Here’s the low-down…
- The list of tragedies and incidents at Disney World date back to the early 1960s
- According to some urban legends, Disney World is home to a host of ghosts… and even real skeletal remains
- One of the most famous speeches in US political history was delivered from a Disney World resort
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I have a confession: I love a little urban legend, especially those that revolve around popular tourist destinations.
Even an airport might gain notoriety—like Denver and its lizard people, for example.
But there’s something about a Disney World conspiracy, urban legend, and even real-life horror story that captures my attention. It comes down to the juxtaposition of all those happy families with potential tragedy. And tragedy has abounded at Disney World in Orlando—more than a few times, in fact.
I’m not going to touch on the saddest incidents at Disney World. (If you want, there’s a whole Wikipedia page dedicated to ‘incidents at Walt Disney World’, with one category of incident being ‘Acts of God’.)
There are too many, they’re too tragic, and I’d hate to dissuade anyone from visiting a place like Magic Kingdom.
So, let’s take a walk on the weirder and more entertaining side of Disney World lore to explore its most memorable and cheeky urban legends. I’ve also included a few horror stories from Disney World—those that lean more toward the bizarre than catastrophic, of course.
Disney World urban legends
There are ghosts in the Haunted Mansion—maybe even Brigham Young’s
In 2001, rumors began swirling that one of the hearses used in the Haunted Mansion ride was a real-life relic. And not just any real-life hearse, but one that was used to transport the remains of famed Mormon Brigham Young to his final resting place. Young, in case you forgot, died back in 1877.
So, how did his hearse end up in Orlando, Florida, over a century later? It didn’t. Young was never transported by a hearse. His casket was hand-carried by pallbearers.
There are real skeletons in the Pirates of the Caribbean park—and a ghost
According to legend, many of the skeleton decorations in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride aren’t just for show. Allegedly, they’re real-life skeletons. Unfortunately, this urban legend turned out to be real, as the amusement actually used real-life bones provided by the UCLA Medical Center. After the backlash, they replaced the bones with fakes.
Apparently, there’s also a ghost that haunts the grounds. His name is George, a former construction worker who helped build the Pirates of the Caribbean park. According to legend, George is behind ride malfunctions—and it’s believed enough that some staff have made offerings to the mythical ghost.
Walt Disney’s remains are somewhere in the park
Has Walt Disney been cryogenically frozen? Is his head sealed inside one of the busts in the Haunted Mansion? Or has he been laid to rest under the famous ride? In reality, Walt Disney’s remains were cremated two days after his death back in 1966.
When the guests are away, the cats will play
Disney hasn’t confirmed or denied rumors that a cat colony of around 200 felines comes out at night to take care of the park’s rat problem. But back in 2015, an LA Times article included a brief statement from Disneyland’s animal manager.
She mentioned that the park wasn’t trying to keep the population down to encourage vermin control. If that’s the case in Disneyland in Anaheim, California, it might not be a stretch to assume the same in Orlando, Florida.
Disney World horror stories—the fun version
Disney World provided cast with underwear until 2001
Up until 2001, employees at Disney World were provided with every part of their costumes—underwear included. After each shift, employees would hand over their outfits down to the socks. They would be washed, and then a fresh set would be provided for their next shift.
Meet the real Disney World horror story: communal underwear.
Rides are frequently shut down because people throw their ashes
Throwing loved ones’ ashes around the park is so common that Disney World has a stance on it: it’s illegal, and if they catch you in the act, they’ll vacuum up your loved ones’ ashes right in front of your eyes.
There’s even a code for this type of common riff-raff, called a Code A or a HEPA Cleanup. While it might sound a little wild, even celebs like Whoopi Goldberg have admitted to doing it.
Richard Nixon gave a famous speech from the Contemporary Resort
Remember that time former US President Richard Nixon addressed the nation after the Watergate scandal? Facing a crowd of 400 journalists, Nixon went on to insist, “I am not a crook!” Which he did from the Ballroom of the Americas at Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World.
A woman tried to smuggle meth into the amusement park as ‘headache powder’
Just this year, a woman attempted to smuggle in a tin of methamphetamines into the park. When she was caught in the act, she insisted it was just ‘headache powder’. Authorities picked her up shortly after.
Costume heads are a cause of injury
Walt Disney World employees face a range of difficulties related to their jobs, especially those who wear heavy, complex character costumes. Back in 2005, enough employees experienced head, neck, and shoulder injuries due to the weight of the cartoon costume heads that Disney World had to innovate to make costume heads no heavier than 25% of the wearer’s total body weight.
If you weigh 130 pounds, that means the costume head can weigh no more than 30 pounds. (Which still seems dangerously heavy?)
