ON THE RIGHT TRACK
There’s a secret train for VIP’s at Disneyland – here’s how to ride it
The train occasionally makes appearances at the park for guests to ride now, but they have to be in the know
DISNEYLAND has many hidden gems to discover – but did you know it has a secret train that you can ride on?
The Lilly Belle is a train car that was initially put into the park by Walt Disney, who was fascinated by them, to transport his VIP guests around.
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It was designed to go on the Walt Disney World Railroad, a 1.5 mile track that circles the park.
The steam-powered railway line still exists today and has stops at Main Street, USA, Frontierland and Fantasyland’s Storybook Circus.
It takes more than 3.7million passengers around Disneyland each year and has four different trains, each with four cars, purchased by Walt Disney in Mexico.
Named after Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian, the Lilly Belle is a train car that dates back to 1928.
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Walt Disney once said: “I just want [Disneyland] to look like nothing else in the world.
“And it should be surrounded by a train.”
The Lilly Belle was taken out of service in 2010 and shipped off for a boiler replacement in Pennsylvania.
reported that it took until 2016 to fix the train and it now operates rarely – and not at all on crowded days or in hot weather - but if you’re at the park early enough then you might get the chance to ride in it.
So it simply is luck of the drawer whether the train will be in action on any given day.
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There are 14 spots on the train per ride, and as little as one ride per day, but sometimes more.
You have to be first in the queue for the train station to get on it – so once the park gates have opened it’s worth heading straight to the train station.
The train station’s conductor can advise on whether the train is in service that day or not.
Once on board the train, a cast member tells guests about the train’s history and they are also able to take photos of its beautiful insides.
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For those who want a guaranteed ride on the train, they can book onto the .
The tour costs $85 (£65) and guests will get a walking tour of the park, learning all about its trains, plus a train-themed doughnut and a hot drink.
Sun Online Travel previously revealed that there’s a secret disused airport at Disneyland - and its runway used to play When You Wish Upon A Star when planes took off from it.
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