Walking down Disneyland‘s Main Street, it is easy for some to feel lost in the magic of Disneyland, as colorful shops modeled after old-fashioned buildings lead your eye down the road to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. The smells wafting out of the buildings transport people to childhood memories.

Several groups at Fresno Christian plan to travel to Disneyland in the 2022 spring semester. The seniors are visiting for their senior trip, as well as choir, for the Heritage Festival on April 24. In light of that, here are a few facts and travel tips.

Easter Eggs

Disney Imagineers hide references to Disney movies and historic Disneyland facts throughout the park. An example would be the number 77 which can be spotted throughout Space Mountain, as an allusion to the year the ride opened, 1977.

One of the more famous easter eggs people can find are Hidden Mickeys. Disney Imagineers, cast members, and shop owners hide Mickeys all over the park. A Hidden Mickey is three circles connected to make a Mickey head silhouette.

Several Hidden Mickeys can be found on rides, including The Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and Alice in Wonderland.

Food Tips

Theme park food is known for its steep prices, however, some options, like churros and pretzels, are under $10.

Bengal Barbecue, a restaurant in Adventureland, has several options under $10. Options include vegetable, chicken, or beef skewers. Click here to see the full menu.

History

Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. Originally, Disneyland consisted of only five lands, with 20 rides; Frontierland, Adventureland, Main Street U.S.A., Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland.

Walt Disney wanted the opening day to be exclusive by invitation, so he invited 11,000 people, including construction crews and the press. On the second day, the park opened to the public. However, 17,000 people made counterfeit tickets, filling the park with 28,000 people.

By mid-afternoon, Fantasyland’s gas lines leaked, which caused three of the five lands to shut down.

The asphalt on Main Street was poured shortly before people arrived, leaving it fresh enough for ladies’ heels to sink into. 

Unfortunately for the guests, the plumbers had gone on strike, so the water fountains throughout the park were broken, and during that time Anaheim was about 100 degrees.

Disney remained unaware of most issues, as he was interviewing with newspaper companies, and his employees hesitated to disturb him. Once he found out, he re-invited the press back for a second, smoother debut.

Modern Disneyland

Since 1955, Disneyland has expanded by building more attractions and lands. It now has nine lands in Anaheim’s main park, and six resorts around the world. There are over 40 attractions in all of Disneyland Anaheim and California Adventure, including original rides from 1955. 

The Jungle Cruise, despite remodeling, has been open since July 17, 1955. It is one of the only rides that are at all six Disney Resorts around the world, along with Thunder Mountain Railroad.

One of the newest additions to Disneyland’s main park is Star Wars land. The land includes Rise of the Resistance, an immersive ride, even from the line, where visitors must escape from the Death Star. Just walking through this attraction plunges visitors into the Star Wars world, with impeccable set design and detail that makes any Jedi feel at home.

Guests can also build custom lightsabers or droids, just make sure to bring some extra cash!

Disneyland recently got rid of Fast Pass lines, switching to Genie+, which is found on the Disneyland app.

Genie+ is an extension of the Genie service. This service allows guests to select events and rides for the day, and Genie arranges them in order, using wait times, allowing guests to fit the most into one day.

Genie+ is $20 per ticket and is essentially the new Fast Pass system.

Junior Jazmine Davidson tried out the new system on her recent trip to Disneyland. 

“I would recommend it,” Davidson said, “It wasn’t hard to figure out, it was pretty straightforward. I didn’t know what it was doing at first but once you get it, it’s pretty easy.”

To learn more about Genie+,  and how to use it, click here.

Live Entertainment

There are several other options if rides do not sound appealing.

In spring, Disneyland runs its Main Street Electrical Parade. Featuring 600,000 lights and several iconic characters, the parade runs from It’s a Small World to Main Street in the morning, then back, later in the day.

Shows also provide enjoyable alternatives. Popular shows include “Fantasmic!” and “World of Color.” “Fantasmic!” is a crowd favorite, that includes Mickey Mouse as the lead, featuring his ability to create scenes from Disney movies. “World of Color” is a night-time show that combines fire, water, light, and music. Under 30 minutes, the show takes place outside in California Adventure. 

The Royal Theater retells the stories of popular Disney princesses, such as Rapunzel and Belle. Each show in the Royal Theater is about 20 minutes long.

Since Disneyland’s opening in 1955, thousands of people from around the world take the invitation to “Leave today and enter into the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”

In Case You Ever Wondered

• About 100 different regions of the world are represented in It’s a Small World.
• Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is over 250 feet tall.
• Over 400 items are turned in to Disney’s lost and found every day.
• On average, over three million servings of fries, four million burgers, and over 1 million gallons of soda are served in Disneyland each year.

To read more from The Feather visit, Senior Ashlee Gallegos reflects on her time at FCS or Chess Club