Source: Lyndsay Gamber
There are many secrets about Disneyland that most people do not know. I have chosen 30 secrets to share with you! Also there are some great books written by former cast members that go further into the secrets of Disneyland!
1. Walt Disney had an apartment above the Fire Station in Main Street.
Walt was so busy traveling between Burbank and the construction site of Disneyland he had an apartment built so he could keep an eye on the park. He would always turn a light on in front of his window so that workers would know that he was in the park. You can see the window of the apartment from the street.
The light in Walt's apartment window above the fire station on Main Street USA.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
2. There are special window dedications in the windows in Main Street.
The names in the windows are given as credits to the people who contributed to the parks. Some are characters or stories. They typically appear as a fictional business name and/or refer to a hobby/device made by that person. For example: Walt Disney's window is located at the Main Street Cinema and it is labeled Disneyland Casting Agency.
Window dedication to Walt Disney.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
Window dedication to the Sherman Brothers.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
3. Steve Martin use to work at the Magic Shop.
Steve Martin started off by selling guidebooks at Disneyland on the weekend. During his free time he would visit the magic Shop. By August 1960 he was working in the magic Shop showing all the tricks he had learned over the years.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
4. The Disneyland Rail Road has a very special car.
The Lilly Belle Pullman Car is used to give VIP guests a private tour of the park. It is furnished with antiques and has stained glass windows. Every once in a while tickets to ride this special car are given to park visitors.
5. Test bricks in Main Street.
There is a brick wall in Main Street that has bricks on it the do not match in size or shape. These are actually the bricks Walt used to figure out what size and shape he wanted the bricks to be in the park. This wall is located behind a water fountain next to the lockers.
The right side has bricks of all different shapes and sizes!
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
6. Main Street was designed after a real town.
Main Street USA was designed after Marceline, Missouri. This is where Walt Disney grew up and he wanted to share his fond memories with his guests.
7. Main Street is built in perspective.
Main Street is built in a forced perspective so that if you are walking toward the castle it doesn't seem very far away but if you are exiting the park Main Street will look longer. Also the buildings are designed to look bigger than what they actually are!
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
8. Disneyland's address is 1313.
The 13th letter of the alphabet is the letter m. The address spells "mm" for Mickey Mouse.
9. You can see the top of the Mark Twain Riverboat and meet the Captain.
You need to know a specific phrase to ask in order to do this but you can in fact view the wheelhouse of the ship and if you are deemed worthy you are shown how the ship is driven and allowed to steer the ship! You also get to see some pictures of Walt Disney on the mark Twain and the place where he liked to nap the most!
Here I am driving the Mark Twain!
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
Here is my certificate I received after piloting the Mark Twain!
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
10. The park releases feral cats at night to catch the mice!
At night 200 feral cats are released to catch the mice in the park. During the day they rest in well hidden "cat houses" but don't be surprised if you see some cats walking around during the day.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
11. There is a very special gold spike in Fantasyland.
Right outside the gates of Fantasyland you will notice a gold stake in the ground. Most people believe that this represents the original center of Disneyland but it actually is a survey marker. It was used to ensure that Main Street was centered with the castle.
12. The Disney family crest is above the gates of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.
The crest was added in 1960. It is located directly above the entrance to the drawbridge.
Here is the family crest on the castle.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
13. The castle drawbridge is real!
It has only ever been lifted twice in its existence. The first time was on the park's opening day and the second time was in the 1980's when Fantasyland was being refurbished.
Sleeping Beauty's Castle drawbridge.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
14. There is something special about the brass apple outside Snow White's Scary Adventure!
If you rub the brass apple located in line for the ride you will hear a clap of thunder and the witch will start to cackle loudly.
The spell book and brass apple outside of Snow White's Scary Adventure.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
The Evil Queen looking out of her window.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
15. The Dream Suite is located directly above Pirates of the Caribbean.
This luxuray apartment was meant to entertain VIP guest during special events. Dorothe Redmund (famous for Gone With the Wind) helped design the layout and Walt's wife helped decorate it. It includes a living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open air patio. Park guests are randomly selected to stay inside the suite.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
16. Club 33 is located right next to the Blue Bayou.
the inconspicuous door is painted in noseeum green to keep the location more secretive. As you leave the Blue Bayou on the left hand side you can see the door to Club 33. There is a pass code box located near the door.
The door to Club 33.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
17. The Tiki Room was originally going to be a restaurant.
Since it was suppose to be a restaurant there are bathrooms attached to this attraction (the only one in the park).
Since it was suppose to be a restaurant there are bathrooms attached to this attraction (the only one in the park).
18. There is a bullet hole in the glass of the Haunted Mansion.
In the Grand Ballroom you will see a gigantic spider web. If you look closely you can see a bullet hole in the glass paneling. It is said that either a child with a BB gun or slingshot made the hole or a man with a shot gun created it when he thought he saw something strange. Either way the hole could not be repaired and it was too expensive to replace the glass so it was covered with a spider web.
19. The organ in the Haunted mansion is from a movie.
The organ inside the Haunted Mansion is the same organ seen inside the submarine Nautilus in the movie 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea!
20. The tombstones located in the Haunted Mansion are for real people.
The graveyard features faces of a few of the early imagineers of Disneyland. The tombstones are also riddled with many inside joke references.
21. There are some hidden characters inside the Winnie the Pooh ride.
Toward the exit of the ride if you look behind you there are characters from the Country Bear Jamboree visible hiding in the ride! You must be in the first row in order to see them.
22. Splash Mountain use to be called "Flash" Mountain.
Many people have been know to flash the camera inside of Splash Mountain. This is why peoples pictures are unavailable for viewing (if anything naughty is done for the camera it is automatically pulled so no one can see it). There use to be cast members who would manually do this but now there is a computer system that does all the hard work for them!
The top of Splash Mountain
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
23. Indiana Jones use to be a parking lot.
So this may not be a huge secret because obviously the park had to use space to expand but what most people don't know is that they tribute that parking lot inside the line of the ride. Inside the screening room if you look back at the projector you will notice an Eyeore sign. This is here because where Indiana Jones sits use to be the Eyeore parking lot.
24. The Indiana Jones line has a few fun interactive features.
Once you are inside the temple and have made it through the caves there is a part of the line that looks like a bridge. Over head there will be spikes in the ceiling and certain bricks on the ground will have a diamond insignia carved into them. As you walk through you will notice on the left there is a peculiar looking bamboo post that is slightly curved. If you pull on this post something will happen! You will hear a loud noise and the ceiling will drop just a little bit! As the line moves on you will come to an open room that has a big obelisk in the middle. As you walk around it you will notice a sign that says do not pull rope. Pull on it! you will hear the "person" inside say something to you!
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
25. The Matterhorn has a basketball court inside.
Inside the Matterhorn there is a quarter of a basketball court. Walt Disney did not like to waste any space so he asked the matterhorn climbers what they would like inside and they voted for a basketball court! Later on a ping pong table was added. Employees are allowed to take their breaks there and have some fun!
The Matterhorn.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
26. Disneyland created their own shade of green.
They call it noseeum green. It is a very specific shade of green that Disney Imagineers created. All of the buildings and unattractive things such as trash cans are painted in this color so that you don't notice them as much. It is suppose to be the most unobtrusive shade of the spectrum and is suppose to disappear into the background.
A close-up of Noseeum Green.
Source: Lyndsay Gamber
27. Main Street and Tomorrowland are set in 2 very special years.
Main Street is set in 1910 and Tomorrowland is set in 1986. These years are the years of Haley's Comet.
28. Disneyland has an underground system.
there are several tunnels underneath Disneyland for the purpose of taking out the trash and deliveries. The tunnels are not extensive and do not connect.
29. George Lucas makes a special appearance in Star Tours!
At the end of the Star Tours ride right when you are about to crash into a fuel truck there is a man that ducks and picks up a phone. That man is George Lucas!
30. No Facial hair allowed!
When Walt Disney opened the park he would not allow cast members to have facial hair so the park would be distinguished from the sleazy carnivals of the time. After 60 years this rule has been removed but there will be no cast member with dwarf-length beards!
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