Fun Facts in Honor of DL's 50th

[kgmadorin]

The following is a collection of interesting figures from Disneyland Staff and Disney Archives research, compiled around April 1 of this year. Enjoy!

515 million: Number of guests the park has welcomed since it opened.

26 million: Hand towels used in Disneyland's restrooms during the year.

13.3 million: Guests welcomed last year, making it the second-most-visited theme park in the country. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., was No. 1, with 15.1 million.

4 million: Hamburgers sold at the park each year.

3.2 million: Servings of ice cream sold at the park each year.

3.1 million: Amount of cardboard — in pounds — that the park recycles during a year.

2 million: Phone calls the park receives during a typical year. The most frequently called individual is Mickey Mouse. The most frequently asked questions — other than the ones answered by the recorded information line — relate to merchandise and collectibles.

1.6 million: Hot dogs sold at the park each year.

1 million: Annuals planted each year throughout the park.

500,000: Pieces in the Disneyland costume inventory. A new costume takes from eight months to a year to produce.

100,000: Light bulbs used throughout the park, including 11,000 "rim lights" that outline the buildings on Main Street, U.S.A.

75,000: Performances by the Disneyland Marching Band during the last 50 years.

21,000-plus: Cast members (employees) at Disneyland Resort.

10,250: Guest parking spots.

5,000: The minimum number of gallons of paint used each year to keep the attractions and buildings looking fresh.

5,000: Trees throughout the park. They range in size from the 1-foot dwarf spruce in Storybook Land to the 75-foot-tall eucalyptus trees along the park's perimeter.

1,000: Brooms used by park employees each year. They also go through 3,000 mops and 500 dust pans.

800: Species of plants at the park, which come from more than 40 nations.

87: Hotel and motel rooms in Anaheim in 1955. Today, there are more than 18,000 rooms at 150 hotels and motels.

85: The size of the theme park, in acres.

60-plus: Attractions and adventures at the theme park today.

$53: Price of a single-day theme park ticket. The price is $43 for ages 3-9.

34: Restaurants in Anaheim in 1955. There are more than 450 today.

30: The amount — in tons — of trash collected in the park during a busy day.

18: Attractions available on opening day.

9: The number of times the Mickey Mouse flower "portrait," located at the main entrance, is replanted each year.

8: The number of themed lands. They are: Adventureland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Main Street, Mickey's Toontown, Tomorrowland and New Orleans Square.

$2.37: Average per-guest spending during the first year for parking, admission, rides and souvenirs.

[AKLRULZ]

$2.37!! Things sure have changed, eh?!

Great stats!

[G2-4T]

Those are some very impressive numbers! 1,000 brooms - geez that is a lot, and 5,000 gallons of paint is a load of them, how many brushes does that take?

[AlexLoup]

I know... a lot has happened in fifty years. 8)

[borjoyzee]

lies... after walt died.....took out rides then say they will replace them but none to sure they will ever return.

[kgmadorin]

lies... after walt died.....took out rides then say they will replace them but none to sure they will ever return.

[FootballGuy101]

Walt's favorite ride while he was alive was Pirates of the Caribbean.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was based upon Bryse Canyon in Utah.
Walt used to hang out above town hall and watch all of the visitors.
I've got some more, but I don't know if anyone is even looking at this so...

[Gizmata]

I've got some more, but I don't know if anyone is even looking at this so...

Yes we do look

Sometimes though we don't have good enough comments to justify posting though. :\

[kgmadorin]

Walt's favorite ride while he was alive was Pirates of the Caribbean.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was based upon Bryse Canyon in Utah.
Walt used to hang out above town hall and watch all of the visitors.
I've got some more, but I don't know if anyone is even looking at this so...

Welcome to the forums, FootballGuy! Thanks for posting.

I'd love to hear more facts, as I'm always collecting more useless Disney knowledge. But I do have a couple questions about the ones above: First, Pirates of the Caribbean didn't open until March 18, 1967, about three months after Walt's death. Though the flume was filled with water on October 31, 1966, the show elements were not all placed yet. Did Walt mean it was his favorite attraction to build? Second, Walt had an apartment above the fire station, which is the building just to the right of City Hall. Could that apartment's location have been mistaken for town hall?

Thanks again, and welcome to subsonic radio!

[FootballGuy101]

You're right about it opening after he passed on. My understanding is that it was his favorite as he knew what it was like. I know that does make much sense or sound valid, but he helped put the ride together (as I'm sure he did for the majority of the rides opened while he was alive) and make it is what it is today. You might be right in saying that it might have been his favorite ride to build, but I think it meant perhaps in the theme and idea of the attraction. I can try to find where I read that particular piece of information though. The first time I read it was from disneyland.com when they used to have little tidbits or ride facts I think they were called on each ride. The second was in one of my Disney books. Again, I think you are right about the apartment on top of the firestation as well. Not having been to Disneyland in a couple of months since I've been away at college, I'm not so sure about what the town hall and firestation building(s) look like at present. So, I modified that statement based upon memory or perhaps the fact that the two buildings and their respective rooms on the upper floors perhaps might be connected. Sorry for the confusion and mis-informing. "I'm sure I'll do better next time. I'm still getting used to my programming." Lil Disneyland humor for you there.

[js3901]

as far as I heard, Walt once said that EVERY ride is his favorite. All new rides in design or construction, Walt loved, for they were all dreams that were becoming reality. That's what Walt wanted when he made DLR.

I'll try and find the exact quote for this...

[kgmadorin]

You might be right in saying that it might have been his favorite ride to build, but I think it meant perhaps in the theme and idea of the attraction. I can try to find where I read that particular piece of information though. The first time I read it was from disneyland.com when they used to have little tidbits or ride facts I think they were called on each ride.

I think you could be right with that--that Walt thought the idea was the best of anything he had yet developed. If you do find the source of the info, keep me posted. I'm always dubious about Disney trivia unless it can be verified by a reliable source. I used to bite into every rumor I heard; hook, line and sinker. But I've found that far too many of them turn out to be Disney urban legends.

Thanks again, footballguy, and I'm sure your next Star Speeder voyage will go more smoothly.

[FootballGuy101]

I can't be sure how valid this site is, but it has info on what I referenced in regards to Pirates. http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/disneyland ... rates.html

Hope that helps.

[js3901]

that's where I saw it... I think I may have also seen a video clip where Walt said this...

Pirates of the Carribean was Walt Disney's favorite ride before he died, even though he died before it was finished. However, that was why it was his favorite. He always liked the "next one" best!

[FootballGuy101]

Okay, another fact about the park. The oldest ride in the park still running today is the disneyland railroad.