The Secrets of Disneyland
 

And I am sure the LoTers will know a heck of a lot more! It's a pretty puny list.

Article here

For some reason none of the links work for me today. I'm sure you're right, that most people on here could add a lot though. I'll check it out later.

ok, that was just bloody awesome. no, I knew none of that...but Im pretty lacking in the disney trivia dept.

:snap:

I bet that a group of LoT people could come up with 100 things in a mere 1/2 hour.

To me, all of that was fairly mundane stuff that I already knew. If people like this kind of stuff, get David Koenig's Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland (this link is for the Special Anniversary edition; you can probably find a soft cover version easily).

For Cirque, here is the entirety of the article:

Yeah. I knew all 7 of those.

ETA: Oh, and the fact that all of those are published in countless books, available on Disney property no less, I think utterly disqualifies them from being called "secrets". Not that I expect the average person to know them, but anyone who claims any of those "secrets" as "inside knowledge" is a doof.

There ARE a lot of really cool "secrets" throughout the Park. The homages to former attractions are always my favorite as are the Hidden Mickeys. Just with those 2 categories I come up with more than 10 things.

Are there still loads of Hidden Mickeys in the park? I know they upped the number for the 50th. I've not really looked for too many on a regular visit. (pretty sad case here when it comes to Disneyland geekery)

[indignant geek]Those were not hidden Mickeys for the 50th. Those were in-plain-sight Mickeys[/indignant geek] (who am I kidding, those tags are never closed)

Well, I can think of the Big Thunder Mountain with the wagon wheels, right?

There's a great HM in Alice.

I think we need to come up with a list of Disneyland fake secrets, pick the best ones and then try to disseminate them through the interwebs (long johns anyone?).

I'll start:

The original tagline for the Haunted Mansion was going to be "998 Happy Haunts" - but was changed to include Walt, who died before the attraction was opened.

From October:

The DCA lake is a backup system for the sub lagoon. That's why it took so long to get the subs back open, they couldn't drain the sub lagoon until they were sure the DCA lake system was properly routed to keep the Matterhorn afloat with the lagoon empty. To reduce long term wear on the lake, the lake does act as the cooling system for Walt's frozen head, however the sub lagoon is still perfectly capable of maintaining both systems on its own.

the original model for the yeti on the matterhorn was John Candy

One of Walt's favorite things to do when he was staying in the park was, after hours, to tour the park, stopping at each body of water to relieve himself.

I came this || close to spraying my monitor* after reading that! :D



*With the water that was in my mouth, not with any other fluid.

The rash of tree topplings a few years ago was due to the collapse of some of the underground tunnel ceilings.

The term "Cast Member" originated because of the high proportion of early ride operators who suffered broken limbs during the first year the park was open, showing up to work wearing casts.

red long johns

ooooh....thats a good one. I'd totally fall for that.


get it? fall for?

<sigh> nm....please move on

:blush:

According to Disney employee guidelines, all Cast Members must wear Mickey Mouse print underwear while on the job, subject to random inspection.

The Imagineers had a difficult time rendering audioanimatronic animal forms, so they used actual taxidermy animals in many attractions.

To expand on this...

There is a tribute of red long johns to those who have died on Disneyland property. It didn't start with the death on BTMRR, but is often attributed to the red long johns that appeared in the campground shortly after the accident occurred.

Disney security has permission from the FAA and the US Military to fire warning shots at low-flying aircraft violating the air space above any Disney Park. In the case of international parks, it varies depending on local treaties.

The 2nd stories of the buildings that line Main Street are shorter than the first story. They were built to house offices for the actors that served as character models for the 7 dwarves (there were actually 20 of them on staff so the animators had a variety of character designs to choose from). They were never used for their intended purpose because they didn't pass California building safety codes.

Many of the buildings at Disneyland disguise missile silos, and the USAF maintains and staffs a control bunker under the train station.

The DLRR has access to outside rail lines and can be used as troop transport in case of a national emergency.

They'll use the tunnel that runs under the entry plaza between DCA and Disneyland...

The rotating section of Innoventions is actually capable of very high rotational speed and is used as a giant clothes dryer at night by the costume department.

If you scream loud enough on Matterhorn, avalanches will kill the people waiting in Pixie Hollow.

Oh no: that was disproven when you rode it: they figured if you couldn't cause an avalanche, nothing would.

:D

The yellow, blacklight sensitive handstamp ink contains a mild narcotic that leaches into the bloodstream through the skin. It is highly addictive.

Because so many animals have made the areas around the Rivers of America their home, that section of the park has been designated a wildlife preserve. That's why they closed off the back half of TSI and turned off the cabin fire. The two sailing vessels go through regular dry dock inspections so that their permits to operate within the preserve can be renewed.

churros.....are made of people!!!!! :eek:

It is by now an urban legend, but one cooked up by the Disney marketing department, that Steve Martin once worked at Disneyland. In fact, Mr. Martin has never been in Disneyland! He is highly allergic to the oleander bushes that circle the park. If you watch carefully during the film presentation at the Opera House, you'll notice that all of Mr. Martin's "in-park" scenes are green-screened, with the exception of the scene in front of the Magic Shop, which was shot at Hong Kong Disneyland. The archival photos of Mr. Martin supposedly working at Disneyland were actually taken while he was an employee at Knott's Berry Farm, working as a strolling "banjoista" and balloon illusionist. Wally Boag was known for stealing Steve's routines outright, for use in the Golden Horseshoe Revue. Mr. Martin's original contract with Knott's forbids him from ever doing any work for Disneyland. This employee policy actually dates from the long running feud between Cordelia Knott and Lillian Disney.

The Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough is actually situated completely underground, with the passages situated below the castle. Walt Disney Imagineering created the clever illusion that you are ascending stairs, when in fact you descend. This was an old-time illusion first designed by M.C. Escher, and used countless times in old theatre productions and antique funhouses.

If your third left turn in Space Mountain is timed right and you look slightly up, you'll see Robby the Robot opening and closing the drapes to the window of his spaceship.

As each of Walt's Nine Old Men has passed on, their remains are taken to WDI, where they are treated and prepared to replace the fake skeletons in the caves of Pirates of the Carribean. There is speculation as to which animator holds the magnifying glass in bed, but WDI won't comment.

Rumors abound of a proposed deal with Johnny Depp and his estate.

I always *thought* that guy was looking for his viagra.

It's not listed anywhere on their official ticket pricing, but if you ask for your Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure passport "animal style", you receive a voucher for 2 free hamburgers at the Village Haus or a free pizza at Pizza Oo Mow Mow.

Louis Armstrong was originally cast to play King Louie in The Jungle Book. He was replaced by Louie Prima when Walt Disney declared that no black actor would have a lead in a Disney film while he was alive. Shortly after this announcement, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and did not live to see the release of the film.

It's well documented that Walt Disney smoked, swore, and was known to have a drink, but his sex drive was nearly nil, hence his complete dedication to his projects. His interest in casting beautiful women for Disneyland and his films was purely because it gets male consumers to open their wallets. Lillian never had to worry about philandering, even during his long hours and extended stays at the park or on location for films. Yes, the daughters are his, but only because he felt a duty to his wife to provide them.

Just like the characters in costume wandering the park, all the people who saw Walt in the park, really got an autograph from a well-trained look alike. Walt really died in 1962, but WED had perfected the animatronics and his figure was the test for all that came later.

Truth be told, Walt Disney's remains really aren't located anywhere on property.

I thought Sharon Disney was adopted.

Annette Funicello was really Walt's love shild with Anna Magnani.

C'mon Moonie, if you're going to play, at least make them SOMEWHAT believable.

If you are the last person to ride Peter Pan on any given day (It was Walt's favorite ride to end the day with) you are given a special green hat that gets you in free the next day.

If you want to avoid all the lines in Disneyland, there is a way of doing it...

Simply use your Visa or Mastercard in the fastpass(tm) machines, and they will obligingly spit out a fastpass(pm) for you. This method can be used once at all the fastpass(mt) machines simultaneously, so it is possible to hold a fastpass(tm) for every attraction at the same time.

Please note, American Express or Diners are not accepted.

What about Discover?

...by not going.
:D

Who? If I've never heard of them, they don't exist.

The left side of Space Mountain is faster.

Many of the bricks that line the sidewalks of Main Street are from the orphanage that used to sit to the north east of the orange groves that Disneyland was built on. The land on which the orphanage stood lay outside the original footprint of Disnyland and would not have impeded the construction in any way. However Walt, according to close friends, simply found it "too depressing" to have near his Magic Kingdom, so he purchased the property and had it demolished. It is unknown what became of the residents.

Except that Walt did use them as models for "its a small world"

The Disney characters in "It's a Small World" have actually always been there. Back in 1964, Walt was very specific in asking his team to include tributes to classic Disney animation of both the past, AND THE FUTURE! The figures of Woody, Pumbaa, Stitch, Aladdin and so on, are a tribute to Walt's far-sighted vision. In fact, he left detailed notes about which IASW figures he liked best, and the animation department have based many of their productions on these notes. For instance, the Hawaiian surfer with a playful blue totem on his board. This was based on Hah-Ngtenn, the god of the surf in Hawaiian myth. The animators cleverly turned this cultural icon into a mischievous blue alien.

Of course, there is much controversy, because many Guests insist that these Disney characters were never present until the reopening on January 6, 2009. In fact, Disney's marketing department has used this misunderstanding as a crass opportunity to make it seem like the Imagineers were actually adding something new. In fact, they only updated the show lighting. Most of the character-based dolls and toys were underlit, but the rehab brought out many details that were previously hard to see.

Flippy. You should get a job in Disney PR. You'd be perfect! ;)

Light Magic, the short lived street spectacular that followed the wildly popular Main Street Electric Parade, had to be discontinued due to its overwhelming popularity. Every time the show ran, the entire park would grind to a halt. Attraction queues would empty out and, most importantly to Disney, all food and merchandise spending dropped to virtually nill as nearly every park guest would rush to get a viewing spot.

On top of the lost sales revenue, Light Magic was costing Disney in other ways too. Due to the huge crowds, guests would do anything for a view of the beloved parade/show, climbing on planters, even going so far as to scale Main Street building facades. The cost of daily repairs to awnings, roofs, and windows, as well as restoring trampled landscaping, was running into the millions.

Disney pioneered the convention of giving cartoon characters only 4 fingers. Disney characters initially had 5 fingers in the cartoons, but once Disneyland opened and the costumed characters became so popular that had to be changed. Since the characters had normal 5-fingered hands, the cast members in the costumes could just wear white gloves, leaving their hands free too...well, I shouldn't say in polite company (or on the LoT either). To protect the guests from Goofy's roaming hands, Disney went back through their entire cartoon catalog and re-animated the characters with just 4 fingers, altering the in-park costumes to match, rendering the cast members' hands useless in their oversized 4-fingered mitts.

The old Ticket books didn't have an expiration on them so are still usable today under California law.

If you bring a single ticket (A-E doesn't matter which) to the park entrance they have to let you in. Best of all they don't take the ticket at the gate so you can just keep coming back for free. DCA is, of course, not included.

Many of the character designs for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came from an unsolicited artist's submission by Adolf Hitler. Disney initially liked the grossly antisemitic caricatures of the dwarfs because he thought they poked fun at the Hollywood studio heads who mocked him, but he decided not to work with Hitler because of Hitler's insistence that Snow White be a blonde man. Despite Disney's having kept Hitler's suggestion that the climax occur on a cliff a la Leni Riefenstahl mountaineering movies, Snow White was ultimately shown on a continuous loop at the Nazi exhibition on degenerate art.

I fixed it for ya.

The Truth About Space Mountain
 

Most people are familiar with the “Official” version of how Space Mountain came into being, particularly if they’ve read such books as “The Disney Mountains – Imagineering at its peak” by Jason Surrell, but the actual inspiration behind the design for this attraction is slightly humbler than Disney would have you believe.

It is true that John Hench came up with the original concept drawings for Space Mountain in the mid 60’s, however the final designs for the famous white building housing the attraction were not inspired by nature with its "cartilaginous" forms as is often told; they were in fact inspired by a lampshade. That’s right, a lampshade.

Here’s where:




Recognise this room? Yes, it’s Walt Disney’s private apartment over the Fire Station on Main St USA. Hench had been meeting with Walt to discuss the original concept in this very apartment in 1964, but it wasn’t until the green light for the attraction was given in the early 70’s, together with the urgent need to broaden the base of the show building in order to accommodate the ride structure proposed by Arrow, the shape of Walt’s lampshade (seen far right ) popped back into Hench’s mind and the entire final form for the Space Mountain Building started to gel right then and there.

The rest, as they say, is history.