Mythbusting, Disney style

[Lord Pheonix]

There's a "chocolate chip cookie" asteroid in the Space Mountain projection

actually, this is true, for a rather interesting reason.

when dl was built in the fifties, there were no pics of an asteroid, but there were plenty of chocolate chip cookie pics. since wdw's sm is a virtual clone of dl's when built, the pic was inherited also.

as far as i know, its no longer there since the refurb a few years ago.

 

[MKCP 1985]

actually, this is true, for a rather interesting reason.

when dl was built in the fifties, there were no pics of an asteroid, but there were plenty of chocolate chip cookie pics. since wdw's sm is a virtual clone of dl's when built, the pic was inherited also.

as far as i know, its no longer there since the refurb a few years ago.

Disneyland's Space Mountain opened in 1977, two years after Walt Disney World's original.

 

[MrMorrowTom]

Two things

First I can see how people get confused with the Peoplemover going around Space mountain, because the Maintenance area does branch off upon entering Space Mountain and follows the outside wall all the way around.

Second Walt was never in the military he was in Ambulance Corps which was part of the Red Cross, but he did falsify his age from 16 to 17 to get. On a side note his father Elias did not sign his application papers (in protest of having Walt going to a war-zone), his mother Flora signed it and she also forged Elias's name.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Isn't that actually false? According to a book I have and the film over at one man's dream, Walt was one year younger than the required age for service, so he and a friend joined the red cross which had a lower age requirement.

Nope it is shown in full detail at the Disney Family Museum that he did in fact change it to get in.

I believe both are true, he was still too young to get into the red cross as well, but he was able to "edit" his birth certificate or something to get in.

Both being true is right. In 1917 Walt Disney was 16 years old. The minimum age for military service was 18 but Red Cross service had a minimum age of 17. Thinking he would not be able to pass himself off as an 18 year old, he fudged his age by one year so that he could serve with the Red Cross.

There is also a persistent rumor that Walt was unable to complete Basic Training for the Marines, and that is why he joined the Red Cross. Drill Sergeants apparently enjoying telling this false tale.

 

[Lord Pheonix]

Disneyland's Space Mountain opened in 1977, two years after Walt Disney World's original.

actually your right. however it was planned out long before it was actually built. i think it wasnt built for dl because of the need to open dl as soon as possible, space issues and time needed to build were factors, when wdw was built they put it there cause there was alot more room. but it was originally designed for dl.

 

[wild01ride]

Swimming used to be permitted in Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake - TRUE

 

[Phonedave]

Walt was a Freemason - FALSE

He was DeMolay, which is a youth group that is affiliated with the Masons (it is not the 'junior masons' - membership in DeMolay does not mean you have to, or ever are entitled to become, a Freemason) DeMolay groups are supervised by "Dad Advisors" which are Masons, but the DeMolay themselves are not Masons.


-dave

 

[marni1971]

actually your right. however it was planned out long before it was actually built. i think it wasnt built for dl because of the need to open dl as soon as possible, space issues and time needed to build were factors, when wdw was built they put it there cause there was alot more room. but it was originally designed for dl.

WDWs Space Mountain visual effects were developed in 1972-3, when there were plenty of pictures of asteroids :wave:

 

[Lee]

Actually, there was a "Chocolate Chip Cookie Asteroid" in Space Mountain before 2009, No clue if it is still there

Nope. It wasn't a cookie. It was a piece of coral. Said chunk of coral resided on a desk at WDI for many years after.

I seem to rile people up when I say this, but I doubt the story that the apartment inside Cinderella Castle was intended for Walt Disney...

True. Not designed for Walt, but for the Disney family in general.

 

[Kamikaze]

Actually, there was a "Chocolate Chip Cookie Asteroid" in Space Mountain before 2009, No clue if it is still there

It wasn't a cookie. It just looked like one.

actually, this is true, for a rather interesting reason.

when dl was built in the fifties, there were no pics of an asteroid, but there were plenty of chocolate chip cookie pics. since wdw's sm is a virtual clone of dl's when built, the pic was inherited also.

as far as i know, its no longer there since the refurb a few years ago.

None of your post is correct.

 

[cynic710]

Isn't that actually false? According to a book I have and the film over at one man's dream, Walt was one year younger than the required age for service, so he and a friend joined the red cross which had a lower age requirement.

the above statement is true, you could be a year younger and join the red cross, as Walt did, just so he can serve.

 

[janoimagine]

actually, this is true, for a rather interesting reason.

when dl was built in the fifties, there were no pics of an asteroid, but there were plenty of chocolate chip cookie pics. since wdw's sm is a virtual clone of dl's when built, the pic was inherited also.

as far as i know, its no longer there since the refurb a few years ago.

No, contrary to Urban myth, the asteroid is not a Chocolate Chip Cookie as fueled by internet speculation, and CM Rumors.

My source: The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, on page 119 a quote from Disney Imagineering debunks the Cookie Myth.

 

[Iteachwood]

OK NOW some of these are getting real dumb

 

[Oddysey]

Let's see ...

The bride's wedding ring is embedded in the concrete near the queue entrance of the Haunted Mansion - FALSE, although it does look like it

In no longer looks like it. After the 2007 refurb it disappeared. It actually appeared near the exit, and was a fixture from a pre-exsisting structure that was removed and left a metal ring in the concrete. My wife and I were looking for it recently, and a HM cast member walked by and stated "Are you looking for Constance ring? We said "yes". He then said "Its no longer there because Constance took it back".

 

[tizzo]

The top spires Cinderella Castle can be dismantled if a hurricane is coming - False ....it also isn't the home of a top secret missile silo

I'd never heard this one before, but along those lines I did hear, long ago, that the statues atop the Swan and Dolphin hotels could be retracted in the event of an approaching storm. I can't find any reference to this one way or another, leading me to believe it's false. Anyone know for sure?

There also used to be a rumor in the Bruce Springsteen fan community that Bruce and some companions were turned away from the gates at either DL or WDW because of their appearance. Snopes confirms DL used to turn away male guests with long hair, and I know that Bruce looked quite the dirtbag in some of his photos from that era, but I can't confirm whether it's actually true that he specifically tried and failed to gain entry.

 

[lazyboy97o]

actually your right. however it was planned out long before it was actually built. i think it wasnt built for dl because of the need to open dl as soon as possible, space issues and time needed to build were factors, when wdw was built they put it there cause there was alot more room. but it was originally designed for dl.

Space Port, the attraction to which you are referring, was designed as a component of the 1967 Tomorrowland not the original 1955 Tomorrowland.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Disney throws away a lot of unsold food at the conclusion of every day rather than donate it to a food bank or homeless shelter - true when I worked there. The reason expressed to me was a belief that knowing the food would be put to such use would discourage efficiency.

Wow.

 

[Lucky]

Main Street is paved with the bones of former Universal employees- False

Churros is Spanish for “greasy like a pig”- False

The Swiss Family Tree House was once used as the White House Christmas Tree- False

Disney takes the clothes off the backs of homeless people and uses them as CM uniforms- False

“Short People” by Randy Newman was once considered as a replacement for the IASM theme song- False

Wild boars are used to clear the parks at night- False

Spaceship Earth was once used as a progressive commune for hippies- False

Entrance fees for DAK are used to fund a secret Robert Iger Monkey-Chow addiction- False

DHS will be converted to a leper colony in 2015- False

Disney strollers are made from recycled denture materials- False

Toy Story Midway Mania is used to train Walmart security guards during off hours- False

Evian is the water of choice used in the Fountain of Nations- False

The Emporium was sued by a local junk dealer for trademark infringement- False

Best post I've seen in a long time.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I love these threads because I like reading how far off from the truth so many people are. :drevil:

 

[montyz81]

I can't believe this one was missed

The Rooms in the Contemporary were put in like drawers (true) so they could be updated at regular intervals or so they could be taken out for maint purposes (false).

The rooms at the Polynesian were built exactly like the rooms at the Contemporary (true) http://www.wdwhistory.com/index.php?title=Disney's_Polynesian_Resort