Best Secrets in Disneyland

[GrandBob]

Sounds fun! If I wasn't going to have a five year old and a (not-ready-to-babysit) 14 year old with us, we'd definitely stop in!

Children are allowed at the tables (not right at the bar) until 8pm, IIRC.

-Bob

 

[mrsklamc]

Can you still ride in the front of the monorail at DL? I believe that's been discontinued in FL.

 

[sun8]

Can you still ride in the front of the monorail at DL? I believe that's been discontinued in FL.

Yes, we just did last week on our final exit from Disneyland. It was a nice way to end our vacation. Just wait near the front and ask the attendant.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Can you still ride in the front of the monorail at DL? I believe that's been discontinued in FL.

At DL, yes you can. It was discontinued in Orlando after a fatal human-error monorail collision there.

 

[FourM's]

Can you still ride in the front of the monorail at DL? I believe that's been discontinued in FL.

We got to ride in the front last week at DL, there wasn't anyone else getting on so the driver asked if we wanted to ride upfront. Never got to do that before, kind of cool!

 

[MAJPLO]

At DL, yes you can. It was discontinued in Orlando after a fatal human-error monorail collision there.

Well that doesn't make me want to ride in the front.

 

[Astylla]

Well that doesn't make me want to ride in the front.

Let's face it anything can happen anywhere but I have no regrets riding up front on our Honeymoon in 2010. It was an awesome experience I'll never forget

 

[ahsquared]

Well that doesn't make me want to ride in the front.

We just did on Tuesday. They were really strict on a 4 body limit so hubby had to ride in the main train with the baby, but it was a great experience.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well that doesn't make me want to ride in the front.

What happened at wdw cannot happen at dlr.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

What happened at wdw cannot happen at dlr.

This.

 

[ColdNeverBotheredMe]

I didn't read this whole thread, so I bet some of this stuff has already been mentioned, but here are some things we noticed/I found out online...

-At the Indiana Jones ride, apparently you can ask a cast member for a decoder card for the "Marabic" inscriptions throughout the queue area and the actual ride. They used to give these cards to everyone but they stopped because they were getting thrown all over the park or something like that... We haven't confirmed this, but it sounds pretty cool.
-There are a bunch of animals on Thunder Mountain that we only just noticed the last time we rode it. Possums, skunks, snakes, you don't notice them a lot of the time because you go by so fast.
-Under the gate to the castle to the main Fantasyland entrance, there's a small gold circle about the size of a penny on the ground. This marks the exact center of the park.
-And finally, this is just something that applies to any roller coaster, but during the loop on California Screamin, turn your head to the side. It's seriously the coolest thing ever, Paradise Pier just flips around.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm actually making a small journal of some of these stuff so I won't forget any of it when we go again in the spring.

 

[JoanneAZ]

I didn't read this whole thread, so I bet some of this stuff has already been mentioned, but here are some things we noticed/I found out online...

-At the Indiana Jones ride, apparently you can ask a cast member for a decoder card for the "Marabic" inscriptions throughout the queue area and the actual ride. They used to give these cards to everyone but they stopped because they were getting thrown all over the park or something like that... We haven't confirmed this, but it sounds pretty cool.
-There are a bunch of animals on Thunder Mountain that we only just noticed the last time we rode it. Possums, skunks, snakes, you don't notice them a lot of the time because you go by so fast.
-Under the gate to the castle to the main Fantasyland entrance, there's a small gold circle about the size of a penny on the ground. This marks the exact center of the park.
-And finally, this is just something that applies to any roller coaster, but during the loop on California Screamin, turn your head to the side. It's seriously the coolest thing ever, Paradise Pier just flips around.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm actually making a small journal of some of these stuff so I won't forget any of it when we go again in the spring.

Actually, the gold circle at the castle is not the center of the park. That is an urban legend that has unfortunately been picked up by the CM's and Disney fans like us. The circle is a survey marker for the midline of Main Street. This was proven on another Disney fan site with aerial photos from both 1955 and a few years ago.

However, if you look near the entrance of the castle ( I think it's near the entrance by the drawbridge) there is marker for a time capsule.

 

[aribelle]

I didn't read this whole thread, so I bet some of this stuff has already been mentioned, but here are some things we noticed/I found out online...

-At the Indiana Jones ride, apparently you can ask a cast member for a decoder card for the "Marabic" inscriptions throughout the queue area and the actual ride. They used to give these cards to everyone but they stopped because they were getting thrown all over the park or something like that... We haven't confirmed this, but it sounds pretty cool.
-There are a bunch of animals on Thunder Mountain that we only just noticed the last time we rode it. Possums, skunks, snakes, you don't notice them a lot of the time because you go by so fast.
-Under the gate to the castle to the main Fantasyland entrance, there's a small gold circle about the size of a penny on the ground. This marks the exact center of the park.
-And finally, this is just something that applies to any roller coaster, but during the loop on California Screamin, turn your head to the side. It's seriously the coolest thing ever, Paradise Pier just flips around.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm actually making a small journal of some of these stuff so I won't forget any of it when we go again in the spring.

Correct, they no longer give out the decoder for Indiana.....but do a google search and you can find it, download to your phone or print out and bring with you.

 

[ColdNeverBotheredMe]

Actually, the gold circle at the castle is not the center of the park. That is an urban legend that has unfortunately been picked up by the CM's and Disney fans like us. The circle is a survey marker for the midline of Main Street. This was proven on another Disney fan site with aerial photos from both 1955 and a few years ago.

However, if you look near the entrance of the castle ( I think it's near the entrance by the drawbridge) there is marker for a time capsule.

Oh, I did not know that! I learned it from a documentary about Disneyland I watched on Netflix... guess I can't trust those things anymore. But good to know.

 

[JoanneAZ]

Oh, I did not know that! I learned it from a documentary about Disneyland I watched on Netflix... guess I can't trust those things anymore. But good to know.

It's hard to know what sources to trust especially because the Disney company and its employees have a history of embellishing and creating "facts". Let's face it, Disney loves a good story!

 

[ColdNeverBotheredMe]

It's hard to know what sources to trust especially because the Disney company and its employees have a history of embellishing and creating "facts". Let's face it, Disney loves a good story!

Very true! It's all about the imagination! I love reading stories behind rides and stuff, even if some of them aren't verifiable truth...

 

[birdmom]

When Fantasyland was remodeled in the 80's a it was not up to code and an exit sign needed to be added to the the doorway out of Village Haus Restaurant but the way the beams were placed the sign could not be placed in the center of the doorway, so the sign was placed off-center, with a painting of Figaro the cat dragging the Exit sign towards center. When Disneyland Paris opened there equivalent restaurant "Au Chalet de la Marionnette" the exit sign was placed dead center with Figaro giving a thumbs-up to show they got it right this time

 

[Karin1984]

As I didn’t have anything to do at work yesterday, besides read Disboards, I have made a list of a lot of secrets in here. As the thread started in 2005, can anyone see if there are things that do not exist/work anymore?

There must be more, specially from DCA, an area as huge as Carsland must have dozens of secret things to spot.

- Main Street – Can you still hear a piano lesson / tourist waking up / dental appointment in the alleys?
- Main Street – Does it still smell of vanilla through the grates (and of peppermint during the holiday season?)
- Mad Hatter shop – Does the Chesire Cat still appear in the glass behind the counter?
- Popcorn machines – The little men turning the wheels, still all different per cart?
- Fantasyland – Is there still the stake that marks the center of the park?
- Snow White – Can you still hear the queen/hag laugh when you touch the apple?
- Snow White’s well – Can you still hear her sing?
- Alice in Wonderland restrooms – Still special theming?
- Jungle Cruise – Do we still need to look for a parrot (in waiting line?)?
- Indiana Jones – Are there still “Do not touch” or “Pull” warning signs we have to ignore?
- Indiana Jones – Is there a skeleton wearing mouse ears near the beginning of the ride? Same for a very well hidden skeleton in the queue area, near the drinking fountain idol?
- Indiana Jones – Still bats in the cave next to the warning signs of bats.?
- Indiana Jones – Is there near the exit still a pay phone where you can play several messages from the operator?
- Fantasmic! – Can you have a “backstage” view if you watch Fantasmic! from the Hungry Bear Restaurant Terrace?
- Winnie the Pooh – Are the mounted animals from Country Bear Jamboree still there?
- Frontierland Station – Does the telegraph "sends" Walt's dedication speech in land line code.
- Matterhorn – Is there still the cast of the Abominable Snowman's foot outside of Matterhorn?
- PotC – Can you still see the head of Goofy in the rock formations? (After the drops as you pass the skeletons on the beach wait till you almost hit the curve to the steering skeleton, and turn around, the rock formation that supports the standing skeleton with the seagull hat)
- Innoventions – The voice of Tom Morrow, still Nathan Lane?
- Toontown – Should we still try to open the door by the Electric company?
- Toontown – Can we still find Walt’s window in Toontown?
- Mickey's House- Can you still see Mickey’s passport with stamps from everywhere a Disneyland is located?
- Monsters Inc – Does it still smell of sushi in the room where you go by the sushi place?

 

[Imdboss]

- Main Street – Can you still hear a piano lesson / tourist waking up / dental appointment in the alleys?

Yesterday we were there for appx 15 min and heard the dental appt only.

- Indiana Jones – Are there still “Do not touch” or “Pull” warning signs we have to ignore?

Went on this ride yesterday, touched and pulled but nothing seemed to happen as before (although I couldn't remember what was suppose to happen lol).

 

[GatorChris]

Love the secret that if you look at the goat on Big Thunder, the turn really seems a lot faster.