there are several caves throughout the island that are genuinely scary. They’re dark and fun but a little disturbing if you’re alone in there.
• There Are A Total of 18 Different Warnings Before You Get on Mission Space. Isn’t that just a little scary to know? That there are so many warnings before a ride? It’s just something I know thanks to this job.
• Walt Disney Worked For The FBI. This one is pretty surprising to a lot of people! Back in the day, Walt Disney himself acted as an informant for the FBI, reporting on actor and animators who he thought might be Communist sympathizers. But it wasn’t public knowledge until some documents were released in 1993.

• J. Edgar Hoover was on the Mickey Mouse Club. Speaking of the FBI, the newsreel segments of several episodes of the Mickey Mouse Club were filmed at Quantico in 1957 — and J. Edgar Hoover appeared as himself.
• Disney Animation Made Military Training Videos. More politics? Apparently so! During the Second World War, Walt Disney Animation Studios made training videos and other propaganda for the government.
• Big Thunder Mountain Can Help You Medically. This is maybe disturbing or maybe amazing but Big Thunder Mountain has been known to help guests pass kidney stones! (Seriously, there’s been a study on it.)
• No Building Is Taller Than 200 Feet. This might seem strange but there isn’t a building taller than 200 feet in Disney World. Why is that? Any building taller than 200 feet requires aviation lights but that would ruin the magic, so the tallest buildings are 199 feet tall.

• The American Flags in Disney World Are Fake. When you see all of those flags flying over Main Street, USA., only one of them is real! The rest of the flags have at least one thing wrong with them so that way they don’t have to be put up and taken down every day.
• Cinderella Castle Can Withstand Almost Any Weather. There’s no one tougher in Disney World than Cinderella and her castle. The castle can easily withstand up to 125 mph winds — she’s prepared for hurricane seasons!

• You Can Find The Largest Sand Bottom Pool In The World. Head over to Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort to Stormalong Bay to find an incredible sand-bottom pool. Is this disturbing? No. Is it weird that it’s in Disney? A little.
• There Are No Bathrooms In Liberty Square. Reportedly to go above and beyond with theming, Imagineers didn’t put any bathrooms in this area of Magic Kingdom. If you’ve had too much cheesy, greasy food on your Disney vacation, you’ll get why this is disturbing.

Overall, I have a disturbing amount of Disney knowledge that lives in my brain. While it might seem weird to some people, I love it! I also like to try and put it to use — so make sure to keep following AllEars for all of your Disney World facts and news.

Learn More About Hidden Secrets In Disney World Here

Which of these things disturbed you the most? Tell me in the comments! 

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