A: You’re right that there have been rumors for years on Internet discussion boards, but no plans for a fifth park have ever been announced. When you have a think tank like Walt Disney Imagineering, you are obviously going to have Imagineers coming up with many “blue sky” ideas, often parks and attractions that are suggested and may have a little preliminary design work done, but that never go any further. For every project that is built, there are usually hundreds more that are not. So, until an official announcement is made, any rumors about a fifth park are just that—rumors.

A: We checked with Walt Disney Imagineering, and the Elfman song is simply known as “Mystic Manor Theme.”

A: The whole thing about Tom Sawyer Island being part of Missouri came from the opening ceremonies in 1956. Phil Donnelly, the Governor of Missouri, sent a tongue-in-cheek letter to Governor Goodwin Knight of California asking him “to take appropriate action which will cause the Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland, California, to be deeded to the Sovereign State of Missouri, the only true and rightful possessor of any and all Tom Sawyer Islands in the world.” Snacks were indeed sold on the island—as early as 1957, Nesbitt’s operated a refreshment stand there, and there was a Canteen in Fort Wilderness that sold hot dogs, cider, and candy.

A: That is a big unanswered question. We have not found any pictures of a Disneyland marquee or sign from the early years (1955-’58), so if anyone took a picture on a family trip, we would love to see it. We know that the original large marquee at Disneyland was constructed in 1958. It was 42 feet high and had seven flags at the top, and read:  Disneyland—Park & Hotel Entrance. A message board was added in the mid-’60s, and the subtitle replaced by “The Happiest Place on Earth” in the mid-’70s. That original marquee was replaced by a new, larger one, measuring 67 feet high, in 1989. That marquee was removed in 1999 and replaced by an arch over the entry road.

A: The Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob are three musicians and mischief-makers who have performed slightly irreverent and comedic sets throughout Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom over the past dozen years. Another live entertainment offering there is the Frontierland Hoedown, which features several of the Country Bears, Brer Bear, Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit, and a group of Frontierland dancers.

A: While we do not know for sure, Wally Boag, the comedian at the Golden Horseshoe, wrote the script for the Enchanted Tiki Room, and he happened to be bald.

A: Early park admission tickets are still good for admission, unless marked otherwise, so your friend’s ticket value is the current admission price. There is little or no additional collectible value associated with the tickets.

A: Discovery Island closed in 1999 soon after the newly opened Disney’s Animal Kingdom provided a better venue for showcasing animals.

A: There is a Disney gold pass. It is given on an annual basis by Disney executives to Disney board members, leaders of companies that are Disney participants, and other VIPs. The number of gold passes, which began during Walt Disney’s life, has not been released, but there are not many of them.

A: There was an Art Gallery and Photo Studio on Main Street, U.S.A. from 1955 to 1959, offering, beginning in 1957, plywood cut-out flats behind which you could pose. Then the operation moved to Tomorrowland, from 1959 to 1967, first known there as Photo Gallery, then Fun Fotos. One paid a dollar for a black and white Polaroid photo.