At Disney Little Things Are Really Big Things

At Disney Little Things Are Really Big Things

Have you ever wondered how Disney makes things so engaging and all encompassing? From the high efficiency parking structure with its brightly colored Disney characters painted on the pillars to each and every ride Disney pays attention to the details. From the Cast Members smiles to the pavement you walk on every detail is considered.

In the Mickey and Friends parking structure you are greeted warmly and efficiently as you pay to park. Then at every turn there is a cast member to show you the way. When you finally get to your parking spot there is are two cast members there to tell you to park! One tells you have arrived at your spot and the other tells you went to stop if you are the front car. They do this for safety and to insure all spots are full. This way people less likely to be walking in rows cars are driving through. All of this is done with the Disney smile! They don’t really need all the cast members they have working parking but it sure helps! (Don’t change Disney!)

You finally get into the park and you enter a different world. The sights and sounds of the “real” world are shut out. There is a sign above the tunnel that goes under the train track, “Here you leave Today and enter the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy!” This is so true! When you enter Main Street everything from the buildings to the brick sidewalks calls you back to yesterday. Even the music played on Main Street fits the theme.

How can you walk through a wooden gate and feel like you are in the Wild West? It is the little things! When you walk into Frontierland you see the buildings that look like they belong in an old western town or fort. That is the big stuff that brings you into the past. It is the little stuff that brings you all the way into the emotional connection to the area. The little stuff is the hoof prints in the street. The hoof prints are just one example of the little things that make the stage complete. This is true with every land, ride and show in the parks.

When you look around you will notice things from the style and color of the buildings to the texture of the walls is designed to draw you in and make you believe. Disney uses everything to tell the story. For example when you walk around Toontown you will see little things all around. It is supposed to be a little town in and of itself. So there are businesses and offices that you would expect to see in any little town. City Hall, Electric Co, Bank, Post Office along with others. There are also little touches at each of the toons homes that you see. There is a mailbox in front of each house. Once again this is not necessary but if it was not there you would not feel it was as “real” as it is. It gives the area a sense of legitimacy.

Go to It’s Tough to be a Bug and look around the cue area. As you walk through the line you are shrinking to bug size! (Well it feels that way to me. LOL) The way they make the walls go up and every detail is made larger until you feel like an ant walking through its anthill. Once in the waiting area for the show look at the Movie Posters placed around the area. Is that a poster for Annie? No wait! It is an ad for Antie! This adds to the fun while you are waiting and gives you something to laugh at while you wait for the show.

It is this attention to detail that make the difference between you just going on a ride and having an experience. That is the Disney Difference when it comes to theme parks.