Despite having the reputation as the most family-friendly place on Earth, there are actually a number of spine-chilling tales that plague Disney Parks around the globe. Although, is there really any truth to these myths? Keep reading for a deep dive into the creepiest Disney Parks rumors that might just keep you up at night.
The first daunting Disney myth has to do with one of the more eerie experiences at the parks: Disneyland and Disney World’s Haunted Mansion. Rumor has it, there are more permanent residents of the macabre manor than you’d expect. According to legend, some guests have released their loved ones’ ashes throughout the ride. I guess some people really want their Disney vacation to never end. After thorough research, I found that the Wall Street Journal has already investigated this repulsive report in-depth, and their results will shock you. Disney Parks custodians told the esteemed newspaper, “it happens about once a month.” I’m starting to think the parks might need to revisit their indoor mask policy. The most disturbing part of this revelation is that this phenomenon isn’t limited to just The Haunted Mansion. The report continues, “Human ashes have been spread in flower beds, on bushes and on Magic Kingdom lawns; outside the park gates and during fireworks displays; on Pirates of the Caribbean and in the moat underneath the flying elephants of the Dumbo ride.” I love to dress up for Halloween at Disneyland but my next visit may require another kind of costume: a hazmat suit. This Disneyland rumor is confirmed to be true.
The next tantalizing Disney Parks tale also has to do with human remains. Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction has been enchanting guests for 55 years with its boat ride following a group of thieves’ hunt for treasure. And as anyone who has ridden this beloved attraction can tell you, when the dastardly bandits finally get their hands on the coveted golden loot, things don’t go as planned. The pirates are cursed and turn into skeletons. This experience generally isn’t seen as very scary and rather a relaxing boat ride through a light-hearted adventure. However, if you’ve heard the following rumor, this calming boat ride through the Caribbean might not sound as innocent anymore. Legend tells of real skeletons inhabiting the ride. Supposedly, the long-gone pirates in multiple scenes of the attraction are not made of the usual plastic, but of genuine human bone. To get to the bottom of this rumor, you have to go as far back as the ride’s opening in 1967. According to SFGATE, when Imagineers were working on bringing this attraction to life, the technology for creating realistic fake skeletons was simply not there yet. For this reason, Walt’s team of creatives and visionaries conceived another bright idea: Why settle for fake when you can have the real deal? They contacted UCLA’s Medical Center and obtained authentic human skeletons. “All of the skeletons on the attraction were actual human bones,” SFGATE reported. So why is Disney allowed to bring human remains to the park while guests can’t? Anyways, if you think all those skeletons have stuck around to today, think again. These remains were replaced with artificial bones as the technology gradually improved. Today, Disneyland officially claims there are no human skeletons in use at this attraction, but some say otherwise. The skull on the headboard of the skeleton’s luxurious bed is rumored to be one of the remaining human skulls, and looking at photos comparing the original 1967 skull to today’s, it’s hard to argue against this notion as they look strikingly similar. Although I can’t confirm or deny this myth’s truth, I am labeling it as possible.
Those with Automatonophobia (the fear of human-like figures and animatronics) as well as those who fear wasting energy will be especially terrified of the next Disney tale. Allegedly, even as the music and lights turn off every night, the cute yet creepy little munchkins of animatronics on It’s a Small World never stop dancing. Can you imagine walking into the ride building as a maintenance worker, turning the lights on, and seeing hundreds of tiny children staring back at you?! Inside the Magic reports that not only is this rumor in fact true, but It’s a Small World’s fun-sized androids aren’t the only animatronics to never stop moving. The Native American animatronics along Disney World’s Rivers of America also can’t help but move in the nighttime. Based on the available evidence, I can confirm this rumor as true.
If these disturbing Disney Parks stories don’t keep you from going to the parks, I’m not sure anything will. Who can blame you when these rides, terrifying or not, are just so fun? And, if you get a little fearful in the parks after thinking about the children of It’s a Small World dancing in the dark, grab a seat in one of Pooh’s “hunny” pots and take a trip to the Hundred Acre Wood. No one can stay scared after paying a visit to that cute and silly old bear.