Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
A lot of myths have sprung up about Walt Disney World over the years, and these are often cited by Disney fans as facts. Which makes sense – truth is often stranger than fiction, and there are some pretty wild truths about Walt Disney World!
But how is a Disney Guest to know which WDW “facts” really are true?
We typically take our cues from former or current Cast Members, who tend to have the inside scoop! Here are some “facts” about Walt Disney World that we’ve read. Which ones are true, and which are myths? You decide!
Walt Had a Secret Apartment in Cinderella Castle
This is a tricky one! Walt Disney sadly passed away before construction even started on Cinderella Castle in Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park, so this is a myth – there was never an apartment built in the castle for Walt.
However, there IS a suite in Cinderella Castle, and it’s magnificent! Unfortunately, you won’t be able to book a stay there anytime soon, because it’s only ever used very occasionally for visiting celebrities and prize winners.
Credit: Disney
Walt Is Buried on Walt Disney World Property
“Facts” surrounding Walt Disney himself abound among Disney fans!
And it sounds plausible that Walt may have been buried somewhere on WDW property (though the rumor that his body was cryogenically frozen awaiting a future reanimation date is perhaps less plausible).
Alas, this is also false. Walt’s body was cremated, and you can visit his final resting place in Glendale, California: Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Guests Regularly Scatter the Ashes of Loved Ones in Walt Disney World
If Walt himself isn’t buried or resting in cryogenic sleep somewhere on Disney property, then the remains of other people, at least, must reside in WDW, right?
At the risk of forever altering the way you view Walt Disney World, I can confirm that this rumor is actually – true.
In fact, it’s been estimated that Guests scatter the ashes of their loved ones somewhere on Walt Disney World property (on the lawns and flower beds of Magic Kingdom lawns, near theme park gates, and especially in Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction) about once a month.
Credit: Disney
Cast Members even reportedly have their own code reserved for the discovery of what’s suspected to be human ashes: “HEPA cleanup”.
To be clear, it is of course completely illegal to dispose of human ashes anywhere in Walt Disney World, and if caught, Guests will be removed from Disney property.
There Are No Mosquitoes in Walt Disney World
It IS the most magical place on Earth, so maybe Walt found a way to magically banish all the mosquitoes on WDW property?
Well, this is sort of true. There are a number of programs in place to reduce the number of mosquitoes on Walt Disney World property.
Landscaping and buildings are designed to completely eliminate standing water, all bodies of water are kept moving by using drainage ditches, ponds are stocked with fish that eat mosquito larvae, and a natural liquid garlic spray is used in small enough amounts that Guests can’t smell it, but mosquitoes hate it.
However, Walt Disney World is built on swampland, and it will never be possible to completely repel all mosquitoes. So it’s not true that there are NO mosquitoes in Walt Disney World, but they’re certainly kept to a minimum.
No Gum is Sold on Walt Disney World Property
Surely this one is a myth. After all, WDW boasts so many souvenir shops that one of them, at least, is bound to sell chewing gum, right?
Wrong! This fact is completely true – it’s impossible to find chewing gum for sale anywhere in Walt Disney World. It’s thought that the very understandable reason for the gum ban is the mess all that gum would make, with potentially thousands of Guests each day leaving used pieces on benches, ride vehicles, restaurant tables… (This is why we can’t have nice things.).
You can bring your own chewing gum into the Parks. Just please find a trash can for it when you’re finished. And speaking of trash cans…
Guests are Never More Than 30 Steps From a Trash Can in Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World is huge. Is it really true that on property, Guests are never more than 30 steps away from a trash can? That’s a lot of trash cans.
Yes, this is really true! When he was designing the Parks, Walt Disney spent time in other theme parks, observing people’s behavior. And he counted how long they would hold onto their trash before giving up and just dropping it on the ground. And the answer was – 30 steps.
Having so many trash cans scattered conveniently around WDW property helps to keep it fastidiously tidy, which we’ve always appreciated – it’s something that’s notably lacking in other famous non-Disney theme parks!
Cinderella Castle Comes Apart
There’s no U.S. state more affected by hurricanes and other storms than Florida, so the claim that Cinderella Castle can be dismantled during a natural disaster seems reasonable. However, this Disney “fact” is just a fairy tale.
Credit: Disney Tips
No part of Cinderella Castle can be disassembled, although the castle was built using more than 600 tons of steel to withstand hurricane-level winds.
In fact, while Orlando has a very low risk of hurricanes compared to just about any other city in the state, Cinderella Castle has withstood several hurricanes in its lifetime.
Bottom Line
How did you do? Were you able to distinguish the Walt Disney World myths from facts?
If not, don’t feel bad – WDW is teeming with fabulously bizarre truths, and they can often be hard to tell from all the urban legends out there. But the next time you hear one of these myths passed off as Disney truth, you’ll be able to set the record straight!
