We Need to Stop Believing These Weird Disney World Rumors!

There have been a lot of bizarre rumors that have made their presence felt and known online over the years. We at Disney Fanatic have often taken it upon ourselves to fact-check many of these rumors, putting many Disney Fanatics’ minds at rest.

Some of these rumors have been weirder than others, and some of them had us scratching our heads, wondering if there was any real possibility they were true. Regardless, here are some of the weirdest Walt Disney World Resort rumors we’ve heard in our time!

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Is Disney Going to Remove Cinderella Castle?

The Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida is one of the world’s most well-known and iconic Disney vacation destinations. Fans from all around the globe flock to the Disney resort for their chance to have that iconic Disney experience.

The resort is home to four theme parks and two water parks, along with numerous resort hotels. Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park, EPCOT, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park are all home to myriad rides and attractions, think like Spaceship Earth, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, and more.

Of all these, Cinderella Castle is one of the most iconic mainstays in Magic Kingdom. The attraction is located at the head of Main Street, U.S.A. However, last year, a rumor went around that Disney would be removing Cinderella Castle.

The castle is the center of Magic Kingdom Park and is the literal gateway to Fantasyland. It’s an 189-foot landmark and “welcomes you to a magical world where dreams come true.” The castle opened in July 1971 and is so iconic fans have been reduced to tears at the sight of the attraction.

Needless to say, Cinderella Castle is not going anywhere.

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Did a Space Mountain Accident Cause the Ride to Become a “Lights-On” Attraction?

On to our next weird rumor. This one is about Space Mountain, the classic Disney World ride. Space Mountain first opened in January 1975. It’s an outer space-themed indoor roller coaster in Tomorrowland. Given its outer space theme, the ride is obviously a dark ride.

It has captivated fans’ hearts and minds and has been the source of many fans’ fair share of thrills and chills while at the Disney Park.

Earlier this year, a strange rumor that a tragic accident on Space Mountain had resulted in the attraction permanently having its lights on, was making the rounds.

Now, Space Mountain has seen its fair share of accidents. It is, unfortunately, true that Disney World guests have died while riding the attraction, and others have suffered accidents that have rendered them paralyzed. This said, none of these have affected the ride, and it continues to function as it was intended.

However, these realities highlight the incredible necessity to pay attention to Disney World’s rules pertaining to safety while at the parks.

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Is Disney Going to Close Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park?

Around the same time that the Space Mountain rumor was going around, another took root: Disney would soon close Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, permanently.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is the largest theme park in the world, spanning 580 acres. The zoological theme park is even accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning they have met or exceeded education, conservation, and research standards.

Not only this, Animal Kingdom Park is also home to some incredible lands like Pandora (which Disney reportedly spent $500 million on) and rides like Kali River Rapids, which give the theme park its amazing vibe. After investing this kind of money and effort into the park, it’s highly unlikely that Disney would ever permanently close it.

Now, after the permanent closure and retheme of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, fear of permanent closure is perhaps more understandable than not; however, the possibility of Disney shuttering an entire theme park is beyond ludicrous.

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Did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Send the National Guard to Close Down Walt Disney World?

Finally, one of the strangest rumors we heard circulating online earlier this year, and it had to do with many fans’ favorite topic of discussion due to his recent Disney feud: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The war between Disney and DeSantis is well-known and incredibly well-documented at this point. What started over a disagreement about the “Don’t Say Gay” debacle (formally known as the Parental Rights in Education Act) has become an all-out legal battle.

The fight has spanned multiple Disney CEO’s tenures, beginning with former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, and now continuing on into Disney CEO Bob Iger’s time.

When Disney decided to sue Gov. Ron DeSantis, an article made its presence known that said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had retaliated by closing off Walt Disney World, by sending the National Guard to block its entrances.

The article explained, “Anyone who wants to visit Disney World now needs to go through the National Guard first” and that the situation was “a lot like US border checkpoints.” It also stated that the move was meant to “put additional pressure on Disney to rethink their woke agenda and go back to being a company for families.”

Of course, the source of the article was a satire site that was clearly meant to be taken in a humorous tone, and the National Guard themselves also clarified that no such action had been taken. However, the possibility of Governor DeSantis using the National Guard to retaliate against the Walt Disney Company certainly gave many fans’ fodder for memes and entertainment.

While many of these stories have their fair share of entertainment value and have been incredibly fun to debunk, they remain rumors at the end of the day, and it might be worth not putting too much stock into them.

This said, fact-checking these rumors has been some of the most fun this writer has had, from researching why the rumor started to explaining why these things would never come to pass. So, to that end, keep the rumors coming!

We certainly enjoy sharing our fact-checks with you.