Let's see:
* Walt Disney World opened in 1961, one week before John F. Kennedy was sworn into office. JFK rode in the Main Street parade the day after his inauguration, and was given a giant "Key to the World" by Walt Disney himself!
* After the Soviet Union was discovered to have nuclear missiles in Cuba, the Pentagon secretly approached Disney and asked if the area under Cinderella Castle could be used as a secret launch site for a counterstrike, due to its proximity to Miami.
* The original Jungle Cruise featured live gorillas along the riverbanks, but this was discontinued after an 8-year-old boy was brutally attacked after sneaking a banana onto his boat, despite posted warnings that food was strictly forbidden onboard.
* The monorail was extended to Disney-MGM Studios originally, but operating costs caused Disney to dismantle that portion of the rail. You can still see the holes in the side of the Swan and Dolphin resorts where the monorails made their stops on the way to the Studios.
* World Showcase featured an Israeli pavilion for several years. Sadly, political protesters set off multiple small fires and explosions during the First Intifada, which culminated in a massive blaze in 1989. The pavilion was closed shortly thereafter.
* The leprechaun in the Irish section of "it's a small world" has been stolen and replaced at least 23 times to date. Disney has been unable to determine who the thief is or why. One theory is that the pilfering was related to the IRA and its infamous reign of terror, an idea that has gained credence since the leprechaun has remained unmolested during the recent peace process.
* A themed strip club that would have opened with Pleasure Island was quickly abandoned and converted into the Adventurers Club after Walt Disney's surviving family caught wind of the scheme and threatened to agitate for Michael Eisner's ouster.
* Ironically, Roy Disney still lobbied against Eisner years later after he sat in on a meeting where Eisner proposed turning the Country Bear Jamboree into a new show to be called The Hip-Hop Bearz & They Homies! As we all know, Eisner eventually resigned.
* The Haunted Mansion has 999 Imagineered ghosts, but there also could be one real one in the mix! That's because Wayne Allwine, who provided the voice of Mickey Mouse until his recent death, loved the ride so much that he asked to be interred and buried in the graveyard scene. Disney couldn't turn down this request, although Allwine's exact resting place in the scene remains a mystery!
* There are tunnels underneath the Magic Kingdom where costumed employees and maintenance staff can access attractions without guests seeing them. (This one I'm not entirely sure about, though. I just heard it from a bus driver, so it might be a complete lie!)
Hope this helps! :wave:
