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"Hidden Disney": The Overlooked Cemetery Outside of the Haunted Mansion

by Guide4WDW

“Hidden Disney”: The Overlooked Cemetery Outside of the Haunted Mansion 

by: guide4wdw – Collin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

It’s time for another one of my favorite types of articles, “Hidden Disney.” Today, our “secret” takes us over to the Haunted Mansion. While many of you may have overlooked this simple part of the attraction experience, the history behind the concept is quite clever. 


When you enter the Haunted Mansion, you can’t miss the cemetery just to the left of entrance. While those are certainly clever tombstones (which have stories of their own), a far better cemetery lies just beyond the exit of the attraction following your trip through the mansion. The burial grounds near the exit is often called the “pet cemetery.”

The idea behind the design was actually borrowed from Disneyland in California. Fortunately, Disney World’s version is far more visible to guests if they take the time to look for it. However, just like many guest, you may have walked by it many times without taking a look inside or even realizing that it existed.

Thankfully, this isn’t how the story ends. If you’re familiar with Disney history or have been attending the parks for many years, the name Mr. Toad may ring a bell. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was the former attraction that filled the location of today’s The Many Adventure’s of Winnie the Pooh. While that attraction’s disappearance was met with immense criticism, Disney felt that the marketing behind Winnie the Pooh could appeal to a broader audience. Some guests have never forgiven Disney for that decision. (photo of Mr. Toad statue above and closer image to the left)   

The Imagineers quickly recognized that fact and a few years later Mr. Toad showed up in the very back of the pet cemetery. Sadly, it is quite difficult to get a good picture of the statue (I’m guessing that was intentional). While Mr. Toad alone is a great addition, according to various sources and rumors floating around the internet, the label on the statue reads,         

“Here lies Toad, it’s sad but true. He wasn’t as marketable as Winnie the Pooh.”   

Hopefully you enjoyed that short little “Hidden Disney” secret! If you learned something new, hit that share button and invite friends to read the article as well! Thanks! 

Sorry for our lack of posts recently, the holidays have made things very busy, but we should be back in action. Our goal is always to bring you a little piece of Disney each and every day! Hopefully it’s something you can look forward to each day and give you that “Disney Fix” when you can’t be in the parks.  

A Closer Look at Trader Sam’s Coffee

by Guide4WDW
A Closer Look at Trader Sam’s Coffee
by: guide4wdw – Caitlin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

If you are a coffee lover, this post is for you! I am very excited to introduce to you a line of coffee inspired by our favorite Disney attractions. Disney and coffee: What more could you want?! Trader Sam’s Coffees are made from Arabica Beans and are USDA Certified Organic, Rain Forest Alliance Certified, and Gluten Free (even the flavored ones!). We were extremely excited to receive five different Trader Sam’s Coffees to try. The flavors range from sweet and light to bold and unique; there is something for everyone’s taste buds!
The coffee is sold at the very reasonable price of $10 for a 12 oz. bag. They come adorably packaged to match their Disney inspired attraction. Each bag also has a clever story on the back to explain the coffee’s origin. Here is a look at the fun flavors we were able to try out.

Skippers Brew

  

This coffee is inspired by the nostalgic attraction, the Jungle Cruise, and it is my personal favorite of the bunch (and not just because of the adorable back story). The banana flavor of this coffee is unlike anything I have had before. It is both inventive and delicious!
Ghoulish Delight

My brother and I are huge Haunted Mansion fans and were quite excited to see a coffee created for us foolish mortals. The cinnamon flavor of the roast is very unique and pairs wonderfully with its haunting packaging.

Main Street U.S.A. Columbian

When you take a stroll down Main Street, you can’t help but step back in time to the days of window shopping and trolley rides. This coffee matches this feeling with its classic but memorable flavor. It is sure to please any coffee fan.
Prospector’s Roast

This here’s the wildest coffee in the wilderness! A tribute to another one of my favorite attractions, Thunder Mountain Railroad. This coffee is full of an authentic hazelnut flavor that is sweet without being overpowering.

Plus Ultra Vanilla

Vanilla is always a crowd pleaser, and this coffee is no exception. Its packaging is based off of the innovative world of Tomorrowland.
That is our roundup of the five Traders Sam’s selections we were lucky enough to try. The coffee is unique not only in its flavors but also in the added bonus of paired Disney attractions. There are even more roasts to try on their website along with art prints and t-shirts! Click the link below to purchase your own!

https://www.tradersamscoffee.com/collections/trader-sams

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"Hidden Disney": The 5 Legged Goat at the Contemporary Resort

by Guide4WDW

“Hidden Disney”: The 5 Legged Goat at the Contemporary Resort

by: guide4wdw – Collin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

While Disney is full of simple secrets and hidden gems, some are more obvious than others. One you may or may not have noticed is clearly visible when you know what to look for. 

High in the Contemporary’s Grand Canyon Concourse is a 5 legged goat with an interesting yet simple story. The goat itself is a piece of a very large mural which covers the area housing the elevators used to reach the various guest rooms of the resort. Near the top of this piece of art, on the side facing the monorail, you can find the 5 legged goat (see picture below). The mural itself was created by the famous Disney artist Mary Blair. While not everyone will recognize that name, you will certainly recognize the productions that have been largely developed as a result of her creativity. 


Mary Blair played a significant role in the creation of such well known films as “Song of the South”, “Cinderella”, “Peter Pan”, and “Alice in Wonderland”. Beyond the films, her artwork inspired one of the most well known attractions in Disney history, “it’s a small world” (Yes, it is intended to be all lowercase despite being a name. While it is not known for sure, it is assumed that it is an intentional play on words). As you can imagine, for those who follow Disney history, this tends to be one of the crown jewels of Disney Parks artwork.

However, that’s not quite the entirety of the story. As many of you are probably wondering, “Why does it have 5 legs?” According to “legend”, Mary Blair decided that no piece of artwork could be perfect, because only God was perfect. As a result, it has never been changed and despite what many believe, it did not occur simply by accident. 

So, next time you’re eating dinner, shopping, or simply passing through the Contemporary on the monorail, be sure to take a look high above you to find this simple, yet interesting detail that so many guests simply overlook. 

Have you heard of the 5 Legged Goat? Did you know the backstory?

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A Closer Look at the Additions Coming to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

by Guide4WDW

A Closer Look at the Additions Coming to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge  

by: guide4wdw – Collin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has always been one of the most spectacular resorts Disney has ever constructed. The grand scale of the lobby, the elaborate theming, and beautiful construction all play a key role in the “wow factor” that this resort has become synonymous with. 

Recently, Disney has unveiled a large scale construction project to revitalize and grow the resort. Additions include a completely new dining location, a redesign of villas, and the addition of waterfront cabins. This new addition will be called Boulder Ridge (and Copper Creek Villas and Cabins) and will feature the Boulder Ridge villas and a transformation of the former Hidden Springs Villa pool into Boulder Ridge Cove. The new pool area will focus on a mining theme and that same theme is set to carry over into the new design concept.

While the area is not open to the public quite yet, a good amount of the project can be viewed from around the resort and on the lake near the property. Here are some of the most recent images of the construction:

Above: The rumored new dining location and additional outdoor seating.

 Above: The right section of the cabins under construction.
Below: The left section of cabins under construction.

      

Victims of Unfortunate Hotel Fire Will Spend Christmas at Walt Disney World

by Guide4WDW

Victims of Unfortunate Hotel Fire Will Spend Christmas at Walt Disney World

by: guide4wdw – Collin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

Disney doesn’t always get everything right, but in this case they truly went above and beyond to make Christmas special for those in a difficult situation. Just days ago, a Kissimmee hotel was involved in a fire that left many guests without a place to stay for the holidays. For the first night, many of these hotel guests spent the night at a local middle school. 

While there is nothing wrong with the accommodations, as a joint effort between Osceola County officials and the Disney company these families will be spending two nights at Walt Disney World completely free of charge. The arrangements provided even included park tickets for the families. 

(photos: orlandosentinel.com)

Due to respecting the privacy of the families, it has not been released which resort they will be staying at, but it is believed that they are all staying at one resort. No matter what resort it is, it truly is special to see a company that has been so focused on making an extra dollar recently, doing something so special for those in need, especially during Christmas. Somehow Disney has come up with accommodations for roughly 150 people and that alone must have been a task on such a busy week. 

If you liked this story, please share it with friends!    

Passholder Entrances Are Out In Full Force and in One Particularly Unique Location!

by Guide4WDW

Passholder Entrances Are Out In Full Force and in One Particularly Unique Location! 

by: guide4wdw – Collin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

We are officially back from our week in Walt Disney World and it goes without saying that the post-Disney depression has officially set in. Fortunately, it’s nice to have some time to post some articles on the site and get ready for Christmas. Before we get into some of our stories from this most recent trip, we wanted to go ahead and share a small bit of news. 

This week, Annual Passholder exclusive entrances have popped up at each of the parks. The first entrance we noticed was at the Magic Kingdom, and surprisingly there was very little wait to get in at that specific spot. As we moved over to Epcot a few days later, there was an entrance there as well. The other parks followed suit, but we did get one surprise. At Epcot’s rear entrance between France and the United Kingdom, we found that one of the two lines to enter the park was strictly a Passholder entrance. To us, it seemed a little unnecessary at the small entrance, but would be a unique perk for those staying at the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, and Swan and Dolphin resorts. Also, if you are at Hollywood Studios, and wish to head over to Epcot it would in fact make that journey a little quicker. 

Overall, it’s a unique idea, and it will be interesting to see what Disney does with it in the future. At the time being, the lines appear to be significantly shorter for these exclusive entrances, but we’ll see if that holds true as the busiest weeks of the year draw closer. 

On a side note: 

From me and Caitlin both, we wish each and every one of you a safe and wonderful Christmas. If you’re traveling, be careful out there, and be sure to enjoy your time with friends and family over the next few days. Family is a key part of our lives and it’s easy to overlook the role they play each day. Thanks for being here with us and enjoy the holidays! 

Merry Christmas! To all the cast members working through the holidays, thank you for making the magic available for each and every one of us that gets the chance to experience it! 

-Collin   
       

Thank You for Making Our Dreams a Reality

by Guide4WDW
Thank You for Making Our Dreams a Reality
by: guide4wdw – Caitlin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

This post is going to be a tad different than my usual topics – this one’s all about you! Collin and I wanted to take a minute to create a post to simply say thank you. We are so thrilled and thankful to have each and every one of our readers. We reached our 100th website post this week and thought this would be an awesome way to celebrate.

In case you’re new here or never knew how Guide4WDW got started, I would love to share our story with you. Collin and I (we’re siblings) have been visiting Walt Disney World since we were tiny tots in Mickey strollers, and our love for the parks has only grown over the years. Our family has spent hundreds of days throughout WDW – you could say we are huge fans. Throughout these visits, Collin and I accumulated quite a bit of Disney facts, tips, and secrets. This is where the idea for the book began. Last year, Collin began writing a guide book for WDW with me as his editor. The The Adventurer’s Guide to Walt Disney World made its debut on Amazon in April of this year. Collin received huge support from our Twitter followers as well as friends and family. This is where our first big thank you comes in. We truly appreciate each of you who ordered a book or shared the word on Twitter. Your support means so much to us.

Shortly after the book launch, Collin came to me and expressed that he wanted to create a blog to post Disney parks related articles. I quickly jumped on board as a second writer, and the blog took off. We were so amazed and embarrassingly excited that people were interested in reading our words. Within a few months, our blog was already beginning to grow. Collin and I decided to take things a step further and turn our little blog into its own website. We have been so thrilled with the results. Guide4WDW.com has become a true success, and we couldn’t do it without all of you. We would be nowhere without our readers, and we appreciate all of your support.

Thank you for continuing to share our articles on Facebook and Twitter. We love to hear feedback and are always open to suggestions for new topics! Recently, we have created an email subscription service. If you are interested, this will send a daily update to your inbox with all of the latest info from Guide4WDW. Sign up by entering your email in the blue box on the right-hand side of the page.

Disney is our happy place and we are so blessed to be able to share it with all of you. In true Disney fashion, thank you for making our dreams a reality.

If this picture looks familiar, that’s because it’s always been a part of the Guide4WDW name, but also The Adventurer’s Guide to Walt Disney World. If you’re interested in more pictures from the parks just like this one, be sure to check out this page on Instagram: (@orlandobrothas). 

The Main Street Light Bulb You Never Knew Had A Story!

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

The Main Street Light Bulb You Never Knew Had A Story!

Have you ever been inside the Car Barn on Main Street U.S.A at the Magic Kingdom? If not, be sure to add it to your list for the next time you are in the park. The barn is full of little Disney details that you can peer through the big barn doors at and it truly feels like you’re getting a look “behind the curtain” at something uniquely Disney. Fortunately, there’s more to this story than you may expect.


If you get the chance to peer into the Car Barn, be sure to catch a glimpse of a small light bulb hanging from a single wire on your right just inside the barn near the far wall (pictured in the center of the picture above) While that light bulb is quite small and seems to serve very little purpose for lighting the room, it holds quite the interesting backstory and is a level of incorporated detail that only Disney would include.

(The lightbulb described is hanging by a single strand just inside the door.)
As you may know, the lights of Main Street tell a story all on their own. As you progress through the time periods each section of the street represents, the light fixtures vary in order to fit the era represented. When you really take the time to notice it, there is everything from authentic gas lamps to electric lights as you move farther and farther throughout the eras of production. With that being said, there’s only one true representation of the original electric lightbulb. 

As you may have guessed, this is where the story starts to come back around full circle! The lightbulb we originally mentioned hanging on the wire all by itself is a contracted piece specifically for the purpose of authenticity. The bulb itself is created by one particular individual in the northern United States using only the materials Thomas Edison had available when the original lightbulb was created. I can only imagine how delicate that creative process is and has been for many years. 


How Do You Catch a Glimpse of It?

To be quite honest, there are really no guaranteed times when this little light bulb will be viewable. To catch a quick glimpse, I recommend heading towards the car barn in the early afternoon. During parade times, the door will be closed and from my experience the same tends to remain true in the early hours of the day. Part of catching this hidden detail is getting a little bit lucky and finding a few brief moments when the door is ever so slightly opened so guests can peer into the room.       

Honestly, this is a very small detail of the parks, but something Disney truly did not have to add. However, I’m amazed and happy that they do in fact continue the tradition. It’s these little details that truly create the “Disney difference.” No other organization would put so much effort into a single light bulb in a place that many guests will never even see in order to make the experience as realistic as possible. This is amazing in my own personal opinion and one of those little details that you may have never experienced, but one that you surely should appreciate on your next vacation! It’s not a grand spectacle, a overwhelming beautiful detail, or a must do for every single guest, but simply something that goes to show the pride Disney has had and continues to have in their parks. 

If you enjoyed the article, please be sure to share this little detail of Walt Disney World with friends!      

Your Thoughts


As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are!


How Do I Create These Posts? 


Every once in a while I get questions about my gear. This is what I use and highly recommend at the moment in the realm of content creation. This list is varied and tends to change from time to time, but this is my current set up of gear used to create these posts. If you have any questions or need some tips in the site building process, feel free to message me on Facebook!

Computer: Macbook Pro  
If you get one of these you’ll inevitably need dongles (The USB-C Struggle): 
Main DSLR Camera: Nikon D3400 (kit lens currently)
Tripod for Night Photography: PrimaPhoto Traveler 
Photo Editing Software: Lightroom 6 Stand Alone Version (Not Creative Cloud) 
Secondary Camera: iPhone 7 (Older Photos on the Site) 


Ready to Plan?


Let our friends over at Destinations to Travel (FREE – no obligation quote request form below) help you out at no additional cost to you! Here’s a closer look at why I recommend an Authorized Disney Travel Planner!

Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.   

New Security Changes Could Be Coming to The Disney Parks

by Guide4WDW

New Security Changes Could Be Coming to The Disney Parks

by: guide4wdw – Collin
twitter: @guide4disney

instagram: @guide4disney

According to various sources, changes are going to be made to the Disney security processes in the coming months. This change is expected to begin with the theme parks and then continue on to the resorts in a slightly different way. According to chipandco.com the following picture was taken recently of security cast members being, “trained” on new metal detectors. While it has been expected that every guest will in fact be required to pass through metal detectors in the future, the new devices would in fact point to that conclusion in many ways. The process is already currently in place at certain times of day at all of Disney’s Florida theme parks. We do not know for sure that this is why the new detectors have popped up.


Also, as an addition to what is expected to be debuting quite soon, these metal detectors are supposed to be added to the Transportation and Ticket Center in order to alleviate large crowds and backups entering the Magic Kingdom. 

Now, here’s where the report turns more to speculation. According to various groups across the internet, as well as the above mentioned source, it is believed that security will be stepped up quite a bit at all of the Disney parks, but potentially also at the Disney resorts. 

At the resorts, guests would be required to scan luggage upon check-in. This practice already occurs over seas at some of the Disney properties, but I believe it would be a first for the United States resorts. Again, this is simply speculation with the exception of Security Training at the Magic Kingdom. 

Disney has yet to announce any formal changes coming to the security process. At this point there are very few details about the potential for these new systems in the future. However, Disneyland’s new security system is going into affect in the next few days. Their design will be scanning guests before they enter the general area of the entire Disneyland area.

All we know for a fact right now is that security is trying new things outside of Magic Kingdom’s gates, there is construction for new security by the exit of the ferry boats near Magic Kingdom, and Disney is working to manage the crowds more effectively in the future.  

Our purpose in writing this article is to help inform those planning vacations on what is going on in around the parks, not to spread rumors. Hopefully, this can help those planning ways to manage their times in the parks and travel time necessary from park to park. Hopefully this helps you out in some way. Thanks for reading! 

Disney Awarded Patent for Tracking Guest Visual Movements

by Guide4WDW

Disney Awarded Patent for Tracking Guest Visual Movements

by: guide4wdw – Collin
twitter: @guide4disney
instagram: @guide4disney

Interesting news is developing once again today involving a patent Disney has recently been awarded. The patent, which may or may not become a reality, is for a technology which would track the gaze and eye movements of the guests to trigger certain responses across a variety of applications. After recent patents Disney has filed including a tracking system which would monitor the feet and shoes of each particular guest, it begs the question of what these technologies may be used for in the future.

For more information on the patent, here is an excerpt from the patent filing: 


“Various entertainment environments, e.g., theme parks, attempt to track where various participants are looking within such environments. By tracking the gaze of a participant, a computing system may direct various animatronics, automated objects, or the like to interact with the participant. For example, a computing system within a theme park may direct an animatronic character from a movie to make a noise if a participant is looking at the animatronic character.” 

Personally, my mind went straight to the animatronic which was debuted via video at Destination D a few weeks ago. The animatronic was incredibly life-like and if this technology was somehow combined with that animatronic or others like it in the future, an entirely new and immersive experience could be developed for the guests.


At this time, Disney has released no further information regarding the technology or it’s future use in the theme parks. (Am I the only one who finds the face drawing a bit creepy?) 

Like this article? Be sure to SHARE it with friends! Your shares are what keep this community growing and developing into bigger and better things! Thanks!  

(Source: wdwnt.com)