Now and then: $1 tickets, three births and TWO BILLION visitors... a journey through Disneyland from 1955 to the present day

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Disneyland has captured the imaginations for generations since its opening in 1955, but there is much that many people do not know about this magical place. 

Chris Strodder has created a handy book, The Disneyland Book of Lists, which contains over 200 lists crammed full of secrets known and those more obscure. 

You will find out how many people have given birth in Disneyland, California, what the official pet food brand is, and how the ladies' heels got stuck in melting pavement on the opening day.

Here, MailOnline Travel looks at some of the more unusual facts about the world-famous resort that you may not have known about... 

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Disneyland has seen a number of changes since its grand beginning in 1955 to the worldwide popular theme park it is today, pictured here is Sleeping Beauty's Castle back in 1955 (left) and how it looks today (right) 

1. Before Disney was opened Walt received a wealth of advice, most of which he ignored. This included building non-revenue attractions (such as Sleeping Beauty's castle), not selling alcohol to increase profits, and for customer convenience, offer multiple entrances and exits). However for a short time guests could get beer with their picnic baskets in the outdoor Holidayland in 1957-1961.  

2. In the Fantasyland's Peter Pan ride, as guests fly out of the bedroom window, sometimes the alphabet blocks spell out Disney. 

3. On Main Street, there is a tribute to Walt Disney's father, Elias Disney, in a window above the emporium. 

4. When Disneyland first opened in California on July 17, 1955, it was predicted that 10,000 people would attend. Celebrities, reporters, employees, and sponsors were given staggered times on their tickets, to ease congestion getting in. However many people arrived earlier than their allotted time, with 20,000 more hopefuls queuing outside for miles around. 

Walt Disney received a wealth of advice, most of which he ignored before opening his fun park

Disneyland in California is the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney

5. The summer heat on that opening Sunday was so great that some of the newly poured pavement started to soften, and trapped some of the ladies' heels. 

6. It was intended that there would be a Peter Pan Crocodile Attraction with live fish. Disney artist Bruce Bushman included the aquarium on his original designs, which depicted guests walking through a crocodile's jaws to get to a marine viewing area. 

7. In 1955, an adult ticket cost a mere $1, with additional charges for attractions. Even with the extra costs, the average spend was $2.37 (according to a press release by Disney, and included parking charges of 25 cents, admission, rides, amusements and souvenirs. 

8. This cost contrasts strongly with 2015, and tickets are now priced at $99, attractions included. It is estimated that guests spend a whopping 83 times the amount they did in 1955, totalling $196. This includes the $17 parking, admission, souvenirs, and an estimated average food spend of $50. 

A then and now comparison of Disneyland Park in Anaheim California, with founder Walt Disney pictured left

Luxury has remained a constant through the years at Disneyland in California, enjoyed by thousands each year

Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opened on July 17, 1955

9. The first paying guest was a 22-year-old student called Dave MacPherson who queued up at 2am for the opening day for the public. 

10. The youngest guests in the park have been zero, as three babies have been born in the parks, the first being born near the Plaza Inn in 1979. 

11. Fifteen presidents have visited the parks, but not during office. 

12. The total cost for creating Disneyland was $17million, which is nothing when you compare it with the cost of Splash Mountain $75million in 1989, and $100-150million for Indiana Jones Adventure in 1995. 

While the magic has remained throughout the years at the fun park, rides have developed with the times

All staff are trained to a high level at the park to ensure guests have maximum enjoyment

13. Many companies have sought to be the official providers for Disneyland over the years. Ones that have been featured as Kal Kan as the official pet food, Orville Redenbacher's being the official popcorn and Wonderbread being the official bread. 

14. The parks draw over 16 million tourists nowadays but the least busiest times to come include the first two weeks of November and December, the weeks between Easter and Memorial Day, and the weeks between New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr day.

15. On May 2, 2006, the two-billionth customer to attend a Disney park visited Disneyland. 

16. The most expensive item in the gift shop to buy is the crystal castle in Crystal Arts which is on sale for $37,500. 

The total cost for creating Disneyland was $17million, which is nothing when you compare it with the cost of Splash Mountain $75million in 1989

Disneyland Park has around 16 million tourists a year, but it's worth checking when the least busy times are

17. There are 24 themed clocks around the parks that actually tell the wrong time. If you are keen to count them all, a couple to get you started are the Big Ben during the Peter Pan ride, which is at 7.15, and Mickey's Toontown City Hall clock which spins quickly. 

18. In Minnie Mouse's house there is a shopping list stuck to the fridge which only has various types of cheese listed on it

19. Unsurprisingly due to the number of snap-happy visitors, in 2014, Instagram named Disneyland as the most geotagged location worldwide.

20. Snow White’s evil witch peeks out the window in the tower above Snow White’s Scary Adventures every 24 seconds. 

A fresh lick of paint does no harm to ensuring some of the traditional builds maintain their impact

Disneyland is the most geotagged location in the world, which is perhaps no surprise

21. Only 5 per cent of the plants grown in the park by the Evans brothers were native to California. 

22. Disneyland's classic carousel, is fitted with 68 leaping white horses, all of which have individual names and distinctive decorations. 

23. Tom Sawyer Island is particularly special as it was said to be the only early Disneyland attraction to be personally designed by Walt, according to Bob Thomas in Walt Disney: An American Original. 

24. The Haunted Mansion opened in 1969, but the 1957 plans originally stated for it to be a murderous sea captain who hanged himself. A hanging corpse still be seen early in the attraction.  

On May 2, 2006 the two-billionth customer to attend a Disney park visited Disneyland