Why do we want to get married in Disney World?
Some of you may have gone to Disney with your parents as kids, or as part of a marching band trip, or even with your own kids. Consider this trip a bit more… punk rock? A little irreverent, a little self aware. We wanted to offer our friends and family something unique and exciting that we couldn’t put together in New Jersey. And then, despite all our concerns, it turns out people really wanted to go to an actual Disney wedding. So, here we go!
But just in case there’s residual skepticism, here’s a few fun facts about Disney World:
DISNEY WORLD IS ENORMOUS
The entire Disney World resort is over 40 square miles - roughly the size of the city of San Francisco. It contains 25 hotels, over 200 restaurants featuring nearly every kind of cuisine, roughly 150 unique bars, including a Star Wars cantina DJ’d by a droid, and a transportation fleet made of buses, gondolas, boats, vintage steam trains, and monorails.
IT ISN’T “THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH”
That would be Disneyland. Walt Disney World is “The Most Magical Place on Earth.”
THE BUSES ARE POWERED BY YOUR LEFTOVERS
The Disney bus fleet became one of the first in the world to run entirely on a special renewable fuel called R50, which is created using guests’ leftover food scraps. If you’re a nerd for green energy, it also has a 500,000 panel solar farm that can power two entire theme parks. Many of the fruits and vegetables you eat in the restaurants are grown on-site, a small portion of which can be seen in EPCOT’s “Living with the Land” ride through Disney’s greenhouses.
IT IS THE LARGEST SINGLE-SITE EMPLOYER IN THE WORLD
As of 2024, there are around 75,000 Cast Members working at the resort.
THARR BE REAL BONES IN PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
When Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride was first built back in 1967, real human remains were acquired from UCLA Medical Center’s anatomy department and used to add authenticity to the attraction. Most have since been replaced with fake bones, but it is likely that the two skulls that sit on an island after the second waterfall, as well as a skull and crossbones that decorate a bed’s headboard, are still the real deal.
THE BEATLES BROKE UP HERE
The Beatles were one of the most famous bands in history, however, you might not have known that when they called it quits, their official split happened at a Disney World hotel. By the end of 1974, more than four years after Paul McCartney had announced that he was leaving the band, the paperwork hadn’t yet been done, and it was getting a little ridiculous. And so, in December of 1974, a meeting was called at New York City’s Plaza Hotel — just a few blocks from where John Lennon lived. Instead, John went to Florida with his son, Julian, and his mistress, May Pang — first to West Palm Beach, and then to the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World, where, on December 29th, 1974, he was found by a lawyer and persuaded to ink his name onto the final page of the contract and to dissolve the most famous band in the history of the world. You can even stay in the room where it happened - it’s Room #1601 in the Samoa building, the bottom corner room facing the Magic Kingdom.
THERE ARE SECRET TUNNEL SYSTEMS UNDER THE PARKS
They are called “Utilidoors”, out-of-sight corridors where employees work and move behind the scenes. The tunnels are colour coded so cast members know where they are, and there's a fleet of golf buggies to help them navigate. They're also big enough for an Ambulance to drive through in case of an emergency. Far less magical than the park above, the tunnels are packed with offices, cafeterias, and a wardrobe department (including 136 costumes for Mickey alone). There's even a resident hairdresser. Speaking of hairdressers…
YOU CAN GET A HAIRCUT IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM
Main Street in the Magic Kingdom has a Confectionary, a Theater – even a Fire Station. So, of course it has a barber shop too. Harmony Barber Shop is tucked away in a corner right next to the fire station and offers haircuts to all ages, even bangs and beard trims. They will absolutely throw glitter in your hair if you ask them, so be careful what you wish for. Walk-ins are welcome.
YOU CAN SLEEP IN THE CASTLE
By invite only - the room is so exclusive that Disney has reportedly turned down offers of over $40,000 to stay there for only one night. The Cinderella Castle Suite, originally intended to be an apartment for Walt Disney and his family, can be found near the top of the castle. Furnished with special antiques, many of which date back to the 17th century, the suite sleeps six and comes with a 24 hour concierge. Once upon a time, a group of humble parkgoers would be randomly selected to spend a night in the castle as part of a resort-wide contest, but since then it has closed its doors save for all but the most special occasions.
REAL STEAM TRAINS AND FILM HISTORY
Though the Magic Kingdom prides itself on fantasy, there are actually some very real historic touches that lend themselves to the magic. The train at the Walt Disney World Railroad is no toy - it is a fully functional steam train from 1916 that carries over 1.5 million passengers around the park each year. The train crews are genuine specialists in steam train operation and maintenance. There is even a “Magic Behind Our Steam Trains” tour that gives an in-depth look at how the train is maintained, along with stories of Walt’s lifelong fascination with trains. If you’d just like to cool off and enjoy the quiet of the train station, there are some pieces of film history for you to enjoy. Sprinkled throughout the station are several mutoscope machines from the late 1800s / early 1900s with vintage cartoons and classic film scenes, from Steamboat Willie to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Very few people understand how rare or significant these machines are, so be one of the few to appreciate them!
THEY INVENTED A MIND-CONTROLLING SHADE OF GREEN
Disney’s parks constantly strive to find new and innovative ways to hide or distract from the outside world. One of the most effective of these is a proprietary color of paint known as “Go Away Green.” Go Away Green was formulated by Disney to “erase” backstage buildings and camouflage construction walls from your sight. Alongside the fact that Disney construction workers and designers have design limitations and can’t decorate every square inch of the property is also the fact that construction walls will eventually come down. Used on everything from lamp posts, to trash cans, to entire buildings, the shade has been compared to the effects of military camouflage in its efficacy to divert the eye away from “less magical” details of the park’s operations. They have also developed a special “Blending Blue” shade to allow buildings to blend in with the sky.
ALL OF THE AMERICAN FLAGS ARE FAKE
Particularly in the Magic Kingdom, you will notice a lot of American flags. They just plain love ‘em there! But how do you deal with a place built on fantasy and escapism when the national flag code would force you to acknowledge national tragedies by flying the flag at half mast, or add distracting lighting to them at night, or take them down in times of inclement weather? Naturally, by making all of them fake. Pay close attention and you may notice that every flag is either missing a stripe or a few stars, effectively reducing them to prop status and free of federal restrictions.
EPCOT WAS MEANT TO BE AN ACTUAL CITY
EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow - the community aspect of which was meant to be much more important. The original idea for EPCOT was a radially planned city with a nuclear 50-acre domed megastructure. The circumference would house people in high-density apartments and single-family houses. Bridging the urban and suburban areas was a web of electric monorails and PeopleMovers, traveling across a greenbelt in between. The climate-controlled center would host international corporations, a convention center, and a 30-storied cosmopolitan hotel while the downtown would feature a weather-protected zone of themed shops. The compact city was an agglomeration of destination nodes, each joined by a high-capacity electronic rail that yielded personal vehicles useless. Planned with plenty of open space, the greenbelts would foster the growth of a variety of flora and fauna. The philosophy behind EPCOT was ahead of its time, preceding the later established principles of New Urbanism: walkability, connectivity, smart transportation, sustainability, and quality of life. Although the original EPCOT was never built, the theme park continues to inspire city planners and urban designers.
IT HAS THE SECOND-LARGEST AQUARIUM IN THE U.S.
The tank inside EPCOT’s The Seas pavilion holds 5.7 million gallons of water and is home to dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, and sharks. Spaceship Earth, better known as “The Epcot Ball” could fit inside of it without touching the sides. Kelly and Sean especially love the smaller tank full of color-changing cuttlefish.
IT’S HOME TO THE WORLD’S TOP TWO MOST EXPENSIVE ROLLER COASTERS
Though they may not be as intense as Universal Studios or Six Flags’s mega coasters, Disney World spares no expense on its rides. Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest ride cost a titanic $100 million to build. A large part of this expense was due to the enormous Yeti animatronic near the ride’s end… which promptly broke shortly after opening and nearly took the entire mountain down with it. However, this record was completely obliterated some years later when EPCOT opened Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind after spending $500 million. Sean and Kelly don’t normally use the words “favorite ride”… but they will say this one was worth the money.
THERE IS A SECRET ABANDONED MINI-PARK
There are lots of places you can visit in Disney World, but there are also a few that you can’t. One of the spots guests used to be able to stop at, but can’t anymore, is Discovery Island, originally called The Treasure Island Nature Preserve. When traveling by water taxi to Magic Kingdom, you will see a large island in the middle of the Seven Seas Lagoon - that’s the one. Before it closed, the island had botanical settings and all kinds of wildlife, including eagles, alligators, swans, and deer for guests to admire. The island also had a large aviary for guests to walk through, bird shows and demonstrations, and more. The opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and poor attendance at the island, however, ultimately signaled the end for this spot in 1999. The animals were relocated, but the buildings at this spot have simply been left there, abandoned, oftentimes with an eerie assortment of papers equipment left on shelves and desks as if the staff left in a hurry
“CHEWBACCA MODE” AND OTHER RIDE CHEAT CODES
A fun, nerdy little Easter Egg: Instead of the standard English narration on the Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride at Disney Hollywood Studios, a specific series of button presses can swap in Chewbacca as your ride director - speaking only in his native Wookie tongue. It’s a bit trickier than you think to activate, you’ll need a full six person crew who know the steps to do it. Those steps can be found here. In the same park, the shooting gallery ride Toy Story Mania displays a daily and weekly rider high score board featuring seemingly impossible scores. These can be achieved by taking advantage of secret cheat codes the ride design team built into each section of the ride that unlock massive bonus points. Those cheats can be found here. The Magic Kingdom’s Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has similar cheats, but Sean refuses to share those so he can continue to keep beating Kelly’s score.
THE CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS IS THE LONGEST-RUNNING STAGE SHOW IN U.S. HISTORY
The Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom holds the record as the longest-running stage show in the history of American theater, along with the most performances of any production in American history. It is one of the oldest attractions in the Walt Disney World Resort, and one of the last to have been touched by Walt Disney. It was rumored to have been his, along with Sean and Kelly’s, favorite attraction. It debuted at the World’s Fair in New York City in 1964 along with It’s A Small World.
SEAN’S FAMILY HAS A HISTORY WITH DISNEY’S OLDEST RIDE
Less of a fun fact and more of a cute story: Throughout his life, Sean’s maternal grandmother loved to tell stories of her childhood days in the 1930’s spent at a theme park known as Olympic Park in Newark, NJ. It featured a dance hall, swimming pool, roller coasters, bumper cars - all the classics. Some of her favorite stories involved its huge carousel that featured a game where you could attempt to catch rings off the side of the ride as it spun (this was a common game for carousels, thus the colloquialism “catch the brass ring). Trust us, this carousel was a really big deal to Marion Cronin. It was actually the largest merry-go-round in the United States, 60 feet diameter with 80 wooden horses and four chariots, most of which were carved by hand. Sometimes, as Sean would recount his latest trip to Disney to his grandparents, his grandmother would once again mournfully bring up Olympic Park and bemoan the tragedy of its loss. As it turns out, while the park as a whole had been dismantled, its pieces were far less lost than she thought. When Olympic Park closed in 1965, its carousel was purchased by the Disney company for an upcoming project in Florida - that project of course being the Magic Kingdom. It was renamed the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel - and Sean had been forced to ride it with his mother every trip to Disney, where he would pose for the single photo he allowed each vacation (with barely concealed attitude). Every. Single. Trip. This was only discovered many years later, when Sean became a huge nerd. He now tries to ride the carousel once a trip in his grandmother’s memory.
THE NAMES ON THE WINDOWS MEAN SOMETHING
As you enter the Magic Kingdom, you will walk onto Main Street, USA - Walt’s attempt to recreate the busy center of a turn-of-the-century American town, largely modeled after his childhood home of Marceline, Missouri. The storefront windows display goods on sale in the shops along Main Street, but if you look at the second story windows you will see some make-believe businesses. Walt decided to use those windows, and those imaginary businesses, to honor the many people who helped him make his dreams a reality. The business that the name is associated with always reflects either the individual’s contribution to Disney World or a significant hobby they were known for by their coworkers. If Main Street is a theater, these are the opening credits. Today, to receive a window on Main Street is the highest honor / sign of respect that the company can bestow on an individual who worked in the parks. Someone listed the names and their meanings here.
And if that’s not enough to start, consider this the closest you will ever get to seeing the human equivalent of two Muppets getting hitched.