- Walt Disney is both a beloved and controversial figure in American history.
- Over the years, there have been many conspiracy theories, rumors, and myths surrounding his life.
- For example, many believe that Walt Disney cryogenically froze himself, which is not true.
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MYTH: His body is cryogenically frozen somewhere on the grounds of Disneyland.
This is probably the most famous of all the myths surrounding Walt Disney — though some believe his whole body is frozen, and others believe it's just his head.
The story goes that after his death in 1966, Disney was cryogenically frozen until the day that re-animation was possible. He had a private funeral, and the lack of public information has been the perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories.
However, this is not true. Disney was cremated days after dying from lung cancer, and his ashes are interred in Glendale, California (you can actually find his memorial).
His daughter, Diane, also wrote in a 1972 biography about her father, "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that my father, Walt Disney, wished to be frozen."
MYTH: He created Mickey Mouse by himself.
Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse are synonymous at this point. But he wasn't the one to come up with the character: Ub Iwerks, a lesser-known figure in Disney lore, did.
After losing the rights to "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," Disney's actual first creation, Disney asked Iwerks to come up with a new character, and Mickey Mouse was born. Over the years, Iwerks felt he wasn't getting enough credit for his creation, left Disney, and eventually came back — but he refused to work in animation again.
MYTH: He lives on as a bust in Disneyland's "Haunted Mansion" ride.
While this would be such a good Easter egg, sadly, Walt Disney does not appear in the ride at all. In fact, he died before the ride was ever completed.
MYTH: He was born in Robinson, Illinois.
A reporter from Robinson, Illinois, claimed that Walt Disney had been born in his town.
However, Walt Disney's official autobiography states that he was born in Chicago, as does every other piece of writing about him.
The house where he was born still stands today.
MYTH: He left video instructions telling Disney executives what to do after he died.
As someone interested in the future, this actually does seem like something he might do, but there is zero evidence of this being the case.
Disney died in 1966 from lung cancer, and his death was relatively sudden and unexpected. When he died, Disney World was in the process of being built, and Disney's brother Roy decided to put off retirement so he could personally watch over construction.
The brand was almost bought out in the 1980s because the stock fell, and many of the movies during this era — dubbed "The Bronze Age" in the Disney movie canon — didn't do well at the box office. It took until the '90s for Disney to get its groove back, which is now known as the "The Disney Renaissance."
So, Disney probably did not leave behind explicit instructions on next steps after his death.
MYTH: He was an anti-Semite.
The belief that Disney was antisemitic is so widespread that it's been addressed in pop culture, including being spoofed in "Family Guy" and in comments made by Meryl Streep in 2014.
However, that has not been proven.
In "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination," a biography written about Disney, the author Neal Gabler states that "of the Jews who worked [at Disney], it was hard to find any who thought Walt was an anti-Semite."
That said, the organization he was a founding member of, The Motion Picture Alliance, allegedly had many privately anti-Semitic members.
So, while there's no proof that Disney himself was anti-Semitic, some argue that he was complicit based on the company he kept.
MYTH: He left money in his will for the first man who managed to get pregnant.
This might be the most random urban legend on this list. It's unclear why or where this rumor began, but it's persistent.
However, his will is public record. He left 45% of his estate to his wife and daughters, 45% to the Disney Foundation, and the last 10% to be divided among his nieces, nephews, and sister.
MYTH: He was born out of wedlock in Spain.
This story stems from the discredited biography "Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince." The theory is that Disney was born out of wedlock in southern Spain, to a woman named Isabelle Zamora. The book also claims he was born in 1890 and later adopted by the Disneys.
Again, Disney was born in Chicago to Elias and Flora Disney, and no evidence exists to support his illegitimate birth in Spain.
MYTH: The Disney logo is his handwriting.
The Disney logo is a cultural touchstone. It is called a "Waltograph," and many believe it is Disney's handwriting, but unfortunately this is false.
While it's difficult to find out what Disney's signature actually looked like — there were a lot of people authorized to sign his name — the logo that we recognize as the Disney logo, in fact, didn't exist until well after his death, as it first appeared in 1984. Basically, it's a stylized version of his signature, but not an exact copy.
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