The number of internet sites devoted to the ghosts of Disneyland is downright scary.
From ghostsnghouls.com to hauntedhoneymoon.com to theghostdiaries.com (and many others), there are enough creepy Disneyland stories to fill the Haunted Mansion.
I recently interviewed a cast member who works inside the Haunted Mansion. She talked about the belief, among Disney employees, that the place is inhabited by more than the Disney-created 999 haunts.
She said female employees talk about ghosts that untie the ribbons in the cast members’ hair. She said props move from one side of a room to the other. She said there are behind-the-scenes rooms in the Haunted Mansion that are so creepy employees avoid going inside.
Did you hear the one about the one-way rider on Space Mountain? How about Walt Disney’s ghost on Main Street? Or about the grad night ghost on the Monorail?
Check out the Haunted Disney legends:
Legend 1: Walt Disney haunts Disneyland – Everyone knows that Walt had an apartment over the Fire Station on Main Street, right? And that the light in the window is never turned off – a tribute to Walt, who died in 1966, right? But did you hear this one: Before the tradition of leaving the light on began, a cast member turned off the light and left the room only to find the light turned on again when she returned. The story goes that she heard a voice that said, “I am still here.”
Legend 2: Space Mountain’s Mr. One Way – He’s described as a large man with red hair and a red face. The legend is that he sits in the seat next to single riders. Then he disappears by the end of the ride. He has also been spotted in the cast member locker room.
Legend 3: Monorail runner -- In June of 1966, a teenager tried to sneak into Disneyland for grad night by climbing a fence and crossing the Monorail track. When he was spotted by a security guard, the teenager ran. But he was struck and killed by the Monorail train. It is said that the ghost of the teenager can be seen at night running alongside the Monorail train.
Legend 4: Matterhorn ghost – In 1984 a woman named Dolly Young was killed when she was thrown from the bobsled. Ever since her death, cast members who are required to walk the tracks when the ride shuts down say they can hear her. Some cast members call the section of track where Dolly died “Dolly’s Dip.”
Legend 5: The crying boy – The exit of the Haunted Mansion is said to be haunted by the ghost of a boy. They story goes that the boy’s mother spread her son’s ashes in the Haunted Mansion without Disneyland’s permission. Legend has it that the ghost also appears on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Legend 6: The man with the cane – A small plane crashed in the 1940s in Anaheim, and the pilot is now believed to be haunting the Haunted Mansion. According to seeksghosts.blogspot, a cast member saw the man with the cane at the loading dock where guests board doom buggies.
Legend 7: The woman in white – A ghost dressed in a 19th century gown has been spotted on Main Street after dark. Legend has it that she guides lost children to the Disneyland Baby Care Center where they can be reunited with their parents.
Legend 8: The spirit in the river – In June of 1973, two brothers stayed on Tom Sawyer’s Island after the park closed. They tried to escape by swimming across the Rivers of America. The older brother drowned. Cast members have seen a ghost rippling the water.
Legend 9: The ghost prefers blondes – A teenager was killed on the People Mover ride in 1967. Legend has it that his ghost haunts Tomorrowland (the People Mover closed in 1995). The ghost reportedly grabs the hair of blonde guests.
Legend 10: Really, really scary – Construction on the Haunted Mansion began in 1963, and the story goes that one of the first test guests was so scared that she died of a heart attack inside the mansion. Her death, legend has it, led to the closing of construction until 1969.
