Disney Online -- Disney Insider Page 2

Week of May 6 through 12, 2002

Secrets of Disneyland

By Your Good Friends at Disney Online

Looking for more secrets to impress family and friends on your next visit to Disneyland? So were we -- luckily, we found four-year cast member Marty Klein, a Guest Relations Host and trivia expert who leads the park's tours entertaining guests with "inside" stories. Between tours (his VIP guests have included Regis Philbin, Jodie Foster, and Susan Lucci) Marty spilled some park secrets. He also told Disney Insider -- you heard it here first! -- about some new tours sure to get Disneyland fanatics excited.

Q: In addition to the guided, VIP, and Walk in Walt's Footsteps tours currently offered, we heard Guest Relations is adding tours to satisfy Disneyphiles who want a peek behind the scenes. Can you tell us about them?

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A: Details are still being developed, but I can tell you we're planning to offer one tour in the early morning as the stage is being set for Disneyland Park, another focusing on our vast array of entertainment experiences (possibly including an exclusive view of Fantasmic!), and another family-oriented tour at Disney's California Adventure. The new tours are slated to begin sometime this summer.

Q: Tell us a few Disneyland secrets.
A: The Enchanted Tiki Room: Walt's inspiration for the Tiki Room -- the first show featuring fully synchronized Audio-Animatronics figures -- came from a small mechanical birdcage that he found at a New Orleans antique shop. He was so fascinated by the birds in the cage that he bought two of them -- one to display and one to take apart. One of the original birdcages can usually be seen in the reproduction of Walt's office located in The Walt Disney Story attraction on Main Street; however, it's been temporarily relocated to the "One Man's Dream" exhibit at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida as part of their 100 Years of Magic celebration.

Haunted Mansion: The singing busts in the Graveyard scene represent the singing group the Mello Men, who also play the parts of the singing cards in Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," and can be heard on Alice's attraction singing "Painting the Roses Red."
Sleeping Beauty Castle: A special spot just beneath Sleeping Beauty Castle marks the original center of the park, before Critter Country or Mickey's Toontown were added. As you emerge on the other side of the tunnel into Fantasyland, there's a golden spike driven into the ground -- look for it on your next visit!

To find out more about taking a tour, visit Disneyland Guided Tours or call (714) 781-7290.