5 Best Kept Disneyland Secrets - Best Spots To See At Disneyland

A Disneyland vacation is an experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. I come from a family of Disney fanatics, so when we all hit the park, we go full force.

The night before we go into the park, we all gather around. Moms, dads, grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends all squeeze into one of our hotel rooms, and we make our battle plan.We want to do everything there is to do, and so we plan the day accordingly.

Through many trips to Disneyland, and many battle plans later, we feel like we know the park inside and out. We also became aware that the majority of people who visit Disneyland and California Adventures often miss some of the attractions that my family considers some of the hidden wonders of Disneyland.

So, I will share some of my family's Disneyland secrets with you now.

Hidden Wonder #1- Billy Hill and the Hillbillies Show

• Billy Hill and the Hillbillies Show at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland. Located right on the waterfront, this show is often bypassed, or thought to be only a restaurant. However, it is soooo much more!
• In 7 years of watching the saloon show, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies have never let me down. Visitors can chose to sit on the floor level or in the balcony. The braver (or maybe unsuspecting) visitors sit closer to the stage, where they will, most likely, become part of the act! You can get food and drinks if you get there early enough before the show starts.
• The show is a combination of comedy and musical talent. The show makes references to pop music, current events, and thrives off of audience participation. I believe each show lasts around 45 minutes to an hour, which is well worth the time.
• So, next time you go to Disneyland, stop by this "diamond in the rough" (cue small disney reference), grab some good food and a seat, and enjoy the show!

Hidden Wonder #2 - Disney's Animations Building

The second attraction is found in California Adventures. Disney's Animations is more than just a good place to catch a break from the California sun and cool down. When you walk into the building, you follow a wall that has the words "Once Upon A Time" painted on it.

• Following this path, you are dumped into an enormous room and are surrounded by a 360 degree view of huge screens that play scenes from Disney movies. I like to go in and sit on one of the couches in the main room and just watch and listen. Its pretty magical, in the true Disney fashion.
• Then, spiraling out of the main room, are different wings inside the Animations building.One area shows the original sketches of cartoon characters. My favorites are the original sketches of Ursula from the Little Mermaid, The Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and Buzz from Toy Story.I never knew that one of the ideas for The Beast's character was a baboon! This room also shows how characters were originally constructed and made to move. You can create your own moving cartoons on tables inside this wing.
• In another wing, is the show Turtle Talk with Crush from the movie Finding Nemo. Members of the audience can actually talk with the animated version of Crush on screen inside the little theater.My family and I have tried to figure out how someone in the audience can talk with the cartoon character, and have Crush actually respond back to their question or response. Crush can identify specific people in the audience by what they are wearing, or how loud they are.Its really amazing! You can ask Crush any question, and he will answer. One of our friends asked what Beatles song was Crush's favorite, and he said that Yellow Submarine was his favorite! I think the show lasts around 20 minutes. The show kept me and my family talking about it for the rest of the day!
• One of the other wings inside the Animations building lets you figure out which Disney character you are most like. My whole family went wild in this room! The room itself is designed to be how The Beast's library would look. There are maybe 10 stations where you can take the quiz and have your picture taken. The quiz determined that I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast, my dad was Mushu from Mulan, and my mom was (of course) Mulan. Even my grandparents got really into it and were excited to find their Disney alter ego.
• The last wing that me and my family really liked was Arielle's Grottos , where Ursula steals your voice, and places it into scenes from Disney movies. You can chose if you want to sing a song, or have your voice dubbed into a conversation. My favorite scene to do is the clip of Simba and Scar from the Lion King where they talk about being a monkeys uncle. Its just as much fun to watch other people in my group do the voice overs, as it was for me to actually do the talking.

Hidden Wonder #3 - Pineapple Whip

Most people run through the gates to Adventureland, completely bypassing one of Disneyland's Hidden Wonders. And this little treasure, is found right inside the gates to this land.

• Walking through the gates, simply glance to your left, and you will find this hidden wonder. Located right in front of the Enchanted Tiki Room, is the juice bar that serves the tastiest treat in the entire park: Pineapple Whip. I still can't completely identify what it is, because it's a mix between ice cream, and slushy, and yogurt, and juice. Combine all those things together, and you get The Whip.
• My advise: order one serving of Pineapple Whip before you get in line for a ride, consume said Whip while you wait...Or, pick up some Whip whenever humanly possible!

Hidden Wonder #4 - Front compartment on the monorail

My friends and I discovered this fantastic little secret on one of our last nights in the park.

• We decided to take the monorail back to our hotel that night. As we were waiting in line, we noticed that the head of the monorail train had seats inside. We asked the attendant if we could sit inside that compartment, because the doors to that section didn't open when the rest of the trains doors did. He spoke to another attendant, and opened the door for us. We decided to name this compartment the VIP Lounge.
• Essentially, I think that the compartment is meant for those in wheelchairs because it is larger and roomier. But, if at all possible, next time you take the monorail at Disneyland, ask an attendant about the front of the train, because its worth it!

Hidden Wonder #5 - ASIMO Robot

Disney's Innovations building is located in Tomorrowland. Honestly, I have walked by this building each time I went to Disneyland. But, my dad went inside to check it out one time.

• Later that night, he raved about this robot called ASIMO that could dance, run, and interact with human gestures. Dad said that the imagineer (word Disney uses for their engineers) said that ASIMO was only one of two robots like it in the world.
• He said that it was a must see attraction, and I plan on doing just that next time I'm at Disneyland, and you should too!

So, to sum up, Disney's 5 Hidden Wonders (according to me) are:

#1 Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland

#2 Disney's Animations building

#3 Pineapple Whip at the juice bar outside the Enchanted Tiki Room

#4 The front compartment on the Monorail (VIP Lounge)

#5 ASIMO Robot show inside the Innovations building in Tomorrowland

Hope you check out these little know wonders on your next trip to Disneyland!

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