Fun Disney Facts!
Get ready for trivia night with these lesser known Disney details.
Walt Disney & The Company
• Mickey Mouse Was Almost “Mortimer” – Walt Disney originally wanted to name his famous character Mortimer Mouse, but his wife, Lillian, convinced him that “Mickey” sounded friendlier.
• Walt Disney Had a Secret Apartment – There’s a hidden apartment above the Firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland where Walt Disney used to stay. A lamp in the window is always left on in his memory.
• Disney Owns More Than Just Theme Parks – Disney owns ESPN, ABC, Marvel, Lucasfilm (Star Wars), National Geographic, and 20th Century Studios.
Theme Parks & Rides
• Disneyland Opened With Only 18 Attractions – When Disneyland first opened in 1955, there were only 18 rides, and only a few still exist today, like the Jungle Cruise and Autopia.
• Cinderella Castle Has a Secret Suite – At Magic Kingdom, there’s a secret luxury suite inside Cinderella Castle that is not open to the public and is only used for VIPs and special guests.
• No Chewing Gum Sold in Disney Parks – To keep the parks clean, Disney doesn’t sell gum anywhere inside their properties.
Hidden Secrets & Easter Eggs
• The Haunted Mansion Has a Pet Cemetery – Outside the Haunted Mansion ride, there is a small pet cemetery with humorous gravestones.
• There Are Thousands of Hidden Mickeys – Across all Disney parks and films, Imagineers have hidden Mickey Mouse shapes in ride designs, attractions, and even food.
• Smellitizers Create Special Scents – Disney pumps out specific smells in different areas of the park, like fresh popcorn on Main Street and a sea breeze scent in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Disney Movies & Characters
• A113 Is in Almost Every Pixar Movie – The code “A113” appears in Pixar and Disney films as an Easter egg referencing a classroom at CalArts, where many Pixar animators studied.
• The Beast’s Design Is a Mix of Animals – The Beast in Beauty and the Beast is a combination of a lion, buffalo, gorilla, wild boar, and wolf.
• Elsa Was Originally a Villain – In early drafts of Frozen, Elsa was meant to be the evil Snow Queen, but her character changed when the song Let It Go was written.
Records & Fun Facts
• Disney Is the Largest Amusement Park Operator – Disney parks attract over 150 million visitors annually worldwide.
• The Most Expensive Disney Film Ever Made – Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) holds the record for the most expensive Disney film, with a budget of around $379 million.
• Disneyland Paris Was Almost Built in Spain – Before settling on France, Disney considered building the European park in Spain.