You have probably heard the popular and long-standing rumor that Walt Disney had his body frozen after death and placed under his California theme park, Disneyland- the most popular location seems to be under the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. But did Walt Disney really have himself frozen forever, hoping to be brought back by science and future medicine- or is it just a myth?
Although the idea captivates our imagination and our fancy, it’s actually a myth. Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966. He had barely turned 65. The first cryogenic freezing of a corpse occurred a month after his death; the close timeline may have added to the rumor.
The cause of death for the chain-smoker was an enormous cancerous tumor on his left lung; eventually doctors were forced to remove the entire lung. Walt Disney was cremated, his ashes buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Walt Disney’s body being suspended in time beneath his beloved park is an interesting story, and well-known; but an untrue one.