Disneyland Secrets

[Roxko]

Mr. Toad also has a railroad inside which has appeared on DL trivia tests.

Also there was a Jungle boat with names signed under the center cushion by the guys working on the record breaking days when they stuffed the most people into boats in one hour and/or for the whole day.

It used to be traditional to toss a JC guide in the water on his last day or send him on a dead head and nail him with water (and barf dust) at various points (yes the elephant can be made to squirt twice by hotwiring the pump.)

The BB court is a breakroom for the mountain climbers and not the RO's. The were many spoof employee movies made in the 80's and shown at end of summer festivities. My favorite Banana Ball movie (huge employee party in August) was Mr. Bill goes to Disneyland.

Has anyone ever seen them for sale on DVD? They trully were some great movies/music videos made in the wee morning hours. Thriller on JC. Purple Rain on BTM. MASH Episode spoofs on Columbia/Mansion. Miami Vice (renamed Disney Vice) has suits chasing cast members through the park and shooting them for wearing too dark of sunglasses... Oh the memories...

Too bad Walt died young,

Rocko of STR

 

[Redcon1]

Yes, as iceskatejen said, it's Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
The CM got me on this one too, as I thought there were no rides, just attractions.
Like I said, a trick question.

 

[exDS vet]

My former boss was a "skipper" on the Jungle Cruise and the Mark Twain back in the late 80's/early 90's. In 2003 our company (Starbucks) had a conference in Anaheim and while we were visiting Disneyland, he was able to arrange for the CM's to let him "skipper" the ride for a group of us managers. It was pretty cool the the crew allowed this former CM a chance to relive his past for all of us.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Oh, c'mon everyone. It's Mr. Toad's Wild Ride--the only thing with the word "ride" in the title.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

My former boss was a "skipper" on the Jungle Cruise and the Mark Twain back in the late 80's/early 90's. In 2003 our company (Starbucks) had a conference in Anaheim and while we were visiting Disneyland, he was able to arrange for the CM's to let him "skipper" the ride for a group of us managers. It was pretty cool the the crew allowed this former CM a chance to relive his past for all of us.

Great story

 

[MousseauMob]

When I worked there back in '92-'93 someone told me that they had to have the basketball court in the Matterhorn b/c any structure that was that tall had to be a sports arena.

I had read this somewhere also, so is this an urban legend?

 

[eileenkeeney]

Disneyland is home to feral cats—nobody knows how many—that come out at night, after visitors leave. Years ago, more than 100 were discovered living inside Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

The first time I noticed a cat, it was near the haunted mansion, and it was black. I thought it was there for ambiance.
I asked about it, and was told that years ago Cats were brought into Disneyland to help control a mouse problem.
When the solution did not work, there was an attempt to eliminate the cat problem, but that failed also.

The cats do not wait until after dark to come out.
I often see them.

 

[dreams91]

I saw one last week while we were there.

 

[eileenkeeney]

Conspicuously missing on opening day: the Matterhorn. In its place was a two-story-high dirt pile of dirt from the excavation of the castle moat. It was billed as “Lookout Mountain”. The Matterhorn didn’t open until 1959.

On the map I have, of Disneyland when it first opened, I believe this is called Holiday Hill.
At some point (I think 1956) it held the steel tower that supported the Skyway attraction.
Then at some point it became snow hill, and then the Matterhorn.

I have another book, which I believe is in error.
It tries to state that HolidayLand was in the same location as the current New Orleans square, but then goes on to describe Holidayland as being behind Tomorrowland.

 

[eileenkeeney]

In New Orleans Square at the train station, you'll hear a telegraph signal, the message is Walt's opening day speech (I've only heard this once and it's never been confirmed).

The telegraph that keeps clicking at the New Orleans Square railroad station is actually the first two sentences of Walt's Disneyland opening-day dedication speech ("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.") It is not modern Morse Code but land line telegraphy as used by railroad telegraphers to communicate with train dispatchers and other telegraphers at other stations. Although the Morse code message at the telegraph office of the New Orleans railroad station only plays a small part of Walt's Disneyland Opening Day speech, it used to play an even smaller part until an error below was pointed out to Disney. A ham radio operator noticed the sound from the telegraph office of the New Orleans train station seemed to repeat a definite "message" and not just random dots-n-dashes like a lot of places do. He decided to try and figure out the message. He searched the web and only found this page which originally stated erroneously that the message was Walt's entire opening day speech, but the message was way too short to be that. Some years ago Disney had converted the system from a long looped tape system to a digitized recording. Apparently, the engineer who did it listened to the old tape until he decided that the message was repeating... but he got it wrong. But, thanks to the work of George Eldridge (N6RVC) it now plays correctly and non-stop at the New Orleans train station.

Walt Disney's opening day address at the New Orleans Square train station was supposed to have been tapped out by Lillian Disney, who I have heard was a telegrapher before she starting working at the Disney Studios.

I might be wrong, as I am not 100% certain that my source is reliable. So many rumors get started, as one person tells someone something, and they tell someone else, and some of these rumors even make it into books.

 

[calvin3]

You can 'pilot' the Mark Twain! Be the first on up to the captains door and knock politely - or ask the cast members that are on duty there to let you pilot the boat. You'll ge to pull the whistles and horns, use the huge wheel, and take the whole trip around the river up there! There is even a guest log book to sign in on.

This is true...me and my oldest son did this on Thursday morning.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Albertan mom]

This is true...me and my oldest son did this on Thursday morning.

Thanks for the tip.

Lucky you guys!
What a great memory for you both!

 

[funnygarcia]

The cats have "houses" behind Hungry Bear restaurant and the CMs help them out by providing cat food for them.
There are cats inside DCA as well. A poster on LP named Dark Beer often takes pics of the cats sunning themselves in the "desert" area by the train that is an ice cream/bakery shop and areas by Taste Pilot's grill. My DS saw one by the train on our last visit in May

 

[Ish.Kabibel]

There is a golden spike in the walkway through the entrace to Fantasyland in the castle - that marked the original center of the park in 1955. Now that other lands have been added - it is no longer the center.
QUOTE]


This is a popular notion (often perpetuated by cast-members). However, it is neither the center of the park nor is it a spike. It's a survey marker. This particular one designates the centerline of Main Street.

 

[LittleBoPeep]

Ish.Kabibel, do you know if that is also the case for the much disputed marker in the ground in EPCOT that people believe is the center of all of Walt Disney World?

 

[Redcon1]

On the map I have, of Disneyland when it first opened, I believe this is called Holiday Hill.
At some point (I think 1956) it held the steel tower that supported the Skyway attraction.
Then at some point it became snow hill, and then the Matterhorn.

I have another book, which I believe is in error.
It tries to state that HolidayLand was in the same location as the current New Orleans square, but then goes on to describe Holidayland as being behind Tomorrowland.

According to a photo from a recent issue of the E-Ticket Magazine, Holidayland was originally in the area of Small World Way, between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. The magazine also calls the mound of dirt where the Matterhorn is now, Snow Hill, although there may have been another name prior to that.
Holidayland was later moved to the outside of the berm approximately in the area of New Orleans Square. Is it correct when Pirates and HM were built, the show buildings are on the outside of the berm? This is where Holidayland looks to be on a 1957 map of DL that's supposed to be the first official DL map to be sold to the public(this is actually on a mousepad I have).

 

[iceskatejen]

According to the book Disneyland: Then and Now (a book I highly recommend--you can get it in the parks) the area where the Matterhorn is was called Holiday Hill. Also, yes, there was an area outside the berm called Holidayland. It was sort of a picnic area with a separate admission price and looking at the picture in the book, looked to have swings and slides and picnic tables. People apparently didn't use it much. It's where the show buildings (where the majority of each "ride" is located) for Pirates and Haunted Mansion now are.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

Iceskatejen--do you know how much the book is in the parks?
Thx!

 

[iceskatejen]

The list price of the book is $24.95 and I'm pretty sure that's what they're selling them for.

 

[Ish.Kabibel]

Dear Ms. Peep -

Sorry, I do not know about the Florida marker. Disney Archivist Dave Smith corroborated the function of the Anaheim marker – perhaps he could help you. Have you his email address?

Regards,
Ish