7 Things About Disney World That Will Blow Your Mind

Whether you are a visitor to Orlando or you are completely new to the world of theme parks, Walt Disney World will surely surprise you. Here are 7 things about Disney World that will blow your mind:

1. There are secret underground tunnels

Disney World is on the second floor, it is built above the ground and there are special tunnels under the "streets" that employees use to go round the park. These tunnels allow members of the cast and staff to move discreetly between different areas of the park without disrupting the illusion of a truly magical place.

2. Smart design keeps you from getting distracted

Orlando Disney Parks are designed so that when you explore a "land", you cannot see others. For example, Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom has trees and buildings to prevent you from seeing Fantasyland. The place has also been designed with special distractions and noises, (an example the water wheel) to keep you from looking elsewhere. The idea is to give each zone its identity.

3. Chewing gum is forbidden

To keep attractions, sidewalks, and benches free from gunk, Disney's strict policy is not to sell chewing gum on site. However, chewing gum is not prohibited in the parks, so be sure to pack your own if you want to chew gum during your stay.

4. You will find trash cans everywhere

It has been said that you can never walk 30 steps without seeing a trash can at Disney. Walt Disney himself made this rule after observing how long people kept the trash they have with them before throwing it on the floor: the conclusion was about 30 steps.

5. Hidden details abound

Take a closer look through the surrounding parks and resorts and you'll see thousands of Mickey Mouse logos hidden on the site. Observe them in paintings, bars and ornaments, even in restaurants.

6. There is a secret suite inside Cinderella Castle

At Cinderella Castle, there is a secret suite that cannot be booked. You might ask why? Well, it is only used for promotional gifts and special guests. Originally, the apartment had been built for Walt Disney and his family but had not been completed by the time of his death. In 2007, the suite was redeveloped, ready to be used for special guests.

7. You can find “smellitizers everywhere in the park

There are specially designed vents that are sued to pump artificial scent into the Disney Park which influences how every area feels. The Pirates of the Caribbean ride uses “salty sea air” fragrance while and the Magic Kingdom’s main street used a mix of baked good and vanilla.

10 Surprising Facts About The Lion King

1. The Lion King movie title wasn’t always The Lion King

Before The Lion King was called The Lion King, the movie had different titles which included The King of Kalahari and The King of the Jungle. 

2. The Lion King was the first Disney movie to feature an original storyline

The Lion King has been billed for long as the first animated Disney film to have an original storyline (a story lime that wasn’t an adaptation of the story that has existed in the past). Some individuals however disputed the claim saying The Lion King got its inspiration from Hamlet and Kimba and the White Lion.

3. The animals and how they related to one another were different from the previous versions of the scripts

The original script featured Scar who was in charge of a pack of cruel and violent baboons and not related to Simba Simba. However, this version wrote Rafiki as a cheetah and Pumbaa and Timon were both friends with Simba from the onset.

4. The original director of The Lion King wanted the movie to be like a National Geographic documentary.

George Scribner, the director of The Lion King wanted the Lion king to be something similar to an animated National Geographic documentary before the film was turned into a musical.

5. This animated Disney movie holds the record of the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated feature of all time

With a total box office of over $986 million, Lion King is the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated feature of all time, 8^th highest-grossing animated feature, a best-selling videotape of all time and the 42^nd highest-grossing film of all time.

6. A lullaby called “The Lion in the Moon” was deleted from the Lion King

A lullaby called “The Lion in the Moon” which was about a protective lion spirit sung by Sarabi was removed from the film. The lullaby was supposed to be featured after Simba’s first encounter with the hyenas.

7. Disney was sued by a Hyena researcher

Disney was sued by a Hyena researcher for defamation of character because of Disney’s portrayal of animals in the film.

8. The animators took more than two years to create the stampede scene

The 2.5-minute wildebeest stampede took Disney CGI animators more than 2 years (source: the film’s press notes). Additionally, they had to write a new computer program to govern the movement of the herd.

9. The original script doesn’t have anything like “Hakuna Matata”

Instead of Hakuna Matata that was used, the original script has a song that was about eating bugs called “He’s got it all worked out”. But the research team returned from their trip to Africa with Hakuna Matata and the song was born in their meeting.

10. Animals were brought to the studio by a wildlife expert to help the animators study their movement

Real African animals like lions and hornbills were brought by wildlife expert Jim fowler at different stages of the production to the Disney studio to serve as models to the team. The wildlife expert-taught them how the lions greet each other, how they show affection and how they protect themselves.

Some Scientific Explanations Behind Iron Man 2

Sometimes throwing it back is the best way to enjoy the present. Today we’re going to be digging in to a little science as it relates to the movie Iron Man 2 which is one of the most commercially successful marvel movies in history. This marvel movie grossed over $623.9 million dollars at the worldwide box office. In the year 2010, Iron Man 2 was the highest-grossing movie of the year and it also received an award for being the movie with the best visual effect at the Academy Awards.

After the first film in which the charismatic billionaire inventor Tony Stark builds a spectacular costume giving him superhuman abilities, it turns out that the palladium that feeds his arc reactor is slowly poisoning his system and he must find a harmless palladium replacement as soon as possible. I'm sure you are willing to know if some of the Iron Man 2 action scenes are real. Sit back, relax and enjoy some scientific insights about the movie.

Iron Man suit

Although this advanced technology does not yet exist, functional designs of portable exoskeletons have been constructed. These do not give the user additional human strength, they transfer the weight of the users' backpacks to the ground. These exoskeletons have been tested and proven to make the user feel lighter than normal; criteria essential for the flight.

It is interesting to know that technology teams around the world are working on similar models. This fantastic iron man suit also has the ability to fly with the help of jet engines. A more recent update of the Iron Man costume is a removable and multiform version that seems to respond to Tony telepathically.

According to science fiction film analyst James Kakalios, the latest version of the Iron Man costume works on the brain/machine interface. Thoughts generate currents in the brain that induce electromagnetic waves; this principle is similar to the underlying principle of television and radio transmissions.

Tony's costumes probably work on the same principle. Unlike previous Iron Man movies in which he gave voice commands, he simply thinks and anything he thinks of is executed by the suit. It is also safe to assume that Tony has inserted under his skin small radio frequency transmitters that transmit signals to his armour.

Plasma weaponry

This is the technology used by the villain Ivan Vanko in the film. Vanco wore electrified prostheses on his arms. As fictitious as this part of the film may seem, scientists are currently working on plasma weapons, such as the impressive beam that creates an electric charge via a stream of plasma. A more recent discovery is that of a spherical ray in a microwave oven that resembles the Iron Man's repulsive explosion.

Some drones and hacking

In Iron Man 2, Vanko develops an army of horrible humanoid drones for each branch of the army. This aspect of the film is a direct scientific fact; the army uses robots more than ever, whether they are automatic robots or remote-controlled robots. Drones and land robots are now used for various research purposes. Vanko's hacking ability has been clearly demonstrated by taking control of an Iron Man's suit. Of course, people are now professional hackers.

Have you ever wondered how the combination of Iron Man suit could withstand many impacts?

Tech news daily makes it known that it is possible Tony Stark took advantage of something under development; Carbon nanotube foam with high damping capacity.

Friendly Robot

Tony does most of his activities with the help of an AI he calls Jarvis. Although it sounds too smart to be true, Jarvis is similar to a technology developed by MIT a few years ago. A robotic desk lamp that calculates and predicts where you look, it then moves your flexible neck in that direction to illuminate that particular point. In the movie, Tony creates an emotional bond with his robot. Does this mean that such relationships can exist between humans and robots? According to the owner of the robot vacuum cleaner, Roomba machines should rather be treated as members of the family.

Creation of a new element

Although it is true that the collision at very high speed of subatomic particles can lead to the formation of a new element; an event that happens once every 10 years or so does not happen exactly as Tony Stark described it in Iron Man 2. It's important to know that the elements created by this method are extremely unstable and disintegrate almost as fast that they are created. On the basis of this fact, it is impossible to store these elements in an arc reactor, as indicated in the film.

So there you have it! The little scientific details behind the blockbuster “Iron Man 2”.

Upcoming attractions and changes to WDW

As always, Imagineers are hard at work to improve, develop, and evolve the Parks system into a place that will continually captivate the hearts and minds of their growing and dedicated fanbase. Changes to what already exists at the Parks of WDW are in the works for upcoming months and into next year. Today, we're going to go through what we know is on the docket, and where we see these changes and additional attractions taking the atmosphere that is the Most Magical Place on Earth. They'll be listed in order of release, starting first with an out of this world experience that promises to bring an entirely new set of "stars" to the stage at Hollywood Studios.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Although this attraction has already opened at Disneyland, it will be opening in Walt Disney World on the 29th of August of this year! Debuting on opening day, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will be the principal attraction, at least until the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance which will debut on December 5th, 2019.

In addition to the main attraction, there are a ton of very cool interactive attractions that will be a great place for any Star Wars fan to immerse themselves in the galaxy far, far away. From Savi's Workshop - a place to build your own custom lightsaber - to the Droid Depot - the workshop that will give you free rein on designing your very own Astro droid - creating your own assembly of Star Wars merchandise is going to be a huge highlight for many guests. On top of that, you'll be able to get refreshments at the Cantina, eat in a Docking Bay, and even try the "blue milk" we've all always been curious about, no matter how it tastes! 

Finally, for the shopping-centric guests out there, there will be an "antiquities" shop that's chock full of super amazing Star Wars lore items, as well as the Black Spire Outfitters, where any galactic ranger can get outfitted with all of the gear they could possibly need to take on the First Order.  

Epcot Forever 

The Disney Parks, namely the Magic Kingdom, are known for their spectacular fireworks shows. Fans of the Parks and Walt Disney World, in particular, have witnessed fantastic changes at the different themed parks throughout the years, but no Park has evolved more than Epcot. What was once an idea conceived by Walt Disney himself as the perfect utopian town converted instead to a theme park. 

The park itself has grown into an incredible place for exploring the World of Disney as well as other attractions that have truly shaped the way guests explore the Walt Disney World Resort. This October, specifically on the 1st, begins the newest fireworks show at Epcot over the World Showcase Lagoon, that will take a dive throughout the history and charge forward into the future of Epcot. It promises to be an absolutely beautiful show, and will change the way Epcot guests appreciate the Park forever!

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway

Coming Spring 2020, the first-ever Mickey and Minnie-specific ride that will travel throughout the world of Disney's recent award-winning Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts. It's going to be a ride for the whole family, and it promises to be one of the coolest new editions to the parks in years! The ride will be unique to Hollywood Studios, so it won't be available at any of the other Parks; meaning, if you want to take a spin, you'll have to head down to Orlando!

Guardians of the Galaxy Indoor Rollercoaster

While we've seen some pretty incredible and interactive coasters in the past at Walt Disney World, especially ones like the Rockin' Roller Coaster, there has never been something like what is planned for the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster at Epcot coming in 2021. The way the coaster is designed incorporates an interactive experience that will force each individual cart to rotate and move throughout the ride to direct the riders' attention to different places and features of the indoor complex.

The complex itself will be one of the largest indoor rollercoasters in the entire world, and certainly the largest in Walt Disney World history. In fact, the complex is so large, you could fit the volume of 4 Spaceship Earth attractions inside! Wow! According to the Disney Parks blog, trucks have already dumped 960 loads worth of concrete to build the foundation, so it's really going to be quite the spectacle. 

What comes next after The Lion King?

The Lion King promised to be the "movie of the summer" and regardless of how you felt about it, it undoubtedly was the most highly-anticipated release. However, Disney has more than just a Lion King live-action remake for us movie fans on the docket, and many of those movies are in the works or have set release dates identified. Today, we're going to go through the list of upcoming Live-Action movies that we've been made aware of, and what we look forward to about each.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

The first installment of Maleficent was a smash-hit among Disney fans all-over, and for good reason. It was a different style of story-telling than most of us are used to from Disney, and it added a delightfully different twist to a story we've all heard many times. Whether you like her or not, Angelina Jolie did do a wonderful job as the Evil Queen, and we very much look forward to the upcoming movie that will be released in theaters on October 19th of this year.

Mulan

We keep growing more and more excited for this movie as time draws closer to 2020. Although there was some backlash when the movie was announced and the spec-script was released, due to some casting controversies, those have been largely reduced to null as the lineup of actors and actresses has now been showcased. This movie promises to capture the struggle between tradition and aspirations that the first one so expertly maneuvered, and on top of that, the action scenes seem to be choreographed beautifully based on the trailers we've been exposed to. With a release date set for March 27 of next year, 2020 could not come soon enough.

Lady and the Tramp

Whaaaaaat?! Yes. Yes, it's true, and we are so so excited for it. While we're not sure when it will debut, the movie will be streaming exclusively on Disney+! It won't be the first project on Disney's new streaming platform that will be available exclusively through the app, but it's interesting to see that a movie that, let's face it, would absolutely crush at the box offices may not even see the theater. Are we in a new era of movies and television? Yes, of course. But, are we past the intimacy and nostalgia of a theater setting for widespread anticipation of films? We will have to wait and see. Set to star Justin Theroux and Tessa Thompson, the movie's release date is still not set in stone.

The Little Mermaid

While the announcement of the new Ariel may have come with some, albeit unnecessary, disgruntled response, the movie does promise to be a fun reimagining of the original animated version. With Melissa McCarthy slated to play the timeless villain Ursula, and several other awesome actors and actresses on deck for the supporting cast, the shining star of the movie Halle Bailey will absolutely prove to be a wonderful casting decision, in our opinion. We still don't have a release date announced, but when it is, we'll be marking our calender and crossing off any other engagements for the special day.

Snow White

The reports are in, and the verdict is here, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is going to be returning to the big screen in another Disney Live-Action remake! While we have our reservations for how this one might turn out, being that the dwarves are actual humanoid beings (sometimes, CGI goes a little overboard when it comes to humanoids), we're as excited as ever for this remake. Because it was the very first feature animation from Disney, this movie will likely have the largest difference in production quality in comparison to the rest of the live-action reboots, so it will be very interesting to see how the World in which Snow White resides evolves into its newly created image.

Cruella

One of the most notorious villains in the Disney catalog, Cruella de Vil has certainly earned a center-stage role in her own feature film. This live-action movie will star Emma Stone, who has shown her stripes over the years in many a role, and she's set to bring a new twist to the storyline of Cruella with this reportedly "80s-era origin story". Origin story? That's the word, for now. We're not getting a movie about the Cruella we know, rather, the Cruella that became the one we know. Interesting, isn't it? We're certainly intrigued by the idea, and we're interested to see where it leads.