>The Numbers of Disney World

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Numbers. People worry about them all the time. How are that baseball player’s numbers so much higher than everyone else’s, there weren’t as many numbers in my Christmas bonus as I was hoping, there wasn’t the right number of candles on her birthday cake, she’s much older than that. But in Walt Disney World, numbers represent other things. They represent Magical Experiences and hidden meanings. Today’s Unknown Magic is like an economics professor, it’s going to explain what the numbers mean. So let’s get started:

71 This is the Number found on the Main Street Firehouse. Engine Co. 71 as it is known is a tip of the hat to the year that the Magic Kingdom and therefore, the Walt Disney World Resort opened.

82 This is the Number on the mailbox at the farmhouse in Living with the Land. The Name on the box is B. Jones. The 82 is representative of the year Epcot opened.

28 or 1928 These Numbers represent the origin of Mickey Mouse. This number can be seen on the contractor stamps in the sidewalk on Sunset Boulevard, in the Disney Hollywood Studios. It is also used on the billboards for Sunset Hills Estate, also found in the Studios.

626 This is the number experiment that is featured in the Tomorrowland attraction Stitch’s Great Escape. If you remember from the movie, Lilo and Stitch, Stitch was originally called 626 when he was made.

407 This is the area code for any of the phones that you pick up around the Walt Disney World Resort, including the two phone booths that are in the United Kingdom area of Epcot. (If you ever hear these phones ringing, pick it up, you never know who might be calling.)

360 Actually this should be 360 degrees; as in circle vision 360. There are two of these movies playing in Epcot; one in the China Pavilion and the other in Canada. These movies were made using a camera invented by the Disney Imagineers for just such an attraction. There are actually nine cameras in use to “circle” you and immerse you into the film.

9-11 that is 9:00 AM-11:00 AM This is the time that Epcot’s Future world is open by itself, without the World Showcase being open. (Until recently, the World Showcase was also open from 7:00 PM until 9:30 PM by itself. This has since changed and Future World is open until the close of the park now also.)

So, there you have it a rundown of some numbers that are presented and are associated with Walt Disney World. I hope we have explained some of these Unknown Magics, so that when you see them, you will understand what they mean.

>A Magical Way to End the Day

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A lot of people consider themselves “In Disney” when they enter the Magic Kingdom and see Cinderella Castle. It is a great thing to see first thing in the morning. Going to the rope drop and walking through the tunnels underneath the Walt Disney World Railroad, and seeing the Castle as a new day is starting is amazing. There isn’t a more Magical way to start your day.

But what about at the end of the day? When you are tired and have had a full day of excitement and fun? Is the castle still the most Magical thing you see as you are leaving a park at the end of a day? Some people will say yes. The only problem with this, in my mind, is that you are not facing the castle as you are leaving the Magic Kingdom. You actually are looking at the Walt Disney World Railroad, so to have the castle be the last Magical thing you see for the day, you need to walk backwards. And this is not too safe.

So, where is the most Magical place to end your day in Walt Disney World? I propose it is in Epcot. Not because you can see Spaceship Earth as you are leaving and walk under it, although it is pretty Magical to walk underneath this mammoth lit sphere as the fiber optic sidewalks dance around you. No, I believe Epcot is the most Magical place to end your day, because of the Unknown Magic of the Fountain of Nations.

The Fountain of Nations is the fountain that stands behind Spaceship Earth and is in the center of Millennium Plaza. The Fountain of Nations was created when the park first opened in 1982. It was dedicated by Walt Disney’s widow Lillian. During this

 ceremony, representatives from 23 different countries poured water from 23 rivers and lakes from around the world into the fountain. This was done to “feed the fountain and build its foundation as a gathering point for the world community.”**

The Fountain of Nations entertains you with a water show as you are walking around the Plaza during the day. This water show is choreographed to Music and starts about every 15 minutes. This show can be seen from anywhere around the Plaza. It is a very neat show to watch. You can get yourself a snack or ice cream, and sit and watch the show as you eat, having yourself a Magical Experience in the process. The fountains waters can actually reach heights of 150 feet in the air and you can even see it as you are walking from World Showcase to Future World.

The hours of Epcot are a little different than any of the other parks in Walt Disney World. Future World is open from 9 am until 7pm most days (with Extra Magic Hours throughout the week). The World Showcase is open from 11 am until 9pm. This means that the front of the park is closed as you are leaving at the end of the night. This is what makes the Fountains of Nations an Unknown Magic. At night the Fountain of Nations show continues as it does during the day, but with Future World closed, you get to see it as you are leaving the parts of the park that are open. This is a Magical Experience. At night the fountain is aglow. Colors change as the music and water dance about. And as you are walking from the World Showcase to the front entrance of the park, you have a glorious view of the Fountains of Nations all lit up and framed spectacularly by Spaceship Earth. It is as amazing a sight as Cinderella Castle is first thing in the morning.

The thing with this Magical Experience is that it falls into the same category as I have talked about many times before. To see it and enjoy it, you need to not rush by. At the end of the night in Epcot, Illuminations is shown at 9 o’clock. This is the official closing to Epcot. Many people rush for the exit after the fireworks and laser display end. Just like with many of the other Unknown Magics in Walt Disney World, this one requires you to slow down and not rush. Find a bench, or a shop to go into or even just a railing to stand against. Let the crowd clear out and then leisurely stroll toward the entrance of Epcot. Take the time to enjoy the beauty and pageantry of the Fountain of Nations as you walk by.

So, now you know, Although Cinderella Castle is probably the most Magical sight to see as you are entering a park in Disney World, the Fountain of Nations can create a Magical Experience for you as you are leaving a park, that has no rival. So take the time to stroll past the fountain and Enjoy the sight.

**Information about the Fountain of Nations dedication gotten from The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World.