We’re Busting These 13 Disney Myths ONCE AND FOR ALL!

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, you’ll find a TON of information out there on the internet!

We’re here to help you plan the perfect trip!

But, like most subjects, not all the info you find will be true. It’s easy to get bad advice for your Disney World trip, and it’s also pretty easy to find a bunch of rumors, stories, and myths about the parks as a whole. Today, we’re busting 13 Disney myths that we hear frequently so that you don’t get the wrong idea about what ACTUALLY goes down in Disney World!

There is No Alcohol in Magic Kingdom

The first myth on our list actually USED to be true but changed in 2012 when Be Our Guest Restaurant opened in Fantasyland. Before Be Our Guest’s opening, there was no alcohol in Magic Kingdom, and when the change happened, it was met with mixed feelings from fans.

If you’re paying $60 for your meal, people generally expect a fancy drink to go along with it!

If you’re searching for booze in the OG Disney World park these days, you’ll only be able to find it at sit-down restaurants, not at carts and snack stands like in the other three parks. The only exception we’ve seen to the table service rule is at special ticketed events like the Happily Ever After Dessert Party. For now, you won’t find any guests strolling around Main Street, U.S.A. sipping a beer, though!

Click Here to Learn More About Alcohol in Magic Kingdom!

Walt Disney is in the Haunted Mansion

One popular misconception about Disney’s Haunted Mansion is that when you pass the singing busts in the graveyard scene, one of them is modeled after Walt Disney himself. While the bust does resemble Walt, it was actually made to look like singer Thurl Ravenscroft.

The Haunted Mansion

Ravenscroft is the well-known voice actor behind Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger and the singer behind famous hits like “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” He’s a vocalist in Grim Grinning Ghosts as part of the singing quartet, the Mellomen, so it only makes sense that his likeness would be found on the ride! It IS funny how similar the two men looked though!

Who is the Real Star of the Haunted Mansion? Here’s What Our Readers Said!

Toy Story Characters Will Fall Down if You Shout “Andy’s Coming!”

This myth was actually started several years ago when a photo of a fan lying on the ground with Toy Story characters went viral on the internet. There’s debate if this was ever true or not. Popular debunking site Snopes.com claimed a Disney World character attendant reached out to state, “The characters USED to drop to the ground when someone yelled “Andy’s coming.” As of the last week or so, however, they no longer do this. This is because EVERYONE found out about it at the same time (when that meme went viral) and now people are shouting this about 50 times per hour and a half, as opposed to hearing it once or twice a day, like before.”

Please don’t yell at the Toy Story characters!

Once the rumor caught fire, guests started trying it all the time! Disney had to make an official policy against the characters doing this — they could get seriously injured falling down over and over again or potentially injure a guest. 

Click Here for a List of 5 Things to Eat in Toy Story Land!

Cinderella Castle Can Be Dismantled for a Hurricane

This one seems to have been a rumor ever since Disney World’s Cinderella Castle was first erected! 😆Florida is the home of wild hurricane weather, and the theme parks had to be built to withstand these chaotic storms. Because of this, some people think that Cinderella Castle can be dismantled in the case of a particularly nasty hurricane.

Cinderella Castle

Umm. No. Sorry, guys this rumor simply isn’t true — the castle is stuck right where it’s at! Versions of this ranged from the turrets being removable to the whole caboodle being able to be disassembled in preparation for a hurricane. It can, however, withstand tremendous winds, so don’t be worried about it collapsing. It has survived almost 50 years and is still standing.

Here’s What Disney World Looks Like Under a Severe Weather Warning!

No One is Ever Legally Pronounced Dead at Disney World

This one is actually a little tricky to discuss, as it involves a lot of technicalities. First of all, it’s not true that no one ever dies at Disney World — unfortunately, there have been several recorded instances of this happening over the years. The matter of whether or not they’re declared dead on the property is another thing. Then there’s pronouncing someone dead.

This is a subject that Disney doesn’t release much information on.

Obviously, this isn’t a topic that Disney wants to discuss, but when an accident strikes at Disney World, the actual pronouncement of death typically happens off-property at a hospital. An EMT, police officer, or the like can announce someone is dead on the scene, but they’re not officially declared dead yet. The rules behind this vary a bit by state. In fact, in the state of Florida, an attending physician, coroner, or medical examiner are the only ones who can legally pronounce someone dead. At that point, the individual is, as far as the law is concerned, dead.

So if someone is reported as “dead” on the news it’s not the same as a death certificate being signed. This has been the case several times over the years (including an incident recently at EPCOT), but that doesn’t mean that Disney World specifically has a policy AGAINST proclaiming death on the property. 

Click Here to Read Wild Disney Conspiracy Theories

Adults Can’t Order Off the Kids’ Menu

Heading to Disney World but don’t have a huge appetite? The kids’ menu could be your secret weapon! Adults are welcome to order food from the kids’ menu at quick-service restaurants all around the parks and resorts, and some of the options are pretty great.

There are some really fun kids’ meal options!

If you’re heading to a table service restaurant, your mileage may vary. At spots where it’s a one-price-fits-all for adults, then you’ll be paying based on your age, no matter how much food you eat. At places where you order off a menu, you may be able to order a kids’ portion, just make sure to ask your waiter!

Here Are Some Great Ways to Save Money on Your Trip!

There’s a Giant Weather Dome Over the Parks

This one is pretty far-fetched, yet we’ve heard it several times before. To this we say: “Have you ever been stuck in a Disney World downpour??” Some guests believe that there’s a giant dome around Disney World that can be lowered and raised when there’s bad weather. 

This photo is proof that the dome doesn’t exist.

Disney is magical, but it ain’t THAT magical! 😂 As much as we wish this was true, Disney World gets as affected by weather as any other place outside of the property. You’ll still encounter wind and rain, sweltering heat and humidity, and the occasional hurricane — so make sure to pack your ponchos and jackets just in case!

Big Tips for Handling Severe Weather in Disney World — Click Here!

Cast Members Can’t Tell You “No”

Disney Cast Members are known for being polite and courteous in all situations, which has led some people to believe that employees in the theme parks aren’t allowed to tell guests “no.” 

Cast Member at Pizzerizzo

Cast Members are absolutely allowed to say “no” if it’s a matter of guest safety or if something you’d like to do will violate important rules. They’ll do their best to be kind about it, but they’re not banned from using the phrase.

Click Here to Learn About More Cast Member Rules!

Turkey Legs Are So Big Because They’re Made of Emu

Disney World is the home of gigantic food options, and there are tons to choose from. One of the most famous is Disney’s oversized turkey legs. They’re so big that they’ve inspired their own rumors!

Ever just want a giant hunk of meat in the middle of your theme park day?

Some people believe that these massive hunks of meat are actually emu instead of turkey. But don’t worry, that’s not true. They’re made from tom turkeys, AKA boy turkeys, which is what causes them to come out so big! Your normal Thanksgiving bird is a feamle turkey, which is often smaller.

Interestingly, a lot of the fuel for this rumor is Flynn Rider himself, Zachary Levi. He gave an interview years back on TV to Conan O’Brien where he claimed a friend of his worked at Disneyland and told him they were emu legs. The rumor spread like wildfire! Sorry, Eugene, they’re just turkey!

Here Are Some Surprising Facts You May Not Know About Disney Food!

Character Costumes Come With Air Conditioning

Sadly, this rumor isn’t true. Even though Florida summers are sweltering and humid, these characters have to cool off the old-fashioned way — with frequent breaks. 

Hey there Goof!

You may notice your Disney friends stepping away more often in the summertime, but it’s to make sure they can stay refreshed. Mickey’s tux can get a little steamy in all that warm weather! (Gee, wouldn’t a weather dome come in handy here??) Mickey works hard and he (and all his friends) deserves to be taken care of!

Click Here for Some Adorable Character Interactions!

Walt Disney’s Head/Body is Frozen Underneath the Castle

Buckle up, this one’s weird and SHOCKINGLY popular. There are people out there who believe that, when Walt Disney passed away, his body and/or head were cryogenically frozen and are now hidden in the tunnels underneath Cinderella Castle. 

Cinderella Castle

This is certainly not true! First of all, if Walt were cryogenically frozen (he wasn’t) why would he be stored under Disney WORLD, which wasn’t closed to finished by the time of his death?  Wouldn’t he want to be in his park, Disneyland? (There ARE rumors he was building a cryo tank under Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean too!). It seems most of these rumors actually started by tabloids at the time of Walt’s very real death. This was later fueled by books written by a few sources claiming to be credible on the matter that, when examined closer, had no basis for their claims.

When Walt Disney passed, his remains were cremated and they now reside in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. His death certificate is signed by the licensed mortuary attendant verifying his cremation. His family has verified his death as well. His daughter, Diane, even went so far as to state, “There is absolutely no truth that my father, Walt Disney, wished to be frozen. I doubt that my father had ever heard of cryonics.”

There ARE tunnels below the castle, the Utilidors, but they’re home to break rooms, costuming areas, and storage areas…NOT frozen heads.

We Bet You Didn’t Know You Could Do THIS in Disney World — Click Here

There Are Real Graves at the Haunted Mansion

Disney World’s Haunted Mansion is home to 999 happy haunts, but none of those are REAL people. While you’ll spot several tombstones outside in the ride’s queue, there are no actual bodies buried in the ground around the attraction. 

Haunted Mansion graveyard

These tombstones are all nods to Imagineers that contributed to the creation of the ride. Even the famed “Master Gracey” that the film version of The Haunted Mansion focuses on, was based on Yale Gracey, a famed Imagineer.

Sry, Not a REAL Grave Here!

However, this IS a popular place to LEAVE dead people. The Mansion has been known as a popular place for fans to try and scatter their loved one’s ashes. DO NOT DO THIS. If you’re on the ride, it will be stopped, you may be escorted from the park, and your loved one will be cleaned up from the ride — that’s probably not what you hoped for when you were laying your loved on to rest!

Click Here for Strange Facts You Didn’t Know About Disney’s Opening Day Attractions!

You Have to Book the Number of Days Used in the Marketing Language

A rumor that the truth can save you some money! If you find a special offer on the Disney World website that you’d like to book and it says a specific number of nights and days in the title, there’s a chance that you may be able to score the deal on a shorter vacation. 

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Make sure you check out the terms of the deal first to see if any additional details are there (sorry, but that means reading the fine print, guys!). If not, try playing around with the booking online and see if you can get it to apply to a shorter stay. If so, then you may be able to save big!

Here Are 5 Ways to Save $1000 On Your Disney World Trip!

We just busted a TON of Disney rumors, but there are still so many more out there. What rumors have YOU heard that you want us to put on our detective hats to solve? Stay tuned to DFB for all the FACTS about Disney World that you need to know! (As well as some awesome planning advice!)

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Have you ever heard any of these rumors? Let us know in the comments!

The post We’re Busting These 13 Disney Myths ONCE AND FOR ALL! first appeared on the disney food blog.