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If you’ve been around Disneyland with me, you know I have lots of stories about my adventures working there. Most of the stories are silly or fun, but there were moments when I worked at the park when more spooky~and dare I say…unexplained things would happen. The moment that stands in my mind, was the night I walked down Main Street solo after the park had closed. It was a cool fall night and I’d stayed later than I should have working. The guests had gone home for the day and Main Street was empty, with nobody in sight. I liked to walk this way because I loved taking my time on Main Street to look at the windows. I had become friends with one of the artists who helped design the windows, and knew how much thought had gone into creating them. I didn’t have time to take in the detail during park hours, and so it was fun to be able to take my time after the park had closed and really give them a good look. My other motivation was the Haagen Dazs peanut butter and chocolate milkshakes I could find at Downtown Disney on the way to the parking structure. 😉

As I looked through all the windows, I walked past Madame Esmerelda, the mysterious Main Street Fortune Teller. To my surprise, as I walked by, the animatronics kicked in and she suddenly began to move. I stopped and moved closer to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, and within a few seconds, a fortune came out. I looked around and didn’t see anyone nearby who could have put in a quarter. I quietly walked forward and took my fortune, but was too scared to read it until I was in Downtown Disney and had a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake in my hand. That fortune still sits in my memory box. What it says? Well, that’s between me and Madame Esmerelda. I’m sure there’s some sort of logical explanation for the whole experience. Maybe a pranky cast member who saw me coming, a malfunction, or tests that were being run out of my sight…but it was one of the few times in my life where I felt more than a little spooked out. 0_0

To this day, I can’t pass by Madame Esmerelda without thinking about that night long ago and getting a chill up my spine. I’m not the type of person to get frightened easily, and would often check places after park closing that other people were too scared to walk through by themselves. But that night…that night got me. So next time you walk by Madame Esmerelda, drop in a quarter and have your fortune told. She just might have the answers you are seeking. 😉