25 Disneyland Secrets You May Not Know

"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. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, ...

... the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."
― Walter E. Disney, As a Dedication to the Visitors of Disneylanda

Disneyland is a theme park built by Walt Disney at the Disneyland Resort in California. It is set across 85 acres, and has several themed attractions such as Fantasy land, Tomorrow land, Adventure land, Frontier land, Mickey's Toontown, etc. The park also has various resorts, spas, golf courses, and adrenaline-rushing rides.

What's more is that this magical land is full of well-hidden secrets, as well as some lesser-known features that usually go unnoticed by the guests. Knowing these hidden facts might just add that extra zing to your trip.

⋆ The Sleeping Beauty's Castle drawbridge is a real one. So far, it has only been lifted twice: once on the opening day, and the second time in 1980, when the castle was renovated.

⋆ Designers had to come up with creative ideas to make the various castles in Disneyland look bigger due to limitations of space. The Sleeping Beauty's Castle is merely 77 ft tall. However, it has been built using forced perspective, the same concept used for the Main Street.

⋆ If listened to carefully, one can hear the echo of Snow White singing at the Wishing Well in Snow White Grotto.

⋆ The mail boxes in the park that may appear as decorations are actual working mail boxes.

⋆ Every popcorn turner in the park has a different cartoon character attached to it.

⋆ The Main Street uses Smellitizers. It is vanilla-scented to remind visitors of freshly baked goods throughout the year. However, it is changed to peppermint during Christmas.

⋆ As a tribute to Walt Disney, who often used the apartment above the Main Street, the light on the Main Street firehouse is never put out.

⋆ Disneyland releases over 200 cats after the park is closed down at night, so as to keep the rats at bay.

⋆ Club 33 is the only place in Disneyland where one can buy alcohol. The club has only 500 members, and the waiting list to join the club is 10 years long, with a fee of USD 25,000.

• The purple teacup in the Mad Hatter's ride spins the fastest.
  
  
• Even the remotest parts of the park are thoroughly cleaned every night so that it remains spotless every day.

• Want to experience a little nostalgia? Just head to the Main Street USA. It was modeled after the year 1910. You may also visit Tomorrow land, which was modeled after the year 1986.

• It might be extremely surprising for you to know that there is an altogether different world beneath your feet, as you stroll through Disneyland. To ensure that the characters reach their stations speedily, the park has been built with numerous underground tunnels.

• The face of Mickey Mouse can be easily spotted everywhere in the park. And you'll be amazed to know that the character's face has very smartly been disguised in every little thing in the park, from the traffic signs to the fire alarms. In fact, there are so many of them that no one, till date, knows how many of them actually exist in the park!

• If you are lucky enough, you may get your death certificate in the Haunted Mansion. It can be the souvenir for all the fun you had.
• When heard carefully, one can hear a voodoo lady chanting spells near the New Orleans Square train station.
• Try touching the apple at the Snow White's Scary Adventures, and it will get the queen laughing like a lunatic.

• Look at the building above Snow White's castle carefully. The Evil Queen appears in the window every few minutes.
• When it first opened, the Pirates of Caribbean was filled with human skulls. All the others are gone, but there is one that still remains over the bed in the Captain's Quarters.

• If you pull the bamboo pole at Indiana Jones, there will be a loud boom, making it look like the ceiling is caving in. It may also make an invisible worker fall in the well, after which his cries of help will follow.

• Disneyland is quite infamous for being extremely strict with its employees. When the park had just opened, no cast members with facial hair were allowed inside.

• Tomorrow land is filled with trees of fruits and veggies, since Disney believed that the landscapes would someday develop into urban farms.

Hungry for more? Pick up Disney land's Hidden Mickeys or Disneyland Inside Story to know a few more incredible secrets that are not mentioned in this list.