Our 10 Favorite Disney Doors (Part One)

One of great things about Disney is the fact that no detail is overlooked. If there’s a chance for Imagineers to add another layer to the story being told, they’ll take it, even if it’s something as mundane as a simple door. But can doors really be that exciting? In the hands of a Disney Imagineer, the answer is “absolutely!”

The idea of finding the door to imagination has always been at the very heart of that Disney magic. Walt Disney himself famously said, “”Around here, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Doors open up the way to new possibilities, and a big part of the creative process is in finding these doors and recognizing that they are not barriers. They are meant to be opened, and passed through. This is how we move forward, and expand our imaginations.

But sometimes a door is just a door (except when it’s “ajar,” sorry, couldn’t resist!) Walt Disney World (and Disney films for that matter) is filled with all sorts of doors. Big doors, small doors, fancy doors, robust doors. It may not strike you as a very exciting topic, but if you think about it, doors play a big role in shaping our Disney experience. Buildings have doors. Vehicles have doors. Doors often serve as our first interaction with a favorite Disney destination. A door can set the stage, create a mood, or give us a hint of what awaits us on the other side. Some doors are functional, some are decorative, and some are even a central part of the story. Let’s take a look at 10 of our favorite Disney Doors (well, five today…we’ll do Part Two next week!), beginning with a trip over to Liberty Square.

(If you’d like to hear more, check out the latest episode of the Celebrations Disney Podcast, where we talk about these doors and a whole lot more…with plenty of “go with me here” entries for good measure!)

1. The Haunted Mansion

We’re going to start our journey with a healthy dose of “spooky” and some of the most frightful doors in all of Walt Disney World. Our first entry can be seen before you even enter the Mansion in the form of the foreboding entrance doors. There’s nothing quite like standing in front of the cemetery, with Leota blinking her eyes ominously, just waiting for those massive doors to creak open. (For an extra level of spookiness, be sure to go at night, especially if it’s storming! Now THAT’S creepy…). But the real chills come when you step inside. Our next iconic door is actually no door at all. Or rather, it’s the lack of one. As we gather in the Stretching Room, our Ghost Host informs us that there are “no doors and no windows.” Well, that’s not exactly true, of course. One of the walls serves as a secret door, mercilessly sliding open so we can make our way to our Doom Buggies. (If you want to be the first one out of the room…and who can blame you…the wall in question is the one directly underneath the portrait of the lady holding the pink parasol.)

What’s that you say? You want to see ‘actual’ doors? No problem, just sit tight until we make our way past the casket (and the unfortunate individual trying to claw his way out). We now enter the corridor of doors, which are thankfully sealed shut. However, that isn’t preventing the spirits on the other side from trying to get out. You’ll see knockers knocking, hear desperate rattling, and come across a door that is actually being bowed outward. An ominous green flow emanates from behind, but thankfully, we soon make our way out of the corridor and into the seance room with Madame Leota. (On second thought, perhaps we were better off back in the hallway!). Incidentally, try to take the time to notice some of the details on the walls, particularly the miniature portraits. Some of them are reminiscent of the original Museum of the Weird concept that was once considered for the Mansion.

2. Journey Into Imagination With Figment

OK, that’s enough frights for one day. Let’s head on over to EPCOT for a little light-hearted whimsy with our favorite purple dragon. As we enter the queue of Journey Into Imagination, we are actually entering the Imagination Institute, where scientists (led by the legendary Dr. Nigel Channing) are working tirelessly to unlock the secrets of the imagination. This is a working research facility, and as such, you’ll find many doors leading to various offices and labs. For example, in the queue, you’ll find the office doors for the trio of noted scientists who just happened to have been recipients of the coveted Inventor of the Year award. These include Dr. Wayne Szanlinski (inventor of the Shrinking Ray, previously on display at the former Honey, I Shrunk the Audience show), Dr. Phillip Brainard (inventor of Flubber), and, of course, Dr. Channing himself. As you’ll see by the writing on the door, Dr. Channing wears many hats. He is listed as Chairman, Principal Scientist, Director of Operations, Head of Laboratories, and Manager of Everything Else. (Oh, he’s also a Tour Guide, but evidently, they ran out of room.)

A bit later in the queue, you’ll come upon a door for Dean Higgins. This is a reference to the film The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, in which Dean Higgins (played by Joe Flynn) is the Dean of Medfield College. (You’ll see another reference to the film as you pass by the Computer Room…complete with a pair of tennis shoes sitting by the door on the floor. You’ll also see a Medfield letter jacket hanging on a coat rack.) Tucked out of the way, you’ll also find a door marked ‘Flubber Storage.’ Even though it’s marked as an exit, I’m not sure how wise it would be to venture in there!

Further on your tour, you’ll see doors for the Laugh Lab (with a Tickle Test in progress) and the Dream Lab. Unfortunately, Figment’s antics have derailed the tour by this point, so you don’t get to see these labs. But the best door of all can be spotted right as you begin your tour. After the welcome speech by Dr. Channing, you’ll pass by an innocuous door marked ‘Dean Finder.’ This is a clever reference to the Dream Finder, the lovable host from the attraction’s original iteration.

3. The Monorail

We all have them. Those special little moments that really hit home and make us realize “I’m here! I’m in Disney!” For many of us, that moment comes before we even set foot into the Magic Kingdom. It’s the moment we board the monorail, and we hear that iconic phrase, “Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor manténganse alejados de las puertas.” Ah, I can hear it now! That phrase has become so synonymous with the Disney experience that you’ll see it on shirts, caps, pins, posters, and postcards. You can even get little souvenir trinkets that will play it for you (one of our most cherished Disney souvenirs is a little refrigerator monorail magnet that we got years ago, which will play the phrase at the push of a button. And yes, it’s still working 20-plus years later!).

But it’s not just the safety spiel. It’s the sound of the doors themselves. That distinctive clunk. The hydraulic hiss. That thud as the doors open and close into place. Probably the thing that makes it so special is how unique it is. To this day, monorails are a rarity in our everyday life, and for most of us, the only chance we get to ride one is at Walt Disney World (though the shuttle at the Orlando International Airport gives us a bit of a teaser!). Not only is the monorail a sleek and futuristic mode of transportation (perfectly keeping with the idea that we are entering a world of fantasy), but it was also at the heart of Walt Disney’s concept for his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. And indeed, you can take the monorail over to EPCOT and get a taste of what it might have been like to commute to the heart of Walt’s Utopian city.

4. Monsters, Inc.

As I was making this list, a thought occurred to me. The movie Monsters Inc. could just as easily have been called Doors, and it would have made perfect sense. Doors play a pivotal role in the film, and the very premise of the movie hinges on them (hinges, get it??). While the main idea was inspired by childhood memories of being scared of those “monsters under the bed,” the concept of Monstropolis and the Scare Floor is totally dependent on the idea that doors serve as the portal between the two worlds. In fact, the entire scare factory is basically a warehouse of thousands of doors, which we see in the thrilling chase scene between Randall Boggs, Mike, and Sulley. And it’s not just a giant storage room filled with doors; the doors themselves are used as escape hatches, trap doors, and dimension-bending transports that will leave you wondering which way is up. This scene was so imaginative and thrilling that it inspired many a Disney fan to think, “What if we had a real-life roller coaster made up of these doors?” Well, after many years of rumors and hopeful waiting, our wish is coming true! Disney’s Hollywood Studios will soon be home to a new land called Monstropolis featuring a suspended-coaster (a first for Walt Disney World) that will take us on a thrilling ride through the door factory!

But let’s not forget that this won’t be the first Monsters Inc.-themed attraction in Walt Disney World. The Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor brought Monstropolis to the human world when it opened in 2007. While it may not have the thrills of its upcoming cousin (unless you’re chosen to be “that guy”), doors still play a central role in the show. Mike Wazowski arrives on-stage through a special door, but unfortunately, Roz turns the tables and uses the door to play a series of pranks on Mike (the majority of which are shown in a montage “lovingly” put together by Roz in appreciation of Mike’s, er, finer moments.)

You’ll even find some humorous doors in the queue. For example, see if you can spot the door to “Inhuman Services” (don’t forget, you’re in the laugh floor factory now, which is a bustling facility with offices, workrooms, and maintenance areas.) Speaking of maintenance areas, you’ll also find a small door along one of the walls leading to a maintenance closet. As you’ll see, though, the room has been repurposed and now serves as Mike Wazowski’s dressing room (indicated by the torn star hanging perilously by a single nail. No respect, I tell ya.) 

5. Enchanted Tales With Belle

Our next stop takes us to an attraction that many people overlook as they make their way through Fantasyland. Grown-ups in particular might dismiss this quaint little cottage out of hand, thinking that’s it’s just a meet-and-greet meant for little kids. Au contraire! Yes, youngsters do get a chance to meet the beloved Princess, but Enchanted Tales With Belle is so much more than that. As soon as you walk into Maurice’s cottage you’ll find yourself in a workshop filled with all sorts of drawings, gadgets, and gizmos. But the true magic comes when you arrive at the enchanted mirror that serves as your doorway to the Beast’s castle. This is one of the most astounding special effects that you’ll find at Walt Disney World, and I dare you not to get emotional when you see it come to life! It truly is a jaw-dropping moment. But how does it work? Well, magic of course! Disney magic, that is. We’ll leave the details for you to figure out (or not, if you don’t want to spoil the fun!), but we can tell you that it’s a very sophisticated combination of 3D projected imagery, moving (and hollow) walls, sliding mirrors, and highly precise optical technology. The mirror portal utilizes similar techniques used in the Haunted Mansion’s stretching room and the expanding stage in Mickey’s PhilharMagic to “open” the doorway, with additional visual effects used to conceal the seam in the mirror itself. Many of the visual effects are enhanced by the darkness of the room; since you’ve just come from a brightly lit room your eyes aren’t dark-adjusted so you don’t notice some of the subtler motions of the mirror’s components as they slide in and out of place. The one thing we will tell you is that the “doors” of the mirror slide open like an elevator, rather than swinging open as they seem to do. On the other hand, forget all that! This is Disney magic at its finest, and sometimes that’s all you need to know.

This may be an impressive list, but it barely cracks the door into the world of Disney entryways. We’ll share our next five favorite Disney Doors next week. But the truth is, there are so many to talk about, and we’re sure you had a couple that came to mind that we didn’t mention. We’d love to hear from you, so send us YOUR favorite Disney Doors (be sure to tell us why it’s your favorite), and we’ll include them in a future post. In the meantime, don’t be afraid to open those doors and keep moving forward. You never know what’s on the other side, just waiting to be discovered!