EPCOT has been a theme park full of exciting rides, cultures, and so much more. This park has some of our favorite Disney World secrets, and today, we’re sharing them with you.

 We love uncovering the hidden gems around the Disney World parks and sharing them with you. Like Hidden Mickey. There is no shortage of Hidden Mickeys in the parks, like on food, and in ride queues. But there are other secrets hidden around EPCOT, and some of them are sure to blow your mind! 

1. Universe of Energy is STILL Around (Kinda)

While Universe of Energy closed in 2017, you can still find little nods to the attraction hidden inside Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. You can find a lot of Universe of Energy references here, and if you’re wondering why, it’s because the Guardians took over where Bill Nye and Ellen DeGeneres once lived. 

If you see Xandarian writing on the columns in the queue, there are four specific words you can translate. They read: Ellen, Alex, E=MC, and Dino. Alex is a specific shout-out to the late Alex Trebek, who played a big part in the Jeopardy scenes of the old Universe of Energy ride. That’s not all, during the preshow, if you listen closely, the song they’re jamming to happens to be a rock cover of the old Universe of Energy theme song!

2. Did You Know that the Pizza Planet is at EPCOT?

If you are a Pixar fan, you might remember that the Pizza Planet truck is kinda of a big deal as it is hidden inside Pixar films. Well, when you’re riding Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France Pavilion, you’re gonna want to look away from the opening scene to spot it.

As Remy is trying to decide what to make for dinner, you’re going to look for the lit window and see the vehicular-shaped shadow peeking past the shades. A child who LOVES Pizza Planet must live there – since that toy-sized vehicle in the ride is shaped like the very same full-sized vehicle that makes cheesy deliveries in the Toy Story films!

3. The World Showcase That Wasn’t

Did you know that the World Showcase was originally going to be one big half-circle building with ALL the different countries squeezed inside? However, those plans quickly shaped into the pavilions we have today. Imagineers made sure to place Canada and Mexico as the first two potential World Showcase entry points since these are the two countries that you can find on either side of the United States. 

However, as the World Showcase was under construction, Imagineers weren’t originally planning on adding the America pavilion to the lineup. Instead, the America section was going to be “a two-story structure on stilts between World Showcase and Future World.” The attraction itself was going to be on the second story, while the first story would be used as a covered gateway leading to World Showcase. In the end, the idea was scrapped, and the American Adventure pavilion was placed in the center of the World Showcase pavilions. 

4. Honoring Walt Disney Inside Living With the Land

While riding Living With the Land, you will pass by a farmhouse scene early on. Upstairs in that farmhouse is a bedroom. That bedroom is supposed to represent Walt Disney’s childhood room from his days back in Marceline, Missouri. To really get the full impact of the secret, you will want to have to be dining at the Garden Grill restaurant, which overlooks this very ride scene. 

If you are dining at Garden Grill, look into the bedroom window and check out the lamp on the windowsill. This lamp represents the one you can find in Walt Disney’s apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street USA in Disneyland. Just like the lamp in that apartment, the lamp in the farmhouse is always left on in honor of his memory.

5. The Cutest Creatures in the Seas

Over at the Seas, you’ll find tiny creatures wearing tiny Mickey hats. When you’re hanging around Sea Base after riding The Seas with Nemo and Friends, you can find the urchin tank on the top floor of the aquarium building. Cast member aquarists originally placed 3D printed Mickey ear decorations in the urchins’ tank so that our fishy friends could also join in on Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary festivities. 

Lucky for us, they are still around. That’s not all — because sea urchins “naturally pick up objects for decoration or camouflage,” they put the hats on. So don’t forget to stop by to see these cuties on your next trip!

6. Fish Really Are Friends

Speaking of the Seas, have you ever thought, “Why haven’t the sharks eaten every last one of these little fishies?” Well, we have an answer! It’s because the sharks in the aquariums at Sea Base are trained to only eat at night. When it’s the end of the day, the tank goes dark, and an animal service team member will shine a light where the food intended for the sharks will be dropped. Sharks are taught to “head toward the light” for food.

7. What’s Your Animal?

Over in Canada, to the right of the DVC kiosk, you can find four colorful totem animals lined up in a row. Once upon a time, you used to be able to touch the hearts of each of these animals and hear what sounds they made. However, that hasn’t been the case for a while now, since these poor creatures are tucked away out of sight, out of mind.

But if you DO decide to go visit them, you’ll see a bear, an eagle, a wolf, and an owl. Each animal represents an empowering characteristic of sorts:  the Bear = strength, the Eagle = Courage, the Wolf = Freedom, and the Owl = Wisdom. 

8. What’s Behind That Wall?

The mural on the wall in the back of the Germany Pavilion is beautiful and intricate, but it’s also hiding a secret. If you knock on the wall of this mural, you’ll find that it sounds hollow. This was actually supposed to be the opening to a ride that never happened, called the Rhine River Cruise Ride. On this cruise, guests would’ve been able to see Germany’s famous rivers and landmarks. But before the concept was brought to life, the idea was scrapped, leaving behind a mural-covered entrance to where it once could’ve resided. This is our petition for Imagineers to bring it to life. 

That’s a few secrets we hope bring you some Disney joy today. For more Disney World secrets, be sure to follow us at DFB!

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Which of these secrets do you love the most? Tell us in the comments below!