7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Disneyland

The Monsanto House of the Future

Yep, I love going to the happiest place on earth. I’m talking of no other place than Disneyland. True, I’m a complete nut for the little known facts and trivia about the park, and over the years I've come to collect a number of interesting tidbits that the average person just hasn't heard before. So, without further adieu, I present 7 things you probably didn't know about Disneyland.

7. Corsets and Bras From the land of OZ. Well, Main Street actually.

What’s that? Lingerie In Disneyland? You bet. In fact there was an entire lingerie shop called The Wizard of Bras. The Intimate apparel shop selling bras and corsets was on Main Street USA and lasted from 1955 till January 1956 and was in the location now occupied by The China Closet.

6.Would you like a smoke while you shop for lingerie?

If all that lingerie shopping has gotten you hot and bothered, why not calm down with a nice smoke? Don’t have a cigarette? Well, head on down to the tobacco shop.Yes--lovingly nestled in between the Magic store and the Cinema was the Tobacco shop where one could buy any number of brand name cigarettes to enjoy at your leisure. Just a reminder smoking is not allowed on any ride or queue. Remember Disneyland wasn't always the virtually smoke free zone it is today. The Tobacco shop was an opening day staple of Main Street shopping until it closed in 1991 with a respectable 36 year run.

5.Yar! Thar’ be Pirates in the galley!

Ever had a hankering for fish and chips as you twirl about frantically in your tea cup? Me neither, but if you want fish and chips and you happen to be in Fantasyland before 1982 then you're in luck! Just head on down to Captain Hook’s Galley and see what the Captain’s got on menu. “Why, that hot tuna pie looks good-- let’s eat three of those each and then we'll ride the Matterhorn!” Yes, Captain Hook’s Galley was housed in Captain Hook’s ship itself and served up delicious seafood year round seating was in the back at Skull Rock Cove. At least until it was finally lost to the 1983 New Fantasyland Project.

There's a silver lining to this one--you can eat at Captain Hook’s Galley if you're at Disneyland Paris where it’s been reborn as a counter service restaurant.

4.The house of mouse has a lot of cats.

Did you know that Disneyland has a large collection of semi feral cats living at the park? The cats can often be spotted sleeping in quieter parts of the park by a guest with a keen eye. The cats are cared for and live in the park to help keep Disneyland rodent free and do a very good job of it. Disneyland wrangles the adult cats and spays and neuters them. They also maintain three secret feeding stations in the park. Occasionally, the odd litter of kittens is found and put up for adoption.

3.Forgotten attractions you probably have never heard of.

There have been a lot of attractions that were either lost to new expansion or just failed to catch on with the public here are a few.

TomorrowLand:
Bathroom of Tomorrow: Sponsored by by Crane. (1956-1960)
See what the future holds for the American bathroom in the far off year of 1986!

Fantasyland:
Motor Boat Cruise (1957-1993)
Ride a real motor boat down a canal with nice landscaping. Enjoy the Non-functional steering wheel and you won’t be sure if the pedal does anything, but that’s part of the adventure!

FrontierLand:
Catfish Cove on Tom Sawyer Island (1957-????)
Yep. Catch real live fish from The Rivers of America and carry them with you throughout the park for the rest of the day! You could store them in a refrigerator at guest relations, but most guests couldn't be bothered to do so. It’s seems this one didn't last long for obvious reasons, but I had a hard time finding the date of closure. I’m guessing it went quietly.

Adventureland:
Tahitian Terrace (1962-1993)
Enjoy the taste of the islands at this Polynesian island themed restaurant. Watch hula dancers and listen to the exotic rhythms of the island band, all while you dine beneath a 35 foot tall artificial tree covered in 4,075 artificial leaves and tropical flowers. Come for the fire dancers and stay for our Polynesian Rum Cake!

2.There are two kinds of water in Disneyland.

Yes did you know that there are two types of water in Disneyland? Not that you'd want to drink either of them. Disneyland has two types of water systems in the park (Excluding utility water). The first is Clear water and the second is Dark water. The Clear water system is used for rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World and Splash Mountain. The second and more interesting is the Dark water or Character water system. The Dark water system spans most of the park and works like a big river. It connects the following bodies of water in this order: the water flows from a pump house in the back of Rivers of America into the Storybook Land Canal Boats through a pipe to the former Motor Boat Cruise pond just north of the Matterhorn. From there the water flows into another pipe that feeds into the moat in front of the Castle where it flows under the faux wooden bridge in front of the entrance to Frontierland. After its journey under the bridge it goes into another pipe and comes out by the exit of the Tiki Room and flows into the Jungle Cruise. Finally it flows past Tarzan's Tree house into a final pipe and back into Rivers of America.

1. 1764

If you walk along the esplanade by the waters of the Rivers of America, you will come upon a bricked up archway with the year 1764 carved into its keystone. This sealed up “crypt” is placed near the front of the Haunted Mansion and though it has no obvious connections to New Orleans Square, it hints at what could have been a major change for the land. First off, the year is of little importance itself. It was derived by subtracting 200 years from the birth date of Sam McKim, one of the Imagineers working on the project that the Crypt is hinting at (think of it as a bit of pre-theming). The project in question involved the famous pirate Jean Laffite and would have tied together the many attractions of New Orleans Square and made major changes to Tom Sawyer Island. First, Jean Laffite would have been named as the official owner of the haunted Mansion.You would have been able to enter some crypts by The Haunted Mansion and walk a maze of catacombs inspired by the famous catacombs in Paris. The catacombs would go beneath the river and connect to a partially buried pirate ship on Tom Sawyer Island. Fort Wilderness on Tom Sawyer Island would have been replaced with a pirate hideout housed in another capsized ship full of treasure and activities for guest. The plan was proposed for approval, but never got the go ahead.

Written By Nathan O.