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Guest Elevators Disappear From Two Deluxe Disney World Resorts
Guests at two of Walt Disney World Resort’s most luxurious resort hotel locations might notice something unusual during their stay: a set of elevator doors that don’t actually open to an elevator. Instead, these doors conceal former payphone rooms — a clever design choice made decades ago by Walt Disney Imagineering.
Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, both opened in November 1990, are known for their elegant nautical theming and walkability to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While the resorts boast plenty of charm and comfort, they also hide this interesting architectural secret.
On May 17, Reddit user u/pHpositive shared a photo from the Yacht Club lobby showing one set of golden elevator doors standing open, revealing a small empty room behind, without any elevator shaft or lift system.
Yacht Club elevator
“I’ve heard different reasons for not having a 4th elevator,” the Disney Resort hotel guest wrote. “But the imagineers thought that only having 3 sets of doors looked unbalanced. So the one set of doors is fake and has a small room behind it that had pay phones at one time.”
Disney’s Beach Club Resort, the Yacht Club’s sister property, shares the same feature. As Reddit user u/SnifferHusky noted, “It’s only 3 elevators, but 4 door sets.”
This detail has undoubtedly gone unnoticed by many Disney Park guests over the years.
“I cant believe I never noticed this!” u/runnamuck_rapist commented.
Huh. Stayed there many times and never noticed,” u/ct06040 said. “Wild!”
Though Walt Disney World Resort has never publicly commented on the faux elevator doors, it’s believed that structural constraints made adding a fourth elevator shaft impossible. Walt Disney Imagineers installed fake elevator doors as a subtle but clever solution to keep the lobby’s appearance balanced and symmetrical.
Have you noticed any other quirky details at your favorite Disney Resort hotel? Let How to Disney know in the comments!
