Disney Facts: The changing names of the Seven Dwarfs

In honor of Snow White's Scary Adventures closing on May 31 in Disney World, we take a closer look at seven of the main characters in the story -- the famous dwarfs.

Here's a question: What were the original names of the Seven Dwarfs, before the 1937 Disney movie?

                                                                                                 © Steven Liebman
Topiaries of some of the Seven Dwarfs at Disney World.

The answer: None.

The original Brothers Grimm version of Snow White did not name the seven. It wasn't until the 1912 Broadway play "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" that they were given monikers. And the names were not what you think. They were called Blick, Flick, Glick, Pick, Quee, Snick and Whick.

Disney renamed the dwarfs for its movie to Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy.

The names have since been changed with each retelling of the tale, including the two Snow White movies released this year.

In "Mirror Mirror" with Julia Roberts the dwarfs are named Butcher, Chuckles, Grimm, Grub, Half Pint, Napoleon and Wolf.

In the upcoming "Snow White and the Huntsman," being released June 1, the names are Beith, Coll, Duir, Gort, Muir, Nion and Quert.

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Disney Facts: Disneyland 2012 edition

The opening of Cars Land at the California Adventure on June 15 will change the entire landscape of Disneyland Park. As the anticipation continues, Disney has released a new version of the its Disneyland Park fact sheet. 

Here's an updated look at some of Disneyland facts and some firsts.

                                                   Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort

• Disneyland resort employs 22,000 people.
• The Matterhorn Bobsleds, which reopen June 15 after a major refurbishment, was the first tubular steel roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1959.
• Disneyland created the first daily operating monorail in the western hemisphere.
• “World of Color” uses a submersible platform that’s bigger than a football field.
• More than 800 species of plants grow at Disneyland.
• The landscape surrounding the Jungle Cruise has evolved into its own ecosystem since the attraction opened in 1955. The trees have created a canopy that allows species of ground plants to grow that otherwise wouldn’t in Southern California.
• Buena Vista Street, the new road into Disney California Adventure, invites guests to step into Los Angeles of the 1920s and ’30s, experiencing the sights and sounds Walt Disney may have discovered when he stepped off the train in California in 1923.
• At 280,000 square feet and 125 feet tall at its peak, The Ornament Valley Mountain Range in Cars Land is the largest rock structure in any domestic Disney theme park.
• More than 30 different languages are spoken among Disneyland Resort cast members.
• Disneyland Resort costuming cast members maintain more than a thousand different costumes for use in the parks and hotels.
• About 50 certified scuba divers work on the Disneyland Resort Facilities team, which maintains such attractions as “World of Color,” “Fantasmic!” and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.

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DIsney Facts: World of Color

The "World of Color" at Disney's California Adventure in Disneyland is one of the most remarkable shows I've ever seen. The way the water, light, sound and projections work is a marvel. It is a must see and is hands down the best night time show at Disneyland or Walt Disney World.

The technology behind the show is fantastic. Here is a look at the show, by the numbers:

100,000: The number of digital images used during the show.

30,000: The weight in pounds of one of the submersible electrical rooms, used in the show. These rooms can travel up and down with the platform like submarines, controlling the power and infrastructure that runs the fountains and lights. 

                                                                                                © Steven Liebman
World of Color at Disney's California Adventure

1,200: The number of fountains used during the show.

600: The number of Grid Fountains.

400: The number of Chaser Fountains.

380: How wide in feet the water screen for digital projection reaches.

200: The height in feet the water from the fountains can reach.

65: The number of Dual Water Whip Fountains.

76: The number of Single Water Whip Fountains.

75: The miles miles of cable that help control the lift tables and show equipment in the lagoon.

28: The number of projectors (14 of them, submersible) which brings the images to life.

16: The amount of millions of gallons of water in Paradise Bay, where the show is located.

12: The number of Flower Spout Fountains.

10: The number of Geyser Fountains.

6: The number of Dancer Fountains.

4: The number of Butterfly Fountains.

1: The size in acres of the fountains are laid out in n Paradise Bay.

Source: Walt Disney Company

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Disney Facts: Pirates of the Caribbean

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.

                                                                         Photo by Walt Disney Company 

But did you know that the popular ride, which first opened in 1967 at Disneyland, was not part of the inaugural attractions opened at that Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World? Disney Imagineers thought that since Florida sits in the middle of the real Caribbean there would be little interest in a pirates-themed adventure, according to the Walt Disney Company.

Soon after the Magic Kingdom opened the comments came in and many people were disappointed that there was no Pirates of the Caribbean ride. So Disney went to work and the ride finally opened Dec. 15, 1973.

Here are some facts about each of the rides, from Disney:

Walt Disney World version of Pirates of the Caribbean

• There are about 125 Audio-Animatronics figures — 65 pirates and villagers and 60 animals and birds.
• Caribbean Plaza in Adventureland, where the attraction is located, features the Spanish and English architectural styles of the 18th century West Indies. 
• There is a plunge down a 14-foot shoot that brings guests into the middle of a sea battle.
• There are two chess-playing skeletons in the attraction.
• This was the first major addition to the Magic Kingdom following the 1971 opening of the park.

Disneyland version of Pirates of the Caribbean

• The was the last ride supervised by Walt Disney.
• The attraction is housed within two large show buildings totaling 112,826 feet and featuring 750,000 gallons of water that flow through a 1,838-foot canal.
• It cost $15 million to build New Orleans Square ($8 million of which was spent on Pirates of the Caribbean). This is equal to the amount the United States paid for the real New Orleans in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803
• The façade of the attraction was partly inspired by the Cabildo building in Jackson Square in New Orleans that served as the seat of the Spanish colonial government in 1799. 

The Song

The famous song, "Yo Ho, Yo Ho; a Pirate’s Life for Me," was written by lyricist X. Atencio and composer George Bruns. Here are the complete lyrics.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle and even highjack.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We kindle and char and enflame and ignite.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
We burn up the city, we're really a fright.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villains and knaves.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads,
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

One last fact

Atencio also provided the voice for the talking skull and crossbones that delivers the warning, “Dead men tell no tales.”

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Disney Facts: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln

                      Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland
President Abraham Lincoln Audio-Animatronic
 figure at Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

Walt Disney was fascinated with Abraham Lincoln. As a child he even memorized Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to recite it to his class mates and as he got older devoured any bits of information he could about the President.

It's no wonder that when the idea came to create a human Audio-Animatronic Disney decided he wanted to create Lincoln. And he did. The first Audio-Animatronics version of Lincoln debuted in 1964 at the New York World's Fair at the State of Illinois Pavilion. It became so popular it moved to Disneyland in 1965 to the Main Street Opera House.

In 1984, the show was reprogrammed with Audio-Animatoric enhancements, according to the Walt Disney Company.

The original who had Lincoln delivering a speech composed of highlights from several speeches he made during his lifetime. In July 2001, another update was made and guests donned earphones to hear a dramatic Civil War presentation followed by the figure of Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address.

From 2005 until early 2009, the show went on hiatus.

In 2009 it reopened with the pre-show now including a bronze replica of the original 1964 sculpt of Lincoln’s head. The latest Audio-Animatronic technology was used and new speech using Lincoln’s words in previous versions of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (except the 2001 update) is being presented by using original recordings made in the early 1960s by Royal Dano.

Here are some quick facts about Abraham Lincoln:

• He was born on February 12th 1809, and died April 15th 1865 at the age of fifty six.
• He stood 6-feet 4-inches.
• He is the only president to receive a patent. This was in 1849 for a buoyancy system in steamboats.
• He disliked killing and harming animals, even for food.
• He was the first president to have a beard.
• He was the first president to be assassinated.
• He was very disorganized. As an attorney he carried papers in his stovepipe hat so he wouldn’t misplace them.
• His Gettysburg Address is one of the most oft repeated speeches throughout history.

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Disney Facts: Mission Space

Photo by Walt Disney Company

To develop Mission:SPACE it took more than 650 Walt Disney Imagineers more than 350,000 hours (the equivalent of 40 years of time) to develop this attraction in Epcot at Walt Disney World.

There are 13 quotes on the attraction’s wall of honor. The most recent was added in September 2007 by teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, reading “Reach for your dreams . . . the sky is no limit.”

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Disney Facts: How much water is used at Disney World

Everywhere you look around Walt Disney World in Florida, you see water. Whether it is the lakes, canals, pools, water parks, fountains or rides, water plays a major role at the park.

                                                                       © Steven Liebman

Here's a look at how much water plays a role at Disney by the numbers:

2.385 billion: Gallons of water in Bay Lake and the adjoining Seven Seas Lagoon.
1,350: Gallons per minute each jet nozzle puts out to propel riders on the Crush ‘n’ Gusher "water coaster"  at Typhoon Lagoon.

850: Acres of lakes on the property

600: The number of people who can ride aboard one of the ferry boats which cross the Seven Seas Lagoon between Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center. 

500+: The number of watercraft that can be rented at Disney World.

120: The number of feet one plunges down on Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach.

66: The miles of canals on the property.

57 (for now, soon to be 58): The number of pools to enjoy at the Disney resorts.

Source: Walt Disney Corporation

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Disney Facts: At Disney nothing is wasted

At Disney World nothing is wasted.

Recycling and water reclamation are a big part of the World with more than 92,000 tons of materials recycled in 2010, Disney reported in a new release.

About 80 percent of the water used for irrigation and about 30 percent of the water used for the overall operation of the resort is from reclaimed water. That's more than 2 billion gallons of reclaimed water, enough to fill up Spaceship Earth about 129 times.

All the leftover food from the resort kitchens does not go to waste either -- it goes to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Nearly 369,000 pounds of food went to central Florida residents in 2010.

And even the "waste" from the animals at the Animal Kingdom does not go to waste. More than 4,680 tons of manure was sent to the compost facility in 2010, producing more than 9,000 tons of compost throughout the year.

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Disney Facts: Art of Animation Resort by the numbers

Disney has announced the Art of Animation resort will open My 31 with the Finding Nemo wing. That will be followed by the Cars wing opening June 18, The Lion King wing Aug. 10 and the Little Mermaid wing Sept. 15.

Here's a look at the resort by the numbers:

529,000: The number of square feet of ceramic tiles on the project, enough to cover a standard two-lane road four miles long.

310,000: The number of gallons in the Nemo pool, making it the largest pool on Disney property, not counting water parks.

227,000: The number of lineal feet of carpet, which is enough to stretch from downtown Orlando to the Kennedy Space Center on the Atlantic coast.

23,000: The number of gallons of paint, enough to fill a typical backyard swimming pool.

2,300: The number of parking spaces.

27: The number of acres of landscaping and irrigation at the resort is the equivalent of 20 football fields.

Source: Disney Resorts

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Disney Facts: Disney's theme park technological firsts

From ride vehicles to fireworks displays to interactive virtual technology systems, Disney has been in the forefront of evolving technologies.

Random free-fall programming
at Twlight Zone Tower of Terror
is one of the patents.

Disney holds patents that deal with advancements in robotic figures, safety systems and even marine mammal communications (yes, they patented a device which allows a dolphin to activate a switch and associate it with a word).

Walt Disney Imagineering has been granted more than 100 patents since before the opening of Disneyland in 1955, according to the company.

Here is a timeline, according to Disney, of some of the theme parks' technological firsts:

1955: A 360-degree motion picture technology that employs multiple synchronized camerasis used for Circarama, U.S.A., in Disneyland. This is later updated for multiple attractions, including Le Visionarium at Disneyland Paris in 1992.

1959: The Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland is the first roller coaster to use cylindrical rails and urethane wheels. Also at Disneyland, the first daily operating monorail system in the U.S. is christened.

1963: The creation of Audio-Animatronics figures, which allow humans, animals and creatures to be animated in three dimensions, is seen at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland. (Here is a more compete history of Audio-Animatronic figures.)

1975: The first computer-controlled thrill ride, Space Mountain, opens at the Magic Kingdom.

1982: An advanced 3-D motion picture photography system debuts at Magic Journeys in Epcot. It is later enhanced and used in multiple attractions, including Mickey’s PhilharMagic in the Magic Kingdom.

1994: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror employs random free-fall programming at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

1995: Ride vehicles that move through three-dimensional environments with a capacity for random motion-simulator effects are used in the Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland.

A virtual hang-gliding experience at Soarin' is another
patent awarded to Disney.

2000: Trackless vehicles follow a random path by relying on unseen transmitters in the floor at Pooh’s Hunny Hunt in Tokyo Disneyland.

2001: A virtual hang-gliding experience provides a panoramic view of sweeping landscapes augmented by scents released during key scenes in Soarin’ Over California at Disney California Adventure.

2003: A ride system combining centrifuge technology with virtual imagery takes you on an adventure to Mars in Mission: SPACE at Epcot.

2004: A blend of digital projection and voice-activated, real-time animation allows for unscripted conversations between theme park guests and an animated character in Turtle Talk With Crush at Epcot.

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Walt Disney and The Oscars

It's Oscar time, so this is the perfect opportunity for us to look at Walt Disney, Disney films and the Academy Awards.

Walt Disney holds the records for the number of Academy Award nominations with 59 and the number of wins with 26. His last, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, was awarded posthumously. The award, according to the Academy, is voted by the Academy’s Board of Governors and is presented to “creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.”

Since Walt Disney's death in 1966, Walt Disney Productions has won more than two dozen additional statuettes. Here's a some what complete list, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

"Flowers and Trees" (1932) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Three Little Pigs" (1933) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"The Tortoise and the Hare" (1935) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Three Orphan Kittens" (1935) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"The Country Cousin" (1936) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"The Old Mill" (1937) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) did not win an Oscar but was nominated for Best Score. A Special Award was presented to Disney to recognize special achievement. He was given one statuette and seven miniature statuettes. 

"Ferdinand the Bull" (1938) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Ugly Duckling" (1939) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Pinocchio" (1940) Best Score and Best Song ("When You Wish Upon a Star")
"Fantasia" (1940) is another movie that did not win any Oscars. It was not even nominated. But special awards were presented "For their outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures through the production of Fantasia" and "for their unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music in Walt Disney's production Fantasia, thereby widening the scope of the motion picture as entertainment and as an art form."
"Lend a Paw" (1941) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Dumbo" (1941) - Best Score
"Der Fuehrer's Face" (1942) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Song of the South" (1946) - Best Song --"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" -- and James Baskett received an honorary award for "his able and heart-warming characterization of Uncle Remus, friend and story teller to the children of the world."
"Seal Island" (1948) - Best Short Subject
"Beaver Valley" (1950) - Best Short Subject
"Nature's Half Acre" (1951) - Best Short Subject
"Water Birds" (1952) - Best Short Subject
"Bear Country" (1953) - Best Short Subject
"Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom" (1953) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"The Alaskan Eskimo" (1953) - Best Documentary, Short Subjects
"The Living Desert" (1953) - Best Documentary, Features
"The Vanishing Prairie" (1954) - Best Documentary, Features
"Men Against the Arctic" (1955) - Best Documentary, Short Subjects
"Grand Canyon" (1958) - Best Short Subject, Live Action Subjects
"Mary Poppins" (1964) - Best Actress,  Julie Andrews, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Song --"Chim Chim Cher-ee" --  and Best Score.


"Bedknobs and Broomsticks" (1971) - Best visual Effects
"Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" (1968) - Best Short Subject, Cartoons
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) - Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing and Special Recognition
"The Little Mermaid" (1989) - Best Score and Best Song -- "Under the Sea."
"Beauty and the Beast" (1991) - Best Score and Best Song -- "Beauty and the Beast."
"Aladdin" (1992) - Best Score and Best Song -- "A Whole New World."
"The Lion King" (1994) - Best Score and Best Song -- "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
"Pocahontas" (1995) - Best Score and Best Song -- "Colors of the Wind."
"Toy Story" (1995) - Special Recognition
"Tarzan" (1999) - Best Song -- "You'll Be In My Heart."
"Monsters Inc" (2001) - Best Song -- "If I Didn't Have You."
"Finding Nemo" (2003) - Best Animated Feature
"The Incredibles" (2004) - Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (2005) - Best Makeup
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) - Best Visual Effects
"Ratatouille" (2007) - Best Animated Feature
"WALL-E" (2008) - Best Animated Feature
"Up" (2009) - Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score
"Toy Story 3" (2010) - Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song -- "We Belong Together."
"Alice in Wonderland" (2010) - Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design

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Disney Facts: One of the largest wardrobe closets in the world

Did you know Walt Disney World has the largest wardrobe closet in the world? Yes, Disney has more than 2.5 million costume pieces that hang on about 8 miles of costume racks, according to Disney.

With more than 3,700 costume designs on inventory, Disney Creative Costuming uses more than 650,000 yards of fabric each year.

Mickey Mouse alone has more than 290 different costumes.

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Dsney Facts: A look at the giant icons at the Pop Century Resort

Disney's Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World features 20th century pop culture icons. Here's a look at some of those symbols:

• The bowling pin tower is more than 65 feet high. A regulation pin is 15 inches tall. 
• The giant Rubik’s Cube reaches 41 feet off the ground. Compared to the 4-inch high toy.
• The 8-track tapes are more than 35 feet tall. A real 8-track is 5 1/4 inch tall.
• The table soccer players are more than 12 feet tall.
• The giant Big Wheel icon can "accommodate" a child rider that weighs up to 877 pounds (or so says the sticker on the towering riding toy). 
• In the 1960s area, giant "thumbprints" can be spotted on the ears of the elephant peeking out of the giant Play-Doh canister. And can you name the child depicted on the Play-Doh can? That’s Play-Doh Pete! 

Source: Walt Disney World Resort

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Disney Facts: A history of Disney's Audio-Animatronic figures

The Disney kingdom may have all started with a mouse, but the Audio-Animatronic robots all started with a bird -- a mechanical bird Walt Disney purchased in the 1950s, while on vacation in Europe, that became the inspiration for what is seen around the World today.

The term Audio-Animatronics was first used by the Disney company in 1961 and was trademarked in 1967. What started off as talking birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room has evolved into an interactive figure which can hold conversations and react.

Scott Brinegar / @2009 Disney

Here is the evolution of Audio-Animatronics, according to the Disney company:

1951: Work begins on “Project Little Man.” The idea is to create a miniature figure programmed with cams, cables and tubes to mimic tap-dancing routines performed by the late Buddy Ebsen.

1963: Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room opens at Disneyland. It’s the first show to feature Audio-Animatronics technology.

1964: The world’s first fully animated human figure, Abraham Lincoln, debuts at the New York World’s Fair in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Audio-Animatronics figures are also in three other World’s Fair shows designed and produced by Disney: Carousel of Progress (featuring figures animated using a programming harness, a precursor of today’s motion capture systems), Magic Skyway and It’s a Small World. Two Audio-Animatronics birds, Robin and Umbrella, appear in “Mary Poppins.” Walt Disney reinvests profits from the film to create MAPO, an organization within Walt Disney Imagineering dedicated to creating and innovating Audio-Animatronics figures.

1965: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln – featuring the Audio-Animatronics figure of Abraham Lincoln (actually, a duplicate since the original was still performing at the World’s Fair) – opens at Disneyland.

1970: Audio-Animatronics technology enters the computer age with the use of Digital Animation Control System, a computer-controlled playback system for Disney shows and attractions.

1989: The first A-100 Audio-Animatronics figure, the Wicked Witch of the West, debuts as part of The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World Resort. The A-100 has technology that gives the figures more fluid and realistic movements.

1992: Pirates of the Caribbean opens at Disneyland Paris. The attraction features sword-fighting pirates figures.

1998: Hopper, the grasshopper from the Disney•Pixar film “A Bug’s Life,” is the most sophisticated Audio-Animatronics figure produced to date. Featuring 74 functions, the character appears in “It’s Tough to be a Bug!” at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

2002: The first portable, all-electric Audio-Animatronics figure, Meeko, the raccoon from the Disney animated film “Pocahontas,” appears in a basket carried by Pocahontas.

2003: The first totally autonomous Audio-Animatronics figure, Lucky the Dinosaur, makes his debut at Disney’s California Adventure.

2006: The yeti, a major element of Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is the largest and most powerful Audio-Animatronics figure ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering. Standing more than 18 feet tall, the thrust of the yeti’s arm has the equivalent amount of force as a 747 jumbo jet. That's probably why it hasn't lunged since about four months after the ride opened, because it was so powerful.

2007: The Muppet Mobile Lab, featuring Muppets Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker, marks the first time free-roaming Audio-Animatronics characters can interact and converse with each other, as well as with guests they encounter along their way.

2008: Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story Mania! at both Disney’s California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios marks the first time an Audio-Animatronics figure features lips with such a wide range of lifelike movements, can remove and re-attach a body part (his ear) and has digitally animated eyes that can look directly at the particular guest with whom he is conversing. Also, since Mr. Potato Head has more lines of dialogue than any Audio-Animatronics figure ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering, it has required more programming hours than any other figure.

2009: Audio Animatronics evolves into Autonomatronics with the unveiling of "Otto." The figure can sense if a person is happy, hold conversations and react. The difference between the two technologies is that Audio-Animatronic figures repeat a pre-programmed show over and over again. Autonomatronic figures have sophisticated cameras and sensors giving them the ability to make choices about what to say and do.

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Disney Facts: What makes up Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat at Hollywood Studios

Sitting in front of the Chinese Theater in Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida sits the central icon: Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat.

The 122-foot-tall hat weighs 156 tons and is made of composite fiberglass. The foundation was made of enough concrete to cover the length of a football field, according to Disney.

Now, if Mickey were to wear the hat, he would have to be 350 feet tall and would have a hat size of 606 7/8.

The hat itself is 100 feet tall with an interior space equalling 60,000 cubic feet. It would be able to hold 444,744 gallons of water, if those broomsticks from "Fantasia" wanted to fill it up.

According to a Disney fact sheet, the hat is painted with something called “chameleon paint,” which shifts color as guests move around it. The paint job is enough to cover 500 cars. And to keep the hat together builders used 13,493 bolts, 26,986 washers and 17,000 feet of underground utility piping.

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Disney Facts: Stitch's Great Escape

Santa Stitch

When fans thought "The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter" in the Tomorrowland section of the Magic Kingdom was too violent, Disney decided to replace it with "Stitch's Great Escape." The show remained basically the same, but it was redressed and the story revamped. Instead of an alien escaping and running amok in the audience, it's Stitch from "Lilo and Stitch."

Here are some quick facts about the ride:

• Skippy, an alien seen previously in The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter attraction, returns.
• The two plasma cannons that track Stitch’s DNA were inspired by devices seen in "Lilo & Stitch." Each weighs more than 1,600 pounds.
• Stitch is the first Audio-Animatronics figure to spit.
• The alien language seen throughout the Prisoner Teleport Center was inspired by designs created for the opening scenes of "Lilo & Stitch." The designs were turned into an alphabet that can be decoded into English.

Source: Walt Disney World

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Disney Facts: How Illuminations is put together, by the numbers

Flames, fireworks and flowing water punctuate the nightly “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” show in the Epcot World Showcase Lagoon. The centerpiece of the show is the Earth globe, which contains what Disney calls the world's first spherical video display system.

Here is how the spectacular is put together, by the numbers:

A Disney public relations photo of IllumiNations

180,000: Number of LEDs that make up the Earth globe's video display system.

26,000: Feet of lights outlining the World Showcase pavilions around the lagoon.

5,000: Gallons of water per minute coming from the four fountain barges in the lagoon.

350: Weight, in tons, of the floating island which holds the Earth globe.

258: Number of strobe lights on the floating island containing the Earth globe.

67: Number of computers used to program the show.

40: Number of feet in the air a giant torch rises at the end of the show from the Earth globe.

28: Diameter in feet of the Earth globe centerpiece.

14: The length of the show in minutes.

Source: Walt Disney World

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Disney Facts: How Expedition Everest village was built

It is called the village of Serka Zong.

The base of Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom is the home to this mythical village that those entering the ride first visit. The three-story pagoda-type building, was hand carved with 1,000 yeti images in Nepal, then shipped, aged and re-assembled in Animal Kingdom, according to Disney.

"The village includes Norbu and Bob’s Himalayan Escapes booking office, Tashi’s General Store and Bar, an old tea warehouse turned yeti museum, the elaborate wood and copper mandir, local homes and a towering monastery," according to Disney public relations.

About 8,000 props were purchased, mostly from Nepal, for the attraction. The artifacts include a Mani Rimdu dance costume typically worn by a monk during a two-week festival, a 3-D yeti stamp from Bhutan, yeti dolls, a Nepalese coke bottle, antique Chinese ceramics and waterproof barrels designed for mountain treks.

The architectural style and cultural references of the village are a hybrid of Tibetan, Nepalese and other design traditions found throughout the Himalayas.

Photographs from Imagineer Jeff Rohde, which he took for reference, are hung all over the village's museum.




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Disney Facts: Animal Kingdom By The Numbers

A view of Expedition Everest

To create Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the company sent out seven Imagineers around he globe to document what life was like in the wild. The group ended up traveling more than 500,000 miles to make sure they could get the scenery correct.

Here's a look by the numbers of what it took to put the part together:

27 million: The amount of gallons of water in Discover River. That would fill 1,800 backyard swimming pools.

4.4 million: The amount of dirt in cubic yards delivered o Disney’s Animal Kingdom construction site every day for two years straight to build the park. That was about 60 dump trucks a day.


1 million: The amount of rock work in square feet throughout the park. That’s twice the volume of rock work in the sculptures on Mount Rushmore.


103,000: The number of hand-made leaves attached to the Tree of Life.


40,000: The number of animal poop analyzed by lab technicians since the park opened.


1,500: The number of folk art animal carvings that adorn the architecture of Discover Island. They were all made by craftsmen on the island of Bali.


600: The average number of wellness checks the performed each year at the park.


325: The number of animal carvings on The Tree of Life.


18: The number of months it took to carve the images on The Tree of Life. It took 10 artists and three Imagineers working that time to complete the job.


2: The number of vocalizations park scientists have discovered in elephants that have been reported.

Source: Walt Disney World

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Smile of The Day: The Evil Queen

Sometimes it's good to be bad. Not really -- unless you're an actor playing a part. The Evil Queen is actually taken from fairytales collected by the Brothers Grimm. The story is familiar: Wicked stepmom wants to kill Snow White, sends a huntsman to do the deed and bring back her heart (or, in the original story, her lungs and liver), stepmom eats the heart. She later finds out ... well, you know the story. But did you know how the original tale ends? Once revealed, Snow White and the Prince invite Momzilla to their wedding and force her to wear hot iron shoes and dance until she drops dead. Could that be how the ABC-TV series "Once Upon a Time" will end?

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