There Are a Surprising Number of Secrets About Disneyland’s Adventureland You Probably Don’t Know

Disneyland is home to several immersive themed lands including Adventureland, and while there have been new additions over the years, the five original lands at the park from opening day still exist for guests to enjoy. There is a lot of history behind each of these, but one of the most interesting lands filled with several fun secrets you might not know is Adventureland.

This is one of the first lands you'll encounter off Main Street U.S.A., themed after exotic locales and exciting adventures. It is home to three attractions, the opening-day ride Jungle Cruise, the popular thrill ride Indiana Jones Adventure, and Adventureland Treehouse, as well as popular dining offerings including Bengal Barbecue, the Tiki Juice Bar (home to the famous Disneyland dessert Dole Whip), and Tropical Hideaway.

In addition to sharing guidance for planning your vacation, we're also always looking to share some of the most interesting secrets about the parks that you may not know. There are some mind-blowing stories behind the making of this land as well as its past (and present) inhabitants. Let's dive into 5 facts about Adventureland that will surprise you!

Adventureland Was Supposed to Be on the Other Side of the Park

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When Disneyland was being conceptualized, Walt and his team were interested in building a nature-inspired area that they originally intended to name “True-Life Adventure Land” after Disney's True-Life Adventures. These were a series of nature documentary films made between 1948 and 1960, and eight of them won Academy Awards. The series included films like Seal Island, The African Lion, and more.

According to The Walt Disney Family Museum, Walt spoke about the appeal of Adventureland in a segment that was part of his 1956 Disneyland television show. “Ever since Disneyland Park opened, one of the most popular realms has been Adventureland,” he shared. “Most everyone has been impressed by, and curious about, the realism of Adventureland—the lifelike animals, the authentic tropical settings…”

Interestingly, Adventureland was supposed to be on the east side of the park, but after construction began, it became clear that the grouping of eucalyptus trees that once functioned as a windbreak would lend itself much better to creating the atmosphere of Adventureland. The east side therefore became where Tomorrowland resided, and Adventureland was moved to the west side of the park.

Real Alligators Used to Be in the Jungle Cruise

The appeal of Adventureland was based around the opening-day attraction Jungle Cruise, with realistic animatronic creatures that captivated the interest of visitors. Though Walt originally wanted to have live animals in the attraction, this would not come to fruition due to some obvious issues with the safety and feasibility of the idea. According to the Walt Disney Family Museum, Walt said, “…to stock Adventureland with live animals was neither safe nor practical, so on paper we began to sketch and design replicas that would be made of plastic and steel, but when in action would be as lifelike as their real counterparts.”

While Imagineers then began work on creating lifelike animatronics, which make up the heart of the attraction today, Walt still initially wanted to include real animals in some capacity for guests to marvel at. Baby alligators were initially displayed at the attraction in an enclosed wade pool. To this day, this is still one of the weirdest things we can't believe used to be at Disneyland. The baby alligators did not stick around for long, however, as they kept escaping from their enclosure.

It Was An Adventure In Itself to Get the Greenery for the Jungle Cruise…

According to The Walt Disney Museum, Disney Legend Harper Goff, who worked on the designs for Main Street U.S.A. and the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, recalled how Walt was disappointed by the lack of fully-grown trees when he test-rode the Jungle Cruise prior to its opening. “Walt said, ‘I went in the [Jungle Cruise] river ride and saw a bunch of little buckets along the bank with little saplings about this high in there. I want trees in there!’ Walt wanted real trees.”

Walt tasked Goff and horticulturists Bill and Jack Evans with finding real trees that they could use for the attraction. They found many of these trees by calling cities to see if they were tearing them out and drove around to places like Pasadena in search of more. According to The Walt Disney Museum, “We would call cities to see if they were tearing out trees for improvements and go buy them—we got many that way,” said Goff. “We drove all around in places like Pasadena, seeing great, big, nice trees. We’d go up to people and ask them: ‘Any chance you’re tired of that tree? We’ll give you $200 and carry it away.’”

In another story about the tree-hunting adventures, Goff mentions how he kept driving past a house in Beverly Hills that had a perfect tree they were eyeing. “I thought: what have we got to lose?” Goff said. “I went in to ask the people if they would consider selling it. I told the owner we would replace it with a flowerbed or anything they wanted, and surprisingly the owner told me ‘yes’—it was blocking the sunlight and view coming through his windows… It was the tree that went around the original Burmese Temple, and we got it for nothing.”

…And There Is a Particularly Special Tree in Adventureland

While there are countless trees in Adventureland, one has a particularly special status due to the story behind it. This particular palm had grown on the farmland that Walt Disney ultimately purchased for the park, and when the owner sold the land, he requested that the tree be kept onsite.

The Walt Disney Family Museum shares how, “It was a stalwart and revered resident of his front lawn, admired by three generations of children and adults. One member of his family married beneath it,” said Bill Evans. “When the owner of the land sold his acreage [where Pirates of the Caribbean is now] to Walt Disney in 1954, he requested that this venerable palm be lifted tenderly from its old home and trundled—all fifteen tons of it—to Adventureland.”

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This land belonged to the family of Ron Dominguez, who started off working at Disneyland in a summer job as a ticket taker. During his career, he ultimately became the executive vice president of Walt Disney Attractions for the West Coast and was named a Disney Legend in 2000.

The tree that was on the property of the Dominguez family, known as the Dominguez Palm, was planted in 1896 as a wedding gift to Ron Dominguez's grandparents. It can still be seen today between Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones Adventure as a living piece of Disneyland history.

You Have Probably Walked Right Past This Secret Resident of the Land

Another Adventureland tree holds a very special secret resident you may not know about. The trunk of the tree with the sign for Indiana Jones Adventure is where you'll find the dwelling of the “Little Man of Disneyland,” who comes with a very cute story that also connects back to the opening of the park. If you look closely, you'll find the home of Patrick Begorra, a leprechaun who is featured in one of Disney's Little Golden Books, Little Man of Disneyland.

The story of the book is that Patrick Begorra once lived in a tree amongst the Anaheim orange groves on the land that would eventually become Disneyland. One day, he saw Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto preparing for Disneyland's construction. The characters take Patrick back to the Walt Disney Studio to see the plans for the park, and he agrees that they can move forward with it as long as he still gets a home there.

To this day, Patrick Begorra still lives in a tree in Adventureland, where you can see his tiny dwelling. The house will even get decorated for St. Patrick's Day during the year!

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