We always enjoy talking to Cast Members because they are chock full of trivia, history, and our favorite-- insider secrets!
There is no way that we could post all of the fun Disney secrets we've learned to this blog since that is just way too much information to post. There are several blogs and websites dedicated to just that if you are interested and also plenty of books and DVD's on the subject. We thought we would share some of our favorite secrets with our friends and family. I will break it up into several posts.
First, the Hidden Mickeys:
We love that the creative Disney Imagineers have created almost a scavenger hunt across Disney attractions and all of their properties with these little hidden gems!! The kids both love discovering hidden mickeys as much as we do! We especially love the ones that are the most hidden, most hard to find, and/or that took the most planning from the initial engineering concept. There are hundreds of Hidden Mickeys in Disneyland
.....I will post photos of some of our favorite Hidden Mickeys here..............
A few easy to find favorites:
Alice in Wonderland Ride: While you pass the "painting the roses red" area, there is a paint splatter in the shape of a classic Mickey.
We Love "Hidden Disney" too:
Since Disneyland is a park "That will never be completed..." and is always changing, Disney often pays tribute to previous attractions when they are replaced. Here are a few of our favorite Hidden Disney tributes...
Nemo Ride:
The submarine ride when I was a kid was one of my favorite rides. You probably remember the 'grand finale' of that ride was passing humps and humps of what turned out to be a long sea serpent, with the head eventually showing- being the most anticipated part. That ride was closed for almost 10 years, they had planned to reopen it with an Atlantis theme, but when that movie bombed, they shelved that idea, and eventually decided on the Finding Nemo theme.
The imagineers kept a VERY hidden, large sea serpent, towards the end of the ride, as a tribute. It is covered in rock (which blends camouflage style with the coral reef)- but is very distinctive (especially the head) which has a tongue sticking out. You have to know when and where to look for it- or you'll miss it! Start looking closely at the 'rock/coral reef' when the captain is saying, "We had better take her up before we have a run in with a sea serpent or an encounter with a mermaid..." hehe.
...........It is difficult to get a photo of it, but we do have a video clip which I will post here..........
A Fun-Fact about the Subs:
When they originally opened the ride, they had ladies in mermaid costumes swimming around the lagoon, waving, and blowing kisses! They eventually got rid of the mermaids, since the high levels of chlorine and chemicals to keep the water clean were damaging their hair and skin.
The Outpost:
Tip: We really liked this! You can request to go to "The Outpost" (The Marine Observation Outpost), which is a private room with a large screen TV, where you can view the entire video of the Nemo ride.
John and I loved several things about this:
No waiting- you don't stand in line, you walk up through the ride exit and ask a cast member to take you to the outpost.
The subs are crowded -vs.- the outpost which is a spacious air-conditioned room where you get a private screening.
The audio is crystal clear and the visual is so much better watching it on the large screen opposed to the small porthole sub window.
This is also ideal for people with mobility issues since the flight of stairs down into the subs is not for everyone
So John and I loved it and the kids enjoyed it, although, it did not replace the actual ride for the kids- they wanted to go on the ride immediately after, hehe! We understood that it wasn't quite the same for them.
Pooh Ride:
I do miss another attraction that is now long gone, the Country Bear Jamboree. In it's place is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride. My kids LOVE this ride, and we think that it is cool that they kept the mounted heads of Max, Buff, and Melvin (the lovable trouble makers from the old attraction). They are mounted and very WELL hidden on the Pooh ride- you can only see them if you know where to look (which is behind you as you leave the Heffalump and Woozles room- you have to turn your head around and look up). The kids love to announce when they are coming. "Here they come mommy, get ready to turn around!"
I will add in more photos and video tomorrow, and I will post MORE secrets next time..............
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