1. Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen after his death, in the hope that one day medical technology would allow him to be brought back to life.
False – Walt died on December 15, 1966 and is thought to have been cremated the day after. It’s unknown who started this particular rumor of his body being frozen, or when it started. The fact that Walt was so interested in new technology and that details surrounding his funeral and burial weren’t made public only served to fuel this untrue rumor.
2. Tinker Bell was based on Marilyn Monroe.
False – Peter Pan’s Tinker Bell was in fact modelled on actress Margaret Kerry.
3. Disney Theme Park employees used to be prevented from moustaches, beards or long hair.
True – When the employee code was introduced in the 1950s, facial hair had a negative image in America. Disney wanted their employees to convey a nice, wholesome image and therefore banned moustaches, beards and long hair. Until the late 60s, they also applied the policy to male park guests with long hair, preventing them entry to Disneyland. Disney relaxed the policy in 2000, allowing male Cast Members to have neatly trimmed moustaches (which must been grown during vacation time). Since July 2003 onwards Cast Members have also been allowed to sport corn row hairstyles, providing they meet strict specifications. Female Cast Members have only been able to wear eye make up since 1994.
4. The plane that’s part of the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the actual plane used in the movie Casablanca.
False – The soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios where Casablanca was filmed weren’t big enough to accommodate a full size Lockheed Electra 12A plane. Therefore a mock plane was made from wood, and fog was added to the scene to try and conceal the plane as much as possible. The plane in the Great Movie Ride scene is a Lockheed Electra 12A plane, which was in fact used in other films, including “Tarzan’s New York Adventure.”
5. There is a private club located in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square.
True – Club 33 is a private members’ only club, located in New Orleans Square at Disneyland, with its entrance next to the Blue Bayou Restaurant. It’s existence isn’t publicized or widely known. It’s the only place in Disneyland Park where alcohol is served, and those wishing to join must wait at least 14 years.
6. There is a private club called “Club 21” located near Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World.
False – It’s possible that this rumor came about because of the existence of corporate lounges within Walt Disney World, including one near to Pirates of the Caribbean.
7. One of the singing busts in the graveyard in the Haunted Mansion attraction is Walt Disney.
False – The image projected onto that particular bust is actually Thurl Ravenscroft who sings on the attraction’s catchy “Grim Grinning Ghosts” song. He bears a very slight resemblance to Walt Disney and therefore many guests mistakenly presume it is Walt.
8. Guests have died on rides at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
True – Sadly this one is true. Several guests have died on attractions including the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Big Thunder Mountain, and Mission: SPACE. Causes include pre-existing medical conditions, ride defects and the guests ignoring safety advice and warning.
9. A guest died of a heart attack after riding the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland shortly after it opened. The ride was subsequently redone with the scary elements taken out.
False – No one has ever died on the Haunted Mansion attraction, and only minor changes have ever been made since it opened.
10. Donald Duck was once banned in Finland because he doesn’t wear pants.
False – In 1977, a Liberal Party representative in Helsinki proposed that youth centers stop buying Donald Duck comics due to a financial downturn in the economy. When the politician was running for parliament the following year, the press found out that he was the man who banned Donald Duck. The media jumped on the story and exagerrated the truth, claiming that Donald had been banned due to his lack of pants.