Disneyland Secrets

Ir is my last day in San Diego, early in the morning and I have the tele on.  One of the short news blurbs was on the secrets of Disneyland.  In case you didn't know it, Disneyland is celebrating its 60th anniversary later this month.  It opened on July 17, 1955. My father was privileged  to visit the park the day before it officially opened.

There are secrets like secret bathrooms in the Indian Jones line up area, secret paths that wander through parts of the park,  a pet cemetery that you can get a tour of if you ask during a non busy time but there is one thing that really caught my attention.

The part that caught my attention?  Walt Disney had a real apartment hidden in one of the buildings!  I've been there several times but I didn't know that!

When Disneyland was being built, Walt Disney had an apartment built on the second floor above the Fire Department.  It is a fully designed apartment with kitchen, bathroom, If you look for the window with the burning light, you found the apartment.  When Walt was alive the light indicated he was in residence but now it is kept lit for remembrance.  There is a lovely little article on the apartment here.

Based on research, Walt stood at the window the very first day the park was open and watched all the people who came in to experience a new vision of an amusement park.  He was happy to see how well people received his idea.