25 Things You Didn't Know About Disney Parks

For many Disney fans, there is great joy in finding hidden secrets throughout theme parks – thousands of hidden Mickeys, an underground tunnel beneath the park, and edible plants in Tomorrowland, just to name a few.

*Related: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Disney Vacation

Kids are so wrapped up in the thrills and excitement Disney parks have to offer that they often overlook the hidden gems.

Next time you're at a Disney park, point out all how tall Space Mountain actually is to your child and tell him or her about the organic fruits and vegetables that grow in the Epcot gardens.

Here are 25 things you didn't know about Disney parks.

On opening day, admission to Disney World was only $3.50. Today, tickets are approximately $105 for adults and $99 for children.

The Epcot gardens are very popular. But what many people do not know is that they actually grow organic fruits and vegetables. Also, make sure to attend the 2017 International Flower and Garden Festival at Disney World – it's a festival not to be missed.

There are secret underground tunnels in Disney World that provide employees and cast members an easier way to get around from one section of the park to another.

Cinderella's Castle is approximately 183 feet tall, measured from water level. It's more than 100 feet taller than the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Fantasmic! is a popular show featured in Disney World. It's full of music, glowing items, fireworks and awesome effects. This is why it may be hard to believe that the water on the set during the show is only about 1 foot deep.

Never miss your scheduled dining reservation. If you are late, you won't be seated right away, you will have to wait for a table to open up for your party size, and, if you miss your reservation, Disney may actually charge your credit card.

(*Related: How is Air Pollution Affecting Your Health?) When Walt Disney planned his parks, he wanted to make sure he thought of everything. He even calculated how many steps people took before they needed to use a trash can. They are all within 30 feet of one another.

The saltwater tanks hold 5.7 million gallons, the aquarium is home to more than 6,000 sea creatures and the Caribbean Coral Reef Aquarium is one of the biggest man made ocean environments in the world, according to Theme Park Tourist.

Disney Club 33 is one of the coolest places in the world that you're not allowed to visit. It's an exclusive lounge that serves gourmet dishes prepared by world-class chefs. Attendees include the presidents of the United States, powerful world leaders and famous actors.

The Tree of Life is an artificial tree that was designed to withstand hurricane force winds. It's about 145 feet tall and the base is about 50 feet wide.

(*Related: The Scariest and Most Thrilling Roller Coasters Around the World) Space Mountain is an indoor roller coaster. It stands at approximately 183 feet tall, which is the second tallest structure in Disney's Magic Kingdom, just a few feet shorter than the Cinderella Castle.

The Disneyland Railroad, Jungle Cruise, King Arthur Carousel, Peter Pan's Flight and Mad Tea Party attractions were all original rides on opening day and are all still around today.

Whatever you do, never visit Disney during school holidays. It is most crowded when kids are out of school – over the summer, Thanksgiving week, New Year's week, President's Day week, spring break and Christmas. The best time to visit is in January.

About 15,000 weddings have taken place there since September 1991, 410,000 pounds of popcorn are popped every year and 15 million miles are driven by the fleet bus each year, according to disneybythenumbers.com.

Disney takes pride in their well-maintained rides and structures. However, the Haunted Mansion is left to grow old and worn, to match the theme of the ride.

If you want to chew gum while you're standing on line at a Disney park, make sure you bring it from home. Disney has made a strong effort to avoid gum from being stuck all over the parks – none of the shops sell gum.

There was a time when Toy Story characters would literally stop whatever they were doing and drop to the ground when they heard someone shout "Andy's coming!" This practice was discontinued by Disney due to safety reasons.

It is the Disney Cinderella Suite – open to only few fortunate people. Disney occasionally gives away a night's stay at the suite as a prize.

Disneyland has "jail cells" or holding areas, which are used to hold disruptive guests, people who destroy the property and thieves.

Next time you are at one of the Disney parks, visit the Be Our Guest Restaurant and ask your waiter or waitress for "the grey stuff." They will bring you the secret item on the menu.

Walt Disney believed the future would be self-sustaining, so he made sure that each plant in Tomorrowland was edible.

Next time you are at the park, see how many mickey mouse faces/heads you can find – they are hidden all over the park!

Upon employee training, workers are told that it is a requirement to point with two fingers or their entire hand. This is because some cultures consider pointing with one finger to be disrespectful.

Yes, apparently the rumors are true; there is a real human skull in Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean. It is situated right on the headboard.

Disney employees use the code phrase "treasured guest" to warn each other about guests who are disruptive or rude.