7 secrets you might not know about Disneyland
Tom Sawyer Island
by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl
Ok, here’s the truth. I know some people in high places. I am on a first-name basis with the president of our PTA. The dog groomer recognizes my dog and knows her name. And, the lady at the grocery store always asks about the kids.
Oh, and I have a friend who works for Disney.
How cool is that?
And the best part, when we visit Disneyland, Mk comes and hangs out with us. It is like having our own personal tour guide. The kids love hanging out with her and hearing stories about testing the new rides or how many times she gets to ride on California Screamin’. I love it because Mk always shares a secret or two with me. This time, she shared 7, and I share them here with you today:
Autopia
- The drawbridge in front of the Castle is actually a working drawbridge, and has only been lowered twice in its entire life. Once on opening day, and once again in the 80’s when Fantasyland had a major refurbishment and reopened to the guests.
- Just above the drawbridge as you enter Fantasyland, you will see a crest on the castle. That is the Disney Family crest.
- It took only 364 days from the first shovel to hit the dirt until opening day to build Disneyland.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Main Street is set in 1901, and represents Marceline, Missouri, Walt’s boyhood town.
- The organ that was in the Nautilus from the movie 20,000 Leagues under the Sea has come ashore, and now lives in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, in the ballroom scene.
- In the early years of the Park, the Rivers of America was stocked with catfish and fishing was allowed off the docks of “Tom Sawyer Island”.
Behind Tom Sawyer
- When the original Submarine Voyage opened, it had real mermaids swimming in the water with the submarines.
Do you have any secrets about Disneyland that you would like to share?
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75 Responses
Uh, there are no such thing as “real mermaids.”
of course there are – what do you think the whole movie Little Mermaid was about
As the saying goes in my family, you have to believe to achieve (or receive, at Christmas time)….
Interesting, but I would not say those are “big secrets”. You can probably even figure out some of them yourself.
The mermaid thing is true and false. Yes they were real, but not actual mermaids. They were young women dressed as real mermaids. They stopped doing that because young men would jump off the attraction into the water to try to meet some of the “mermaids.”
I remember those mermaids, they would sit on those rocks and wave at the people as they walked by. I totally forgot about that.
My daughter worked at Disneyland Jr/Sr. in high school. And she also gave the inside scoop on the park as well. It made me look at the park differently. When your hired there, they give a personal tour of the park and give insider information. One thing she shared with me was that the room above the fire house on main street, was acctually an apartment for Mr. Disney himself.
Regarding the mermaid…….What Gudrun meant to say was they hired ladies to dress in mermaid outfit and swim in the water.
I’ve heard that Walts apartment was in the Fire House on Main Street and there is a dance club below the eatery next to Space Mountain. Is it true?
Hi Gudrun,
It’s Erica (previously of ACM SIGGRAPH) Bet you didn’t guess this was going to get picked up by Yahoo? Pretty cool, huh? Hope you’re well.
I heard it has a secret club for aldut disney members only
Yes, it is true that there is an underground club, but it is open to everybody not just disney members. It is located under the castle of doisneyland, the big castle. I had a friend who worked there and he told me about it. It is very high class and very expensive from what I heard.
Yes, it is true that there is an underground club, but it is open to everybody not just disney members. It is located under the castle of disneyland, the big castle. I had a friend who worked there and he told me about it. It is very high class and very expensive from what I heard.
I wish that I had been there when the drawbridge opened, because I’ve always wondered what it was like inside…
i heard that on main street they pump smells from an underground laboratory so that you will want something by the time you reach the shop
I think all that information is very interesting. Too bad so many people have to have a negative out look
(i.e. “Uh, there are no such thing as “real mermaids.””, and “Interesting, but I would not say those are “big secrets”. You can probably even figure out some of them yourself.”).
I personally appiciate the information and look forward to finding out more!
uhmmm, i thought you were going to say something about the \hidden mickeys\, cleverly hidden through out the park.
But who cares? People are starving…who cares about the stupid brige and this trash?
“But who cares? People are starving…who cares about the stupid brige and this trash?” (Steven)
ya know…who cares about the kids starving…the bridge part is cool…
The aromas of the food in the shops don’t come from a laboratory, they come form the “kitchens” where the products are actually made for each store. I also worked for Disney, but at Disney World in Florida. And when I worked there we signed a confidentiality form which expressed how certain “secrets” (as there are thousands if not millions of them) weren’t to be disclosed…. So, becareful what you “leak” so your friend doesn’t lose her job. It’s the best place I ever worked and was my favorite job so far in my life, I know I wouldn’t want to be banned from the park for “leaking” secrets.
I think this is wonderful for a child at one time in their life to see Disney Land. It is nice to ‘
discover to see what it feels like to dream . I remember taking my child at 6 years old and he was so excited; it is an experinece that (young or old_ the a someone would not forget. Too bad now that it is
so, a large family would have difficulty paying for admission.
Joans last blog post..Major League Baseball Spring Training Begins
You forgot to mention the half basketball court at the top of the madderhorn. I went up there myself as I too worked for Disney–I counted the millions of dollars that came in everyday. Also, if you look at the statue of Mickey and Walt from the side . . . it’s the one you see as you come in. Try it sometime.
I know a dozen of people who work at Disneyland. So what?
Lisa, there is a half-basketball court at the top of the Matterhorn? Did not know that! And it is one of my kids’ favorite rides.
Joan – yes, admission is getting up there. Fortunately, there are promotions on now where adults pay the price of kids. Also, we have such a great time there as a family that it really pays for itself.
Jes – those waffle cones (or is it cinnamon rolls) smell heavenly as you walk down Main Street. I am constantly hungry when I visit!
Juan – I have heard those rumors about the mickeys. Is it that you can find them all over the place, hidden in signs and stuff? I don’t know that I have ever taken the time to look closely.
Caitlin – I am with you – sounds like lots of these folks have more secrets than I know!
Jacob – don’t know about pumps that release smells. I do know I get hungry when I visit the park.
Anna – the drawbridge does sound neat, I wish I could have seen it too.
Smove and Vianca – thanks for the info about the dance club. How expensive is it?
Jessica and Susan – I am interested by the idea that Walt Disney had his own apartment on the property. Could you imagine waking up in the park everyday? That is definitely someone’s dream come true!
Erica – good to hear from you
Kathy, Susan, Jose – thank you for clearing up and adding to the details about the mermaids. I like the idea of guys jumping into meet them! Chuckle, chuckle.
And John, you are right – I think most of these secrets are available in books and websites devoted to Disneyland trivia. It was still thrilling to hear them!
I love it!!!
I love disneyland….we try to go at least 3 times a year!! I’M 24 I don’t have any kids…so me and the hubby just to to enjoy ourselves coz we love it.
And Lisa….
what exactly do you see in the statue
I find it amusing that people will put down and ruin everything. Something as wonderful and exciting as Disneyland and Disney World, mermaids, faeries, etc. Just because you don’t believe in them doesn’t mean they aren’t real. There have been written accounts of dragons, faeries, and mermaids in almost all of the cultures of the world. And you read a book called the Bible and believe in God and Angels but not Dragons, how do you know what was and will be? Anyway to the destroyers of dreams I say ” I Believe, I Believe ” I just wish I was lucky enough to go to Disneyland or Disney World because I would love to meet TinkerBell, Mickey Mouse, Belle and see and hear all the wonderful amazing sites and sounds.
[...] 7 Secrets about Disneyland (attractions.uptake.com) – February 03, 2009Seven insider secrets about Disneyland, sure to enhance your next trip! [...]
In Disney World in Fla., there are underground tunnels that the staff use to enter and exit the park. The \worlds\ are connected by the underground tunnels and lead up to back rooms in some stores. Walt had them created when he was walking through future world and saw a character from the wild west.
Walt Disney was an unrepetant anti-Semite.
Jasså gudrun!! ikke dårlig å ligge som link fra CNN. he he.
yes there is many mickeys around the parki have found one in pirates on one of the walls, and my friends found one in thunder mountain
Main street is no longer representative of any 1901 town without the Tabacco shop and the soda fountain. Their removal and the PC rebuild of “Pirates” is when i stopped visiting Disneyland.
wow this stuff is cool. i heard somewhere on the net that on the bottom of the lake/pond thing where the mermaids were, somewhere on the bottom was a secondary switch that also opened the draw bridge at that one place, but i don’t know if its true or not.
I AM GOING TO FLORIDA DISNEY FOR MY HONEY MOON WHERE CAN I GET GREAT POINTERS FOR ROMANTIC SPOTS WITH MY NEW HUSBAND?
Yeah, I would actually really like to know what Lisa sees at the side of the statue too
Regardless if other people find this info easy to get, it’s actually really interesting too learn and read about. Thanks you for posting Gudrun.
thanks for creating this topic Gudrun Enger. wow! this can make something like da vinci’s secret or sumthin! ^^
Another thing that might have not been noticed by some is that if you go by the Haunted House at night and watch the windows, a candle moves by them like a ghost is in the house peeking out of the windows.. Also when Indiana Jones first opened they handed out code breakers that helped figure out the symbols on the walls when you wait in line. They don’t seem to do it anymore, but it was fun.. There actually is a book that you can buy at the park that has a lot of things not noticed and it is a lt of fun looking around for all the secrets and small things added to the park.
I loved the mermaids, I remember when I was four so it was 1991, and I was so into The Little Mermaid and then to see them swimming their it was so amazing it felt so real just a really wonderful experience for children and adults to be somewhere where everything is so animated and you can just have fun
omfg i luv disneyWORLD. its so awesum~! we used to altelest go about….hm………7 or 8 times a year. litterally. or actyually go once but 4 reealyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long. casue i used lyk cry wen we lreft. so did mi friend nicole. we dnt go 2gether though. lolz
thats was rly inetresting
i wish i saw da bridge opennn
Hey guys………..lighten up. Life sometimes deals us a lousy hand, but we have to play it anyway. What’s wrong with going someplace that is bright, cheery, and make believe? Sometimes it takes us out of our every day problesm, but at least it gives us a break for a little while, and who’s to say a smile doesn’t do a \body\ good?
okay so i was told that when they do away with an old ride they keep part of it in the new one for example at disneyland when they did away with the country bear jamboree they left the moose head inside the new winnie the pooh ride that they replaced it with… and indiana jones is now where the old parking lot used to be, so they kept the eeyore parking lot pole and you can see it when your viewing the video right before you get on the ride.
our fam of 4 visitied Disney World Florida in 1997, we were overjoyed and happy with all of Disney….the price was high and the experience was the absolute best.
…..only the toursits were very rude and pushy all the while
….especially one childless family from Missouri, who yelled at our 6 year old for not standing perfectly still in a long waiting line for an activity ( i will never forget the anger and humility i was forced to feel for our presence due to his chosen behavior)
…our children play the cello, violin, speak a second language and make among the highest marks in thier school…and they are both well rounded….
….the masses comprised within the melting pot of Disney travelors is shocking, particularly at Christmas, pushing, to-stepping, child crushing, jumping ahead in que….so typically American mid-class without feeling for others….advise all to take a baby stroller for your children under 4 feet tall to ride in for their own safety (sadly, as part of the tourist culture we experienced at Disney World there are just too many people who are just poorly educated and disintersted in others welfare at the expense of their own amusement)
….we likely will not return due to safety concerns regarding crowd masses and possible trampling or suffocation….leaving at least more rom for the mighty self-interests whose behavior include feeling beyond reproach due to the little bit extra they have paid for their opportunity…..long live America
…sadly most people’s behavior in public really sucks….hope you all understand my message here very clearly
this stuff is really interesting, i like find out secrets about things. but, i do want to know what Lisa was talking about when she was talking about the statue of Mickey and Walt. and where is the Half basketball court on the maddehorn? thats interesting too. after hearing all these things, i really want to go to Disney Land. lol!
The greatest thing I remember about Tom Sawyer’s Island was that it was where I got my first B.J. as a 14 year old boy. It’s amazing the things one recalls about Disneyland.
wow! thatss pretty interesting…my friend juan likes the corn frm therrr…
there is noone taking out the trash.
the cans are dumped onto a conveyer belt and the trashes are sprayed out.
I only went to Disney World twice. Once when I was really little so I don’t remember much of anything and the other time I was still in my mom’s belly so I’m not sure if that counts… I really wish I could have seen the mermaids! I love The Little Mermaid and even the mermaids in Peter Pan! I prefer to believe in things that may or may not be there just because it makes everything more interesting! Knowing these little facts is really cool. Thanks for sharing!
Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom(online game) has some of the secrets….
[...] 7 Secrets about Disneyland [...]
WEll that maybe somewhat true about the men jumping into the submarine attraction to meet them, but the real reason they stop that, was because of heath reasons. a few of the women who were the mermaids, would be left under water for a long ammount of time, and it wasn’t like they had any oxygen for them to stay down there long enough, so some of them nearly drowned being down in the water for so loong. a few of them were bed ridden and one almost sue the company. so they stop it mostly for hazarous health reasons.
wow alot of you really suck someone wanted to share a few little “secrets” with you who cares how big or smaall its sometihng you would have never known so screw you and you’re terrible childhood because you have to be so negative…its disneyland kids dont know they arent real mermaids its a place where your imagination should run wild, maybe we shouldn’t all be in such a hurry to grow up, i just bought a house and i wish i was a kid again ha!
secret #8: there is a strip club under the pirates of the caribean ride….
[...] Gudrun Enger has a friend who works in Disneyland, and whenever she visits the park her friend comes along and acts as a tour guide, and usually shares a few secrets. [...]
(Lisa, Thursday, February 5, 2009– …………..ALSO if you look at the statue of Mickey and Walt from the side . . . it’s the one you see as you come in. Try it sometime).
What do you see? Here’s the answer:
First to clarify, Mickey statue stands just at Walt statue’s waist. So if you see the statue from the side, the tip of Mickey’s nose points straight out and look like Walt’s pee pee penis is erect. Hahaha!
First thanks for the info. I am in the US Army and have had the pleasure of a free visit to Disneyland. My daughter loves the place. I personally do not mind it I just hate the crowds (not a fan of crowded places). I have had the pleasure of Visiting Disneyland Paris for new years eve (2007-08) and Disnelyland (2008-09) Me and my daughter and my sister and her family have made it a family thing we will do each year (go to a disneyland) in 2010-11 we will go to disneyworld. I enjoy the secrets and plan to observe the park more. I will now do the research to find out more. I would like to know how to get to this secret club under the castle. Keep the secrets comining.
thanks
GIJOE in Iraq
[...] More can be found at the Uptake site. [...]
Disneyland truly is the most magical place on earth. I used to work there while I was in college, and I sometimes I wish I still did! Jes, I agree with you about it also being my favorite job so far. Even though I live about 1000 miles away, I still make a point of visiting as often as possible. And even though I know a lot of the “secrets,” I still think it’s magical. I love how they stay in character, even to adults! If someone doesn’t like Disneyland, they have a serious problem!
For those concerned about crowds at Disbeyland: Disney has kept accurate records of attendance since the park opened in 1955. Consistently, the least crowded day at the park is the second Tuesday of February.
Here’s another secret: When my family and I went to Disney (World, not Land, but it’s relevant for both places, we planned our trip with some software called RideMax. It was awesome…helped us avoid busy ride times, and we planned out our whole trip. I swear our longest wait time was like 20 minutes, even though we went in the summer when it was really busy. One time we were getting cocky, so we stopped following the trip plan…bad mistake…it seemed like there was a WALL of people wherever we went.
The Haunted Mansion has two styles-Disneyland after a southern plantation, Disneyworld modeled after
Asa Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, PA http://tinyurl.com/csddsm
These are great little facts, my wife and I are headed to Disney World in a few weeks!
jims last blog post..“Chinatown” Buses
To all those nay-sayers…Disney is a great place for those who have kids or who are young at heart, if you can’t get past the negatives of everyday life so sorry to hear that…my six year old has taught me to look at Disney and kids things at a whole new level…plus all the secrets and behind the scenes stuff is fascinating…the only gripe i have is so much money is made at Disneyland and Disneyworld and Disney in general don’t you think you could come off the prices…i mean come on…but great post need one for secrets at Disneyworld here in Fl…
<——been to disneyworld atleast 30 days every year since they opened so if u have any questions as to whats what or wheres cool shoot em out there
thanks to Rob8here…for the ridemax info….we will look right into that …honestly the wall of some people
I appreciate these cool tidbits of insider info. I lived in Florida for years so I visited Disney World often but I have never made it to Disneyland.
Rich Dansereaus last blog post..Buying a Home is an Investment
[...] me! Last week, a piece I wrote for Uptake entitled 7 secrets you might not know about Disneyland, was picked up by Neatorama, and then featured on Yahoo for about 6 hours on Thursday afternoon. [...]
[...] 7 Secrets You Might not Know About Disneyland [...]
[...] Some things you might not know about Disneyland at Uptake Attractions. [...]
[...] a bad thing, but it loses something. Characters were born to be free and to work the streets of Disneyland like their own cocktail party. Keep the set lines with the select few, but put the rest back into [...]
[...] a bad thing, but it loses something. Characters were born to be free and to work the streets of Disneyland like their own cocktail party. Keep the set lines with the select few, but put the rest back into [...]
[...] a bad thing, but it loses something. Characters were born to be free and to work the streets of Disneyland like their own cocktail party. Keep the set lines with the select few, but put the rest back into [...]
I JUST WENT TO DISNEYLAND IT IS NOT WORTH IT !! THEIR WAS SO MANY PEOPLE WE WERE ON ABOUT FOUR RIDES IT REALLY BITES
Anyone have any cool Disneyland secrets?
and I don’t mean he hidden mickies. I’ve already heard so much about them. I mean like other park secrets. or ways to do special things. or ways to get in cheaper? thanks
The best kept secret of Disneyland is if you want to “go to the front of every line” there is a method to do it. Simply going to the stand that rents wheelchairs gets you to the front of about half the rides, though by telling guest services that you suffer from a mental disorder whereas you get claustrophobic, you will be issued a pass that by passes the normal lines. If abused though this service will surely disappear. Keep it a secret and use only if needed.
Another great secret of Disneyland is having dinner at Goofeys Kitchen. Pricey, but guaranteed to be the kids highlight and yours. All the characters will be dining with you and coming up to your table through out the evening dinner. An experience you will remember even more so than any of the rides!
[...] Disneyland has opened the results of its 2.5-acre expansion of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa to the public. This new wing of the theme park’s premier on-property lodging choice features 203 new guest rooms. Disney Grand Californian Lobby [...]
Thx, this has definitely made my day!
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