Disneyland is my absolute, all-time favorite place on earth. Just the mere thought of it excites me!
I can practically smell the churros now. I feel a turkey leg in one hand and an equally overpriced Coke in the other.
I see Mickey Mouse in the distance, and a long line of excited kids and their parental guardians.
I love it all. And I'd do anything to be there right now.
But, I'm not. And you probably aren't either if you're reading this article. So, without further ado, here are 18 fun facts I've compiled that'll make you even more excited about your next visit to the happiest place on earth!
1. It use to cost $3.50 to get into the park.
Believe it or not, it's true. Imagine how many tickets that would've bought you! Now, tickets are $100+ for just one day! I clearly was born in the wrong era.
2. On Disneyland's 40th anniversary, a time capsule was buried in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle.
On July 17th, 1995 (aka Disneyland's 40th anniversary), a time capsule was buried. No one knows what's inside it, but they plan to unearth it July 17th, 2035 on Disneyland's 80th anniversary. Mark your calendars, Disney lovers!
3. Mickey Mouse has over 290 outfits while Minnie Mouse has over 200.
And they say us girls are bad. Psh.
5. Disneyland pumps different scents into the park so their guests can associate different smells with Disney.
It works. I associate churros and overpriced anything with Disneyland.
6. Hundreds of feral cats inhabit Disneyland.
Don't be alarmed! They're there for a reason, and that reason is to get rid of any rodent problems. They're mostly nocturnal, though, so you shouldn't see them during park hours.
8. The purple and orange teacup are the fastest spinners on the Mad Tea Party ride.
Keep that in mind next time you pick your teacups.
9. There's a basketball hoop inside the Matterhorn ride.
Employees actually sometimes go there to shoot hoops on their breaks.
10. The props you see inside the Indiana Jones ride are actual real props from the movie franchise.
How cool is that?!
11. The Haunted Mansion's hitchhiking ghosts actually have names!
Their names are Ezra, Phineas, and Gus.
12. James Avery aka Uncle Phil from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," voiced Splash Mountain's Brer Frog.
Listen carefully next time!
13. The fastest ride at Disneyland isn't a rollercoaster...
It's Splash Mountain! And, as someone who's rode as the head of the ride, I can truly attest to this fun fact — this thing goes fast AF. As a matter of fact, the ride reaches about 40 mph while plummeting down the ride's 47-degree plunge into the briar patch.
14. All the skeletons inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride use to be real.
Rumor's true, folks. Thankfully, there's only one real human skull left. It's the one attached to the ride's headboard.
(Also, if you're wondering where those skeletons came from, they came from UCLA's medical center.)
15. The water features in Disneyland are either green or brown in order to hide vehicle tracks and filtration systems.
The magic never stops.
16. The Disneyland Railroad has a secret car dedicated to Walt Disney's wife, only open to a select few lucky guests every day.
Lillian Disney's one lucky gal. If you want a special experience abroad the magical railroad, get to the park extremely early and ask a cast member to ride the Lilly Belle car. The inside of the train car is decorated like a Victorian parlor, decked out with plush velvet seats and Disney historical artifacts — including a scrapbook and family photos.
17. A telegraph inside Disneyland's telegraph office repeats a portion of Walt Disney's opening day speech in morse code on repeat.
It translates to: "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."
18. Doritos were invented in Disneyland.
Betcha didn't know that fun fact, didja?
Frito-Lay opened a restaurant inside the park when it first opened in 1955 called Casa de Fritos. The restaurant came up with a way to repurpose stale tortillas by flavoring and frying them. After the snacks became a huge success with Disney guests, Frito-Lay transformed Doritos into the national brand we all know and love today!