5 Crazy Disney Parks Rumors That Are Fake & 5 That Are True

5 Crazy Disney Park Rumors That Are Fake & 5 That Are True

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for some of the wildest myths about Disney theme parks and whether they’re fact or fiction.

#5: Fake: Disney’s Turkey Legs Are Made Out of Emu

From Dole Whips to Mickey-shaped pretzels, Disney has become well-known for the delicious food items in their parks. One of the most popular offerings is their jumbo turkey legs, allowing guests to channel their inner caveman. Their massive size led some, even actor Zachary Levi, to speculate that they’re made of emu meat. Not only is it illegal to sell mislabelled food, but experts say that the price of emu would be too costly for Disney to sell their reported two million turkey legs a year. They’re so big because the meat is from male turkeys, or “toms,” which are larger than females. This rumor has been debunked more than once, so guests can rest assured that they are, in fact, eating turkey.

#5: True: Fake Flags on Main Street USA

If you’ve had the pleasure of strolling down Main Street USA at Disneyland in California or Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park in Florida, you might’ve noticed some flags seem off. While it’s true that the parks display prop flags missing some stars and stripes, it’s not to avoid following the United States Flag Code, as some believe. The code doesn’t require the park to lower or take down any American flags. It’s just a guideline, and not adhering to it doesn’t result in a penalty. Walt Disney based Main Street USA on his hometown of Marceline, Missouri, and wanted it to have a turn-of-the-20th-century style, meaning an American flag with fewer than 50 stars is era-accurate.

#4: Fake: No One Has Ever Died at a Disney Park

At Disney Parks, cast members often go out of their way to make sure guests have a magical experience, but that doesn’t mean anything can ever go wrong. It’s been rumored that Disney has a policy that no one is allowed to be pronounced deceased on property to protect the company’s image. Decades of reported fatalities prove otherwise. Unfortunately, there have been several tragedies in and around Disney Parks, including a 1981 homicide, a 2009 monorail crash, and a 2016 alligator attack. As for their rumored “no death policy,” it likely stems from how the company handles incidents in the press. In 2023, Disney infamously attempted to use Disney+ terms and conditions to keep a wrongful death lawsuit out of court, though later backtracked.

#4: True (Mostly): Disneyland’s Matterhorn Has a Basketball Court

The idea of any Disney attraction containing a secret basketball court inside its walls is far-fetched. That doesn’t stop people from believing that Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds has one. And it happens to be true! To give guests an authentic experience, Walt Disney employed professional climbers, and sometimes Mickey Mouse himself, to periodically scale the 147-foot-tall mountain. The climbers and Matterhorn ride operators used the open space at the top as a break area where they set up a hoop. While not a full, state-of-the-art basketball court, they did create a makeshift half-court with just enough room to shoot hoops in their downtime.

#3: Fake: Disney World Sits Under a Dome to Prevent Bad Weather

Florida, aka the “Sunshine State,” is known for its warm year-round climate, making it a perfect place for Disney parks. However, any Florida resident will tell you the state gets plenty of bad weather. So the myth about a dome over Walt Disney World Resort is irrefutably false. The parks will close down when storms pose a risk to the safety of guests and cast members, especially during hurricane season. The rumor was borne out of Walt’s dream of creating a futuristic city called Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or EPCOT, which included an enclosure for better weather conditions. Disney knows how to prepare for bad weather, although Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle cannot be moved or disassembled during storms, as rumored.

#3: True: The Beatles Officially Broke Up at the Polynesian Resort

The breakup of The Beatles was big news in the 1970s, but not everyone knows how it’s connected to Disney. After years of tension among the group, the Fab Four finally called it quits in December 1974. However, they weren’t all together for the signing of the dissolution papers. Ringo Starr had already added his signature, while George Harrison and Paul McCartney signed in New York. It’s been rumored that John Lennon was a no-show in NYC, and it’s true. He was on holiday in Florida with his oldest son Julian, and then-girlfriend/assistant May Pang, where they stayed at Disney World’s Polynesian Resort. On December 29, a lawyer brought Lennon the agreement to sign at his hotel, which officially ended the band.

#2: Fake (Mostly): “Toy Story” Characters Drop When Guests Yell “Andy’s Coming!”

There was a time in Disney Parks when shouting “Andy’s coming!” in Toy Story Land would make the characters stop and drop to the ground like actual objects. It was fun for a while, but then a meme went viral in 2013, prompting guests to test it out themselves. After it became overwhelmingly frequent, Disney changed their stance on the trend, citing safety concerns. However, guests can get a similar experience at the Roundup Rodeo Restaurant. So, while it was technically true at one time, it’s since been discouraged. See, this is why we can’t have nice things.

#2: True: Human Remains Scattered in the Parks

After someone passes, it’s common for their family to honor their last wishes, including where they want their ashes spread. However, people related to diehard Disney fans have been illegally sneaking human remains into the parks for years. They often scatter ashes around the foliage and/or on rides like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It’s a Small World. When guests are caught, cast members have to shut down the ride and call in a “HEPA cleanup” or “Code A,” because it’s a health hazard. Leaving a small piece of a loved one in their favorite place is sweet, but spreading ashes in Disney Parks only leads to their remains being vacuumed and thrown away. That’s no way to honor them.

#1: Fake: Walt Disney Was Buried in Disneyland

On December 15, 1966, Walter Elias Disney tragically passed away after a battle with lung cancer. Since then, there has been a long-held myth about what happened to his remains. Even if you aren’t particularly a fan of Disney, chances are you’ve heard that the innovator had his body cryogenically frozen and stored in a freezer under Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride. However, others have speculated that he was actually buried underneath Cinderella’s Castle in Florida. The truth is much less elaborate. Walt was cremated and his remains were buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, where fans often visit and pay their respects.

#1: True: Magic Kingdom Has a Suite Inside Cinderella’s Castle

Ever gazed up at the Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom and wondered what it would be like to stay the night? Well, it’s possible. The 650-square-foot space was originally built to be an apartment for Walt Disney, but the visionary passed away in 1966, five years before construction was completed. In the past, the unfinished area was used for storage, a call center, a dressing room, and eventually became a hotel suite in 2006 for Disney’s “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration. These days, the 17th-century French-inspired suite is an invitation-only experience that cannot be booked like a regular hotel, though you can win an overnight stay through occasional contests and charity auctions.

What’s the wildest Disney Park rumor you’ve ever heard? Was it true? Let us know in the comments below.