Disneyland Secret - The oldest living thing in the park
Justin Scarred journeys into the Jungles of Adventureland to seek out the oldest living thing at Disneyland and tell us the story of a man who went from ticket taker at the front gate in 1955 to Executive vice president in charge of Disneyland, and here's the kicker: He grew up right here on Disneyland property!
Find out a little more about the history behind Anaheim's original magic kingdom, and change the way you look at Indiana Jones' fastpass area forever!
NEW CHANNEL! http://youtube.com/JustinScarred - over 1,000 episodes!
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For more information on the Dominguez palm tree see these articles:
http://www.mainstgazette.com/2009/05/orange-groves-to-theme-park.html
http://www.parkpennies.com/1_cm_disneyland/ron-dominguez.htm
For more information on the type of tree itself, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_canariensis
Transcript
0:05
We're back at Disneyland Adventure
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We're back at Disneyland Adventure Land. Here you leave today and enter the
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Land. Here you leave today and enter the
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Land. Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow,
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world of yesterday, tomorrow,
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world of yesterday, tomorrow, [Music]
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and that's right. We're in Adventure
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and that's right. We're in Adventure Land, where you really believe you're in
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Land, where you really believe you're in
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Land, where you really believe you're in a real jungle with a real jungle fire
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a real jungle with a real jungle fire
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a real jungle with a real jungle fire hydrant. Adventure Fire Hydrant. But I'm
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hydrant. Adventure Fire Hydrant. But I'm
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hydrant. Adventure Fire Hydrant. But I'm not here today to talk about that fire
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not here today to talk about that fire
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not here today to talk about that fire hydrant. I am here to talk about a grand
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hydrant. I am here to talk about a grand
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hydrant. I am here to talk about a grand adventure adventure. Adventure adventure
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adventure adventure. Adventure adventure
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adventure adventure. Adventure adventure bush. In the 1940s,
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bush. In the 1940s,
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bush. In the 1940s, all of this was agriculture. It was all
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all of this was agriculture. It was all
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all of this was agriculture. It was all orange groves and lemon groves and
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orange groves and lemon groves and
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orange groves and lemon groves and mangroves, almond groves, and peach
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mangroves, almond groves, and peach
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mangroves, almond groves, and peach groves and apple groves and all kinds of
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groves and apple groves and all kinds of
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groves and apple groves and all kinds of groves. Fields, lovely, wonderful fields
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groves. Fields, lovely, wonderful fields
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groves. Fields, lovely, wonderful fields by humans. And back when this was all
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by humans. And back when this was all
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by humans. And back when this was all orange groves, there was a young boy
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orange groves, there was a young boy
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orange groves, there was a young boy named Ron who went off to college.
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named Ron who went off to college.
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named Ron who went off to college. That's an adventure in and of itself.
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That's an adventure in and of itself.
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That's an adventure in and of itself. Ron was in for a surprise cuz when he
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Ron was in for a surprise cuz when he
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Ron was in for a surprise cuz when he got back, he found out his family had
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got back, he found out his family had
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got back, he found out his family had sold their property to none other than
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sold their property to none other than
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sold their property to none other than Walt Disney who was going to build a
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Walt Disney who was going to build a
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Walt Disney who was going to build a fantastic new magical wonderful
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fantastic new magical wonderful
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fantastic new magical wonderful wonderful Magic Kingdom on this very
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wonderful Magic Kingdom on this very
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wonderful Magic Kingdom on this very site. Fortunately for him, Ron took it
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site. Fortunately for him, Ron took it
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site. Fortunately for him, Ron took it on himself to get in on the ground floor
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on himself to get in on the ground floor
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on himself to get in on the ground floor of the operation as a ticket taker at
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of the operation as a ticket taker at
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of the operation as a ticket taker at the front gate on opening day in 1955.
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the front gate on opening day in 1955.
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the front gate on opening day in 1955. Yes, it was none other than Ron
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Yes, it was none other than Ron
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Yes, it was none other than Ron Dominguez, future vice president in
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Dominguez, future vice president in
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Dominguez, future vice president in charge of all of Disneyland, the head
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charge of all of Disneyland, the head
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charge of all of Disneyland, the head honcho. Ron Dominguez's maternal
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honcho. Ron Dominguez's maternal
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honcho. Ron Dominguez's maternal grandparents lived right here on this
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grandparents lived right here on this
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grandparents lived right here on this property. That is crazy. Imagine growing
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property. That is crazy. Imagine growing
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property. That is crazy. Imagine growing up right here and coming back 50 years
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up right here and coming back 50 years
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up right here and coming back 50 years later and all this is here. All of this
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later and all this is here. All of this
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later and all this is here. All of this I haven't been back here in a hundred
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I haven't been back here in a hundred
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I haven't been back here in a hundred years. Where's your Dominguez place?
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years. Where's your Dominguez place?
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years. Where's your Dominguez place? Find me. Have you seen old man
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Find me. Have you seen old man
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Find me. Have you seen old man Dominguez? I know he used to live around
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Dominguez? I know he used to live around
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Dominguez? I know he used to live around here somewhere. Of course, the Dominguez
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here somewhere. Of course, the Dominguez
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here somewhere. Of course, the Dominguez family home is long gone by now, but
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family home is long gone by now, but
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family home is long gone by now, but there's one little piece of Dominguez
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there's one little piece of Dominguez
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there's one little piece of Dominguez history remaining over here in Adventure
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history remaining over here in Adventure
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history remaining over here in Adventure [Applause]
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[Applause]
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[Applause] Land.
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Land.
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Land. Here it is over by the entrance to
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Here it is over by the entrance to
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Here it is over by the entrance to Indiana Jones is one last piece of
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Indiana Jones is one last piece of
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Indiana Jones is one last piece of Dominguez history. Right here behind me
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Dominguez history. Right here behind me
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Dominguez history. Right here behind me right here is the Dominguez Palm. It was
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right here is the Dominguez Palm. It was
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right here is the Dominguez Palm. It was planted in 1896 as a wedding present for
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planted in 1896 as a wedding present for
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planted in 1896 as a wedding present for Ronda Mingz's grandparents. This stately
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Ronda Mingz's grandparents. This stately
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Ronda Mingz's grandparents. This stately old palm is the oldest living thing in
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old palm is the oldest living thing in
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old palm is the oldest living thing in Disneyland. Over a hundred years. My
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Disneyland. Over a hundred years. My
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Disneyland. Over a hundred years. My god, has it been that long? As a nearly
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god, has it been that long? As a nearly
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god, has it been that long? As a nearly 60-year-old tree at the time Disneyland
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60-year-old tree at the time Disneyland
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60-year-old tree at the time Disneyland opened, it was perfect to save and put
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opened, it was perfect to save and put
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opened, it was perfect to save and put right over here by the jungle cruise.
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right over here by the jungle cruise.
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right over here by the jungle cruise. Dominguez Palm right there. This tree
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Dominguez Palm right there. This tree
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Dominguez Palm right there. This tree has seen a lot of changes around here. I
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has seen a lot of changes around here. I
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has seen a lot of changes around here. I remember when this was all farmland as
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remember when this was all farmland as
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remember when this was all farmland as far as I can see. Old man Dominguez
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far as I can see. Old man Dominguez
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far as I can see. Old man Dominguez owned all of this. He had this crazy
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owned all of this. He had this crazy
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owned all of this. He had this crazy idea about breeding orange trees. You
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idea about breeding orange trees. You
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idea about breeding orange trees. You can see it right here. You have to come
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can see it right here. You have to come
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can see it right here. You have to come to this little curved out area off the
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to this little curved out area off the
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to this little curved out area off the lane past the Indiana Jones. And by the
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lane past the Indiana Jones. And by the
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lane past the Indiana Jones. And by the exit, you can come and see right here.
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exit, you can come and see right here.
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exit, you can come and see right here. When they built the addition to the
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When they built the addition to the
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When they built the addition to the Jungle Cruise Q area, they actually
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Jungle Cruise Q area, they actually
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Jungle Cruise Q area, they actually built it slightly around the tree so
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built it slightly around the tree so
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built it slightly around the tree so they wouldn't have to cut it down.
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they wouldn't have to cut it down.
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they wouldn't have to cut it down. Incredible. Preserving history. Good
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Incredible. Preserving history. Good
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Incredible. Preserving history. Good job, Disney. I applaud you. You get a
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job, Disney. I applaud you. You get a
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job, Disney. I applaud you. You get a thumbs up. The other place you can see
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thumbs up. The other place you can see
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thumbs up. The other place you can see it is right back here. Right back here
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it is right back here. Right back here
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it is right back here. Right back here near the Fastpass area for Indiana
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near the Fastpass area for Indiana
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near the Fastpass area for Indiana Jones, which right now is closed. You
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Jones, which right now is closed. You
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Jones, which right now is closed. You can get an exposed view of the trunk.
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can get an exposed view of the trunk.
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can get an exposed view of the trunk. Hold on. I'm going to touch history. I'm
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Hold on. I'm going to touch history. I'm
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Hold on. I'm going to touch history. I'm touching
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touching
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touching history. The Dominguez palm tree. Oldest
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history. The Dominguez palm tree. Oldest
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history. The Dominguez palm tree. Oldest living thing in Disneyland. And I
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living thing in Disneyland. And I
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living thing in Disneyland. And I touched it. Here's your tree. Where's
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touched it. Here's your tree. Where's
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touched it. Here's your tree. Where's your old man Dominguez? So, next time
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your old man Dominguez? So, next time
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your old man Dominguez? So, next time you're on an adventure in Adventure
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you're on an adventure in Adventure
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you're on an adventure in Adventure Land,
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Land,
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Land, swing by the Indiana Jones Fastpass line
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swing by the Indiana Jones Fastpass line
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swing by the Indiana Jones Fastpass line and check out a little piece of Anaheim
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and check out a little piece of Anaheim
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and check out a little piece of Anaheim and Disneyland and Dominguez family
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and Disneyland and Dominguez family
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and Disneyland and Dominguez family history, the Dominguez Palm Tree right
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history, the Dominguez Palm Tree right
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history, the Dominguez Palm Tree right over there. Adventurous. That's all I
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over there. Adventurous. That's all I
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over there. Adventurous. That's all I got for you this time. Make sure you
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got for you this time. Make sure you
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got for you this time. Make sure you subscribe, check out all the other
4:02
subscribe, check out all the other
4:02
subscribe, check out all the other videos. We got a bunch of other
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videos. We got a bunch of other
4:04
videos. We got a bunch of other Disneyland facts, figures, myths, lies,
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Disneyland facts, figures, myths, lies,
4:06
Disneyland facts, figures, myths, lies, legends, scenery, and I'll see you next
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legends, scenery, and I'll see you next
4:09
legends, scenery, and I'll see you next time.