Clearing up Disney Myths

Elizabeth Kostalnick, Page Editor

With the recent release of live action Disney movies, such as Dumbo and Aladdin, the myths regarding Walt Disney’s will and the “10 year” renewal for classic movies has been up for debate.

A tweet from November 2018 went viral, stating, “I was today years old when I found out that Walt Disney put in his will that all Disney classics are to be remade every 10 years, so each generation gets to enjoy them.”

While many saw the tweet, Sammy (@samantahpaigeu) later added to the tweet that she was not 100% correct on the accuracy of her tweet. But before she could publicly come out and state this, the tweet was already made public, shaking the worlds of Disney fans everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief, Disney myths like the “10 year renewal” have been created and tossed around for years. One of the most famous being, Walt Disney’s body being frozen and stored in an ice chest in Disneyland.

While Walt Disney was a strange man who was definitely interested in the future and potentially preoccupied with his own demise, there is no clear evidence to back up the claim that he is frozen and buried in any kind of undisclosed location (the most popular rumor being under Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, California). Still, many people continue to believe this far-out claim for a number of reasons,” said Ripleys.com.

All opinions aside, this rumor has been out there for years with some still believing that Walt Disney is frozen solid somewhere in the world.

“I honestly never believed any of the Disneyland conspiracies. While I think they’re interesting, they aren’t aimed at die hard Disney fans like me. I think the YouTube videos are made for views because people wouldn’t think that Disney would be despicable enough to do such things and they’re not something I would actively watch,” said Nick Strain (‘21).

While some rumors, such as Walt being frozen and the “10 year renewal,” are false, there are still interesting facts regarding Disneyland that are actually fact true.

Matterhorn Bobsleds, the famous mountain inside the park containing sudden drops and stops while being “chased” by a Yeti, does in fact contain a basketball court in the top third of the mountain.

The ride guests experience only takes up the bottom third of the mountain, leaving the top two-thirds of the mountain seemingly unoccupied. However, a photo released mid 2007 shared that the seemingly “unoccupied” portion of the Matterhorn does in fact contain a half-sized basketball court, open to cast members on break wanting to “shoot some hoops.”

“The small basketball court has a full backboard and net, and sits in a small attic-like space near the top of the Matterhorn. Back when mountain climbers would climb up the mountain, they would use this space alongside cast members to prep for performances and take a break on days with gloomy weather,” said duchessofdisneyland.com.

Overall, these are only a few of the many rumors pertaining to Disneyland. To check out more, simply search “Disneyland Myths” on either Google or YouTube for an abundance of information on Disneyland myths and facts.