Secrets of Disneyland
Disneyland, a place where dreams are made of and fantasies of your childhood are fulfilled. Where your imagination can determine your fun! It is known as the happiest place on earth!
But behind the magic is a place that no one really knows, but that makes Disneyland what it is today.
Feline Security:
With 65 000 sqm of grounds to keep spotless, as well as keep free of unwanted pests, something pretty heavy duty needs to be used!
So, every night after closing time, 200 wild cats are let free into the park to help keep the rodent population under control. Although this hasn’t actually been confirmed by Disney, its history dates back to 1957 where 100s of stray cats were found in Sleeping Beauty’s castle. After numerous attempts to get rid of them, Disney decided to rather take advantage of them. Today, they spend their days in special cat houses, although if you look carefully, you may see a furry face peering out at you!
Hidden Mickey’s:
Everywhere you look at Disney, the Mickey emblem is there. But thanks to the very clever designers and engineers of Disney aka Imageers, Mickey’s Ears are scattered all over the park. Often these images are difficult to spot as they have been carefully camouflaged to blend in to the architecture and landscaping. No one really knows how many of these actually exist.
Cocktails behind closed doors:
You may, or may not know, that Disneyland is completely dry. Unless you manage to get your name on the very special list, at Club 33. A very secret cocktail lounge that is hidden away in the New Orleans Square. It has a very limited membership of only 487 and a rather long waiting list of about 14 years!!!! The club was originally designed as an exclusive spot to entertain possible investors but has since then hosted presidents, film stars and some very lucky guests!!!
Trick of the eye:
As with everything Disney, things are not always as they appear! A little something called forced perspective is used that creates optical illusions that make buildings appear smaller or larger than 
they really are. Sleeping Beauty Castle looks a lot taller than its 77 feet and that’s because the bricks grow gradually smaller as the towers rise. The Matterhorn also seems bigger than it really is, because the smallest trees are placed at the top and the bigger trees are placed at the base. As you enter Main Street, the castles seem far away and the old fashioned shops seem to be several stories high! As you leave though, the very same street seems a lot shorter. Walt Disney reasoned that those coming into the park would be filled with excitement, but on exit would be far too tired to take things slow.
Always on Stage:
At Disney, a cleaner is never a cleaner. They are all “cast members” So the vast array of cashiers, ride operators, garden maintenance and performers are all cast members. They are all trained to follow a very specific code of etiquette that maintains the magic of Disneyland. One of the don’ts would definitely be, don’t break character – ever. If you they are wearing a costume that belongs to Tomorrow land, do not step into Adventure land, as they may confuse visitors or destroy the parks image. If they are directing visitors, to always point with an open palm never the index finger. All the cast members are given a Disney ‘look book’ that specifies exactly how they may appear, no long nails, moustaches or coloured hair is allowed.
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