The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (236 page)


        
Rancho del Zocalo
(
DL
)

             
This
Frontierland
location once hosted the beloved
Casa de Fritos
, where Guests munched
Frito pie
.  These days you’ll find much more authentic Mexican-American dishes on the menu, from fish tacos to tortilla soup, citrus chicken to red chile enchiladas.  Deserts include flan and tres leches cake.  Signs are clear and service is very efficient.  For a mid-priced buffeteria the ambiance is first-rate—fountains, decorative tiles, and star-shaped glass lanterns in jewel tones make this dining experience a cut above many others, day or night.


        
Steakhouse 55
(
DL Hotel
) (R)

             
Another fine dining venue open to resort visitors, not just park-goers.  You don’t have to be staying at the
Disneyand Hotel
or visiting the parks to book a table here.  As its name suggests, this restaurant specializes in steaks, but meals suited to other tastes (fish, fowl, or vegetarian) are on the menu too.  Explore the grounds of
Disneyland
’s original (although now heavily renovated) hotel before or after your meal.  Relax in the lounge and indulge in one of their old-fashioned cocktails like the
French 75
(champagne, gin, lemon juice, and sugar).  The “55” in the name of this restaurant refers to 1955, the year
Disneyland
opened.  A perfect place for dates, celebrations, and business meals.


        
Uva Bar
(
DTD
)

             
And speaking of perfect places for dates, the 360-degree outdoor
Uva Bar
at the heart of
Downtown Disney
is a trendy little place where it’s fun to be seen while you see (and hear) all of the excitement around you.  Let the frenzied flow of Guests stream around the
Uva Bar
while you and your date—or pals—list to nearby violinists and percussionists.  Dine on salads, burgers, calamari, tacos, and stellar guacamole, while sipping daiquiris or playful drinks like the
Electric Blue Lemonade
or
Blacklisted
.  Service gets high ratings, though prices can be steep; expect to pay more than $10 for some cocktails.  Kids are allowed at
Uva Bar
, but for a real date night, book a babysitter and let the kids stay back at the hotel.


        
Wine Country Trattoria
(
DCA
) (R)

             
Transport yourself to Tuscany by way of California wine country at the
Wine Country Trattoria
.  Centrally located near the
Pacific Wharf
district, this gorgeous setting boasts terrific views from its terraces and within its comfortably appointed interiors.  Wines are the specialty here; let your server recommend the best glass or bottle for your dish, or sample the wine flights.  The Italian cuisine is superb, from salads and breads to pastas, fish, meats, and decadent desserts.  Ask about
World of Color
packages, which provide an amazing view of the
WOC
show after your meal, or stop next door to purchase a
WOC
picnic and ticket.  Although pricey, meals here tend to be less expensive than at the
Carthay Circle Theatre
,
Napa Rose
, or
Steakhouse 55
.

Disneyland Ghosts

Once upon a time, when
trying to build interest in
The Disneyland Book of Secrets
, I received a great piece of advice from author David Henry Sterry (a publishing expert and one of “The Book Doctors”):  He suggested YouTube as a great way to communicate with readers and fans.

So I filmed and posted brief videos about
Disneyland
subjects like
New Orleans Square
and the
Disneyland
resort hotels.  Over time, many of the videos got hundreds, and, eventually, thousands of hits.

In the course of my research for the books, I kept encountering ghost stories about
Disneyland
.  It occurred to me that YouTube viewers might like to see a brief video about
Disneyland
’s alleged ghosts.  So I made the video, and uploaded it, and it instantly became the most watched–and most liked, and most disliked–of the videos I’d posted.

As of this writing, this brief video has generated over 150,000 views.  It has generated hundreds of comments, too–some positive, some negative, some skeptical, some from true believers.  A suprising number of comments are about the heavy metal soundtrack–viewers either love it or loathe it.  Many commenters want to share their own
Disneyland
ghost encounters.

A viewer purporting to be a Cast Member contacted me not long after I launched the video.  The information that they provided led me to believe that they were a Cast Member at
Innoventions
and that they had taken part in an after-hours, guerilla ghost-hunting session at
Innoventions
, complete with audio equipment and infrared cameras.

I made a short video about this adventure as it was reported to me, and preserved the Cast Member’s anonymity because that’s how they want it; the Cast Member is afraid of getting into trouble (perhaps even terminated) if it’s known they participated in a ghost hunt on property
and
told a writer about it.  (Big thanks, once again, to “Anonymous”; I hope you’re still working there.)  While not nearly as widely viewed as
Disneyland Ghosts
, the video
Disneyland Ghost Hunt
attracted a reasonably large viewership and generated plenty of comments and debate.

Since it was abundantly clear that there was a great deal of interest in, and many opinions about, the presence (or absence) of ghosts at
Disneyland
, I added a
Disneyland Ghosts
chapter to the
Disneyland Book
of Secrets
series.

Fast forward.  I’d been hoping to get the perspective of paranormal professionals re: ghosts at Disneyland, and in spring 2013 I noticed some particularly perceptive comments posted at the
Disneyland Ghosts
video on my YouTube channel (
www.youtube.com/lesjane2000
).  The writer sounded like a level-headed ghost hunter – the real
deal.  I responded to the comments, inviting the writer to email me so I could interview him about his thoughts on ghost hunting.

That’s how I learned about Jim Schuck and his wife Kelly Schuck.

Kelly Schuck founded the
Paranormal Answers Research Team
in Indiana in 2012.  That’s fairly recent, but the Schucks had been interested in the paranormal for some time, and had already teamed with another paranormal group on ghost investigations.  By 2012, Kelly and Jim were ready to launch their own group, taking a particularly grounded approach and following a rigorous code of conduct.

Although Kelly, the group founder and leader, is a sensitive, the team only provides documented audio and video evidence to clients.  Because they’re interested in advancing paramormal studies rather than making money, they never charge for their investigations.  Jim runs tech; he describes himself as the group’s resident skeptic.  Kelly takes the investigative lead.

The
Paranormal Answers Research Team
posts videos of their investigation highlights and the evidence they collect at their website
www.paranormalanswersreserachteam.com
.  I encourage you to check out their site and their investigations.  On camera, the team has an engaging yet professional and level-headed style that makes the evidence they catch all the more compelling.
  Their videos–especially the more recent ones, with opening credits, crisp editing, and a haunting theme–are thought-provoking, particularly the shadow that darts in front of the camera during the McCordsville investigation (the camera was on a tripod, with all team members accounted for).

It so happens that the Schucks are major
Disney
fans.  They’ve made a number of trips to
Walt Disney World
, though they haven’t yet ventured to the Ur-park of
Disneyland
.

The Schucks have been kind enough to provide some solid, proven ghost-hunting tips for
you
, dear readers.  At the conclusion of this chapter, you will find the
Paranormal Answers Research Team
interview, including links to their sites.  It’s a must-read for fans of
Disney
as well as the paranormal.  Enjoy!

So …
Are
there ghosts at
Disneyland
?  I don’t know.  During my many trips to the resort I’ve never definitively seen or heard or felt a ghost there.  But others say they have, and
Disneyland
certainly has its canon–albeit a relatively small canon–of resort ghost stories.

If you search YouTube.com you will find a number of videos about
Disneyland
ghosts, from the intriguing to the ludicrous.  There are also YouTube videos debunking
Disneyland
ghosts.  My faves are “Ghost hangs around Disneyland” (a filmy figure walking away from the
Haunted Mansion
at night); “Ghosts” (a technician running the
Tower of Terror
through its paces seems to have a ghostly encounter); and “Ghosts in Disneyland DEBUNKED!” (a thoughtful debunking of the aforementioned footage).

You will find a wealth of
Disneyland
ghost tales on the Internet, but the more you dig, the more you find that these numerous tales tend to resolve themselves into tales about a limited number of hauntings.  There may be ghosts at
Disneyland
, but there don’t seem to be many. 
New Orleans Square
, and, surprisingly,
Tomorrowland,
seem to be the hot spots–but don’t count out
DCA
.

If you and your
Disneyland
trip companions are interested in ghosts and ghost hunting, you might want to do some amateur spook sleuthing during your visit.  However, remember that ghost hunting at a crowded, noisy theme park is a difficult proposition at best.  Be sure to follow some simple protocols.


        
Don’t venture into off-limit areas
.  Ghost hunting doesn’t give Guests the right to venture into Cast Member areas,
backstage
areas, or any places that are off-limits for safety reasons.  Stay in Guest areas at all times.


        
Don’t be disruptive
.  You might be into ghost hunting, but other Guests might not.  Don’t engage in activities that upset other Guests, especially small children.  For example, little kids in line for the
Matterhorn
don’t need to overhear grisly tales of
Dolly’s Dip
and headless
Matterhorn
specters.


        
Go low-tech
.  Dragging around big infrared cameras and fancy audio equipment isn’t a fun way to spend your time at the resort, and Cast Members won’t allow you to deploy huge equipment anyway.  Take snapshots and videos or record audio with your cell phone or a small digital camera.  And don’t use your flash on dark rides–it’s disrespectful and drives your fellow Guests–and Cast Members–to distraction.


        
Be ready to debunk
.  Not everything that
seems
supernatural
is
supernatural.  Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are the co-founders of “TAPS” and they have a simple credo:  “When in doubt, throw it out”.  In other words, “Where’s the evidence?”  If you have the discipline to discard “iffy” evidence, what remains is all the more credible and compelling.  So if you do some
Disneyland
ghost hunting, be open to natural explanations.  Those “cold spots” on
Space Mountain
?  Fans that drive cold air at Guests to make it seem as if their coaster is traveling even faster than it is.  That “orb” of light in your snapshot inside the
Haunted Mansion
?  Possibly a reflection off of a shiny surface.  Always look for simple, real-world explanations … and if there don’t seem to be any,
that’s
when you might have caught something truly spooky!