The Fortune Teller on Main Street, U.S.A

Heather Hust Rivera

by , Vice President, Consumer Products

A quarter may not get you much these days, but on Main Street, U.S.A., in Disneyland park, for 25 cents you can take home a unique piece of nostalgia – your very own fortune from Esmeralda.

Many of our guests have been coming here for years to see what Esmeralda predicts for them, and some even say she has been correct. For one couple, Esmeralda predicted years earlier that they would eventually get married.

I predict you will love this video. Don’t miss the surprise ending, and leave a comment if you catch it.

Comments

  • Nice blink ;)!!!!

  • Here’s winking at you, kid!

    Cute video.

  • Esmeralda winked at the end πŸ™‚

  • Thats pretty cool. I thpught I noticed something the first time I watched it. But I had to watch the end four times to confirm it. SHE BLINKED! Cool Video

  • Wink, Wink! πŸ™‚

  • I love the wink.

    Esmeralda is great.

  • Not sure if she still says it, but she USED to say “Give me a qwarter, I looooooove qwarters”

    the w is on purpose to highlight her accent”

  • Esmeralda also played a big part in my marriage as well. Since the woman who would eventually become my wife and I are Annual Passholders, we decided that our first date should be at Disneyland. When trying to come up with a good spot to meet, she suggested on Main Street right by the Esmeralda machine.

    The first date went well and we continued seeing each other. As the months passed, we continued to visit Disneyland. And whenever we were there, we would always stop by and get a new fortune from Esmeralda. Eventually, I decided to “pop the question”. I knew I wanted to propose somewhere inside the Park, but I passed on using the “standard” Snow White’s Grotto. I wanted something a bit different and that was meaningful to the two of us. And that’s when I decided on using the place where we first met: Right by the Esmeralda machine.

    The proposal came on a typical Saturday evening that we spent at Disneyland. On our way out of the Park, I suggested that we stop by for a fortune (Which instantly made her suspicious since we usually visit Esmeralda at the beginning of the visit. Nevertheless, she played along.) I got my fortune first. (Which was actually a “stall” since some other people were standing in the exact spot I wanted to use for the proposal.) Then she got her fortune. However, before she could look at her card, I took it out of her hand, pretended to read it, and said in a puzzled voice, “Hmm, this isn’t the right fortune.” And before she could say anything, I reached into my shirt pocket, took out a different fortune and handed it to her. The card said some very sweet things about how I felt about her, and then instructed her to “complete this prophecy” by walking a few steps over to the exact spot where we first met. It was here that I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. In her excitement, she didn’t even wait for me to put the ring on her finger. The whole world seemed to fade away in that one, short instance, with the bright lights of Main Street being brilliantly reflected in the diamonds of her new Engagement ring.

    We’ll be celebrating our Fifth Anniversary in a little over a week, and we’re also expecting our first child in August. We can’t wait to take him to Disneyland so that he can also experience the place which means so much to both of us.

  • I’ve never got my fortune from Esmeralda, but I have received it from Fortune Red in New Orleans Square. Love that pirate!

  • Timothy, that’s so romantic! Congrats on your anniversary and the upcoming birth of your first child.

    I haven’t gotten a fortune from Esmerelda in years, I’m at DLR a lot since I’m a Premium AP-er, so I’m definitely going to get one next time I go! (I’m a pin trader and do have the Esmerelda pin from the 1998 series. :-D)

  • AWWW Timothoy Congrates!!! That is Super Romantic!!! And Congrates on your new bundle of love!!!

    As for Esmerelda i have only done it once a long time ago but since i am also an AP i think i will go back and try it again!!

  • Now is she winking because she is laughing at us.. or because your wishes really do come true….Magic, Trust and a little Pixie Dust ..is the only way to know for sure!

  • I’m not sure if I have done this…I probably have! I will definitely do it again though! Love the ending πŸ™‚

  • I’ve been an AP for 2 years, and I’ve never stopped and gotten a fortune. We’ll have to visit Esmeralda this Friday.

    Timothy – Best wishes to you and your family. Disneyland will be even more fun with a kid!!

  • I am happy to see that you are recognizing Esmerelda! She is such a classic piece of Disneyland. I have kept every Esmerelda prediction I was given. I keep track of them, making sure whether what she prophecies is correct or not. Her predictions and observations are eerily clairvoyant! And often times, they are startlingly true!

    I love Esmerelda, and I enjoy visiting Shrunken Ned and Fortune Red as well. They are all great treasures of Disneyland.

  • I love the Penny Arcade on Main Street USA, and Esmerelda is the queen of the arcade there! Heather, you could do a whole segment on the treasures and games found in the Penny Arcade; the huge pipe organ in the back, the sterescope machines, the games of skill and chance, etc. I will have to stop by and say hello to Esmerelda on my next visit and have her give me a fortune!

  • I love Esmerelda – it’s these kinds of details that are such a big part of visiting and revisiting DL!

    But really, I logged in here to say to Timothy….awww. That’s a wonderful story.

  • My mom and I visit the park a lot, but only see Esmeralda when we feel like we need a little bit of guidance. She’s so insightful. It’s really freaky!

  • I have visited Esmerelda on several occasions, sometimes with friends. It’s funny that when 3 of us got our fortunes, each one of us got one that was appropriate..amazing!

  • What about Shrunken Ned? I always stop and get a prescription from Ned before leaving the parks!

  • One of my favorite memories of Esmeralda is when my kids discovered she was more than just a character that gave credits in VMK!

  • After 37 years of going to Disney,my wife and I will see Esmeralda and what she has to say..fortune telling is really fun.Will be there this Friday..

  • Timothy, you are my new hero!

    Exmeralda is awesome. I’m also a big fan of Shrunken Ned and Fortune Red… I would try to get a fortune from each for every day of my trip. And soon, *fingers crossed* I’ll be doing it again. Let’s hope that prophecy comes true!

  • These kinds of fortune telling machines have freaked me out ever sinds I played Phantasmagoria (a creepy computer game) as a kid. But I have to say I do LOVE the fact that Disney keeps these old machines alive. They should definitely be cherished as they are such a nice piece of nostalgia (for most people) πŸ˜‰
    Does anyone know if they update the fortunes? Or do people have multiples of the same one?

    Timothy: What a meaningful way to propose not just romantic, love that!

  • She winked!

  • I alway make sure I stop at Esmerelda. I love Esmerelda! At one point I visited here so much she was giving me the same fortunes. I think she was trying to make a point ;).

    Timothy, congratulations!

  • This reminds me so much of VMK, good times…

Comments are closed.