March 1967 – present LOCATION New Orleans Square – The Blue Bayou is truly a restaurant hidden in plain sight; it’s inside Pirates of the Caribbean! To find the entrance to the restaurant, head down Royal Street (the street to the right of the Pirates entrance). You’ll see an ornate waiting room and a check-in […] Read more…
With Star Wars Land construction changing much of the park’s landscape, Disneyland’s Railroad will be closed until the new land’s debut. But this closure isn’t all bad; guests now have a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the train! Let’s go behind the scenes at the Disneyland Railroad. Stop by the New […] Read more…
UPDATE: as of November 2023, the Treehouse is now the Adventureland Treehouse, and this hidden gem is no longer part of the campsite. The post below is from the Treehouse’s former variation as the Tarzan’s Treehouse! Disneyland tends to keep storytelling elements distinctly separated by land. You’d be hard pressed to find any cowboys outside […] Read more…
Happy Halloween! Monday is the big day for costumes, candy, and spooky fun, but the Disneyland Resort has been celebrating Halloween all month long. In fact, each fall Frontierland hosts a seasonal hidden gem: the Halloween Tree! The tree, which lights up the courtyard next to the Golden Horseshoe, draws inspiration from a 1972 novel by […] Read more…
The Market House on Main Street USA is Disneyland’s largest coffee shop. Thousands of guests stream by every day, some stopping in for hot drinks, pastries, and sandwiches. But most park visitors have no idea that within the Market House lies an amazing artifact: a real turn-of-the-century Potbelly Stove. This Potbelly Stove came from Baltimore, […] Read more…
When guests walk into Disneyland, the very first thing they see is the Main Street USA railroad station, typically with a train parked out front. Many park visitors don’t realize that Disneyland actually runs multiple trains, and one train tows a hidden gem at the rear. Train #1, the C.K. Holiday, dates all the way […] Read more…
July 1955 – present LOCATION Main Street USA – The two largest Disneyland bands, the Disneyland Band and the All-American College Band, play primarily on Main Street. But they do also play in other lands, and smaller bands perform in other lands. As you roam the park throughout the day, you’re bound to run into […] Read more…
June 1956 – present LOCATION Main Street USA – The fireworks are designed for the view from Main Street USA, but they don’t technically belong to any particular land. The show lights up the night sky at roughly 9:30 pm every evening, and virtually every land in the park offers at least partial views of […] Read more…
Mickey’s Toontown may be one of the smaller lands in Disneyland, but that doesn’t mean it has any less magic. Every time you turn the corner in Toontown, you’re bound to discover some kind of secret or hidden gag. Some of the most popular gags require a little effort, like pushing a button or pulling […] Read more…
If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you’ve almost certainly walked along the Rivers of America. You’ve seen the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia, and you’ve walked by the dock next to Frontierland. But did you notice that on the other side of the river, there’s another dock? This dock is part of […] Read more…
Disneyland is known for its exciting coasters and nostalgic rides, but behind the headliners there’s so much more to discover. In fact, Disneyland holds so many hidden treasures, its almost like a museum in and of itself. Some of these treasures include a series of Orchestrions, early 20th century instruments meant to mimic the sound […] Read more…
Disneyland in 1955 was a very different place. It has always been the epicenter of wholesome family entertainment, but several decades ago, standards of what is “Disney appropriate” were a little different. For one, you could purchase a much larger variety of items on Main Street USA that would never be in a Disney park […] Read more…
If you’ve ever been gone shopping on Main Street USA, odds are you’ve visited the Disneyland Emporium. This corner shop next to the fire station is the largest store on the street, and has a huge selection of souvenirs and Disney merchandise. But for shoppers who take a moment to look above the wares for […] Read more…
When Walt Disney first conceived of Disneyland, one of the only attractions he immediately wanted for his park was a train. The Disneyland Railroad would provide a grand circle tour of the park, and would be a source of entertainment and a method of transportation for guests. Since 1955, the Railroad has been one of […] Read more…