
If you’ve stayed on Walt Disney World property before, you probably have at least a passing acquaintance with Disney’s Resort Hotels.
You might even find it a breeze to identify each Resort Hotel by category (Value Resort, Moderate Resort, Deluxe Resort or Deluxe Villa Resort). And if you’re like us, maybe you even enjoy Resort-hopping while on a WDW vacation, so you can scope out new Resort Hotels for future stays.
But how well do you really know Disney Resort Hotels?
Just like Disney theme parks, Disney Resort Hotels boast myriad secrets that reward Guests willing to look beyond the surface. Here are some of our favorite secrets in Walt Disney World’s Resort Hotels, from hidden rooms to historic events. How many do you know?
The Secret Room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort
It’s not forbidden like the West Wing, but it may as well be, for the number of Guests that visit the hidden room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort.
It’s called the Carolwood Pacific Railroad Room (or sometimes “The Train Room” or, more ominously, “The Iron Spike Room”), and you’ll find it at the Boulder Ridge Villas, in a secluded area just off the lobby.
Once you find this hidden gem, you’ll discover a room lovingly frozen in time that celebrates Walt Disney’s love of trains. There’s a collection of train memorabilia, including two preserved cars from the miniature rideable train that Walt set up in his backyard.
You’ll be surrounded by old photos and artwork of Walt and his family, and you may well be able to enjoy this special room’s connection to Walt Disney without any other Guests since so few people know it exists.
The Post-Holiday Fate of the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House
Visiting Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, regardless of where you’re staying, is always a highlight of a trip to Walt Disney World during the holidays.
And while you’re soaking up all the gorgeous opulence, you can’t miss the life-sized gingerbread house that’s baked from scratch every year and sits in the lobby.
But did you ever wonder what happens to all that gingerbread after the holidays? That’s a lot of gingerbread, including over 1,000 pounds of honey, and it would be a waste to simply toss it away in January.
So instead, the gingerbread is dismantled and sent to the Disney Tree Farm, where all that sugar is fed to local bee colonies that would otherwise have a hard time finding food during the winter.
The World-Famous Band That Broke Up at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Most Guests are probably familiar with a little band called The Beatles. But did you know that this world-famous band officially broke up on Walt Disney World property, at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort?
Of course, it’s not quite that simple. After Paul McCartney announced the impending breakup back in 1970, it took a few more years for the Beatles to be dissolved, from a legal standpoint. In 1974, all of its members finally signed the papers that brought an end to the best-selling band in history.
John Lennon was the final band member to sign, and because he was on vacation there at the time, he signed at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, officially breaking up The Beatles.
Animal Viewing for Free at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is the perfect Resort Hotel for animal lovers! Nowhere else on property can you wake up to a giraffe or elephant grazing outside your window.
But what if you’re not staying at Animal Kingdom Lpdge?
You’re in luck – if you are willing to make the trek to the Resort, any Guest can pick up a Wildlife Spotting Guide in the lobby, and head to one of the many observation decks that look out onto the four different savannas here.
You can even grab night vision goggles from a Cast Member to continue watching the animals after dark. And the best part? Animal viewing at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is completely free!
The Historic Speech Given at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The fact that Disney’s monorail runs right through the lobby of Disney’s Contemporary Resort may be old news (but if you’re just learning this “secret” now, you should really check it out on your next WDW trip!), but we bet you didn’t know this secret about Walt Disney World’s oldest Resort Hotel.
Even if you don’t remember Watergate, you’ve probably heard of this huge scandal that took place during and after the presidential election in 1972.
President Nixon’s soon-to-be famous “I am not a crook” speech happened right here, at a press conference in the Contemporary Resort’s Ballroom of the Americas.
Seasonal Displays of Awesome at the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Guests staying at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground sure know how to create spectacular seasonal displays, and no matter where you’re staying, you can drop by and celebrate with them!
During the Halloween and Christmas seasons, this is one of the most festive spots on Walt Disney World property.
Campers decorate their campsites with creatively spooky Disney-themed scenes at Halloween, and at Christmas, they deck the halls with beautiful lights and seasonal Disney characters, bringing holiday cheer to all.
And we’re not talking half-hearted attempts to string up some lights (ahem, guilty). These are seriously impressive, Tim-the-Toolman-Taylor-esque displays that we almost can’t believe were created by Guests themselves!
Bottom Line
We never need an excuse to hop on a bus, gondola, monorail, or boat and discover some of the fabulous Resort Hotels on WDW property.
But knowing these, and other, secrets about Disney Resorts makes us even more excited for our next chance to go Resort-hopping!