Click on the Questions to See the Answer!
1928
Steamboat Willie
Steamboat Willie—the first animated film to star Mickey Mouse and to feature synchronized sound—debuts at the Colony Theatre in New York, November 18, 1928 (Entered the public domain in 2023).
Walt Disney founded the company that became The Walt Disney Company in 1923, and the D23 Fan Club name honors that founding year.
A Creepy Little Mouse
As a child, Walt Disney was famously afraid of mice. This fear, which he developed while living on a farm in Missouri, was eventually transformed into his most famous creation, Mickey Mouse. Originally named Mortimer and later renamed Mickey by his wife Lillian, he made his debut in 1928 and became a global sensation, launching Disney's career.
Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901, and grew up in several locations after being born in Chicago, Illinois. His family moved to a farm near Marceline, Missouri, when he was four, where he spent a significant part of his childhood and developed an interest in drawing. Later, the family relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, and then back to Chicago before he left to join the Red Cross during World War I. Walt died on December 15, 1965, from Lung Cancer. [About Walt Disney]
Hot dog!
Mickey Mouse’s first words were "Hot dog!" in the 1929 animated short "The Karnival Kid".
Mickey's first words later inspired the "Hot Dog" song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog!
Walt Disney World in Orlando
October 1, 1971
~ Magic Kingdom — October 1971
~ Downtown Disney — May 1975
~ EPCOT — October 1982
~ Hollywood Studios — May 1989
~ Animal Kingdom — April 1998
~ Typhoon Lagoon — April 1989
~ Blizzard Beach — April 1995
Disneyland in California
July 17, 1955
28,000 Acres or 43 Square Miles (11,088 Hectares)
- Roughly the size of San Francisco or 2 Manhattan Islands in NYC!
- Purchased secretly under 5 corporations for about $5 MILLION.
- That's about $182 per acre.
- It's estimated to be worth about $18 BILLION!
- 1/3 Developed — 1/3 in Conservation — 1/3 Undeveloped
- Disneyland in California is landlocked at approximately 500 acres.
"Villains Land"
at Magic Kingdom
"Tropical Americas"
in Animal Kingdom (Encanto & Indiana Jones)
"Piston Peak—Cars Land"
in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom
"Monstropolis — Monsters, Inc. Land"
in Hollywood Studios
- Villains Land Coming to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
- The Tropical Americas: Pueblo Esperanza — An Encanto Transformation in Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom
- Piston Peak — Cars Land Expansion Coming to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
- Monstropolis — Monsters, Inc. Land Coming to Disney World’s Hollywood Studios
EPCOT — Visitors typically log between 8 to 10 miles in a full day!
Size of each park:
- EPCOT: 300 acres
- Animal Kingdom: 580 acres
- Magic Kingdom: 107 acres (Villains & Cars will add 14 acres)
- Hollywood Studios: 135 acres (Monsters, Inc. will add 10 acres)
50 Million! — (137,000 per day)
- Magic Kingdom: 50,000 average daily guests (Capacity: 100,000)
- EPCOT: 33,000 average daily guests (Capacity: 110,000)
- Hollywood Studios: 30,000 average daily guests (Capacity: 60,000)
- Animal Kingdom: 24,000 average daily guests (Capacity: 60,000)
Central Florida Welcomed About 75 Million Visitors in 2025,
The Most Visited Destination in the World!
Tourism generated a $94.5 billion impact in Central Florida, driven by theme parks, new attractions, and culinary scenes.
Over 108 Years!
- TOTAL 39,473 Rooms in the Walt Disney World Property
- Disney - 22,440 Rooms
- Disney - 5,221 Villas
- Disney - 1,209 Cabins & Campgrounds
- Partner Resorts - 10,603 Rooms
Stays at Cinderella Castle Suite are primarily awarded through rare sweepstakes, charity raffles (such as Make-A-Wish), or, on very rare occasions, special Disney promotional giveaways.
23 Disney Properties — PLUS 17 partner properties
DELUXE RESORTS
- Contemporary, 1971, 655 Rm
- Polynesian Village, 1971, 492 Rm
- Grand Floridian, 1988, 867 Rm & 147 Villas
- Yacht Club, 1990, 621 Rm
- Beach Club, 1990, 576 Rm, 282 Villas
- Old Key West, 1991, 761 Rm
- Wilderness Lodge, 1994, 729 Rm, 365 Villas
- BoardWalk Inn, 1996, 378 Rm, 530 Villas
- Animal Kingdom Lodge, 2001, 1,307 Rm, 708 Villas
- Saratoga Springs, 2004, 1,320 Villas
- Bay Lake Tower, 2009, 428 Villas (DVC)
- Rivera, 2019, 300 Villas
- Polynesian Island Tower, 2024, 380 Villas (DVC)
*Resorts are linked to Wiki
MODERATE RESORTS
- Caribbean Beach, 1988, 1,536 Rm
- Port Orleans French Qtr, 1991, 1,008 Rm
- Port Orleans Riverside, 1991, 2,048 Rm
- Coronado Springs, 1997, 1,915 Rm
VALUE RESORTS
- All-Star Sports, 1994, 1,920 Rm
- All-Star Music, 1994, 1,604 Rm
- All-Star Movies, 1999, 1,920 Rm
- Pop Century, 2003, 2,880 Rm
- Art of Animation, 2012, 1,984 Rm
CABINS/CAMPGROUNDS
- Fort Wilderness, 1971, 800 Sites, 409 Cabins
PARTNER PROPERTIES:
Shades of Green† - 1973, 586 Rm
Dolphin† - 1990, 1,509 Rm
Swan† - 1990, 758 Rm
Swan Reserve† - 2021, 349 Rm
Four Seasons† - 2022, 450 Rm
Lake Buena Vista Area:
Hilton Orlando, 814 Rm
Wyndham Garden Lake, 394 Rm
Drury Plaza Hotel, 604 Rm
Double Tree Suites, 236 Rm
Renaissance Orlando, 394 Rm
Holiday Inn Orlando, 323 Rm
Hilton Orlando LBV, 605 Rm
Bonnet Creek Area:
Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek, 1,149 Rm
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort, 400 Rm
JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet, 516 Rm
Signia by Hilton Orlando, 1,009 Rm
Waldorf Astoria Orlando, 502 Rm
Coming Soon — Lake Shore Lodge, DVC, 2027, 900 Rooms (Next to Wilderness Lodge)
Disney's Best Friends Pet Hotel Resort
Club Rooms include Personal Concierge, 2 Potty Walks, 2 Playtimes, or Play & Stay, Bed Time Story, Flat Screen TV, Webcam, Premium Bedding & Bowls, Private Turfed Outdoor Patio, Pet Updates & Tote with seasonal gift — $339.50
The Boathouse at Disney Springs
- Annual Sales: $51 MILLION
- About $140,000/day or $11,666/per hour
- Average Check $51
- 18,000 SF Themed Restaurant
- 5,000 SF Kitchen - 1,000 SF Retail Space
- Seats 440 guests in 6 themed dining rooms with an additional 200 guests on Boardwalk & Floating Dock.
- Highest Grossing Restaurant in the USA
About 80,000 employees/cast members
- Magic Kingdom—20,000, EPCOT—12,000, Animal Kingdom—8,000 & Hollywood Studios—5,000
- 25,000 managing 30+ hotels, dining, and transport operations.
- 10,000 in corporate, engineering, logistics, and support.
- Disney's College Program accommodates around 12,000 to 14,000 students per session.
- Disney's overall workforce is approximately 233,000 employees.
- Making it the largest single-site employer in the United States!
- Over 1.8 million costumes are tracked with barcodes to ensure they remain Disney property.
About $137,000 Every Night!
- Magic Kingdom — "Happily Ever After."
- EPCOT — "The Luminous Show."
- Hollywood Studios — "Fantasmic!"
- EPCOT — "The Luminous Show."
- Popcorn Sales & Treats Pay for Fireworks!
- Disney is the Biggest Consumer of GUNPOWDER behind the US Military
- They use Compressed Air to launch the Fireworks
About $2 Million Daily!
- Each park has approximately 14,000 to 18,000 parking spots.
- Each Disney resort has approximately 1,000 to 2,000 parking spots.
- Magic Kingdoms parking lot is about 125 acres
About $36 Million!
- $260 Million Per Day
- From over 300 companies:
- 12 Theme Parks spread across six resorts
- 8 Disney Cruise Ships
- FOX
- ESPN
- ABC
- MARVEL
- HULU
- Walt Disney Consumer Products
- Walt Disney Studios
- Disney Music Group
- Disney Theatrical Group
- ...and So Many More!
- About $95 Billion Annually
- Disney is Publicly Traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Stock Symbol: DIS
1- Spaceship Earth
Estimated Cost: $1 Billion
Park: EPCOT — Opening: 1982
2- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Estimated Cost: $500 million
Park: EPCOT — Opening: 2022
3- Pandora – The World of Avatar
Estimated Cost: $400-500 million
Park: Animal Kingdom — Opening: 2017
4- Test Track 3.0
Estimated Cost: $300 million
Park: EPCOT — Opening: 1998
5- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Estimated Cost: $225 million
Park: Hollywood Studios — Opening: 2019
6- Tron Lightcycle Run
Estimated Cost: $200 million
Park: Magic Kingdom / Tomorrowland — Opening: 2023
7- Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Splash Mountain)
Estimated Cost: $142 million
Park: Magic Kingdom / Frontierland — Opening: 2024
8- Tower of Terror
Estimated Cost: $140 million
Park: Hollywood Studios — Opening: 1989
9- Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Estimated Cost: $120 million
Park: EPCOT — Opening: 2021
10- Expedition Everest
Estimated Cost: $100 million
Park: Animal Kingdom — Opening: 2006
About 3+ Billion Dollars for the Top 10 Rides in the Park! — 10 to 20,000 riders per day
EVERY PERSON COMES OUT TIRED!
- Not Really!
- Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow
Walt imagined a city where people lived, worked, and thrived in a futuristic utopia. 
Instead, we got a park where we eat around the world and ride Spaceship Earth. Still magical…just with more delicious snacks.
The BEATLES
- John Lennon was enjoying a stay at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort when he signed the documents that would seal the dissolution of the world's most famous band on December 29, 1974.
Animal Kingdom
- Due to a "rainforest effect" from its dense vegetation trapping heat and limiting airflow, this can create a "greenhouse effect".
- There are more than 300 different species of animals at Animal Kingdom, and around 2000 animals.
Disney Springs...It's 120 Acres!
- Magic Kingdom is only 107 acres.
- Disney Springs has 150 Venues: Shopping, dining, and entertainment locations.
- Components: Divided into four areas: The Landing, Town Center, Marketplace, and West Side.
- World of Disney Store: The World of Disney store, located in the Marketplace, is the largest Disney store in the world, covering over 50,000 square feet.
Over $100 million!
- 10% runs on 500,000 solar panels on 270 acres.
- Goal of 40% solar by 2030,
- The hidden Mickey is 48,000 solar panels in the shape of Mickey Mouse next to EPCOT.
- ONE Official U.S. Flag!
- It's been taken down every day at 5 pm since October 1971
- The others are missing a stripe or a few stars
- They are fake flag props and do not need to be taken in during inclement weather, nor do they need to be illuminated at night.
- 10 Million Hamburgers (27,397 per day)
- 6 Million Hot Dogs (16,438 per day)
- 1.6 Million Turkey Drumsticks (4,383 per day)
- 9 Million Pounds of French Fries (24,657 pounds per day)
- 300,000 Pounds of Popcorn ($60k per day)
- 3.3 million Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bars (9,041 per day)
- 13 Million Bottles of Water (35,616 per day)
- 75 Million Coke Products (205,497 per day)
- WDW has over 300 dining outlets with a staff of 350 chefs
Zootopia 2 (2025)
$1.74 billion
Inside Out 2 (2024)
$1.7 billion
The Lion King (2019)
$1.66 billion
NOPE!
- Disney contract with the Orange County Sheriff!
- Disney does have a Huge Security Team!
- Disney also has 4 Fire Stations!
- With 160 full-time firefighters and paramedics
- They respond to about 80 alarms per day
- The Lake Buena Vista STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Airport.
- "Singing Runway" with grooves spaced to play the opening notes of the Disney song "When You Wish Upon a Star" as planes landed.
- Closed due to safety reasons with the monorail.
- Over 76,650 pairs of SUNGLASSES (210 per day)
- Over 6,000 CELLPHONES (16 per day)
- Over 18,000 HATS (50 per day)
- Since Walt Disney World opened in 1971, visitors have lost more than 1.6 million pairs of sunglasses at the parks
- Space Mountain
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Splash Mountain)
- Big Thunder Railroad Mountain
Tinker Bell gets paid around $500.00 for each flight she takes across the Magic Kingdom's sky – not too bad for 30 seconds of work.
Magic Kingdom's on the 2nd Story!
- You're walking uphill to Magic Kingdom
- Cast members move through color-coded tunnels
- It's said the "Trash" is the fastest ride in the park, be whisk away at 60 MPH.
About 50 YEARS!
- Disney provides laundry services for all cast members and resorts.
- They wash 285,000 LBs (129,200 KGs) of laundry daily!
- Dry Clean about 32,000 Garments
- They have 4 locations totaling about 500,000 sq ft
Disney's Washing Tunnel
Walt Disney —
A few other of Walt's favorite quotes...
- " All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."
- "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
- “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, dreams are forever.”
“No worries”
648 Movies — According to "The Numbers"
- 13 Stories
- Its actual height is 199 feet
- Grumpy
- Sneezy
- Dopey
- Sleepy
- Doc
- Bashful
- Happy
- Jennifer Stone — Actress. Producer. Writer.
- Selena Gomez — Music Artist. Actress.
- Demi Lovato — Music Artist. Actress.
- Miley Cyrus — Music Artist. Actress.
- Bella Thorne — Actress. Director.
- Walt Disney's meticulous attention to guest behavior led to the implementation of the 30-foot trash can rule.
- By observing how far guests would walk before discarding litter, Disney determined that placing trash cans within a 30-foot radius minimized littering and maintained park cleanliness.
- Only the Contemporary Resort Lobby
About 10-15 Million
- PhotoPass photographers take between 100,000 to 200,000 photographs of guests on any given day at over 100 locations in the parks.
Goofy — Minnie — Mickey — Pluto — Donald Duck
They have been together since 1930!
GUM...it's not sold at Disney World.
... team consists of approximately 800 professionals.
- They tend to 175,000 trees
- 800 hanging baskets across the entire resort properties
- 3.5 million bedding plants
- 4 million shrubs
- 13,000 rose bushes
- 200 unique topiary sculptures
- PLUS, Over 100,000 Poinsettias Are Planted for the Holidays
YES, at EPCOT, they grow over 30 Tons of Produce for their resorts in the park.
- 175 Miles
- There are 424 Resort Buses that drive over 40 million miles per year.
...has 12 Monorails — 14.7 miles of tracks, the largest in the world, and 3 600-passenger ferries.
...has 67 Miles of waterways with 36 Watercraft, and the Disney Skyliner has 304 Gondolas.
YES, at Golden Oak, a Four Seasons Resort.
- BUT, you don't own the land.
- Home prices generally range from $5 million to upwards of $20 million.
- Town Center
- The Landing
- West Side
- Marketplace
- Florida, USA: Walt Disney World (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios + Disney Springs)
- California, USA: Disneyland Resort (Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure)
- Paris, France: Disneyland Paris (Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park)
- Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea)
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong Disneyland
- Shanghai, China: Shanghai Disneyland
- Main Street, U.S.A
- Tomorrowland
- Fantasyland
- Frontierland
- Liberty Square
- Adventureland
Club 33 is a private Membership club with a variety of tailored experiences for its Members.
- $35,000 initiation fee and an $16,000 annual fee
- The waitlist is estimated at 10 years
- Locations:
- Magic Kingdom: Located in Adventureland.
- Epcot: Found in the American Adventure pavilion.
- Hollywood Studios: The entrance is at the Hollywood Brown Derby.
- Animal Kingdom: Situated in the Africa area of Harambe Village.
150 years old (and still young!)
It's hard to imagine a time when animated films were considered a ridiculous concept, but when Walt Disney set out to create the first feature-length cartoon in 1937 — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" — he was laughed at.
Walt Disney won a record 22 Academy Awards throughout his career.
Disney Springs
Disney Springs Shops
Reedy Creek Improvement District
Cars & Villains Land
Tropical Americas
Villains Land
Road Improvement around the Floridain
Road Improvement around the Floridain
Some information was gathered from the D23 Fan Club.
Disclaimer—The information provided on this website regarding Walt Disney World is for general informational purposes only. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World Resort, or any of its subsidiaries. All trademarks, service marks, and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. While efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the information presented, details are subject to change without notice. Official information should always be verified directly with Walt Disney World through their official website or guest services.
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