Disneyland Secrets

I love, love, love Disneyland. I have been there well over 100 times in my life, seriously! I love reading and learning more about fun facts about Disneyland. When I think I've learned all I can, I find another site or book and learn more! LOVE IT!!

Here are some things I do know:

• There are hidden Mickey Mouse heads ALL over he parks, hundreds of them!
• After you buy those adorable pins you can trade them with any Disney worker you come across.
• There are several different large round buttons that say "It's your birthday", or your "first time to D-land" or you're a "newlywed"...These are free and can be found at different areas in the parks.
• When Disneyland was under construction in the early 1950s, Walt didn’t want to miss a moment of his dream coming to life. He installed a small private apartment above the Fire Department with a lamp in the window. Today the lamp stays lit in honor of the man behind the mouse.
• The dog holding the keys in the Pirates of the Caribbean and the dog in the Carousel of Progress are both modeled after Walt Disney’s dog.
• In the evening show when Tinker Bell fly off the Matterhorn, it's really a man dressed up. They needed a larger body for the people to see.
• The light bulbs are changed every night throughout the park.
• After construction of the Matterhorn was completed in 1959, the roller coaster occupied the bottom two-thirds of the mountain, while the top third remained empty. What to do with the extra space? Disney employees voted to put in a basketball court. Because a regulation court wouldn't fit inside the mountaintop (sometimes magic can't trump physics), only one goal was installed.
• There is a secret club in the heart of Disneyland called Club 33, a VIP lounge, found in the New Orleans Square.
• There is a 10 year waiting list but Club 33 is the only place at Disneyland where you can ditch the kids for a cocktail.
• Ever notice the telegraph clicking at the New Orleans' train station? It's ticking out the speech Disney gave out on the park's opening day.

 

Hmm...So many others....

 

Here are a few I recently just learned about:

• Every night after closing time, 200 feral cats are released into the park to help keep the rodent population under control. The cats spend their days resting in the park’s well- concealed “cat houses.”
• Main Street Disneyland represents Marceline, Missouri, Walt Disney’s boyhood town.
• The scent of vanilla is pumped into the air along Main Street. During the holidays, the scent is changed to peppermint.
• The asphalt in Disneyland is actually a mixture of asphalt and rubber, making it more comfortable for guests to walk on.
• Steve Martin used to work in the magic shop.
• Even though Walt Disney had a mustache himself, he wanted his employees clean-shaven. The idea was to make sure they looked as different from the stereotypical image of a creepy carnival worker as possible.
• So, for 43 years, Disney theme park workers were forbidden from growing facial hair. But on a momentous day in March 2000, the company took a giant leap forward and decided to grant the park's male employees the right to sport mustaches. When several employees started to grow out their facial hair, management realized that they hated the stubbly look. The rule was quickly amended.
• Today, in order to have a mustache at the park, Disney employees must either have them when they're hired or grow them during vacation.
• Coke gives the park free soda to eliminate competition in the park and for the advertising.

 

If you know of others let me know! If you're planning a trip soon, search out the hidden mickey's around the park, its fun for the entire family!