A lot goes into the magic that makes Disneyland so grand. After all, as the self-proclaimed "happiest place on Earth", they really have a lot to do to live up to that name. While many people are convinced that they probably don't have to do much to sustain that image, the truth is that there is so much that needs to be done to sustain that feeling of Disneyland. For one thing, they use a lot of psychology with music and artificial smells to help you form good memories of the park and enjoy yourself more. If you want to know all the secrets Disney hides in its park, keep reading to find out more.
Disneyland Has A Members Only Club
There aren't many places where you can get alcohol in Disneyland. In fact, there's only one real place where you can get it and you have to be an exclusive member of the club. IT's a 5-star restaurant called Club 33 and in order to become a member, you're going to have to shell out quite a bit of cash to the tune of around $100,000. There's also a waiting list that is more than a decade long, though.
However, there is one other way that you can be granted entrance to the club. You simply have to know someone else who is a member and have them let you in for a meal with them.
There Are Secret Menu Items All Over The Parks
Just like many restaurants around the world, Disneyland has quite a few of its own secret menu items that you can order all around the park. Take, for example, the Mickey Mouse-shaped bread bowl full of chili mac 'n' cheese at the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner On Mainstreet USA. There are also ice cream tacos at the Golden Horseshoe in Frontier land, or if loaded tater tots are more your style you can find those at the River Belle Terrace.
Basically, you can find pretty much whatever you're looking for and more. Try to find some more secret menu items before you plan you're next trip to get an exciting new twist on the featured cuisine.
The Smells You Smell Are No Mere Coincidence
Do you remember all those smells that you associate with Disneyland park rides? For example, the Pirates of the Caribbean has that very specific musty and mildewy smell that you might have just thought had to do with it being a water ride. Well, it turns out that those smells are chemically engineered and pumped throughout the rides and parks on a regular basis. Even the smell of fresh popcorn might be the doing of the park staff.
The Disney Imagineer Bob McCarthy patented what he called the "Smellitzer", a machine that pumps these scents through hidden vents in the rides. They did this so you could dedicate all your senses to remembering their rides. Pretty neat trick, wouldn't you say?
A Hidden Car On The Disneyland Railroad
If you were looking to have a special trip on the Disneyland Railroad, you might want to consider taking a ride on one of their exclusive and hidden train cars. This car-- named the Lilly Belle car after Disney's late wife--is only available to a select few guests every day and only if they get there early enough. Like when the park opens, pretty much.
Just ask a cast member when you get there if you can ride, and they'll hopefully direct you to the Victorian parlor-themed train car for you to enjoy a leisurely ride on.
Sleeping Beauty's Castle Has A Working Drawbridge
You may have seen it before, but the Sleeping Beauty castle actually has a working drawbridge. It has only been lowered twice in its existence. Once when the Disneyland park opened in 1955 and the other at the opening of Fantasyland in 1983. They may open it again one day but it probably won't be until they have another fantastic celebration in store for us.
Try to keep your eyes on any updates if this is something that would appeal to you. Maybe they'll have it on their 100th year in operation.
Walt Disney Had An Apartment In The Park
To be fair, he wasn't exactly sleeping there or anything, but above the Disneyland fire department, you can still see the window to the apartment that he had. Here, Walt Disney would conduct work and cater to certain guests during their stay. The fire department is located on Mainstreet USA, so you can pretty easily find it during your next visit to the park.
And if you're wondering what the inside looks like, there are plenty of virtual tours you can check out online. You may never get a chance to go inside, so this is the next best thing.
Staff Members Cannot Say "I Don't Know"
If you ask a staff member a question that they don't have an answer for, they will never tell you they don't know. That's because they aren't allowed to do so according to their code of conduct. They will even look up the information or ask a colleague if they have an answer for you, but they will always try to find an answer for you no matter what.
The reason for this is pretty simple, actually. They want all the guests to have a satisfactory experience without any frustrations. They ar dedicated to all their guests.
Staff Members Cannot Point With One Finger
Staff members, as well as not being allowed to tell you they don't know an answer to your question, are also not allowed to point to things with only their index fingers. This is for a few different reasons. The first is because it may be rude in certain cultures (including some in the United States) to do so. The other may actually be an homage to Disney's smoking habits.
He apparently used to be seen with a cigarette in hand all the time. When various guests would ask him questions, he'd point things out with two fingers due to the fact that he was holding the cigarette between them.
The Matterhorn Hides A Basketball Court
You may have heard this one and written it off as a myth, but this one is actually as true as they come. Withing the Matterhorn attraction lies a small attic space where staff members can shoot some hoops in between their shifts. This comes in real handy when you're working in the park all day and want tot get in some extra exercise or get a change of pace.
Why they decided to put it in the Matterhorn is beyond us. Maybe it's because of the sheer size of the thing. Either way, this is a pretty cool fact.
You Can Ride The Front Of The Monorail
If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to be at the helm of the monorail and be a conductor, you still can try! Although you won't be able to actually steer the thing, if you ask nicely enough, the conductor might just let you and your family into the front of the train. Although you can't do this at Disney World, the option is still available for Disneyland Park-goers.
We're definitely going to try this one the next time we go there. Just be sure to be extra nice or you might ruin the chance for any one else to do this ever again.
You Can Steer The Mark Twain Riverboat
While you can't steer the monorail, you can actually steer the Mark Twain riverboat... or at least feel like you are. If you ask, they may just let you try your hand at the wheel. Although you won't be able to steer it, they're sure to add a little fun to it and share the magic with you by giving you a moment when it feels like you're doing something.
The boat isn't actually steered by the steering wheel ironically enough, so you don't have to worry about your kid crashing the whole thing if they get their chance to do it.
They Used Forced Perspective To Make Buildings Seem Taller
You may not realize this, but the buildings are made to look a lot taller than they actually are. "How do they achieve that?" you may be wondering. Well, the trick is that the bricks used to make the building get smaller the higher up you go. Because of the perspective, you'll see them as normal bricks while the actual building is not as tall each floor up as the other floors below it.
You can actually see this in the above image with Sleeping Beauty's castle. The 77-foot building is not actually as tall as it seems from far away now, is it?
Every Park Has At Least One Eye Catcher
Every park that you'll go to in Disney has at least one attraction that they call a "weenie" which is an attraction meant to catch the guests' eyes as soon as they enter and draw them through the park. The main "weenie" is obviously sleeping beauty's castle. This term apparently came from a game Walt Disney used to play with his poodles, according to his youngest daughter in an interview with Korkis.
"[Dad] would go to the refrigerator and pull out two uncooked hot dogs, one for himself and one for the dog," said Diane Disney Miller. "He would play with her, wiggling the hot dog around, and she would go wherever he moved around and was so happy when she finally got her treat."
The Star Tours S-3PO and R2-D2 Are Actual Movie Props
If you go to the Star Tours attraction, you might notice that the R2-D2 and C-3PO animatronics look distinctly similar to the ones seen in the movies. That's because they are actual props that were used in the movies that Disney got the rights to after acquiring Lucasfilm. According to Disney historian Jim Hill, George Lucas wanted it to feel more authentic, so he loaned the actual props from the movies.
That would certainly make it feel more authentic, all right. After all, you can't exactly make it feel as real as the movies unless you bring the movies to the people.
There's A Telegraph With A Secret Morse Code Message
The telegraph cable office in New Orleans Square apparently hides a hidden message in morse code. This message is the first two lines from Walt Disney's opening day speech from 1955: "To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future".
This is a really cool secret because you wouldn't know this without knowing morse code. It also really shows the dedication they have to the founder of the park (although it would be pretty weird if they weren't so dedicated).
There's A Carousel Horse Dedicated To Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews, the woman behind Mary Poppins, was granted a dedication in the form of a horse on the famous King Arthur's Carousel. The horse, Jingles, is the lead carousel horse and features a hand-painted jewel-tone palette with gold-leaf horseshoes. She was presented the horse, as well as a miniature replica of Jingles, at the park's 50th anniversary as a thank you for the service she has given to Disney and it's theme parks.
You can still ride it today if you so choose. Although it may not look as new as it did 13 years ago, it's still one of the prettiest horses there.
Disney Made A Special Green Paint For The Park
Disney actually uses a special green paint that they made for the park in order to divert guests' eyes away from certain things, such as garbage cans, stage entrances, and the entrance to--you guessed it--Club 33. This green is called "no see 'em green" or "go away green" and works by helping the things that they wish to hide into blending in with the surrounding environment.
You can see this color all over the place. The next time you're around, try looking out for it and you might just see what they're trying to hide from you.
Feral Cats Roam The Park
There are actually quite a number of feral cats roaming around the park. They aren't aggressive and they actually help by getting rid of the rodents that might be lurking around the park. It's not like they could really do anything to get rid of them anyway, so they just let them roam free doing their business which definitely helps out in the long run.
They try to keep to themselves, but you might see them around here and there. Next time you see one, just remember that they're there to help and try not to mess with them too much.
Tony The Tiger's Voice Actor Has A Cameo
Now, this is something you might not have been expecting to hear but Tony the Tiger (or rather his voice actor, Thurl Ravenscroft) makes a cameo appearance on one of the rides. You can hear his voice if you listen closely enough in The Haunted Mansion. He's the one who's singing the theme song "Grimm Grinning Ghosts". Actually, he's also the one who sings "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas".
This one actually came as a surprise to us but also makes sense in a way. That deep, booming voice is perfect for those songs.
There Are A Couple Of Time Capsules Buried In The Park
Time capsules were and still are a relatively common thing to do at events. That's why Disneyland actually has a couple of them tucked away right underneath a plaque in the pavement. One of them was put together in 1995 for the park's 40th birthday while the other was buried in 2012. They were buried in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Buena Vista Plaza4 respectively.
You can check what's inside of them online, but we think we're going to wait for them to be unearthed so that we, too, can be inspired in the future.
Disney Invented Doritos
This one's not as much of a secret as some of the other ones but it's definitely not a well-known fact by the general public. Those delicious chips you might eat every day, Doritos, were actually invented right inside of Disneyland before eventually being commercialized. Frito-Lay owned a restaurant inside of Disney called Casa de Fritos where they would cook up the stale leftover tortillas instead of throwing them away.
The chips became so popular that they eventually made their way to factories to get mass-produced for the public and become what they are today. Thank goodness they did!
All Of Tomorrowland's Plants Are Edible
You may not realize this, but all of the plants inside of Tomorrowland were specifically selected due to being edible. This was Walt Disney's own idea and it actually makes sense when you think about the vision the theme park is trying to bring. With all of the hints to advancements in sustainability, they made sure that everything they were planting would be usable and edible.
Although we don't yet have the most sustainable technology yet when it comes to agriculture, Tomorrowland continues to wow us with the possibilities for a better tomorrow.
There Is No Chewing Gum Sold There
This may come as a shock considering the amount of chewing gum sold all over the world, but have you ever even seen a pack of gum being sold in Disneyland? It's a good tactic because it helps keep the parks clean. By not selling the product that is probably the most common thing to be littered, they can almost guarantee that there won't be any gum wads lying around for someone to step on.
That being said, they can't stop people from bringing in their own gum and even the amount of trash cans can't guarantee that people will throw it out, but it's a good effort on their part.
The Skeletons In The Pirates Of The Caribbean Ride Used To Be Real
There's a reason that the skeletons at The Pirates of the Caribbean ride look so real...at least, they used to. While there probably aren't any real skeletons now (sans for maybe the skull on the headboard of the bed) the Pirates of the Caribbean ride definitely had real skeletons used when they first opened it. It was originally envisioned to be a walk-through wax-museum attraction, so there were real bones used.
Although since then they've gotten rid of them all, we can't help but feel a little uncomfortable now knowing that information. Where exactly did they get the bones from?
Pirates Of The Caribbean Dog
Speaking of The Pirates of the Caribbean, there's a small detail that you might not have known unless you know all about Walt Disney and his past. That is that the dog holding the key that one of the pirates is trying to escape with is actually modeled after one of Walt Disney's beloved pet dogs. Isn't that just the cutest thing ever?
It actually also looks a bit similar to the dog from the Carousel of Progress, though that could just be us. We wouldn't be surprised, though, if it was also the same, though.
Matterhorn Racing
If you want to ride the Matterhorn, you might want to consider which line you step into. There are actually two separate lines for the ride because there are two trains on two different tracks. If you're lucky enough, you might actually be able to ride with perfect timing so as to "race" the other train car. You should try splitting up with your friends to see what happens!
Either way, you should also try both lines in general. The fact that they aren't synced up means that one of them goes faster. That, or the weight distribution has something to do with it.
Authentic Mining Equipment
When you go into Big Thunder Mountain, you may notice a ton of mining equipment lining the walls. After all, it is a ride based on a minecart and prospecting is the main theme here. Well, it turns out that all of the equipment that you see is the real deal. Imagineers went to real swap meets, abandoned mines, and ghost towns in Nevada, California, and Minnesota to find these things.
We really commend them for putting so much work into making things as authentic as possible at Disney (though the skeleton thing is still a bit too weird).
Secret Pet Cemetery
You may think that we're talking about the decorative one in the front, but that was only installed after the original one and adds a bit of humor to the dismal scene. There is actually a real pet cemetery on the side lawn that people don't often see. But if you ask nicely enough, a staff member might just let you check the whole thing out for yourself.
The tombstones have personalized inscriptions for the pets laid to rest there and there's even one there for Mr. Toad! Who would have thought there'd be a real cemetery there.
Imagineer Tombstones
Speaking of cemeteries, there's actually another one in the park. Although this one doesn't feature actual remains, there are tons of tombstones littered about dedicated to the many Imagineers that have graced the park with their services. The graveyard also features some of the faces of the earliest Imagineers the park has ever had. There is also a lot of inside jokes lining all of the tombstones.
While it's a bit sad to think about, it's also nice to know that the people that dedicated their time and service to the park will forever be remembered.
They Have A Famous Organ
They actually happen to have a famous organ inside the park. It's the organ that's inside The Haunted Mansion. It's the exact same organ that can be seen in the submarine Nautilus in the movie "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". As well as the robots from "Star War", this just adds on to the list of famous movie props that the park has secured for use within the attractions.
We wonder what else they might procure next. We're sure that whatever it is it will be yet another awesome easter egg hidden within the confines of the park.
Underground Tunnels
This one is something we've known for a while, but you might not have heard for yourself. There is actually a system of tunnels running throughout the underground of the park. This is where the actors go to undress or change costumes as well as travel from point to point while avoiding being in the wrong place for their own character. That's why you never see, for example, Tigger in Tomorrowland.
This is a really cool idea because it means that the actors are able to stay out of view whenever they need to go somewhere. They were right under your nose all along!
Main Street And Tomorrowland Special Dates
Something else you might not have noticed, but the setting of Main Street USA and Tomorrowland are both based on special dates of the calendar. Main Street USA is based on 1910s America, while Tomorrowland is based on 1986 (yes that seems odd, but remember that 1986 was the future when the park was being built). Both of these dates are years that Haley's comet could be seen from Earth.
We're not exactly sure why these dates were chosen, but it's cool all the same. Maybe they'll base something else on the next time it comes around.
Single Rider Shortcuts
If you don't want to wait in line for more than an hour, there are a bunch of tricks you can do to get in line faster. Obviously, there's the fast pass option, but there are also a couple of other rides that offer the Single Rider shortcut. For rides like Splash Mountain, The Matterhorn, or Indiana Jones, you can go around to the side and get in the line for single riders.
This is much faster because they are always trying to fit the maximum amount of people into the rides all the time, so when a group of three shows up they can squeeze you in. The only downside is you probably won't be riding with friends.
You Cannot Die In Disneyland
The park has a really big reputation to upkeep, so they really try to take measures to make sure that you don't die. This might seem obvious, but there's actually more to it than you might be thinking. There's no one actually in the park that can legally pronounce someone dead, so even if you do happen to die, like one unfortunate rider of Big Thunder Mountain, you can't actually be pronounced dead at the scene.
That's why no one has officially died at the park. That's not to say that you can't, but the odds are still relatively low compared to other daily activities.
Music Psychology
Not only are the smells perfectly tailored to help make your experience better, but the music is as well. There's a whole lot of psychology that goes into making the guests' experiences at the park go so well. With the music, they play really loud and upbeat music in the morning, and it gets slower and slower as the day goes on, coming to a near halt as the park is closing.
This all has to do with the way your brain works. They want to keep you up and alert in the morning, feel the mood with romantic music in the evening, and make you want to hit the hay with peaceful music at night.