We’re sharing ten Disney World queue details you’ve never noticed before! From hidden Mickeys to Easter eggs, these are the details you need to look out for next time you’re waiting in a Disney World ride line.
From the Disney Parks to Disney movies, the creative minds behind the Walt Disney Company are fantastic at hiding little details, Easter eggs, and callbacks in their art. These little details may reference other works, creators, or even just Mickey Mouse himself through hidden Mickeys! While there are countless details to look out for, we’re sharing ten of our favorite Disney World queue details that you need to find the next time you’re in the parks.
10 Disney World Queue Details You’ve Never Noticed
We’re sharing ten Disney World queue details you’ve never noticed. Make sure to look out for these exciting Easter eggs and hidden details the next time you’re waiting in line at the parks.
1. A Hidden Mickey You Can Only See Once a Year
There are a huge amount of Hidden Mickeys you can find throughout Walt Disney World. But did you know there is one hidden Mickey you can only see ONE time each year? Located in the queue for Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid you’ll find a hidden Mickey that can only be spotted briefly each year on November 18th.
November 18th is Mickey Mouse’s birthday, so it makes sense that there would be a pretty special hidden Mickey on that day! At noon on November 18th, the sun hits the rock face in the queue at just the right angle that you’ll see a suncast Mickey Mouse on the wall. You can see exactly what it looks like in our video above!
2. An Abandoned Game on Tower of Terror
The Hollywood Tower Hotel is eternally frozen in time on Halloween night 1939. So, in the Tower of Terror queue, you’ll find spooky lightning, cobwebs, and even an unfinished game of mahjong!
Photo by Cliff Wang
In typical Disney fashion, this unfinished game had plenty of detail put in. Disney actually hired skilled players to set it up to be midway through a game, so the gameboard will forever be left unfinished.
3. Mr. Toad Lives on at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
If you visited the Magic Kingdom prior to 1999, you’ll remember that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was home to a different occupant. The space was the former home of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, one of the original attractions present at the park’s opening day on October 1st, 1971. While the ride lives on in Disneyland, the decision for it to close in Disney World was a controversial one.
Mr. Toad passing along the deed to Owl. “Mr Toad Hands over Deed to Owl Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World” by mrkathika is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
However, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh pays tribute to its former occupant. As a nod to the prior attraction, you’ll find a picture of Mr. Toad handing a property deed to Owl hangs on the wall of the Owl’s house.
4. Energy Dinosaurs on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Speaking of rides paying tribute to a former occupant, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind does just that. The ride was formerly home to Universe of Energy, and you’ll find a ton of nods to that ride (and all its iterations) in the current queue. Part of the plot of the new Guardians ride is that Peter Quill visited EPCOT during his childhood, which was in the 1980s. Because of that, he isnt quite up to date on the current attractions at the park.
@tatjana.land someone is gonna be disappointed when he gets to EPCOT and realizes his favs are all extinct. 🫢 #starlord #guardiansofthegalaxy #guardiansofthegalaxycosmicrewind #epcot #disneytiktok #epcotcenter ♬ original sound – Tatjana
In the queue, there’s a segment where Quill is being interviewed, and you’ll hear him speak about several now-defunct EPCOT attractions. He says, “I love [EPCOT], it’s awesome! I went there as a kid and I cannot wait to go back and ride Horizons, see the energy dinosaurs, and hear the Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit.” Of course, energy dinosaurs is a reference to Universe of Energy, while “veggie veggie fruit fruit” refers to another now-defunct EPCOT attraction, Kitchen Kabaret.
5. The Voice of Winnie the Pooh Pilots the Millennium Falcon
Did you know the voice of Winnie the Pooh is in multiple spots in Disney World? Jim Cummings is a well-known voice actor who has been the voice of Winnie the Pooh since 1988, and Tigger since 1989. However, you’ll also find him over in the queue for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler Run, because he is the voice of Hondo Ohnaka.
Photo by Danny Shuster
If you’ve ridden the Star Wars attraction, you’ll know Hondo Ohnaka is the character who guides you through your journey on the Millennium Falcon, and there’s an impressive animatronic for the character in the pre-show. Fun fact, Jim Cummings also used to be in EPCOT as the narrator during the nighttime spectacular Illuminations!
6. Buster’s Name Tag
Over in Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you will find a ton of fun and hidden details referencing the film and Pixar in general. Over on Slinky Dog Dash, for example, you’ll find a fun little detail if you look back at the wait time once you’re in line. That wait time medallion from the front is actually Buster’s collar tag, as you’ll see from the back. Fans of Toy Story will remember Buster as the puppy that Andy received for Christmas at the end of the first film.
Photo by Laurie Sapp
Another detail to look out for in the Slinky Dog Dash queue is the premiere date for Toy Story. At one point in the queue, you’ll see the Toy Box for Rex, which has the numbers “11,” and “22,” and a price of $19.95. This reference’s Toy Story‘s premiere date, which was November 22, 1995.
7. A Never-Ending Chess Game
When it comes to the Pirates Caribbean queue, there’s a scene where Imagineer Marc Davis added some of his legendary sense of humor. In the queue, you’ll find a scene where two pirate skeletons are stuck in a game of chess — trapped in an eternal stalemate.
Photo by Brett Svenson
Chess players will realize that no more moves can be made on either side of the board, trapping these two poor souls into an eternal stalemate. It’s a little bit of dark humor you can enjoy next time youre in the queue, where you’ll find these two located in the jail cell.
8. A Shout Out to George Lucas
While Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is always thought of as the must-visit for Star Wars fans in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you want to still make sure to check out the original Star Wars attraction, Star Tours. Located outside of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the motion simulator ride will take you through different planets on a fun galactic adventure. And the ride pays tribute to the man who started it all — George Lucas.
Photo by Cliff Wang
While you’re waiting in line for Star Tours, be sure to listen out for announcements where you’ll hear Egroeg Sacul and Mot Worrom being paged. Egroeg Sacul is George Lucas (creator of Star Wars) spelled backward, while Mot Worrom is Tom Morrow backward. Of course, Tom Morrow is a previous robot host fro past Tomorrowland rides over at Magic Kingdom.
9. The Answer to Life on Mission: SPACE
Next time you’re riding Mission: SPACE in EPCOT, make sure to look out for the meaning of life in the queue! WDW Magazine writer Leah Sikes noticed a great detail in the queue for the ride that references the iconic Douglas Adam book The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
Photo by Mike Billick
In the queue, as you’re entering Training Ops bay, make sure to look up above the door where you’ll see the number 42. According to the book, that number is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. While not confirmed by Disney, we’d love to think this was a fun nod to that from the Imagineers behind the ride!
10. McDonald’s Lives On at Dinosaur
Did you know McDonald’s used to be the sponsor behind the ride Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? While that’s no longer the case, their legacy with the ride remains within the queue of the ride.
Photo by Cliff Wang
As you get closer to boarding your ride vehicle, look up at the ceiling where you’ll find red, yellow, and white pipes. These were done in reference to ketchup, mustard, and mayo from McDonald’s!
