A former Disney cast member has revealed one of the wildest behind-the-scenes moments in Disneyland Resort history—one that would be impossible today. In 1981, the former Disney employee took an unusual opportunity to drive their personal car onto Disneyland Park’s Main Street, U.S.A., and park it in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for a once-in-a-lifetime photo.
A Car on Disneyland Park’s Main Street, U.S.A.?
Main Street, U.S.A., is the heart of Disneyland Park, transporting guests to a nostalgic, small-town America inspired by Walt Disney’s childhood in Marceline, Missouri. While the Omnibus, Fire Engine, Horse-Drawn Streetcar, and Jitney traverse the brick-paved streets daily, private vehicles are strictly prohibited.
However, in Disneyland Park’s early days, the rules were a little more relaxed—especially on days when the park was closed to guests. That’s precisely how one Disney cast member pulled off a surprising stunt that would likely get someone banned for life today.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Photo Opportunity
Reddit user u/SilverArtNW, a former Disney technical artist, recently shared a photo of their 1977 Toyota Celica parked right in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle:
That time I parked my car in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle…
That time I parked my car in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle…
byu/SilverArtNW inDisneyland
“I had always wanted to have a picture of my car inside the Park,” they wrote. “And on a Tuesday when it was closed & empty, except for maintenance and security, I drove my ’77 Celica from the backlot, down Main Street, parked and snapped this photo.”
At the time, Disneyland Park was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the off-season, allowing select cast members access to the park for maintenance, cleaning, and essential work.
How Did They Get Away With It?
Today, even attempting something like this would be a massive security violation. However, the Disney cast member wasn’t exactly going against the grain—at least, not back then.
“Back in my days there, 77-81, supervisors routinely drove their own vehicles into the park on the days it was completely shut down,” they explained. “So me driving past the side gates from inside where I was parked for work was not noticed, except for maybe a curious security guard.”
Even so, the Disney cast member had to think on their feet when the curious security guard approached.
“I explained to security when they came up to me that I was contributing to an article in the DisneyLine, the employee newsletter, about employee parking,” they recalled. “The photo was for that article. No more questions asked.”
Disney Parks Fans React
Disneyland Resort fans couldn’t believe the story.
“Can’t believe you could actually do this,” u/bbk34 commented.
“Imagine this happening today, you’d be banned from all Disney locations in addition to terrorism charges from driving through the park with 50,000 guests there,” u/President_Zucchini replied.
But while fans marveled at the magic of early Disneyland Park, many agreed that modern security measures make an incident like this impossible today—and probably for the best.
What’s your favorite piece of Disneyland trivia? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments!
