Our top 5 Disney urban legends that haunt the Internet
When you think Disney, you think of classic cartoons, epic adventure and all round family fun.
However, if the Internet is to believed (and it rarely should) you’ll also be aware of some pretty sinister legends floating around too about one of the world’s most beloved brands.
But how accurate are these popular Disney-themed legends? We pick our favourite 5 and examine them further.
Walt Disney’s Frozen Body
We begin with the company founder, Walt Disney himself. A persistent legend has it that his last wish was for his body to be cryogenically frozen, to be later reanimated sometime after his death. Many variations of the rumour go further by claiming that his body is stored underneath one of his theme parks.
Well, for anyone who may have believed the rumour, it’s time to stop, because there is nothing to it. Disney succumbed to lung cancer in late 1966, and his family later confirmed that he was cremated and his ashes buried only a few days later.
Speculation was fueled by Walt Disney’s insistence on privacy, as well as second hand accounts that Disney had expressed interest in being frozen at the end of his life. However, since his request was not officially documented, his family went ahead with the more traditional cremation.
However, despite this, rumours that Walt Disney is frozen and stored someplace still continue to circulate to this day.
The Lion King Sex message
When it comes to Disney related hearsay, one popular and reoccurring theme is that rogue production staff would covertly transmit hidden messages related to sex (or sexually related content) via their animated exports. According to rumours, so brief and subtle were the messages, that the viewer would not consciously notice them. Instead the subliminal sexual meanings behind the messages would presumably embed themselves into the viewer’s unconscious.
And that is certainly the case with this example, that claims the word ‘sex’ appears fleetingly in the hit movie The Lion King in the form of dust that is kicked up when character Simba lays down at a cliff edge, as you can see from the still below.
Only it doesn’t, though one couldn’t be blamed for thinking so. Whilst upon a cursory glance it may appear to spell the word ‘sex’, it is generally believed now that what we’re actually seeing is the acronym SFX, a shout out to the Disney special effects department. This was later confirmed by former Disney animator Tom Sito.
On hindsight, the truth makes much more sense than the legend. Even if it is much more mundane.
The Seven Stages of Cocaine Addiction
Another legend that persists around the world of Disney is the claim that Disney’s Seven Dwarfs are based on the 7 stages of cocaine addiction, and Snow White allegedly represents the white powder itself.
An intriguing tale certainly, after a cursory glance at least. Especially when you assume at least one of the stages of cocaine addiction would be a trip to the doctor, or ‘Doc‘ in this case.
But a little more digging and the claim struggles to hold its own weight. Since there are no recognised ‘7 stages’ of cocaine addiction, it is possible to identify almost any term to a describe a potential effect of cocaine, at least in an anecdotal sense.
For example, bashful or sneezy are probably not two words anyone would use to describe the typical reactions or feelings associated with cocaine. But if the reader draws upon specific examples, or even speculates on potential anecdotal consequences of using the drug, then almost any term could seem feasible in a literary game of pareidolia.
And of course the Snow White character is actually nothing to do with Walt Disney any way. It is a tale from the Brothers Grimm. And since there has been no confirmation that this legend is true – or that any of the Disney animators or storytellers attached to the Snow White adaptation had any link to cocaine, there really is no substantial evidence to support this legend.
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The overly excited bishop
We all love a wedding, but the bishop in the wedding scene of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” was reportedly a little too excited, with a curious bulge apparently visible for a brief amount of time in the pants area.
Needless to say, the conclusion that many jumped to wasn’t the one the Disney animators has probably intended.
And once again, the truth is much more humdrum than the legend. Tom Sito, the Disney animator who actually drew the scene states it was his knee. Just his knee. Nothing scandalous.
Still think otherwise? The image below should put this tale to rest.
Donald Duck banned in Finland
Many of the characters in Disney don’t wear many clothes. After all, many of them are animals, and the fact that Donald Duck is ‘technically’ naked from the waist down would go unnoticed by the majority of us.
However, if hearsay is to be believe, it didn’t go unnoticed by Finnish authorities who were reportedly “outraged” by the characters naked frolicking, and banned the character from the country.
As is often the case, sensationalist newspaper headlines were primarily to blame for this out-of-hand rumour, fueling Chinese Whispers across the country about the apparent ban.
Only it wasn’t a ban at all. The reality was that comic books containing Donald Duck were a rarity in places like Helsinki during the 1970s because the city was undergoing somewhat of a financial situation and chose to stop purchasing such comic books in the city’s youth centers in favour of other publications.
The media exaggerated the story, claiming the beloved character had been banned, and that he was banned “probably” because of his lack of attire. Further speculation and sensationlism followed, and subsequently it seemed most of the country were believing that Finnish authorities were “outraged” by the naked cartoon.
But alas it was not true. Donald Duck soon returned to the country and all was forgotten.
Only of course it never was really forgotten, since this rumour remains a persistent legend, even to this day.
Not all Disney legends were false, though…
With all this said, some legends (or rather, jokes) regarding hidden messages turned out to be true. To name a prime example, yes it’s true that two scenes contained in the original theatrical release of The Rescuers did indeed depict a topless woman in the backdrop. It later turned out to be the work of a layout artist, and Disney management quickly released an edited version of the film.
There are many other Disney related hoaxes, rumours and half-truths floating across cyberspace too. Do you know any more? Let us know below.