4 Secrets Imagineers Hid in Disney World Rides

For over 75 years, the artists at Walt Disney Imagineering have crafted Disney’s theme parks, resorts, and rides. Artists like Rolly Crump, Tony Baxter, and Marc Davis – among hundreds of others have imbued the company’s rides and attractions with grandeur, magic… and secrets?

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

From references to past attractions that have been replaced to tributes to other Imagineers, these tiny references are hidden inside some of Disney’s most famous rides. Most of them aren’t even noticeable to the naked eye, but for guests who know where to look, they add another layer to Imagineering’s rich history.

Toad Hall Still Stands

The Magic Kingdom’s Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh somewhat controversially, replaced Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride over 30 years ago. However, a reference to the former attraction is still present. As you’re heading into Owl’s house on the Fantasyland attraction, look to your left, and you’ll notice a photo of Mr. Toad handing the deed for the attraction over to Owl.

Portrait of Mr. Toad in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

20,000 Leagues Sails On

The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage was a staple attraction at Walt Disney World from its opening day in 1971 through 1994. These days, the site that was once occupied by the massive attraction is currently home to Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. On the latter attraction’s queue, a carving of the iconic Nautilis can be seen embedded in the rockwork.

Can you see it?

“No One’s Gonna Stop Rock & Roll – or Ellen’s Energy Adventure – from Existing!”

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has several references to both its immediate predecessor, Ellen’s Energy Adventure, as well as the Universe of Energy. These include:

A column inside the ride featuring script written in the fictional Xandarian language. If you translate it to English, the top left says Ellen, the top right says Alex (as in Alex Trebek — who was also featured in the ride), the bottom left says E=MC squared, and the bottom right says dino. In addition, if you look closely at a set of ship schematics featured in the second pre-show room, at the bottom right, you can see the old Universe of Energy symbol.
During the ride, you can also hear a bit of what sounds like an electric guitar version of the old Universe of Energy theme song as the Guardians “fly” into space right at the start of the ride. Listen for when the Celestial says, “What is that noise?“ just before the launch.
Finally, during the reverse launch, there’s another reference to some dialogue straight from Ellen’s Energy Adventure, which involved Ellen mishearing Bill Nye talking about the Big Bang. If you listen closely, you’ll hear Star-Lord say “Big Bang!” followed by Drax asking, “Ding dang?”

Can you see it?

It’s Mary Blair’s World After All

The legendary Mary Blair was the creative spearhead behind the iconic look of “it’s a small world”, designing the whimsical doll-like, color palette, and overall design sense that would be used for the ride. As Imagineer Rolly Crump put it, “I knew it was only going to work if everything looked like Mary Blair. As far as I was concerned, this is a Mary Blair ride.”

©D23

Crump and his team took things even further, inserting a tribute to Blair into the Disneyland attraction (yes, this is a cheat) itself with the inclusion of a doll located atop the Eiffel Tower in the French section with the likeness of Blair and a costume inspired by her clothing choices.

©Disney

Disney Imagineers have a long history of dropping hidden secrets and references into many of the company’s attractions. Stay tuned to DFB for more dives into Disney history.

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