Disneyland
away for a week
The
You Thought You Knew
Did you know that the cannons in Disneyland’s Town Square are actual cannons used by the French Army in the nineteenth century? Or that the organ in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion is the same organ that was in the 1954 version of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea? You may think that you’ve experienced Disneyland before. After all, you’ve ridden the teacups and taken pictures with all your favorite Disney characters—what more is there to discover? Let’s not be too hasty! “The happiest place on earth” holds secrets unbeknownst to even the most fanatical Disney enthusiast: hidden Mickeys, architectural illusions, and historical memorabilia, just to name a few. Discovering some of these secrets will captivate you in a childlike trance once again.
Tricking Your Senses
Walt Disney used a lot of care and creativity when designing Disneyland. He made sure it was a place where adults could feel like kids and kids could feel like adults. Even the tiniest details were considered. For example, he refused to have 90-degree angles on the sidewalks; he thought they would be too harsh, so instead he made sure all of the curbs were curved. Disney also implemented a lot of forced perspective. You may notice that Main Street, U.S.A., seems longer going toward the castle than it does leaving. That is because the street
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narrows slightly, giving the illusion of a longer street as you enter and a shorter street as your tired legs walk you out at the end of the day. Forced perspective is also used on the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Larger trees are planted at the bottom of the Matterhorn, and they slowly decrease as they go up. The trees at the top are a mere two feet tall, though they appear much bigger. And the lower elements of the castle are larger than those at the top, giving an illusion of a building much taller than 77 feet. The Disney design team also did their homework when they created what they call Noseeum (no-see-um) Green. This is the color they paint things they don’t want you to notice. For example, the door to Club 33 is
painted Noseeum Green to detract attention from its entrance. (Club 33 is an elite Disney club with a three-year waiting list, a $25,000 initiation fee, and yearly dues of $10,000.) As you try to find hidden doors and admire the architectural genius of Disneyland, you