7. Gringotts Goblin

Location: Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida
Video: "I seem to have neglected your presence..."

We're back at the Wizarding World in Universal Studios Florida for another fascinating figure accessible to guests... And while the land's headlining attraction – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – does contain a grand, marble atrium of studious animatronic goblins as part of its queue, there's another goblin you needn't brave a roller coaster for... 

Image: Universal Orlando

Insiders often discuss how Disney executives were shaken to their cores when they noticed that guests at Universal Orlando were willing to wait in line at the competing Wizarding World, not for rides or shows, but to get into gift shops and restaurants! Imagine the industry-defying idea that guests would queue for an hour to spend money on a souvenir. As if to add insult to injury, the Wizarding World's second phase, Diagon Alley, created a scenario where guests are willing to wait in line to trade their "Muggle money" for Universal gift cards.

Granted, those gift cards come in the form of attractive "Gringotts Bank Notes," and are dispensed by way of a live-puppeted animatronic Goblin who will converse with guests before taking their meager U.S. dollars and dispensing Wizarding World bucks instead. The resulting Bank Notes are, of course, redeemable throughout the Wizarding World... or – as Universal hopes – worthy of taking home as a souvenir; the price one pays for an audience with a real goblin.

8. Figaro

Image: Disney

Location: Fantasy Faire at Disneyland
Video: Cat nap

The simple carnival tent of Plaza Gardens had been a fairly nondescript part of Disneyland for decades. So when it was announced that the hideaway spot (known for its weekend swing dancing) would be absorbed into Fantasyland at the expense of the simple circus tent and patio tables, fans practically protested. As with most things that earn the ire of die-hard fans, the charming Fantasy Faire ended up being a fan-favorite... a gentle, functional, and superbly detailed corner of the park.

Among its offerings is a Royal Reception Hall (a meet-and-greet for princesses, perhaps saving one of the park's classic dark rides from the same fate as Magic Kingdom's Lost Legend: Snow White's Scary Adventures) and the Royal Theatre, presenting clever, Vaudevillian retellings of Beauty and the Beast and Tangled accompanied by a live pianist.

Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)

The simple Medieval courtyard is also packed with Easter eggs and easy-to-miss details, including an animatronic of Figaro – the cat from Pinocchio – sleeping on a windowsill overhead. Every few minutes, a caged bird on the window chirps, waking Figaro. The lazy cat, meows and paws at the bird, then snuggles back to sleep... an easy-to-miss and adorable detail.