There is a lovely spot off to the right of Sleeping Beauty Castle’s drawbridge. For a long time, it was one of the quiet, tranquil parts of Disneyland. It’s still relatively quiet—though it’s become busier in recent years. It’s also got a history that most guests who walk by it—or even spend time there—have never heard.

Snow White’s Grotto and Wishing Well opened in the Spring of 1961. The white marble statues of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were sculpted by an unknown Italian artist and given to Walt Disney. They create a lovely scene, but there’s a problem. All eight figures are about 3 feet tall (Snow White is a little taller, but not much). Legendary Imagineer John Hench came up with a creative solution, one which had been and continues to be used throughout the Disney parks: forced perspective.

They set the statues some distance away, and sculpted the woodland creatures to go into the scene. By putting Snow White on the top with a small deer next to her, and then arranging the dwarfs figures lower, she looks much taller than they are, and the visual impression is that they are all the correct proportions—but now you know better.

For you to discover: What happens to the money that guests toss into the wishing well?

Read more from Randy on his blog, Faith and the Magic Kingdom. You can also find him on Twitter (@Belgarion42) and on Facebook.