1. Disneyland was expected to fail.
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Opening day was such a disaster that pretty much every press organization that attended the celebration had predicted the park’s failure within one year.

It opened on a day that was 101 degrees and the street asphalt still wasn’t dry, leading to it sticking to shoes. By the end of the first day, all but 2 of the 48 Autopia cars were crashed and about half the rides were broken.

Despite all that, park visitors loved it and attendance continued to grow day by day.



2. Need a real drink?
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While many Disney fanatics may already know this one, others may find it surprising to know there is exactly one place in the entire park that serves alcoholic beverages.

The place is called Club 33 and it is a very exclusive club to get in. To gain entry, there is a ten year waiting list and admission is at least a thousand dollars. Supposedly, the food is good though.


3. Tomorrow Land is so outdated.
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Or at least, the first version is by now. The only Tomorrow Land ride that still exists in its original state from the opening is Autopia, and even it was changed to fit with Cars the movie. Actually though, there is one major change in Autopia from how it was on opening day -there were originally no guide rail to keep people on track. Sometimes Disney was a little too trusting of the good of humans.


4. There’s a Disney Underground.
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It’s not quite as exciting as it sounds though. Despite rumors, the area under the park isn’t a massive underground city. There are many underground basements though, where cast can relax, change in and out of costumes and eat lunch in peace. Think of it like a few really big break rooms.

Disney World on the other hand, was built late enough that they have a full city underground.


5. Olympic sports ?
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Just walking around the park over and over again is exercise enough for most people, but employees have the option of working out in the Matterhorn. Surely you didn’t think that huge mountain was only used for one little ride did you? No, the Matterhorn is officially classified as a gym and has a full basketball court inside. In 1984, it was even certified as an official Olympic Stadium.


6. It’s safe, but not 100% safe.

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Despite persisting urban legends that claim no one ever died in the park, people have. At least 12 people have died there, reports vary as to whether some additional death tales are true or not. All things considered though, 12 deaths in over 50 years isn’t that bad. Keep in mind, aside from dangerous rides, there is also a notable amount of gang violence at other Southern California amusement parks that doesn’t occur as frequently at Disneyland.



7. Ever feel like you’re being watched?

You might be. There are cameras everywhere. Aside from average security brigades, they even have special tasks forces with only a handful of things to focus on.

There are at least two special forces at the park, one dedicated to catching people using drugs at the park, and another dedicated to catching people who flash or flip off the cameras during the photo parts of the rides. If you’ve ever gotten a message saying your photo isn’t available when you got off the ride, there’s a good chance someone either flashed some breast or flipped the bird to the camera.


8. A ghostly Hazmat problem.

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There are many reports of people trying to spill the ashes of loved ones in the Haunted Mansion. As nice of a thought as it is, there are plenty of ghosts in the Mansion already and if everyone dumped their ashes here, then the whole thing would be covered in dust. So, every time it happens, the Mansion needs to be closed and a hazmat team cleans it.


9. A pirate’s life for Jack.
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We all know that Johnny Depp is dang sexy, but just the character of Jack Sparrow? Apparently, a lot of women still think he’s just as good as Depp. In Pirate’s Booty, an ex-actor at Disneyland confessed how many women would try to hump him just for playing the character. The stories range from flirting to receiving napkins with naughty offers.


10. Words from beyond.
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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. Traces of Disney are all over the park, my favorite one though is his old apartment over the fire house on Main Street. They always leave the light on in his memory. Not only is it cute, but it’s also rad that he got to live in the park.



Best Top 10 Disneyland Secrets and Little Known Facts About Disneyland---------------------------------------------------

--10 - Gum and Alcohol are not sold at Disneyland -

Disneyland does not sell gum or alcohol. At other amusement parks visitors often find themselves scraping off gooey gum from their shoes. Disney didn't want guests to be bothered with this nuisance so gum is not sold at Disneyland. There are also costumed maintenance crews that continually walk the park keeping it clean. Litter and gum that is carelessly discarded by guests is quickly cleaned up by the maintenance crew. The costumes they wear changes to fit the land they police. For instance in Frontierland the crew wears western wear. This helps add to the magic and blend with the land.

Disney wanted to create a magical place where families could come and have an enjoyable G-rated time. To make sure things remained wholesome for families, alcohol is not served at any public venue at Disneyland. The only place where alcohol can be purchased is at the private members only Club 33 (see #1 for more information).

-- 9 - Walt Disney's Private Apartment at Disneyland -

When Disneyland was being constructed Walt Disney wanted to be able to stay


--8 - Custom Changes for Each Disneyland Area -

Walt Disney wanted each of land areas to be separate fantasies and made sure that as guests traveled from one land to another that they were transported to a totally different experience.

Part of this transformation includes the changing of the color, texture and shapes of everything from one land area to another. For instance the ground in New Orleans is cobblestone but in Fantasyland the ground is green asphalt.

The trash can colors and shapes also change and so does the background music.

-- 7 - What no Pepsi at Disneyland? -

Coca-Cola products are the only soft drinks that you can buy at Disneyland. Coca-Cola made a deal with Disney to sell their products exclusively. Coca-Cola gives Disneyland all their Coca-Cola products for free as long as they don't allow any of their competitors to be sold at Disneyland. So don't try to order a Pepsi, Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew because you won't find any Pepsi products sold at Disneyland.

Disneyland makes pure profit from their Coca-Cola sales and they also get other products free with similar partnerships with other companies.

-- 6 - Special Treat for Disneyland Guests on Their Birthday -

Guests who go to Disneyland on their birthday are treated like VIPs.

When first entering the park, guests will be on Main Street. Go to City Hall located on Main Street and tell a cast member [employee] that it is your birthday. They will give you a special sticker badge to wear on your clothing. The badge will say, "Happy Birthday, Disneyland," with a picture of Mickey on it. They will also write your name on the badge.

During the day when cast members see you they will say Happy Birthday to you. You may also experience all sorts of special treats such as being sung happy birthday by unexpected CMs or given special sweet treats or special birthday coins. You might even be escorted to the front of a ride line.

Once while strolling along the shops in New Orleans Square the traveling jazz band started playing the birthday song for my friend who was wearing a badge and a shopkeeper came out with a free cookie for him.

-- 5 - Free Balloons and Coffee at Disneyland -nearby to supervise. Anaheim where Disneyland is located was about an hour away from where he lived so Disney had an apartment built above the fire station on Main Street where he could spend the night.

Everyone knew when Walt was there because of the light left on in the window of the apartment. After Disney died a light has been left on in the apartment window in his memory. The apartment has been left the same way it was when he died but it isn't open for public viewing.

Next time you go to Disneyland look for the light on above the fire station. The fire station is located on Main Street near the entrance. The fire station like all of Main Street resembles what it would have looked like in 1910 Middle America complete with an old time fire engine and Dalmatian dog.

When park visitors buy a cup of coffee they can hold on to the empty cup after finishing and get free coffee for the rest of the day. Guests simply give their empty cup to any vendor and receive free refills all day.

Balloons that are popped or lost are also replaced free. Even if a guest picks up the remains of some other guest's broken balloon they can still present it to any balloon vendor and receive a new free balloon.

-- 4 - Best Location to Watch the Nightly Fantasmic Show at Disneyland -

At night in Frontierland there is a spectacular Fantasmic Show. Guests line the streets to watch and the best spots are often staked out long before the two shows begin. Guests who have small children may find it difficult to locate a spot for viewing everything.

Here is a little known insider secret: Above New Orleans Square (adjacent to Frontierland) is the Disney Gallery. The Disney Gallery showcases the art and history of Disneyland but it also has a balcony that offers an unobstructed view of the show.

Guests who pay a small fee for dessert can be seated on the balcony to watch the free Fantasmic Show. This is a delightful way to enjoy the show.

Be sure to make reservations early in the morning when you first arrive at the park because the few balcony seats fill up fast.

Most guests watch the first show and not the second show. Lines for the most popular rides are shorter during the first show so that is a good time to go on the rides. Watch the second show when the crowd is smaller.

-- 3 - Hidden Magic at the Mad Hatter Shop at Disneyland -

Few people know that the comedian Steve Martin worked at the Mad Hatter Shop in Disneyland's Fantasyland when he was younger. Steve enjoyed magic and was a natural who excelled there as a salesman.

There is hidden magic in the Mad Hatter Shop. Take a look into the oval mirror inside the Mad Hatter. There is an animatronics Cheshire Cat character from Alice in Wonderland that is hidden behind the mirror.

Visitors see their own reflection in what appears to be a regular mirror. Then mysteriously all of a sudden the Cheshire Cat appears next to them in the mirror. Guests are shocked and surprised to see the Cheshire Cat appear suddenly next to them in the mirror and turn around to see it. However, the cat is not behind them.

This puzzles the guests but here is how this is accomplished:The magic behind the Cheshire Cat appearing is simple. The cat is in a room behind the mirror and the cat appears and disappears as a result of the lights slowly being turned on so the guests see the Cheshire Cat in the mirror next to them and then the lights are dimmed again and the Cat disappears.

-- 2 - Hidden Mickey Mouse Ears at Disneyland -

Disneyland is all about taking care of the details. Walt Disney supervised every detail and included many special surprises to add to the magic. When you first enter Disneyland you enter a tunnel. There is a plaque on the top of the tunnel that reads, "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy." Walt wanted to take park visitors to a new world of fantasy. After guests pass through the tunnel they enter the magical world of Disneyland.

Part of creating a fun and magical land was installing hidden Mickey Mouse Ears all over the park. There is at least one hidden Mickey in each land. Sometimes guests might notice the shape in a wrought iron railing has a Mickey Mouse ear shape or a hedge might be pruned to resemble Mickey Mouse Ears. Make a game of it and see which one of your friends can find the most hidden Mickey Mouse ears.


--1-How Disneyland Prevents X-Rated Behavior

Disneyland has always wanted to project a wholesome All-American image but pranksters are always pushing the boundaries. Disneyland has strict rules and tries to keep hidden and secret any objectionable behavior.

Disneyland's dress code used to refuse entry into the park for any man with long hair and any woman who wore a halter top.

Disneyland's appearance code for employees, written in the 1950s, prohibited male cast members from sporting mustaches, beards, or long hair. Facial hair was seen as conveying a negative image and Disney wanted all cast members to present an all American squeaky clean image.

In 2000 Disney was having problems finding enough cast members to hire so it relaxed their appearance code to allow male cast members to wear neatly trimmed moustaches.

Even though Disneyland has made their dress code more liberal that doesn't mean they have also slackened their behavior standards. Disneyland still is trying to provide a place where time stood still at the year of 1910 (the year of Halley's Coment) in middle America.. That was a time when life was all about family picnics and mom's homemade apple pie while watching a community baseball game.

Disneyland wants their guests to enjoy G-rated family fun and they go to great lengths to make sure this happens.

Disneyland Uses Hidden Cameras to Police Behavior

Disneyland employees known as Cast Members (CMs) keep a watch on all rides to make sure they stay G-Rated. Infrared cameras are used on all Disneyland rides. On rides like The Pirates of the Caribbean that get dark, guests have been known to engage in heavy kissing and more. When this happens a Disneyland CM will come over a loudspeaker and tell the guests to behave that there are children present.

Sometimes CMs have been known to stop the ride until behavior becomes acceptable again. In worst cases, security will escort non-cooperative guests off property.

Disneyland Cast Members (employees) Sometimes Misbehave

While the Cast Members keep an eye on the guests at Disneyland, they have been known to pull pranks of their own. On the Jungle Ride late at night right before closing if the riders are young and restless the boat pilots have been known to ad lib off script and add a joke or two that have double entendre meanings.

On the Indiana Jones attraction many of the skeletons no longer have any fingers. It seems Cast Members were breaking off all but one digit so executives went back around and broke off the remaining offending finger.

Splash Mountain at Disneyland is Better Known as Flash Mountain

The most outrageous behavior happens on Splash Mountain. There is a drop on the ride where a camera takes a souvenir picture of the riders. After the ride the pictures are quickly developed and riders can go claim their picture.

It seems that many Disneyland guests want to flash the camera for a fun photo. Women flash their breasts and both sexes moon the camera. Disneyland has strict rules against this type of behavior so these pictures are deleted and never developed. At least that is what guests that misbehave are told.

The camera system is on a 35 second time delay so any picture that contain objectionable poses can be deleted. The funny thing here is, it seems that while guests are told the photos were deleted some naughty Cast Members have secretly developed some of these pictures. There is a web site devoted to the posting of these x-rated photos. See naughty women flashing their breasts on the Splash Mountain ride and more. Go to the Website with the appropriate name. It is called Flash Mountain [http://www.flashmountain.com/spl.html]

How to Get a Photo When Someone Flashes on Splash Mountain at Disneyland

If a guest happens to be seated with someone else who poses inappropriately no one gets a picture. If this happens, the non-offending guest can tell the CM. The CM will escort the guest back to the head of the line to ride again so they are able to obtain a souvenir picture.

So for a good time for the whole family including toddlers and grandparents visit the original themepark, Disneyland.

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