The DISNEYLAND Railroad in Anaheim was always near and dear to Walt Disney's heart. It was one of the attractions he personally and fully owned. Some people believe that it was the biggest reason why he built DISNEYLAND in the first place.
Unbeknownst to park guests, Mr. Disney would often operate the train himself whenever he needed to leave the stress of running the company behind. Since then, every Disneyland-style theme park except for Shanghai Disneyland has opened with a Railroad of its very own. Here are some interesting Disney Railroad facts:
* The DISNEYLAND Railroad was the first operationing attraction at DISNEYLAND. A child who was dying of cancer had requested a ride on the train, as it was not likely he would live to see the park open. Mr. Disney rushed the construction of the railroad so that he could fulfill the boy's wish. It would be the first of many wishes to come true in DISNEYLAND.
* The Walt Disney World Railroad in Florida is the only Disney Railroad that did not have any new train engines built for it. All of its engines were previously junked and were restored.
* Tokyo Disneyland's Railroad only has one station. The park designed it this way to avoid having to classify it as a transit system under Japanese law.
