Explore the Magic Kingdom in This Disney Parks Quiz

Yetis don’t come cheap! Everybody’s favorite abominable snowman shows up in Expedition Everest, which Disney World dished out $100 million to build in 2006, following six years of construction, as the centerpiece of the fledgling Animal Kingdom. It is the first Disney coaster to propel riders both backward and forward.

As the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster goes from 0 to 57 mph in just 2.8 seconds, riders are blasted with a medley of Aerosmith's classic hits coming from the ride’s 900 different speakers. Band members Steven Tyler and Joe Perry took part in re-recordings for the attraction, and the whole band is part of the pre-ride film.

Main Street, U.S.A., is lined with red, white, and blue American flags, but close examination of those flags reveals they have small errors — like too many stripes or not enough stars. Disney does this so they technically aren’t American flags and therefore are not subject to flag regulations, such as flying at half mast.

While many Disney parks borrow rides and themes from each other, Disney Shanghai boasts a themed land that is unique only to its park: Treasure Cove. A must-visit for “Pirates of the Caribbean” fans, it features the popular Battle for the Sunken Treasure ride. Fans can also watch Captain Jack Sparrow perform stunts at El Teatro Fandango, visit Shipwreck Shore, or climb aboard a pirate ship at Siren's Revenge.

Walt Disney created four attractions for the 1964 New York World’s Fair to showcase a new kind of animation in which statues could talk. The Carousel of Progress, which was developed with General Electric, debuted at the fair and was a Disneyland park attraction from 1967 to 1973. it moved to its home at Magic Kingdom in 1975.

Disney has its own private island in the Bahamas, accessible only to Disney cruise guests, that the company acquired in 1997. Unlike other Disney locales, Castaway Cay skips the castles and rollercoasters and instead focuses on outdoor recreation and relaxation, featuring several themed beach areas, a snorkeling lagoon, and kayak rentals.

The Tokyo Disney Resort is home to two theme parks, the original Tokyo Disneyland and the newer Tokyo DisneySea, which opened in 2001. The park features seven themed lands: Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island (home to Captain Nemo's submarine), Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast (boasting Aladdin attractions), Lost River Delta (with Indiana Jones), Port Discovery (home to Finding Nemo), and the American Waterfront.

The Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland carry guests down a replica of Switzerland’s Matterhorn mountain. If you look closely, you will sometimes see costumed climbers scaling the sides of the ride. It was for these workers that a small basketball court was constructed inside the summit as a place to relax between ascents.

Walt Disney was sitting on a bench in his local park in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, watching his daughters play on a carousel when the idea for Disneyland struck him: Why not create a park for both children and adults to play in? Today, the exact bench where Disneyland was born is preserved inside Disneyland’s Opera House, alongside a horse from the merry-go-round that inspired the idea.

If you went to the Casa de Fritos restaurant in Disneyland in the 1950s, you could pop a nickel into an animatronic called the Frito Kid. In return, out would pop a bag of fried triangles made from cut-up tortillas. These Doritos — Spanish for “little golden things” — became so popular they were soon distributed nationwide.

Built in the late 1800s, Neuschwanstein inspires the same sense of magic and wonder as a Disney fairy-tale. So it’s no surprise that when Walt Disney himself visited the castle, years before Disneyland’s 1955 opening, he made it the model for the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Neuschwanstein is one of Germany’s most popular castles, with 1.4 million annual visitors.

Despite not being finished until a decade after Disney World’s opening, EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) was part of Walt Disney’s original vision for his Florida project. But instead of being just a theme park, EPCOT was intended to be an actual functioning city of the future. After Disney passed away, the company’s board of directors deemed the project too ambitious and ditched the idea.

In 2022, Disneyland Paris celebrates its 30th anniversary. Located 20 miles east of Paris in Chessy, France, the park debuted in spring 1992 as Euro Disney, Disney’s second international venture, and it was renamed Disneyland Paris in 1994. Attractions that are unique to the French park include Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth (from “Alice in Wonderland”), and The Mysteries of the Nautilus (from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”).

When Disneyland opened in 1955, the King Arthur Carrousel was one of the original attractions that welcomed the first guests. But the ride actually predates the Disney park; it was first built in 1922 for a park in Toronto. Walt Disney had the carousel transported to California and expanded the number of horses so more guests could experience the ride.

Disney Cruise Line currently operates four ships: Disney Magic (launched in 1998), Disney Wonder (1999), Disney Dream (2011), and Disney Fantasy (2012). The fleet transports guests to destinations throughout the Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean, Alaska, and Hawaii. Guests can choose from a variety of excursions while at port, from sightseeing in Rome to scuba diving in Mexico. The newest addition to the fleet, Disney Wish, sets sail in summer 2022.

Opened in 1983, Tokyo Disneyland was the first international Disney park. At the center of the park is another Cinderella castle, and surrounding it are seven themed areas: Tomorrowland, World Bazaar, Westernland, Toontown, Fantasyland, Critter Country, and Adventureland. It is the third-most-visited theme park in the world, behind Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Inside EPCOT’s iconic geosphere, visitors can learn about some of mankind’s most significant innovations. Though the attraction is supposed to act as a time machine, its actual name is Spaceship Earth. Dame Judy Dench narrates as visitors watch humanity evolve from cavemen painting on walls to the broadcast of the moon landing. Though Spaceship Earth traverses thousands of years, the actual experience only lasts 16 minutes.

Astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, and Jim Irwin were in attendance at Space Mountain’s 1975 grand opening, as were Mickey and Goofy rocking silver space suits with fishbowl helmets. The space-themed ride proved so successful that a duplicate was built at Disneyland two years later, albeit on a much smaller scale.

The famous large-eared silhouette of Mickey Mouse is one of the most iconic Disney images. Not only is Mickey’s image found proudly displayed throughout the Disney parks, there are also hundreds of subtle references to him hidden all over the place. “Hidden Mickeys,” as they are known, can be seen in carpet patterns, solar panels, wall murals, and more.

The instantly recognizable castle that welcomes people to the Magic Kingdom is based on the one from Disney’s 1950 musical “Cinderella.” Inspired by real-world castles in Europe, Cinderella’s castle stands 189 feet tall and features 27 turrets.