Secrets of Disneyland

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Secrets of Disneyland:

Peeling the layers of Disney is like peeling a very large onion.  Consider this page just one of the MANY layers of Disney.  We are only focusing on Disneyland here. This is quite an extensive list so be ready to read a lot!

It had been 15 years since I had gone to Disneyland and I have no clue when I will go again.  Those crowds are exhausting!  Right off the bat, Disneyland does not like to give discounts of any kind, BUT if you play your cards right you can get HUGE discounts.  We got incredibly lucky as none of this was planned, it just happened to fall on a day I had off.

We went on a day that had (on average) 10 minute lines, we got $72 off our tickets (for two people) and free parking.  On top of that, the whole place was decorated for Halloween and there were special trick or treating events and a stunning parade!  Without completely blowing up this secret, I will say study their calendar and look out for special events.  We were allowed into the park for 8 hours from 3PM to 11PM and everyone else who wasn’t part of this event was kicked out at 6PM.

Now that that’s out of the way, there are a TON of secrets being passed around about Disney.  We went there to check them out and unfortunately have to debunk many of them.  We also found some new secrets of our own!  Check it out!

Adventureland

1. Dream Suite-

Located directly above the Pirates of the Caribbean is an immense luxury apartment that was meant to entertain VIP guests during special events. The suite includes a living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open-air patio. Park guests used to be randomly selected to stay inside the suite.

Today no longer a dreamsuite, and instead another restaurant for the elite (similar to Club 33) called 21 Royal.  It is $18k for one all inclusive evening with 12 people

Pirates of the Caribbean

2. Real Skeletons- If you have ever been on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride you have most definitely noticed the skeleton props.  What you probably didn’t know is that some of the skeletons are REAL. When the ride first opened in the late 60’s, skeletons from the UCLA Medical School were used instead of fake props due to the fact that they looked more realistic. Today, only one real skeleton remains.  Look for the skull on the headboard of the bed!

3. Walt’s Dog: The dog holding the keys was modeled after Walt’s dog

Indiana Jones

4. Strange Bamboo- Indiana Jones is one of the most popular rides at Disneyland for good reason!  To keep the line more interesting there are several secrets to look out for!  For instance, once you are inside the temple and have made it through the cave look out for the part of the line that looks like a bridge.  Look to your left for a strange-looking bamboo post.  If you pull on it the ceiling will drop just a tad!

5. Pull the Rope- As the line moves on, you will come to an open room that has a big obelisk in the middle. As you walk around it, you will notice a sign that says “Do not pull rope.” Pull on it! You will hear the “person” inside say something to you!

6. Codes- Throughout the entire line there are messages written on the walls in Mara. You can get a decoder card and translate all the messages while you stand in line! Disney’s Mara Decoder Card Download

7. Hidden Eyeore– When Disneyland was ready to expand, they used one of the employee parking lots to build the Indiana Jones ride. If you really look closely, you can find a tribute that parking lot inside the line of the ride. Inside the screening room, if you look back at the projector there is an Eyeore sign. This is here because where Indiana Jones sits used to be the Eeyore parking lot.   Although I looked back I was not able to see the Eyeore. I am pretty short though.

8. Movie Props- Just after the Newsreel section the queue passes by Indiana’s office — this area has props from some of the Indiana Jones movies.

Jungle Cruise

9. Free Cruise Map– Once the ride is over, ask the people helping you out of the boat if you can have a cruise map. This map shows the Jungle Cruise ride’s entire route and features. This is a fact but they only print a certain amount every day. It’s on a first come, first served basis.

10. Banyan Tree: On board the Disneyland Jungle Cruise look for the large Banyan tree in the angry hippo section of the attraction. This tree was purchased from a home in Beverly Hills in early 1955. Harper Goff, the designer of the Jungle Cruise, and Bill Evans, the chief landscaper for Disneyland, were looking for a tree to fill the hippo scene background. Goff and Evans used to cruise the streets of Beverly Hills looking for trees for the parks.

One day they discovered the perfect tree in the front yard of a Beverly Hills house. They knocked on the door hoping to strike a deal with the homeowner. The owner hated the tree and said that they could have the tree if they removed the Banyan tree and planted something new. The Disneyland team took the tree and planted it in the Jungle Cruise attraction and it is still beautifully growing in the parks today.

11. Tree Predating Disneyland: High above the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, stands a prominent palm tree that predates the existence of Disneyland. It belonged to the Dominguez Family who sold their Anaheim farm to Walt Disney so that Disneyland could be built. The Dominguez’s one request was that their beloved family tree, which had been a wedding gift, remain untouched as part of the park. The sentimental man he was, Mr. Disney agreed, and the tree still stands tall today. In fact, one of the youngest members of the family, Ron Dominguez, worked his way up the Disneyland ranks, eventually becoming the park’s president. Can you find the tree?

Fantasyland

Alice in Wonderland

13. A Ride Inside a Ride- The Alice in Wonderland ride opened in June 1958 and is built on the second floor of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

14. Musical Chairs- Everyday at around 2:30 pm at Coke Corner on Main Street, Alice and the Mad Hatter with an occasional surprise guest, shows up for a fun game of Musical Chairs.

It’s a Small World

15. A Wordly Creation-   The repetitive song was recorded by a church choir in London, a school chorus in Rome, Italy, TV performers in Mexico City and kids from Tokyo and Burbank, California. It was later spliced together with sounds and styles that represent 25 countries.

Mad Hatter Tea Cups-

16. Fastest Teacup- If you’re looking for a wilder experience at the Mad Hatter’s ride, the lavender colored teacup spins the fastest!

17. Secret Cheshire- If you look at the mirror in Fantasyland’s Mad Hatter shop long enough, you’ll notice something very interesting, the Cheshire Cat appears! He’ll slowly disappear every once in a while but don’t worry, he’ll return. We did not see the Cheshire cat but after finding a photo online of which mirror it is I see that I was looking at the wrong mirrors.  It is a mirror high up with the caterpillar as a frame.

Snow White

18. Wishing Well Songs– To the right of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is a wishing well. If you listen into the wishing well, you will hear an echo of Snow White singing. She was not singing when we went.

19. Cackling Apple-  If you rub the brass apple located in line for the ride, you will hear a clap of thunder, and the witch will start to cackle loudly. We rubbed the apple but there was no cackling.

20. Evil Queen’s Appearance- If you watch the window above the ride, you can see the Evil Queen looking out every so often. She appears every 20 seconds or so.

Matterhorn

21. Basketball Court- Inside the Matterhorn, there is a quarter of a basketball court. Walt Disney did not like to waste any space, so he asked the Matterhorn climbers what they would like inside and they voted for a basketball court!  Employees are allowed to take their breaks there and have some fun!

22. Different Experiences-  The attraction itself has two different tracks and which one you ride depends on which queue you choose.  If the timing is right you’ll be dispatched at the same time and can “race” the bobsled next to you.

23. Inspiration- The attraction was inspired by the live-action Disney adventure film, “Third Man on the Mountain,” (which in turn was inspired by the book “Banner in the Sky”). The movie was filmed in Switzerland, on and around the real Matterhorn.

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle

24. German Castle-  The neo-romantic castle was inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany and designed by Imagineer Herb Ryman. The castle has many interesting architectural details, including water spouts shaped like squirrels and the Disney family coat of arms above the entrance.

25. Time Capsule-   A time capsule was buried at the Sleeping Beauty Castle in 1995. No one knows exactly what’s inside, but we’ll find out when it is unearthed during the park’s 80th anniversary on July 17, 2035.  It reads “A time capsule, containing Disneyland memories, messages and milestones, lies beneath this spot.  The Disneyland Time Capsule is dedicated to the children of the 21st century, who may unlock its contents on the 80th Anniversary of Disneyland: July 17th, 2035.”

26. Secrets in the Castle- There is actually a “secret” walk-through inside the castle!  Inside are dimly-lit hallways with different scenes from the movie being acted out.  Two secrets we found: there is a wooden door with a handle that if you pull on it a beast laughs loudly with scratching and banging sounds  Also, when you are getting ready to leave you will exit through a dark hallway.  Stand there for a little while and the witch’s shadow will appear and then disappear.

Storybook Land Canal

27. Keep Your Eyes Peeled-  Monstro’s eye opens and closes and occasionally steam comes out of his blowhole.

Frontierland

28. Petrified Tree-   There is a 55-70 million year old petrified tree near the Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland:

Mark Twain Riverboat

29. Be the Captain-  If you ask one of the Disney cast members if you can visit the wheelhouse they will lead you to a secret ladder on the second floor and introduce you to the captain. If you ask the captain if he needs help, you will also get the opportunity to steer the riverboat, blow the whistle and ring the famous Mark Twain bell.  You will also get a certificate to say you piloted the Mark twain Riverboat. It was closed when we went so I cannot confirm this although it appears to be true through multiple sources on the internet.

30. Phantom Fish-  When you pass the boy on the log with his dog, there’s a “phantom fish” that jumps out of the water.

Big Thunder Mountain

31. Authentic Mining Equipment-   The majority of the mining equipment throughout the queue and attraction of Big Thunder Mountain is authentic. Imagineers searched swap meets, abandoned mines, and ghosts towns throughout Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, and Minnesota to find enough authentic equipment.

New Orleans Square

Haunted Mansion

Pictured above is one of the original concept designs for the hallway, to demonstrate the similarities and differences between the Imagineers’ ideas and the actual outcome.

32. Secret Pet Cemetery-  In the early 1980s, Disneyland added a pet cemetery to its rarely-seen side lawn.  This area is not open to the public though.  There are tombs for the pets with personalized inscriptions for “Miss Kitty” and “Bully” and even Mr. Toad!  On slow days if you ask nicely, one of the employees may show it to you! Proving popular with the guests lucky enough to discover it, Disney decided to create a new pet cemetery in the front yard of the Mansion. This version of the cemetery (installed in 1993) adds a slight touch of humor to the queue as well.

I happened to go back there right when the fireworks were going off!  This is very much a no trespassing area so be sure to ask first unless you’re alright with getting in trouble with the staff!

33. Bullet Hole-  In the Grand Ballroom, you will see a gigantic spider web. If you look closely, you can see a bullet hole in the glass paneling. It is said that either a child with a BB gun or slingshot made the hole or a man with a shotgun created it when he thought he saw something strange. Either way the hole could not be repaired, and the glass was too expensive to replace, so it was covered with a spider web. There really is a huge bullet hole! It happens so fast though so really keep your eyes peeled!

34. Famous Organ- The organ inside the Haunted Mansion is the same one seen inside the submarine Nautilus in the movie 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

35. Imagineer Tombs- The tombstones are for real people. The graveyard features faces of a few of the early Imagineers of Disneyland. Inside jokes also riddle the inscriptions of the tombstones.

36. Special Ghostly Effect- The way that Walt Disney Imagineers created the ghost effect throughout the classic Haunted Mansion attraction is by using mirrors and reflections to create a whispy effect on the ghost figures. In reality, the ghost figures are in one room with their reflections being cast into another room causing them to appear to be able to float through tables and fly.

37. Backstrory-  The first idea for the ride involved a storyline based in the 1800’s about a pirate nicknamed “Captain Gore” and his wife Priscilla. They lived in his mansion until one day while in the attic, Priscilla finds a trunk of his pirate memorabillia. Furious that she exposed his secret, he kills her. Her means of death are debated, but it makes the most sense that he threw her out of the attic window. Stricken with grief, “Captain Gore” hangs himself on the rafters. You can still see traces of this story line in the stretching room when you look up to see a figure hanging in the rafters.

38. Death Certificate-  The myth was that before you board your ride, if you ask one of the staff members for a death certificate they will have one ready for you at the end of the ride. This is false.  Although at one point they did offer them, death certificates were discontinued many years ago.

39. Deadly Ride- In the ride you actually die!  You fall from an attic window when your doom-buggy turns backwards and you go down the descent. You’ll notice that up until that point the ghosts didn’t recognize you and afterwards, you enter the party scene and they acknowledge you for the first time in the ride!

40.Famous Voice- Many well-known voice actors can be heard throughout the Haunted Mansion.  Chief among them is Paul Frees, the voice of the Ghost Host.  Frees was also the voice of Ludwig Von Drake, Boris Badenov and others on ‘Rocky & Bullwinkle’ and countless characters in the Rankin/Bass specials:

41. Southern Inspiration- The original ride in Anaheim is inspired by New Orleans’ charm, however the actual homes used for inspiration isn’t found in New Orleans! The façade was based off of the Evergreen House found in Baltimore, N.C. and some of the inside details and story stem from the legends of the Winchester House in San Jose, California.

Disneyland Railroad

42. VIP Tours- The Lilly Belle Pullman Car is used to give VIP guests a private tour of the park. It is furnished with antiques and has stained glass windows. Every once in a while, tickets to ride this special car are given to park visitors. If you get there early enough you can ask.

43. Morse Code Message-  Stop by the New Orleans Square Train Station and you’ll no doubt hear a mysterious morse code message being clacked out from the Telegraph Office next door. The message is actually part of Walt Disney’s original dedication he gave on Disneyland’s opening day. It reads: “TO ALL WHO COME TO DISNEYLAND, WELCOME. HERE AGE RELIVES FOND MEMORIES OF THE PAST, AND HERE YOUTH MAY SAVOR THE CHALLENGE AND PROMISE OF THE FUTURE.”

Club 33

44. Elite Restaurant-  Club 33 opened in May 1967 as a secret venue for entertaining important celebrities, politicians and park investors.  Decorated with antiques personally chosen by Disney and his wife, it remains only 1 of 2 places in Disneyland that serves alcohol. There are rumored to be only 500 members in the world with an average waitlist of 10 years.  Membership fees are $20,000 plus an annual fee of $2,000.  And guess what?  We snuck in!  There are so many details about this venue that I gave it its own page along with our story of how we got in.  Read more HERE.

This is the room we snuck into.  I do not think this section is even open to the public!   What is this room?  Some sort of lounge it seems.  Those looked like very high-end decanters in the back.  Notice the eye?

Main Street

Fire Station

45.Walt’s Apartment– Walt Disney had an apartment above the fire station.  When the park was being built, Walt didn’t want to miss a minute of his dream being built.  He would always turn a light on in front of his window so that workers would know when he was in the park. You can see the window of the apartment from the street. They keep the light lit at all times in his memory except for when his family members are in the park as a sign of respect.

46.Walt’s Home Town- Main Street USA was designed after Marceline, Missouri, where Walt Disney grew up. He wanted to share his fond childhood memories with his guests.

47. Flag Pole Light Post- The black base of the Disneyland flag pole is the broken piece of a light post from Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.

48. Strange Light Bulb- One of the lightbulbs at the corner of the Coca Cola Refreshment Corner at the top of Main Street is painted half white, half red. The story goes that Walt Disney was walking through the park one day and saw two white bulbs next to each other. Walt called a painter over and had him painted half of the white bulb red to correct the pattern.

49. Optical Illusion- Main Street, U.S.A. was built using forced perspective. For example, the taller the building gets, the smaller the bricks actually are. Not only does this help with controlling the sizes of the buildings, but it makes Sleeping Beauty’s Castle look a lot bigger than it actually is.

50. Secret Sounds- Take a turn onto Center Street and head toward the lockers. It sounds like a piano lesson is going on in one of the second floor shops. The piano teaching theme is one of the many Disney details meant to enhance the feeling of Main Street USA, creating a sense of small town America. There is also a painless dentist’s office, which doubles as a dental school, near the Center Street lockers. The sounds of shrill dentist’s drills and screams add to Main Street USA’s charm. We found the dentist’s office, though technically it was after the park had closed. We did not hear any drilling.

51. Market House- When you grab your morning coffee at the Market House on Main Street (about half way down, on the right), be sure to walk into the library for a moment. It’s a quaint little spot, just to the right of where you retrieve your coffee. Peek inside it. There is a box with secret notes from guests. The box is gone! There is an empty spot on the bookshelf where the box used to be.

52. Park Bench Where Disneyland Was Born- “The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” attraction is always a thrill for guests who stop by the Main Street Opera House. But the coolest of cool is getting to see the actual park bench where Walt Disney first conceived the idea of Disneyland. While watching his two daughters ride the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, Mr. Disney sat and contemplated a magical place where parents and kiddos could experience unimaginable fun together. Yep, it all started right here. Have your kids take a seat and see if they get inspired…

Tomorrowland

53. Edible Plants- The myth is that the plants in Tomorrowland are all edible. The visionary landscaping doubles as a potential farm, projecting an ecologically astute future, where humanity makes the most of its resources. Walt saw the future as self-sustaining. I am really big on plants so this would be easy to debunk. Funny enough, the plants I saw were not only NOT edible, but actually poisonous such as lantana and heavenly bamboo. Perhaps there is a section in Tomorrowland with edible plants but the whole area is not edible.

54. The Future- Tomorrowland Depicts 1986. This is rather sad, no?

Space Mountain

55. Penny Sticking- Apparently, visitors to Disneyland’s Space Mountain attraction have figured out that at certain spots on the blue wall (the section for wheelchair access), if you press a penny to the wall it may stick.  Some believe it’s a special paint that was used. Several areas are now repainted, so sadly, no penny sticking there – but look for the light blue-colored wall and see what happens! The very last exit before the ride is a blue hallway with some sort of barricade. The blue walls are supposedly the last area where the original paint is from when the ride opened. And it’s magnetic! Or it attracts coins!  We did not find the blue wall.

Star Tours

56. Military- The flight simulator used in the StarSpeeder 1000 is the same used by the military to train pilots.

57. Peewee- The old Star Tours pilot was voiced by Pee-wee Herman.  C-3PO has since taken over novice pilot-ing duties, but Paul Reubens was actually the OG.

Misc.

58. Hidden Mickey’s- Thousands of Mickey Mouse silhouettes have been hidden around the park (although some sources say it’s under 100 so who knows). See how many you can find next time you visit the park! Is this some sort of joke? We looked and found ZERO secret Mickey’s! These are different from the obvious Mickey silhouettes BTW.

60. Free Buttons– The street sweepers do a great job of keeping the park clean and also like to spread joy to guests. They occasionally give out buttons to visitors to the park. Ask and see what happens!

61. Feral Cats- Over 200 feral cats live in the park. The felines are there to keep rodents away, though you’d be lucky to encounter one as the majority are said to be nocturnal creatures. We saw one cat in the evening at Big Thunder Mountain!

62. Gold Marker- Right outside the gates of Fantasyland, you will notice a gold stake in the ground. Most people believe that this represents the original center of Disneyland but it actually is a survey marker. It was used to ensure that Main Street was centered with the castle.

63. Smellitizer: Different areas smell like different things thanks to perfumes being sprayed out. Each area has it’s own unique scents to play on our senses. If you’re riding Pirates of the Caribbean, you might unknowingly get a whiff of sea salt in the air, or near Pooh’s Adventure a honeyed aroma. Walk down Main Street, USA, and you’re going to smell freshly baked cookies, whether there are cookies in the oven or not. During the holidays, you might smell peppermint candies being made, or pumpkin spices and candy corn near Halloween. The Haunted Mansion smells musty and earthy so you won’t forget that there’s a graveyard right outside the attraction.

Just in case you’re thinking that those odors are built into the rides, they’re not. The Smellitzer uses a series of pumps and vents to launch the smells 200 feet at just the right second and then an exhaust system sucks the odor out of the room before it interferes with your next sensory experience. These smells help make the experiences feel more realistic and perhaps encourage you to buy some food at one of the restaurants!

64. Comfortable Walking: The asphalt is made of rubber and asphalt, making it easier for customers to walk on. Still wear the most comfortable shoes possible. My feet were killing me by the end of the night!

65. Security Guards: They are everywhere but they don’t wear uniforms. 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.

66. Underground Tunnels: Walt didn’t want people in incorrect uniform walking through the wrong area so there are underground tunnels. Those underground tunnels are primarily used by the restaurants for deliveries and transportation of garbage. Notice there are no dumpsters anywhere in the park? They are underground. Those tunnels are anything but glamorous though. They smell like trash and are used to conduct the part of the business that Walt didn’t want you to see, since it would ruin your experience.

67. Jail: They have their own jail cells underground!

68. Address: Disneyland’s address is 1313 Disneyland Dr. The 13th letter of the alphabet is the letter “M.” The address spells “MM” for Mickey Mouse.

69. No-See-Um Green: Noseeum green is a very specific color that Disney Imagineers created.  All of the buildings and unattractive things such as trash cans are painted in this color so that they’re less noticeable. Noseeum is supposed to be the most unobtrusive shade of the spectrum and is meant to disappear into the background.

70. Haley’s Comet-   Main Street is set in 1910 and Tomorrowland is set in 1986. These years were both years when Haley’s Comet could be seen from earth.

71. Get to the Front: Don’t want to wait 120 minutes for Splash Mountain? Go around the side and tell the cast member that you’re a single rider. They’ll slip you to the front, and you’ll be on the ride in less than 10 minutes. Most rides at the park have this feature. The only downside is that you probably won’t be able to ride with your friends. The attractions in Disneyland that include Single Rider are the Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, and Indiana Jones.

72. Trash Can Convenience- Walt Disney Once Ordered Trash Cans Be Placed Exactly 25 Steps From the Hot Dog Booth. He chose this super specific distance because that’s exactly how long it took him to eat a hot dog. There will alway be a garbage can close by because people want to throw away their trash when they are done. This trick of psychology keeps the park cleaner than other parks with the need for fewer street cleaners. Walt would buy a drink from a stand and walk around. When he finished it, he would look for a garbage can. If there wasn’t one nearby he would say a garbage can needs to go here.

73. Birthday- Some of you may already know this, but for those who don’t: If you visit Disneyland on your birthday, be sure to tell the person at the gate that it’s your big day. You’ll be whisked away to City Hall where you’ll be presented with a special sticker by cast members, letting everyone know it’s your birthday. You may also be able to score special items from other cast members throughout the park, so it’s certainly worth a shot!

74. Fortune Tellers – The very existence of these fortune tellers throughout Disneyland would almost be enough to make the list, but the bonus “secret within a secret” of Esmeralda (in the Penny Arcade on Main Street) playing cards that are themed to the Haunted Mansion puts her over the top. Other fortune tellers can be found in various “hidden” spots around the park!

75. Real Cannons- The cannons surrounding the Disneyland flag pole are authentic French cannons from the 1800s. Although these cannons were never fired their presence adds a touch of authenticity to the area. These cannons act as a tribute to all fallen soldiers.

76. Street Art- The street sweepers do more than just keeping the park clean. If you are lucky, you can see Disney street sweepers using their brooms to make character designs on the ground.

77. Monorail- If you board the monorail in Downtown Disney, you must disembark when you arrive in Tomorrowland. If you board in Tomorrowland, they will let you make the round trip.

78. Fast Pass- For those unfamiliar with the Fastpass system, it’s available for everyone with any type of Disneyland ticket. Just look for an attraction with a Fastpass distribution area, slide your ticket into the machine, and you’ll get your ticket back with a Fastpass ticket with a return time to ride the attraction using the much shorter Fastpass line. Many Disneyland goers assume that you can only have one Fastpass out at a time. Not necessarily. Pay attention to the small print on the bottom of your Fastpass ticket. It will tell you when the next Fastpass is available, normally two hours after collecting a Fastpass.

79. Starbucks- The Starbucks in Downtown Disney is one of three premiere Starbucks locations in the world – the other two being in London and Times Square in New York. The rumor online is that it is also one of the only places that you can order a $139 cup of coffee with exotic coffee beans. I asked an employee if they truly have a $139 cup of coffee and she said no. The most expensive coffee they have is $40 and it’s for a whole bag of beans. They do have an exclusive tasting room though.

80. You Cannot Die- They are really big on their reputation so no one can technically die at Disneyland. Legally, only a doctor can state that a person is dead. So technically, it is true: no one has died inside Disneyland since there are no doctors on staff who can pronounce them dead. Hmmm…..you would think being decapitated at Big Thunder Mountain would be enough to confirm one has died but whatever.

81. Queue- The Disney ride’s queues are actually set to a longer wait time than the wait actually is. This way, you feel you didn’t have to wait as long as you expected making you feel happier.

82. Coldest Store in the Park- The Emporium on Main Street is the coldest shop in the entire park. You will also notice, they sell sweatshirts at the Emporium. No one really thinks to buy a sweatshirt when it’s 85 degrees outside, but if the AC is hitting you just right it’s easy to forget exactly how hot it is outside!

83. Psychology of Music- Listen to the background music throughout the day. In the morning it’s quick and energetic to get you excited. In the evening it’s slower and more romantic. It slows to a crawl towards closing to make you yawn and want to go back to your hotel room.

84. Coke Sponsor- Coke gives the park free soda to eliminate competition in the park and for the advertising.

Lost Rides

The 5 rides below are attractions that are no longer at the park:
Submarine Voyage- Submarine Voyage invited riders to take a journey under the sea in a mock Navy submarine. And it was, in a word, awesome. Taking a cue from the actual mission of the USS Nautilus (the world’s first nuclear submarine), much of the ride simulated a trip under the polar ice cap, or at least attempted to with a lot of plastic. There weren’t many changes made to the ride over the years, save a yellow paint job and new names for each vessel in the 80’s. And, a troupe of synchronized swimming mermaids did inhabit the ride from 1965-1967. Submarine Voyage was active from 1959 to 1998, and remained empty until 2007 when a new aquatic attraction opened: Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. The mermaids were actually having serious skin problems fom the chemicals so in their final days they were taken by raft to sit on the reef.

Flying Saucers- Dubbed “the bumper cars of the future” the Flying Saucers opened in 1961. The ride worked much like a giant air hockey table with positive and negative pressure. Riders would sit in individual cars that hovered over a flat metal surface thanks to bursts of air from below. The Flying Saucers did not last long as they were difficult to maintain and couldn’t accommodate many riders if a rider weighed too much or too little. The ride closed in 1966 and Space Mountain now stands in its place.

Mine Trains Through Nature’s Wonderland- before there was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, there was the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland (which was itself an upgrade to the Rainbow Caverns Mine train, 1956-1959.) Inspired by Disney’s True-Life Adventures series from the 50’s, he train took riders on a trip through Bear Country, Beaver Valley, the Living Desert, and Rainbow Caverns. Not much is left from the old mine train ride, which closed in 1977.

Skyway to Tomorrowland- Known in Fantasyland as Skyway to Tomorrowland, and vice versa, Disneyland’s Skyway opened in 1956. The cable car ride served as a method of transportation between the lands of Tomorrow and Fantasy, offering riders a bird’s eye view of the attractions below. After the Matterhorn opened in 1959, the Skyway passed right through the mountain. There are several explanations as to why the Skyway closed, ranging from lack of passengers to stress cracks in the Matterhorn’s supports. Whatever the reason, the ride closed in 1994.

Rocket Rods, Tomorrowland- Part of the “new” Tomorrowland, Rocket Rods opened in 1998, occupying the tracks that held the PeopleMover until 1995. Rocket Rods also incorporated the old Circle-Vision 360 theater as part of its line, providing entertainment for those waiting. The ride was envisioned as a high-speed race around Tomorrowland, with the unique 5-seat cars zooming past and through other rides in the land. Unfortunately, due to inadequate finding, Disney could not make necessary modifications to the track. Chiefly, it could not bank turns in the track, requiring that vehicles suddenly decelerate to make turns. Rocket Rods, notorious for breaking down, finally closed down in 2000.

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