The so-called "golf ball" just past the entrance to Epcot is irresistible to many morning park visitors who may not realize that the "ride" actually is the shortest and most entertaining lecture in world history they'll ever attend.

1. Many guests going to Epcot for the first time do not realize that there is a ride inside the 16-million pound “Epcot ball” called Spaceship Earth.
2. In front of Spaceship Earth is the Leave a Legacy megaliths, where guests could leave notes with their name and photo etched onto one of the steel tiles in the plaza. It was launched in the fall of 1999 for the Millennium Celebration.
3. The 30 granite megaliths in the plaza range in height from 3 to 19 feet, and the heaviest one weighs more than 50,000 pounds.
4. The outer ball of Spaceship Earth is 518.1 feet in circumference, 180 feet tall, and 160 feet in diameter.
5. On a rainy day, those who are trying to stay dry should stand under Spaceship Earth. The “holes” around the spherical structure are part of the gutter system where the water is taken in and then pumped into the World Showcase Lagoon. So, underneath Spaceship Earth is always dry.
6. HACK: Most guests enter the park and ride Spaceship Earth first. Unless you have a FastPass, wait to ride Spaceship Earth until later in the day when the line goes down.
7. Spaceship Earth takes riders through the story of 40,000 years of human history.
8. The vehicles on Spaceship Earth actually travel 163 feet above ground level, even though it might not feel like it.
9. RUMOR: Many believe Spaceship Earth to be a prequel/sequel of the Carousel of Progress. It tells the story of growth and development from Earth’s past and predicts the future.
10. Some of the animatronics used in Spaceship Earth were recycled from the Hall of Presidents attraction in the Magic Kingdom. The original John Adams is now a monk. Teddy Roosevelt is a senator of Rome and William Howard Taft is an Egyptian priest.
11. “Smellitizers” blast the smell of burning wood during the Fall of Rome scene to make riders feel like they are experiencing it firsthand.

Continued in "Disney Till You're Dizzy"!

There's no cherry tree in Liberty Square that George Washington may or may not have chopped down, but most other aspects of our colonial heritage have been re-created for the enjoyment of observant guests who know where to look for the details.

1. RUMOR: Liberty Square sits in the heart of Magic Kingdom because Walt loved America so much.
2. The address number on each Liberty Square building represents the year that building symbolizes during the colonial American era.
3. The shutters on Sleepy Hollow Refreshments’ second-floor window are sagging enough to look like they are about to fall off. This was done intentionally by Imagineers to increase the feel of authenticity in the land. During the Revolutionary War, the British refused to sell colonists any weapons or ammunition. The colonists were forced to melt down all available scrap metal to forge into ammunition for their guns and cannons. This included the metal hinges on window shutters. The hinges were replaced with leather straps, causing the shutters to sag. Many of the other window shutters in Liberty Square demonstrate this sagging effect as well.
4. Look for a child’s doll inside one of the windows in Liberty Square. This was a message to show the other colonists that a child lived in that home.
5. Hanging on the Liberty Oak Tree are 13 lanterns, one for each of the original colonies.
6. The 13 lanterns hanging on the Liberty Tree are also a homage to the 1957 Disney film Johnny Tremain, based on the novel of the same name. The movie is about a young man named Johnny Tremain who becomes a patriot fighting to free the colonies from England. In the film, he hangs a lantern on a tree to celebrate the Boston Tea Party.
7. There are no bathrooms in Liberty Square. Imagineers did this because there was no indoor plumbing during that period, and therefore no bathrooms.
8. Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe sells Christmas souvenirs year-round.
9. Outside Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is a Christmas sleigh for guests to take pictures.
10. In 1976, for the bicentennial, 50 replicas of the Liberty Bell were created and given to each state. Since Pennsylvania had the original, they gave their replica to Disney World. It is now on display in Liberty Square. This makes Florida the only state with two replicas of the Liberty Bell. The other one is in the city of Melbourne.
11. Columbia Harbour House restaurant has two entrances. Walk into the Fantasyland side to see that section of the restaurant decorated with British décor. Walk into the Liberty Square side to see that section of the restaurant decorated with early American décor.
12. HACK: For a less-crowded dining experience at the Columbia Harbour House, go to the second floor.

Continued in "Disney Till You're Dizzy"!