It’s not a fluke that Disney World is so magical!
Disney really works hard and they do a fantastic job of keeping the immersion and illusion alive. But sometimes, you stumble upon things that make you feel like you just peeked behind the magic curtain. Speaking of that, let’s talk about a couple of things I feel I probably wasn’t meant to see at Disney World.
As we said, at Disney World, sometimes you stumble upon things that make you feel like you just got a peek behind a magical curtain. Don’t get me wrong, these hidden details can be fun, but they do add a dash of “unscripted” to the meticulously curated Disney experience.
Let’s go over a few things I’ve seen that felt a little off-limits.
The Nanny Chairs
So, if you’ve ever taken a stroll through Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort, you’ve surely done a double take by the sheer sight of the nanny chairs!
There are actually four of these little eerie chairs. They were all cast from molds of 19th-century carousel chairs, and back then, they offered nannies a well-deserved break while their kids enjoyed the carousel.
If you look closely at the backs of the chairs, you’ll see each has a hand-painted name (Todd, Paul, Alex, and Carrie). The rumor is that those are the names of one of the Imagineer’s children.
Also, these chairs have a tendency to move throughout the resort. Meaning that one day you might find them in one room, and the next day, they’re in a different location.
The Clown at the Boardwalk Inn Pool
While we’re talking about the Boardwalk Inn, do you remember seeing the clown at the pool?
Let’s just say that prior to the construction, fans who got a glimpse of this clown slide weren’t exactly screaming “magical memories.”
That was especially true at night. It felt a lot less “magical” and more like the stuff of nightmares.
Pay phones
Talk about a blast from the past. To those of this current generation, this is your trigger warning. In the past, there weren’t cell phones. People had to use public phones to call people while they were traveling, and those calls cost money.
Believe it or not, we’ve stumbled upon a working payphone or two at Disney World in places like the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop and a hallway near Regal Eagle in EPCOT. When we come across one, it feels like a trip down a technological memory lane.
Space Mountain
Who doesn’t love blasting off into the cosmos on Space Mountain? It’s famous for being such a dark ride that keeps all the mechanics of the coaster hidden. Well, sometimes the lights are on!
Occasionally, when you’re riding the PeopleMover, you’ll find, as you go through Space Mountain, that the lights are fully on. It’s 100% an eerie sight and makes you reconsider ever riding the ride again.
The “hidden” sides of Pandora & Galaxy’s Edge
Both Pandora: The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are absolutely incredible. They’re amazingly immersive locations that truly transport you to other worlds.
Did you know they both have a “hidden” side?
You can sometimes catch fleeting glimpses of the backsides of these lands as you’re on the roads around the parks. So, while the views of scaffolding and other equipment are interesting, they’re not areas we’re meant to see.
Behind the Seeds Tour
Have you ever wondered where Disney cultivates all of that incredible plant life you see in the parks? If you head on over to EPCOT, you can take part in the Behind the Seeds Tour and find out all about it.
It really is such a fun and unique experience that gives a fascinating peek into the science and technology of it all, but it can feel a bit like you just witnessed the secret behind a magic trick.
Those were just some of our thoughts on some of the things we felt we weren’t supposed to see at Disney World, and we’d love to hear from you. Until then, stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney news!
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What are some of the things you feel like you weren’t supposed to see at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!
Love the phone picture, coming up for 29 years ago we used the phones to phone home (UK) to tell family that we had had our wedding ceremony and were off celebrate in Magic Kingdom and then Pleasure Island. We danced and laughed the night away.