Disneyland is a marvel to behold with all of its rides, attractions, stories, and characters. It is often referred to as the happiest place on earth and it is on the wish lists of thousands of people, both old and young, to visit every year. In fact, approximately 50,000 people visit Disneyland on average every day, and the park only has a visitor maximum of 85,000 people. We all have our secrets, some more fun than others. Here are 20 of Disneyland’s secrets you did not know about.
Disneyland Secret #1
Discount Disneyland tickets are no longer available at all Costco locations.
Remember those discount tickets to Disneyland you used to get at Costco? The ones that helped you take the whole family without breaking the bank and costing you an arm and a leg to get there? Well, now they seem to only be available at select Costco locations in Southern California. On one hand, it makes sense that people living closer are more likely to go to Disneyland, but on the other, it does not quite seem right that only those living near Disneyland get Costco discount tickets, especially since they do not have to pay the extra money to travel as far to get to the “happiest place on earth.” If you want to take your family to Disneyland, but you do not want to break the bank to do it, check out these awesome deals on Disneyland tickets and skip the lines at Costco.
Now that you have your discount, make your trip extra fun with some more secrets of Disneyland that you have never heard of! Whether you are a first timer, or have been to Disneyland a million times, these fun secrets of Disneyland are sure to make your adventure more magical.
Disneyland Secret #2
Walt Disney had the idea for Disneyland because he felt left out.
Walt Disney was a doting father, but every time he took his kids to activities like the carrousel, he wished he could be enjoying it too. He would look around and watch as the parents would all sit while their kids did all these fun things. Disney thought there needed to be more than this, so he decided to make a place where the parents and their kids could all participate together. All the rides and attractions in the theme park were originally designed for everyone to be able to participate in something together.
Disneyland Secret #3
All the vegetation in Tomorrowland is edible, but deadly.
The Disneyland attraction called Tomorrowland has lovely landscaping, but did you know that everything is edible? The plants are herbs, fruits, and vegetable plants! Sage, lavender, rosemary, strawberries, broccoli, kale, cabbage, thyme, oregano, and citrus are just some to name. While edible, it is never good to pick things out of someone else’s garden, and this rings true for the edible plants at Disneyland. Do Not Eat Them! They are not harvested for food, and are grown specifically to be part of the attraction, so they have to be kept looking nice. Because of this, they are drenched in pesticides regularly, and are very dangerous to eat. The employees have been known to complain about how often they have to catch people before putting parts of the plants in their mouths. Those fruits and veggies sure look tasty though, and the landscaping is definitely lovely to look at.
Disneyland Secret #4
There are cats that live all over the Disneyland Park.
It’s true! You would think that there would be a rodent problem in a place where oodles of children riddle the ground with crumbs and pieces of delicious food as they eat treats from street carts all day every day, but Disneyland is actually really clean. How can that be? The Disneyland employees have strict cleaning instructions and there are over 200 feral cats running around Disneyland to keep the mouse population down. These cats, however, are quiet, shy, and agile, so they often go unnoticed. Many people who have been to the park numerous times have never seen even one of the cats. Have you?
Disneyland Secret #5
Most of the flags on Main St. USA are not regulation flags.
If you look closely, you will notice that all the flags have something wrong with them except for one. The flags might be missing a star, have an extra stripe, or have the colors switched around. Only one flag is a perfect American flag, and it is cared for properly by being taken down and hoisted every day.
Disneyland Secret #6
Some of the skeleton props in the pirates of Caribbean were once real human skeletons, and one still is.
The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride was one of the last rides that Walt Disney saw finished. It was built in 1967 and has been a huge hit since. The ride supposedly cost as much to make as the whole of Disneyland to build, and was considered way ahead of its time. The team members that put it together were happy with everything but the lackluster fake skeletons. They replaced the unconvincing props with real human skeletons from the anatomy lab at UCLA. Most of the skeletons have since been sent back to their countries for proper burials and replaced with fake ones now that props and animatronics have become more advanced and lifelike, but the skull in the center of the bed remains as a real human skull.
Disneyland Secret #7
There is a “leprechaun” living in Disneyland.
Many know about the book that Walt Disney made about Donald Duck and a little man. The book is called “Walt Disney’s Little Man of Disneyland.” In the book, Disneyland is built on top of the little man’s home, which makes the little man very upset—as it would anyone who lost their home to a theme park. Donald Duck sets out to help find the little man a new home, which ends up being within the park. Well, the story just adds to the magic of the park. If you visit the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, you will find a little door on one of the trees. This is the home Donald Duck found for the little man of Disneyland.
Disneyland Secret #8
There is a secret club that you have to pay $25,000-$50,000 to get into.
It is called Club 33 and it is a club that gets you into an incredibly exclusive lounge and restaurant in Disneyland. No one except for members know for sure how much it costs to be a part of it, but on top of the yearly fee, there are also said to be monthly fees and specialty items and activities that cost extra. Supposedly, the club meets right under everyone’s noses in the Three Magic Kingdoms. It is said that the idea for the exclusive club came from Walt Disney’s experiences with famous people early on after opening Disneyland. It seems, to some, like a departure from his usual MO—since Disney’s goal was to be inclusive—but if you pay attention to his life’s work, it actually goes right along with his ultimate goal: to give a place for everyone in his theme parks.
Disneyland Secret #9
“It’s a Small World” had different waters of the world poured in by children from all over the world.
When Walt Disney was planning the opening of the “It’s a Small World” ride, he invited children from different countries to come to the opening of the ride. He told them to bring a jar of water from their homeland, which he had them dump into the ride’s canal. Walt Disney’s little touches made Disneyland the truly magical world it is, and this is just one example. It means that, when on the ride, you are traveling across the many waters of the world.
Disneyland Secret #10
The Matterhorn ride has multiple functions.
Inside the Matterhorn, there is a basketball court for the employees. It is also possible to repel off the Matterhorn. In fact, there is a course set up on the side. You have to pay extra for it and arrange for a guide, but it could be worth it to say you climb and repelled off the side of the Matterhorn. There is also water at the end of the Matterhorn. When they were building the ride, they could not figure out how to make the ride slow down, so they used water resistance. It just added an extra touch to the ride.
Disneyland Secret #11
The outside of the It’s a Small World has real gold on the facade.
Disneyland Secret #12
The whole park only took one year from start to finish.
There are 13 original attractions: Peter Pan, Disneyland Railroad, Mad Tea Party, Autotopia, Storybook Land canal boats, King Arthur’s Carousel, Casey Junior Circus Train, Jungle Cruise, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Main Street Cinema, Golden Horseshoe, and the Mark Twain River Boat. All of them together took only a year to build.
Disneyland Secret #13
There is one horse on the carrousel that is dedicated to a certain famous person.
One horse on the carrousel is named Jingles. It was dedicated to Julie Andrews and it is themed in her favorite acting roles and favorite colors. You can ride it just like the other horses, so you better be the first one on if you want a picture with Jingles.
Disneyland Secret #14
There is a secret on the Disneyland Railroad.
At one train stop on the Disneyland Railroad, you can hear the tap of a telegram. Who knows morse code? The telegram is of the speech that Disney gave on opening day.
Disneyland Secret #15
There are apartments in Disneyland.
Walt Disney had two apartments in Disneyland: one above the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and one above the fire station. He always kept a lamp on in the one above the fire station to let the staff know that they could always come visit him. It had a working fire pole, but they had to close off the opening because a kid climbed up the fire pole trying to get to the room above.
Disneyland Secret #16
You can be part of a ride without even knowing it.
The Pirates of the Caribbean ride has a restaurant in it. As you eat, you become part of the ride without having to do anything.
Disneyland Secret #17
Disneyland employees do not get all discounts.
Of course, you know that Disneyland employees get discounts, but did you know they get discounts on most everything except free standing carts? That means churros and popcorn. Makes you wonder which employee caused that rule and what he did to make it one for everyone.
Disneyland Secret #18
There are not many drinking fountains, but you can still get free water.
When he opened it, Disney had to choose whether he wanted more drinking fountains, or more restaurants, so he chose more restaurants and told them all to give out water for free. You can go to any restaurant in the park and ask for a cup of water.
Disneyland Secret #19
The mining equipment that is used as props on the Thunder Mountain Railroad are real.
Disneyland Secret #20
There are hidden Mickeys everywhere in the park.
This might not be so secret for those who are super Disney fans, but it is definitely something that will add to your experience with the magic of Disneyland. One favorite activity of frequent visitors is to look for all the hidden Mickeys. There are gears on It’s a Small World and on Thunder Mountain that are arranged to look like Mickey’s head. You can also find them in paintings and in rock formations on the side of walls. Disneyland has books available in the gift shop that feature some of them and you can cross it off the list every time you spot one. Some say there are just over 500, others 1,000 exactly, but no one has ever compiled an official list of all of the Mickeys, both deliberate and coincidental. Will you be the first?
There you have it! 20 secrets of Disneyland that will bring you even more into the magic that Walt Disney brought into the world. From Costco discount Disneyland tickets, to Club 33, to Disneyland’s beginning, everyone has something new to share with their friends. Get your great deals on tickets, pick up a Mickey find it book, find Jingles, and truly experience the magic of Disneyland.
