Disneyland Amusement Park

Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Scooby… who is your favorite cartoon character? Whoever it is, you are sure to catch them live in one place in this world. Where you ask? In the world’s most famous, ‘The Happiest Park on Earth’, the amazing Disneyland!

Where is Disneyland?

Disneyland is a theme park built in Anaheim, California. One day Walt Disney, the father of Mickey Mouse, went to a park with his daughters. While his daughters were enjoying the merry-go-round, Walt Disney had a vision, of a place where kids and parents, both can enjoy and have fun together. This vision was then, years later transformed into the world’s most amazing park – Disneyland Park.

21 Interesting Facts about the History behind Disneyland

1. Disneyland in California, built in 1955, is the only park which was personally supervised by the famous Walt Disney.
2. Originally the plan to build Disneyland was on an 8 acre land, but this changed after World War II and Walt Disney decided to spread the park to a much larger area and opted for a 100 acre land.
3. Almost 160 acres of trees were cut and 15 houses were removed to make space for Disneyland. Later many plants and trees were planted inside Disneyland.
4. The construction of Disneyland began only 12 months before it actually opened to the public.
5. The opening ceremony of Disneyland was a disaster and the media had predicted that the park won’t last for even a year!
6. Since then Disneyland has catered to above 500 million guests.
7. The original design of Disneyland constituted of 5 different lands: Main Street U.S.S, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
8. Later additions were made to Disneyland and other lands opened were New Orleans Square, Critter country and Mickey’s Toontown.
9. Tomorrowland is the only land in Disney which is still outdated as things have changed drastically since then.
10. The Adventureland was built on the original parking space for Disneyland.
11. On the day of the park’s opening there was a Plumbing strike in California. It made Walt Disney think as to whether he should provide water to drink or to flush toilets!
12. Within a month of the park’s opening the 10,00,000th guest was welcomed into the park!
13. The Disneyland monorail was the first daily operating monorail to have been opened in the West in 1959.
14. Walt Disney’s private apartment was at the top of a Fire Station in Disneyland during the time of the construction of the park. To pay tribute to Walt Disney, a light is kept on at all times in his apartment, even today.
15. Disneyland employees follow a Theatrical terminology with all guests. They dress up as various Disney characters and perform in any area inside Disneyland.
16. Live entertainment is available by all employees throughout the Park, it includes regular firework shows.
17. Since then Disneyland has opened Disneyland resorts and Disneyland theme parks in Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Hongkong and Shanghai.
18. Disneyland in Orlando, Florida, known as Disneyland World is a city in its own. It is bigger than Disneyland and consists of Disney resorts, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, Sports complex, Golf course, Discover island and many more attractions.
19. Disneyland Paris, is the second largest Disney Park after the one in California and was opened in 1992.
20. The Hongkong Disneyland is the only park of Disney constructed in a short period of time and was opened in the year 2005.
21. The Shanghai Disneyland is expected to open by the year 2016.

14 Disneyland Secrets You Don’t Know

1. Disneyland has Mickey Mouse everywhere. It has emblems with Mickey scattered all over the park. There are even hidden Mickeys on furniture or on table cloths. There are so many hidden Mickeys that nobody knows the exact number.
2. Mickey Mouse was originally named Mortimer.
3. Coke gives the Park free soda to eliminate competition.
4. If you have popped balloons don’t get upset. Show your popped balloon to any balloon seller in the park and they will give you a brand new one- Free!
5. Who is let out free every night when the park closes? 200 cats! They keep away the rodents that might be in the park.
6. The Main Street land in Disneyland is a representation of the childhood town of Missouri where Walt Disney grew up.
7. The scent of Vanilla is sprayed onto the Main Street and during holidays the scent of Peppermint is sprayed.
8. The Sleeping Beauty’s castle in Disneyland is the most famous castle in the world, inspired by French architecture during the middle ages.
9. This castle is smaller than any other castle in Disneyland, as Walt Disney believed that a smaller castle would be friendlier.
10. From the time of the Park’s inception till today, the drawbridge of the Sleeping Beauty Castle has been raised only twice!
11. The towers of the Sleeping Beauty castle are covered with 22k gold leafing.
12. Walt Disney did not allow his employees to keep a mustache, even though he himself had a mustache! After the year 2000, the employees were allowed to keep a clean mustache.
13. The statue of Walt Disney is actually 1 inch taller than the real Walt Disney.
14. You are always under observation inside the Park. There are special cameras everywhere and two Special Forces, keeping an eye on you!

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