Free & Unusual Things to do at Disneyland

Free and Unusual Things to do at Disneyland

            There are several special things you can do at Disneyland that are free of charge. I’m going to create a list and give a little description of each special things.

            Ride in the Lilly Bell Presidential Parlor Car:

            The Lilly Bell Parlor Car is a very special 20 minute tour around Disneyland riding in the elegant Lilly Bell car decorated by Lillian Disney in honor of Walt Disney after his death. There are 2-4 tours per day with a maximum of 14 guests per tour. Each group has a private Conductor that tells the story of the Disneyland Railroad, Disneyland and the Lilly Bell train car.

            To catch a ride on the Lilly Bell you must arrive at Disneyland before the Park opens and be at the Main Street Train Station at opening. Talk to the first Conductor you see and ask to ride the Lillie Bell. These tours can fill up in as few as 10 minutes. If you have somebody in a wheelchair in your group they cannot board the train at Main Street so you will have to inform the Conductor when you sign up about the situation and they can pick you up in New Orleans.

            Disneyland Railroad Tender Ride:

           When Walt Disney built Disneyland he said there had to be a train going around the outside of the park. To that end Walt had two engines made special for his Railroad. The CK Holiday and the EP Ripley are trained one and two respectively. On the tender or fuel car behind the engine Walt had special seats designed so that selected guests could ride up front with him as he drove the train around Disneyland. You would never find Walt sitting in a standard train car. He was either driving or not on it at all.

            This is a 20 minute ride around Disneyland with the engineers telling you the history of the train, how they work and other fun facts about the railroad.

            This is one of the harder free and special things to do at Disneyland. Go to the Main Street Train Station and talk to the first Conductor you see. They do not know exactly when you can board to do a Tender Ride as they have to wait until certain things are not happening on the train. Also there are only two trains the can do a Tender Ride, and they don’t always run on the same day. They cannot let you ride the Tender Car if they are stopping to take on water or fuel in New Orleans. Because of that you may have to wait 2 to 3 hours to get on the train. In my opinion if you have time it is well worth the wait.

            Mark Twain Wheelhouse:

           Take a ride in the Wheelhouse of the Mark Twain Riverboat! See the “Captains Quarters” where Walt Disney would sometimes hide from the crowds with a bowl of chili. Watch the shores of the Rivers of America go past way up high. It is a spectacular view.

Only 2-4 people can be in the Wheelhouse at any one time. Even with four you may need to do some trading off. This is not handicap accessible as you need to go of several flights of stairs to get to the “Captains Quarters” and then you have to climb up a ladder like stairway to get into the actual Wheelhouse. Don’t forget to sign the guestbook and get your “pilots certificate” before leaving.

If you wish to pilot the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain just ask the Cast Member at the dock. If someone is not scheduled to be up there or they do not have some other issue they will be more than happy to let you ride in the Wheelhouse.

Map of the Jungle Cruise:

You can get a map of the Jungle Cruise attraction free for the asking! This is a fun keepsake printed on parchment. To get your map just ask any Cast Member at the end of the ride or walk up next to the handicap line and ask a Cast Member there.

Monorail Front and Back:

The Monorail has small cabins at both ends of the train. The pilot is in one and the other is empty. This gives you the unique privilege of being able to speak with the pilot while writing and have a face on view (looking either forward or backwards depending on how the train is facing) instead of a sideways view of your travels. If you ask a cast member and are willing to wait you can ride in the front with the pilot or in the back.

            A Visit with Oscar:

            Oscar is a Disneyland Treasure! Oscar is the Head Chef at Carnation Plaza on Main Street. Oscar started working at Disneyland in 1956. He is the longest tenured Cast Member at the Disneyland resort. His has worked at Disneyland for 55 years! When the Park first opens you’ll find Oscar standing outside the Carnation Plaza restaurant greeting guests as they strolled down Main Street. Later in the day you’ll see him either outside the Carnation Plaza or inside walking around the tables making sure the guests are happy. Oscar no longer cooks instead he is an ambassador for the Park. Many of the park regulars do not consider their visit complete until they have said hello to Oscar and gotten a hug from him. If you do not see Oscar just ask a Cast Member in the Carnation Plaza if he is there that day.