Betcha Didn't Know

My favorite four-letter F-word is "free," followed by "food." This last weekend we went to Disneyland for free for the second time since moving to San Diego four years ago. Last time was made possible by the hotel that my wife worked for and this time was through her "mommy blogger" connections. We weren't sure how our one and a half year old would handle it. What's more, we had actually decided before marriage not to take our kids to any expensive tourist attractions until after the age of eight. Because it was free though, we made an exception and I think our toddler man did just fine, much better than expected. I even learned some things by checking out baby-friendlier areas where I would have otherwise not gone. I'm going to list some of those for you along with some factoids I got from a souvenir book we picked up the time before last for the 50th anniversary celebration.

1. Perhaps you already knew there's a petting zoo at Disneyland (I didn't), but I betcha didn't know there used to be a cow there called Mickey Moo with a black mark on its side in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. This is significant to all the "Hidden Mickey" hunters out there, people who actually frequent the parks enough to need a distraction from all the obvious distractions. These hunters look at the architecture, landscaping, sculptures, and sidewalks for things in the shape of Mickey's head or body that the builders and/or designers intentionally or unintentionally included.

2. Perhaps you already knew that Tomorrowland was built according to predictions of how the super-futuristic year of 1986 was supposed to be, but I betcha didn't know why 1986 is specifically significant. Well, that was the year of the return of Halley's Comet. It's significant to me because most of Tomorrowland reminds me of Back to the Future movie series, and before they put in the Space Mountain roller coaster, there used to a flying saucers ride, where the bumper car-like vehicles you rode actually hovered a few inches off the ground, just the hoverboards in Back to the Future Part II.

3. Perhaps you already realized that the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride is decorated to look like Bryce Canyon National Park, but I betcha didn't know there a was another train ride in the same spot before the current roller coaster was built, and before that there were national park-like trails for horseback riding. Now the only thing national park-like is the Grand Californian Hotel, which has beautiful, charming woodwork but rooms start at $349 a night.

4. Perhaps you've been going to Disneyland since it opened in 1958, but I betcha don't know exactly, or can't remember which was the first of the thrill rides. It was the Matterhorn, which is unique to Disneyland because it's never been replicated at the other parks around the world like most of the other rides. When I was a kid, it was the ride I was most excited for, having seen a picture of a scary troll from it (I was into fantasy creatures of all kinds). Now I can say it's the most uncomfortable ride at Disneyland, not because of the length of the line or the size of the seats, but because the herky jerky ride itself almost bruises you. And the troll? You only get a split second glance, so it's better to stick with the picture in the brochure.

5. Perhaps you already realized that the Haunted Mansion ride goes underneath the Disneyland Railroad, but I betcha didn't know that before the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean were built (long before their respective movies - I hope kids learn that), there was an area of the park called Holidayland for company picnics and family reunions. It "featured its own admission gate, a baseball diamond, and accomodations for volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and square dancing" (from Disneyland: Then, Now, and Forever, Gordon & O'Day, 2005). Can you imagine something like that now?