The story of Wilby Daniels having to conceal his real self has often been viewed as ironic considering the closeted life Tommy Kirk was leading.
According to Diabolique, "the movie kicked off a whole bunch of comedies with a slight fantastical element that powered Disney film division for the next two decades. Much of the credit went to MacMurray; a lot of the credit should have gone to Kirk, whose easy-going boy next door charm made him the ideal American teen."
As a kind of product placement for Walt Disney's associate publisher Dell, a character is seen reading a comic book of Uncle Scrooge 18. This issue, cover-dated June 1957, features the Carl Barks-written adventure "Land of the Pygmy Indians."