It’s commonly accepted that Disneyland was the first “true” theme park. But it wasn’t, in fact, the first such park to have been dreamed up by its founder. In the 1940s, Walt Disney had plans for smaller, more intimate attraction. This is the story of the lost Mickey Mouse Park.

Did you know that staying on property at Universal Orlando also gets you some special perks? Here are 7 benefits for Universal Orlando hotel guests.

Did you know that staying on property at Universal Orlando also gets you some special perks? Here are 7 benefits for Universal Orlando hotel guests.

Because so many of Disney's attractions and lands are trying to transport you somewhere different-but-still-familiar, they're all designed to echo real types of art and architecture you'd find elsewhere in the world. Some of these buildings were so striking and so evocative, Disney couldn't help but nearly recreate the entire thing.

Here are 8 ways to get in shape before your next theme park trip

Regardless of where you stand on this debate, it appears that MagicBands are here to stay. With the massive outlays of both money and time that have already been invested, and many of the bugs having been worked out of the system, it seems likely that Disney will press on with additional uses for the technology.

Ellen’s Energy Adventure opened in 1996, and has seen only minor upgrades since that time. Which begs the question – is it really worthy of a twenty-year-long run? While animatronics continue to be pretty awe-inspiring, and – incredibly – Alex Trebek really is still hosting Jeopardy -- there are certainly some holes and outdated info in the script.

A place where minors could drink alcohol freely and people of any age could be seriously hurt, the theme park commonly referred to as “Class Action Park” was doomed to fail even though it was beloved by at least as many people as it was despised by.

When new attractions pop up at Disney parks around the globe, us Disney fans like to imagine how Walt might feel about them, should he have had the opportunity to experience them. I firmly believe that Walt would absolutely adore Soarin' and Soarin' over California, largely because they have all the hallmarks of the kinds of attractions he designed.

Not every aspect of an amusement park vacation is predicated upon the rides. Sometimes, you want to relax and enjoy the scenery.

So, you think you’re ready for a trip to Disney, eh? Think again.

This is the weekly news, rumors and refurbishments update for Walt Disney World for the week of April 19, 2015.