Here are a few examples of how Disney magic brings the California dream to life:

• California Screamin’, a 6,000 foot-long-steel roller coaster, takes guests 0 to 55 mph in about four seconds, and features a 360-degree loop-de-loop around a shimmering silhouette of Mickey Mouse.

• From across Paradise Bay, it appears that the Sun Wheel actually dips passengers into the lagoon. The illusion was created by building a bunker in the bay that goes below the water level and then situating mirrors so that it looks like the gondolas go under water.

• One of the unique things about Golden Zephyr, a "spinning-spaceship" attraction is that no manufacturer had built a ride like this in 35 years, and the original antique design had to be found before this ride could be reproduced.

• Because Disney’s California Adventure is located within a residential zone and must adhere to certain noise restriction guidelines, special "scream" tubes were designed for California Screamin’ to muffle guests’ screams during those thrill portions of the ride.

• The majority of the 5.8 million pounds of steel used on California Screamin’ is not necessary to support the roller coaster, but was put there purely as a visual re-enforcement, to create the illusion that this is a vintage wooden roller coaster.

• King Triton’s Carousel was manufactured by the very same company that Walt Disney used in 1954 to help him add horses to his original King Arthur Carrousel at Disneyland Park.

• Because airspace inside National Park boundaries is protected, it took several months for the film crew for Soarin’ Over California to obtain permission to fly a helicopter in Yosemite National Park. The last time a helicopter was permitted to fly through Yosemite was in the mid-1900s, when a flood had closed the park to visitors.

• There are two, 6,000-gallon submarine tanks that provide the "bug spray" in the "It’s Tough to be a Bug!" attraction at Disney’s California Adventure. In addition, 70,000 "perfume" pellets are required to create the "stink bug" effect.

• The focal point of the entry plaza is the 150-foot-tall Sun, made of titanium and coated with a surface of shattered glass and broken tile to create a glistening effect. Because the Sun faces north (away from the real sun), six heliostats in the plaza will track the real sun and bounce light onto the Sun icon.

• The Burger Invasion restaurant’s hamburger spaceship reaches a height of 35 feet, has a diameter of 45 feet and weighs 7.9 tons. The estimated calories of the giant hamburger, if it were real, are 12,936,460 (actual calculation

Enjoy these other "Web Exclusives" --

• New Disneyland Resort Adds Entertainment District
• Downtown Disney Opened January 12 in Disneyland, CA

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