Did You Know? 5 Fun Facts about Disney World

Walt Disney World is full of secrets, mysteries, and tidbits! There is so much happening behind the scenes that you probably didn’t know. Everything at Disney World is done very intentionally and with much thought.

For example, did you know that the Disney Princesses (and other characters) spend time truly studying their character? They know literally EVERYTHING there is to know about who they are representing. We have ideas of questions you can ask the Disney princesses – we are pretty sure the princesss are impossible to stump!

We love finding out these fun facts and Disney tidbits. Here are a few Disney Fun Facts that you will find interesting. Did you know any of these before today?

5 Fun Facts about Walt Disney World

1. There’s an Underground Trash System In The Magic Kingdom

Have you ever thought about how much trash is actually generated at Walt Disney World on a daily basis? Have you ever noticed that you never see anyone taking the trash out of trash cans? Disney World is very clean – even though there are 80,000 pounds of garbage generated in just the Magic Kingdom alone!

The Magic Kingdom has a secret (or should we say a magical?) underground trash system!  When you put your trash in the receptacle it goes down into a tunnel system called an AVAC, or automated vacuum collection system for waste removal.

There is a secret underground trash system! #funfactsaboutdisneyClick through for 4 more fun facts about disney world!

The trash removal system is a series of tubes that sucks all the trash into a compactor located behind Space Mountain. This happens approximately every 15 minutes. It was important to Walt Disney to make sure that the trash was truly out of sight….and out of mind! If you ever do the Keys to the Kingdom tour you will likely get to see this whole system in action.

Merchant of Venus

One more quick tidbit about trash – while you are in the Walt Disney World parks you will always find a trash can within 30 feet of you. This helps keep the parks clean. Additionally, be sure to notice that all the trash receptacles are themed to whatever park you are in! They blend in just enough to the decor to not scream “GARBAGE CAN!” but are noticeable enough that you will find them easily.

2. The American Flags on Main Street aren’t real.

The American flags on top of the buildings on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World are missing a stripe and a star so they can be flown everyday and night and do not need to be lit up.

Main Street flags

Because these flags are not technically American flags they do not need to follow the Flag Regulations and flag etiquette. So don’t worry if you see them flying at night without a light on them – it is ok!

3. You can’t buy gum in the Disney parks.

Where is all the gum at Disney World? Guess what? You can’t buy gum anywhere at Disney World!

The simple reason is that Disney doesn’t want gum stuck all over the place. Remember the scene in Elf where Buddy is eating the “free gum” off the handrail by the subway station? That will never happen in the Disney Parks! If you are an avid gum chewer, make sure you bring some with you to the park or you are going to be out of luck for your vacation!

4. Get a button to celebrate your birthday at Disney World!

If it’s your birthday while you are on vacation in Walt Disney World, tell a Disney cast member and they will give you a button to wear all day long! All you need to do is stop by your Disney Resort front desk or at the Guest Relations center in the park you are visiting that day. In the Magic Kingdom you will find Guest Relations on Main Street.

birthday button
Katie attached her birthday button to her backpack for the day.

Every cast member will acknowledge your birthday with a greeting. This is yet another way Disney aims to make your visit as special and as magical as possible.

We have 11 additional tips to help you have a fantastic birthday while you are in Orlando. For example, most table service restaurants will give you (or your child) a complimentary dessert! Be sure to let your serve know you have a birthday boy or girl in your group and enjoy the special treatment.

5. Cinderella’s Castle is 189 feet for a reason.

Did you know the Cinderella Castle is 189 ft tall?  The castle was purposely built under 200 feet so they wouldn’t need the aircraft warning light at the top. It is the second largest building in Walt Disney World.

Could you imagine how out of character it would look to have a pole with a flashing red light on top of Cinderella’s castle? We are so glad they thought ahead – and that the government hasn’t changed regulations!

disney castle at magic kingdom

Cinderella’s Castle in Orlando is 100 feet taller than Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Cinderella’s Castle uses what is called “forced perspective” to make it appear taller than it actually is. For example, the bricks and windows towards the top of the castle are smaller than the bricks and windows towards the bottom. This makes the castle look taller than it actually is!

There are quite a few secrets about Cinderella’s Castle – for example, did you know there is a hotel room inside the castle? Be sure to check out our post with 19 more secrets!

And those are your 5 fun facts about Disney for today! The magic never ends at Disney so there will be much more to come!

Now that you have 5 fun facts, here are 7 things to know before heading on a trip to Disney World! For example, did you know you can’t bring a selfie stick into Disney World? Find out the other things you need to know here!

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  • David Flavin

    Dave visited Disneyland as a little boy and made his first visit to Walt Disney World in 1972. He has been visiting Disney World every few years since!

    Dave and his wife took their young family to Disney World several times all while on a teacher's budget. He knows how precious time and money are, and his goal is to help you not waste either while you are on your Walt Disney World Vacation.

    Dave's three kids are grown up and married. Dave loves his role as a grandfather to 9!

    Dave's favorite attraction at Walt Disney World is The Pirates of the Caribbean. When he isn't writing about Disney he enjoys composing music for Disney+ series, hanging out with his wife and their golden doodle, and being with his family.

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