Disney knows how to sell the magic—but sometimes the myths go a little too far.

Over the years, a lot of stories have circulated around the parks. Some are wild fan theories, others are just good old-fashioned misunderstandings, and a few are urban legends that just won’t die. We’re breaking down the most common “Disney lies” fans believed for way too long—and yep, we believed a few of these ourselves.

“No one dies at Disney.”

Let’s start with the big one. You’ve probably heard someone say that no one is technically allowed to die on Disney property—that Disney has some super-secret policy where they declare people dead after they’re off-site. This is not a real thing.

Tragically, people have died at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Accidents have happened, guests have suffered medical emergencies, and Cast Members have also been involved in fatal incidents. Disney obviously doesn’t want to publicize these stories—and in some cases, local laws or first responder policies determine when and where someone is declared deceased—but the idea that “no one dies at Disney” is just not true. It’s a myth that makes the rounds because it sounds very Disney-esque, but it doesn’t hold up under even a little scrutiny.

Walt Disney’s frozen head is stored under Pirates of the Caribbean.

This is one of those rumors that got out of control and refuses to go away. The idea is that Walt Disney’s head (or entire body, depending on which version you’ve heard) was cryogenically frozen after his death and is currently chilling—literally—under the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Let’s be super clear: Walt Disney died in 1966 from lung cancer, and his death was publicly reported at the time. He was cremated two days later. There are actual cremation records. There is zero evidence that anything else happened.

The frozen head story took off years later, mostly because it’s just the right blend of creepy and kooky to stick in people’s minds. But no, Walt’s head is not hidden in some secret bunker under Pirates, and there’s no cryogenic lab tucked inside Disneyland. It’s fiction, not fact.

The Haunted Mansion was so scary that it caused a heart attack and had to be toned down.

This one is very persistent, and we get why—it sounds like the setup to a spooky campfire tale. According to the myth, when the Haunted Mansion first opened, a guest had a heart attack from fear, and Disney quietly adjusted the ride to make it less terrifying.

The truth? There’s no record of anyone dying on the ride due to fright. No heart attack. No emergency edits to make it less scary. What has happened: an 89-year-old woman once broke her hip trying to exit her Doom Buggy. That’s the closest verifiable incident we could find.

Disney did delay the Haunted Mansion’s opening for years, but it had nothing to do with anyone dying. It was more about ride technology and park planning logistics. So yeah—no horror-movie moment behind this one. It’s just a creepy ride with a great backstory and a lot of fog.

Those turkey legs aren’t actually turkey.

Okay, let’s settle this once and for all: those massive turkey legs you see people gnawing on around the parks? They’re real turkey. They are not emu legs.

This rumor pops up every so often because, yes, those legs are unusually large. And if you’ve never seen a fully grown male turkey up close, it’s understandable to be surprised by their size. But they’re not some Frankenstein version of poultry, and they’re definitely not being swapped for emu behind the scenes.

The myth probably stuck because someone joked about it years ago, and it turned into an internet “fact.” I’m sure even a Disney Cast Member or two has leaned into the joke, which didn’t help. But the official word from Disney is that they are, in fact, turkey. Big, salty, smoky turkey.

So, what’s the takeaway here?

Even the most hardcore Disney fans have fallen for a park myth or two. It’s easy to believe these stories—especially when they sound just close enough to reality or have been repeated a million times online. But most of them are just that: stories. Fun to tell, but not something to plan your park day around.

Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney’s history and mythology!

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What’s your favorite Disney myth? Let us know in the comments below.