23 crazy facts about Disneyland
When the Anaheim, California, park first opened on July 17th in 1955, it was a mere fraction of the size it is today.
Since then, the park has inspired a number of legends and myths.
Some are true and some aren't.
In honor of the anniversary, we combed through the myths and legends to find the actual facts about Disneyland that will surprise you the most.
1. According to thisdayindisneyhistory.com, Disneyland originally opened on Sunday, July 17th, 1955 with a total of 18 attractions. The park now has 51 attractions (not including the attractions in Disney California Adventure Park).
2. When the park opened, admission was $1, according to PBS. It's now $99.
3. As of 2014, the park had welcomed almost 700 million guests since opening, according to Disneyland PR.
4. All the plants in the Tomorrowland attraction are edible.
5. According to Disney-pal.com, the park's haunted mansion has a pet cemetery. It's hidden on the mansion's side lawn - a place that guests rarely see. The cemetery is fake; pets aren't actually buried there, and the inscriptions on the grave stones are meant to be funny.
6. Both Steve Martin and Michelle Pfeiffer used to work at Disneyland before making it big in Hollywood. Pfeiffer was Alice in Wonderland and Martin was a magician, according to Mental Floss.
7. Over 84 million Mickey Mouse ears have been sold since Disneyland opened, making the ears the most popular Disneyland souvenir of all time.
8. Oscar Martinez, who now works at the Carnation Cafe, is Disneyland's longest-serving cast member. He started working at the park in December of 1956.
9. According to "Things To Do At Disneyland 2013," the facade of the building that makes up the It's A Small World ride is covered completely in gold leaf - ie real gold.
10. There's a small basketball court inside of Disneyland's Matterhorn. It's only for employees to use though.
11. According to Justdisney.com, it only took a year to build the park.
12. Walt Disney had his own private - and secret - apartment above the fire department on Main Street. The apartment is still there today, and the light in the window is supposed to symbolize Walt's presence.
13. Disneyland's monorail opened for the first time on June 14, 1959. At that time, it was the first daily operating monorail system in the Western hemisphere, according to Disneyland's social media director, Erin Glover.
14. According to the LA Times, there are around 200 feral cats that roam the park - mostly at night - which help to get rid of rodents.
15. According to the book "Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies" by Jason Surrell, the skeletons used in the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride were real skeletons taken from UCLA's medical center.
16. Up until 2000, Disneyland employees weren't allowed to have mustaches. Beards, colored hair, and certain piercings are still banned though, the LA Times reported.
17. Disneyland's announcer, Bill Rodgers, and California Park Adventure's announcer Camille Dixon are married.
18. Disneyland's Clubb 33 - which used to be the secret place where Walt Disney hosted important people - is the only place in the park that serves alcohol, according to LA Weekly.
19. Walt Disney and his wife celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with a party on the Mark Twain Riverboat shortly before the park opened.
20. According to IMDB, while visitors wait in line for the Star Tours ride, an announcement addresses passenger "Mr. Egroeg Sacul," which is George Lucas - the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises - spelled backwards.
21. A time capsule was buried in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle on July 17th, 1995, for the park's 40th anniversary. The time capsule will be opened 50 years from when it was buried - on July 17th, 2045, according to Ogelthorpe Univeristy.
22. According to IMDB, Thurl Ravenscroft, who was the voice of Tony the Tiger in Frosted Flake commericals and who sang the famous "you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch" song, is the voice for many attractions in Disneyland, including the Mark Twain river boat, the monorail, the Haunted Mansion, and it's a small world.
23. According to OC Weekly, Disneyland employees use the term "code V" to communicate that someone has thrown up in the park.