Disney Myths

Recieved this in the email today....thought it would be fun to share...


Myths about Walt Disney: Is Walt really frozen under Pirates of the Caribbean?

Over the years rumors and myths about Walt Disney and his company have evolved into legends. Legends, which many guests and even some Disney Cast Members today have come to believe as a true part of Disney history.

While some of those legends are true, there are many that are false. Let us take a look at some of the more popular Disney myths.

Walt is frozen and stored at one of the parks

Walt was cryogenically frozen and is placed in a secret vault underneath the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. It is false, but is one of the longest running Disney rumors today. He was actually cremated Dec. 17, 1966, only two days after his death. Another version of this myth is, since he died before his vision of the "Florida Project" , now known at Walt Disney World - was complete, the secret vault where his body is located was placed underneath Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park.

Guest looses head on Space Mountain

A guest's head was severed from standing up on the Space Mountain attraction in the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland. Though this did not happen to a guest, it did happen during testing of the ride when Imagineers placed a test dummy on the ride standing up. The dummy's head was severed from its body.

Swan and Dolphin and the monorail

It has been told by many on a variety of forums and even some Disney Cast Members have been telling guests that the black glass on Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resorts can be removed to accommodate the path of a monorail from Epcot to Disney's Hollywood Studios. One story says that there is nothing behind the black glass and another says that there are temporary rooms there, which can be removed easily. Neither are true. Actually the buildings were designed this way and there is no intention, and never was, of putting a monorail through the two resorts.

Cinderella's Castle can be taken apart for a hurricane

I am not sure where this rumor began, but it is out there. Some say that Cinderella's Castle is built in a way that allows for easy dismantling in case of a hurricane. This a false and the castle is not built that way, nor as it ever been dismantled.

Walt's face appears on a bust in the Haunted Mansion

It has been rumored that Walt's face appears on the bust, which is broken, in the Haunted Mansion attraction. Though there is a similarity, this is simply a myth. It is actually the face of Thurl Ravenscroft, who is known as the voice of Tony the Tiger. His voice has also been featured in the Country Bear Jamboree and in the several Disney animated films, including "Lady and the Tramp."

Contemporary rooms are removable

I have been hearing this from transportation Cast Members for as long as I can remember. Though I have found no evidence proving they are removable, I have found information, which may have lead to this rumor. When Disney's Contemporary Resort was being built, the rooms were constructed off site and then crane lifted into their place on the steel constructed A-frame. This was similar to how parts of Disney's Polynesian Resort was built.