Even the most casual parkgoer is familiar with Disneyland’s biggest hits, from Space Mountain and the towering slopes of the Matterhorn Bobsleds to the gilded carousel peeking through Sleeping Beauty Castle. With 54 rides and a variety of shows, parades, live music, exhibits, and galleries, however, there’s no shortage of incredible sights to see at the park—and more than a few cool spots that always seem to go unnoticed by the (understandably overwhelmed) first-timer.
If you’re the type of traveler who prefers a leisurely stroll down Main Street, U.S.A. to a sprint toward Splash Mountain, these may be just the kind of spots that pique your curiosity. If you fall into the latter category, well, most of these also double as great places to hang out and chill once that roller coaster fever has died down.
The Disney Gallery – Disneyland
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a marvel in and of itself, but how many times have you stopped before or after the show to admire the collection of paintings, busts, and model replicas that line the walls of the foyer?
While you wait for the next show to start, walk around the back of the Disney Gallery (beyond the plethora of Disneyland memorabilia you’ll pass at the entrance) and take a look at the painting to the left of the fireplace—the lifelike rendering by portrait painter and Imagineering concept artist Richard Broderick jumps out of the frame as realistically as any photograph. Among various other installations, including a 1935 model of the Capitol Building and a dozen ‘Spirit of America’ statues, you’ll find an even more striking portrait in film designer John DeCuir, Sr.’s “The Burden of War,” which is also incorporated in the show as a moving depiction of Abraham Lincoln’s loneliness during a private moment in the White House. If you take time to read the bios on each piece of art, you’ll discover some interesting nuggets about Disneyland’s history, too, as well as all that of the incredible people who came together to realize Walt’s dream.
Disney Animation Building – Disney California Adventure
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
I’m not going to lie: This is my all-time favorite spot in any Disney park. From the outside, it looks like another nondescript building on your way to Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout! at the end of Hollywood Land, but in reality it’s so, so much more than that. After you follow the winding pathway indoors, you’ll enter into a dim lounge surrounded by 360-degree screens. The screens rotate through montages of Disney films, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Ratatouille to Frozen, and the atmosphere is both incredibly relaxing and set to a comfortable temperature (an essential feature given the scarcity of shaded spots in either Disney park!).
If sitting on a couch belting your heart out to “A Whole New World” isn’t your style, there are also a variety of free shows and activities available for the restless at heart, including the screen-interactive Turtle Talk with Crush, an Anna and Elsa meet-and-greet, beautifully-designed rooms in the Sorcerer’s Workshop where you can test your animation skills and explore a replica of the Beast’s tremendous library, and another personal favorite, the 20-minute animation classes that are held from park open to park close. With a variety of talented Disney artists on hand to instruct aspiring artists and a few dozen characters to choose from, Animation Academy and the rest of the feature attractions at Disney Animation Building are easily worth the price of park admission alone.
Disney Visa Cardmember Character Experience – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure
Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)
Undeniably, the worst part about meeting characters at the Disney parks is the wait. Even without impatient little ones in tow, it can be exhausting to wait over an hour or two just for a two- to five-minute interface with Goofy, Stitch, or Rapunzel.
Luckily, there are several ways to circumvent this issue—perhaps the best one of which is the Disney Visa meet-and-greets offered at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Any guest with a Disney Visa in-hand is invited to participate in an exclusive meet-and greet and is almost always guaranteed a little bit of a shorter line and a little bit longer of typical character interactions.
The only downside? These exclusive character experiences last just three hours each day from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., so you’ll have to be punctual if you want to make the most of your time there. Also, character availability is varied and unpredictable, and you may not always get to see characters dressed for the holidays or other special occasions, either. The location in Hollywood Land tends to feature a variety of fur characters, while you can meet Star Wars-specific characters at Star Wars Launch Bay over in Disneyland from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough – Disneyland
Image: Jeremy Thompson, Flickr (license)
Yes, this is a fairly obvious choice—but while oodles and oodles of guests ogle the pink-and-blue castle every day, far fewer venture inside to look at the Sleeping Beauty dioramas and get spooked by Maleficent’s green shadow effect.
The interior of Sleeping Beauty Castle first opened to guests in 1957, but an updated and technology-enhanced version wasn’t offered until 2008. There are no moving components, nor is the attraction overwrought with special effects or mind-blowing Audio-Animatronics, but its simple retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story is quaint and imaginatively executed.
While the walkthrough pales in comparison to even the most basic dark ride attraction in Fantasyland (let alone the Signature Dining experience at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle or the 89-foot animatronic dragon under Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Paris), there’s a certain charm that comes with the ability to walk through the park’s most iconic building. As a plus, the whole experience is fully indoors and never all that crowded, making it an ideal choice on a hot, busy day at the parks.
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Which out-of-the-way places do you wish you’d known about on your first trip to the Disney Parks?
