Disney’s theme parks are pretty extraordinary places as it is. Enormous fibreglass castles, giant mock hotels with drop towers within them and sprawling faux mountains are all par for the course. But that hasn’t stopped a number of myths and urban legends building up around them over the years. Often, these myths are stated as fact, rather than fiction. So we thought it would be fun to take a look at 10 of the most enduring Disney urban legends to see if there is reallyany truth to them.
10. The army discharge
Image: D23
The legend: It is said that the first three theme parks at Walt Disney World all opened on October 1, because that was the date that Walt Disney was dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army for drawing cartoons on Army trucks. Walt is said to have been so proud of this event that his successors felt the date should be used for future park debuts. The truth: This one is total garbage. For starters, Walt Disney was never actually inthe U.S. Army. When the US joined the fighting in the First World War, he was too young to enlist. Instead, he joined the American Ambulance Corps of the Red Cross, lying about his age in the process. He left the service in October 1919, but not on the first of the month. On top of this, while the Magic Kingdom and Epcot officially opened on October 1 in 1971 and 1982 respectively, Disney-MGM Studios actually opened on May 1, 1989.
9. Andy’s Coming
The legend: If you yell “Andy’s coming!” at Toy Story characters in Disney theme parks, they will stop what they are doing and lie flat on the ground. The truth: The Orlando Sentinel tested this one out, and was informed by a Walt Disney World spokeswoman that yelling the phrase won’t lead to the comedic sight of the characters flopping to the floor. However, that doesn’t mean that it has neverhappened. Videos posted online suggest that it has, but that Disney has stamped out the practice for safety reasons.
8. Headless characters
The legend: Disney was sued by visitors who claimed that their children had seen headless characters backstage, causing them severe distress. The truth:The reality of these cases is a little less bizarre. In fact, at least two lawsuits have cited headless characters, but there were many other factors involved too. One case involved security staff falsely accusing a family of shoplifting, and dragging them backstage. Another saw a former Mouseketeer brought backstage after being held up at gunpoint in Disneyland’s parking lot. Both distressing events, regardless of the presence of beheaded characters.
7. The ghost
The legend: During the construction of Pirates of the Caribbean at the Magic Kingdom, a welder named George was killed (either by electrocution or a falling beam). He haunts the attraction to this day. The truth:Cast Members still warn new employees about the ghost. But in reality, there was no George.
6. The Contemporary
The legend: The rooms at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort were designed so that they could be removed at any time, allowing a new one to be slotted into place. However, the steel frame settled, trapping the original rooms in the structure. The truth: Yesterland has helpfully debunked this one. The United States Steel Corporation, which built the Contemporary, did use it as a proving ground for modular construction techniques. Finished rooms (with utilities such as plumbing already installed) were slotted into the steel frame, having been manufactured on an assembly line. However, there was never any mention of the rooms being replacable.
5. The Casablanca plane
The legend: The Lockheed Electra 12 plane that is seen in the Casablanca section of the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the actual one used in the movie. The truth: It can’t possibly be the same plane. The plane seen in the movie was not, in fact, a real one – instead, it was a combination of half-size and quarter-size models. Disney’s plane is real, and the back half can be seen in the Jungle Cruise over at the Magic Kingdom.
4. Scared to death
The legend: Shortly after Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion opened, a rider was so terrified that he died of a “fright-induced” heart attack. Disney closed the ride and re-tooled it to make it less scary. The truth:While the Haunted Mansion’s construction was horribly delayed (it began in 1962, but the ride didn’t opened to the public until 1969), no such wholesale changes to the ride have been made. The legend likely springs from the fact that the facade of the mansion was finished in 1963, leading guests to speculate about its contents.
3. The Skyway
Image: Tom Simpson, Flickr
The legend: Disneyland’s Skyway was closed in 1994 because a guest fell out of one of its cable cars and died. The truth: A man did fall from the Skyway, in April 1994. He didn’t die (after landing in a tree), and the victim later admitted that he had climbedout of the car. The Skyway was shut for economic reasons.
2. The basketball court
The legend: The enormous faux mountain that forms the theming for the Matterhorn Bobsleds contains a basketball court at its heart. This was installed to circumnavigate local zoning laws that restricted the height of buildings unless they included sports facilities. The truth:There really was a basketball court (of sorts) inside the Matterhorn. The upper third of the structure was empty and was used a rest area for Cast Members, one of whom installed a single hoop. However, the relevant zoning law was not introduced until the early 1970s – and the Matterhorn opened in 1959.
1. Frozen Walt
Image: D23
The legend: Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen after he died, with the intention of being revived when medical science has advanced enough to “cure” him. His body is stored underneath Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. The truth: We’ve all heard this one – the most famous Disney urban legend of all. However, there is next to no evidence that Walt ever considered such a scheme. Public records show that he was cremated and buried on the family plot at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in California.
