Could it be that the happiest place on Earth is also the most haunted place on Earth? Be still our hearts! With so much energy going through the park on a regular basis, plus the heightened emotions and spiritual awakening many of us feel when we pass through those gates, it’s not surprising that there could be spiritual activity going on.
Disneyland was once a way of life for me. Growing up and living in San Diego, Disneyland was just a 90-minute drive away. Even before I dove into becoming a paranormal investigator, I always felt a strange energy in Disneyland that I wanted to experience over and over again.
Walt LOVED Spooky Stories
Walt Disney loved the creepy and spooky. In fact, one of his favorite legends is the Headless Horseman. And we can’t forget The Haunted Manion. Here’s some fun Disneyland trivia: The Headless Horseman was part of the earlier plans for the Haunted Mansion. Apparently he was going to be part of the finale in the graveyard area. The plan was ultimately scrapped. But today, well, when Disneyland was having parades, the Headless Horseman opened up the “Boo to You” Parade.
The Ghost Stories
The Woman in White
Did you know that Disneyland has its own Woman in White? Many believe that this woman died around the area even before Walt built Disneyland. This is an entity in a white dress that hangs out around Main Street after dark. According to legend, she scopes the area out looking for lost children and escorting them to the Baby Care Center where they can be reunited with their parents.
Ghost Train
This might just be my favorite story. A former cast member by the name of Darrold Wagner claims that the Disneyland Railroad is haunted. If you’ve ever been on the ride at Disneyland, it circles the park and it’s a nice way to relax and get off your feet for a bit. As always, there’s usually more than one train on the track, but you would never know. According to Wagner, the train command center has a board that shows where the trains are on the track. Usually late at night, a train would show on the board in the far corner. The whistle would even blow even though there wasn’t a train. The older employee’s used to say, “That’s Walt’s train.”
The Constant Vigil & a Smoke
Walt’s apartment is above the fire station to your left when you walk into the park. If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you’ve probably noticed the lamp that’s always on. That’s a constant vigil in Walt’s memory, reminding us all that he is still watching over his beloved park. But could there be more there than just a lamp? According to Anna Bees, who can see and sense spirits, has seen Walt in the window of his apartment by the lamp. There is also the famous story of a cast member who tried turning off a light in Walt’s apartment, only to come downstairs to see it lit up again. This incident happened multiple times until the cast member gave up and kept the light on. She also heard a voice say, “I’m still here.” Apparently, the constant vigil to Walt was born from this experience.
Anna has also seen Walt smoking while leaning on a lamppost in front of “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” Considering Walt’s apartment and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln are close to each other, this doesn’t surprise me.
A Wave Hello
Multiple guests have claimed to see Walt around the park. One guest, who was let into the park after hours by a cast member (supposedly), said that they saw a man standing outside of the castle. He was on the drawbridge, noticed the guest, and smiled and waved. According to the guest, they immediately recognized the man as Walt Disney. He stood there waving for about 20 seconds before he disappeared.
The Crying Boy
I’ve heard of this for years growing up, and I honestly thought it was an urban legend until about middle school. The Haunted Mansion is apparently a favorite spot for people to scatter human ashes. I’ve also heard that Pirates of the Caribbean is another popular spot. From my research, this trend seemed to have started in the 90s. Or, at least that was when Disney started to notice it. By the way, if this is something you’re wanting to do, just don’t. They will close the ride and your loved one’s ashes will likely get vacuumed or swept up. I don’t even know if you’d see those remains again. That is such a bizarre situation.
There is reports of a crying boy seen in The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. The reason why he is there is because, according to legend, his mother scattered his ashes on Haunted Mansion.
The Man with the Cane
Is it a shock that Haunted Mansion might be home to actual ghosts? In the 1940s, there was a terrible plane crash in Anaheim, not too far from where the Disneyland property sits today. Apparently, this plane crash took the life of a pilot who walked with a cane. Cast members and guests have claimed to see a man hobbling around the attraction, especially in the loading dock, while walking with a cane.
The Stockroom
A former cast member reported that she often heard the door open and close in one of the stockrooms of one of the gift shops. At one point, she even heard a crash, and one of the items in the stockroom was broken. According to the cast member, there was no way that the item could have fallen by itself since the park was empty and there was no other cast member in the stockroom.
Mr. One Way
Mr. One Way is one of the most well-known ghosts at Disneyland. He has been seen riding next to single riders on Space Mountain. He has been described as a large man with red hair and a red face. Many believe that they have caught glimpses of him on camera. Apparently, he will disappear before riders reach the final tunnel of the ride.
Deaths at the Park & Their Hauntings
There are multiple hauntings that are associated with deaths that have occurred at the park.
Matterhorn
Since Disneyland opened in 1955, there have been multiple deaths on the property. Several of those deaths are associated with hauntings. In 1964, 15-year old Mark Maples was killed after he and his friend stood up in their bobsled on the Matterhorn. Maples ended up falling out of his bobsled. He was the first documented death at Disneyland.
In 1984, a 48-year old woman named Regena “Dolly” Young was killed after she was thrown from her bobsled while riding the Matterhorn. She was struck and killed by an oncoming bobsled. To this day, cast members say that her spirit still lingers where she died, known as Dolly’s Dip. Cast members also report hearing strange sounds in that area.
Monorail
In 1966, a 19-year old teen named Thomas Guy Cleveland was killed after he was struck by the Monorail that connects the park to the Disneyland Hotel. He had been trying to sneak into the park using the Monorail track. A security guard found him, Cleveland was spooked, and he ran down the tracks before being killed. According to legend, the teen can still be seen running for his life on the tracks.
Rivers of America
In 1973, an 18-year old teen drowned in Rivers of America after he tried to swim from Tom Sawyer’s Island after the park closed. This was all while carrying his 10-year old brother on his back. In 1983, another 18-year old teen drowned after trying to pilot a rubber emergency boat from the cast member’s area of Tom Sawyer’s Island. According to rumors, the men can still be seen in the water and by the train to this day.
People Mover
Let’s start with the People Mover, which ran from 1967 until 1995. When the ride first opened, a 15-year old teen named Ricky Lee Yama decided to get out of his People Mover car as it was entering a tunnel. He tried to jump from car to car when he slipped and landed on the tracks. He was struck and killed by oncoming cars.
A similar accident happened in 1980 to 17-year old Gerardo Gonzales. During Grad Night, he was jumping from car to car when he too lost his footing and fell onto the tracks. He body ended up being dragged for a few hundred feet. I also read a witness testimony on MiceChat that he actually fell off the track and broke his neck. Either way, it was tragic and horrific.
When the ride was still functioning, visitors (specifically blonde females) reported getting their hair pulled as they entered the tunnel.
America Sings
In 1974, a woman named Deborah Stone was crushed to death when she was caught between the walls of America Sings. Cast members reported feeling a strange presence in the area when the attraction was open, especially if they got too close to the rotating walls.
This is just a sliver of the deaths that have taken place at Disneyland. For more info, check out this list from Snopes.
Why Disneyland? It’s a Prime Energy Source
Ultimately, we need to ask ourselves, why is Disneyland haunted? I touched on this in the beginning, but I truly believe that Disneyland is a prime energy course for paranormal activity. Not only do you have the energy from people, but there is so much electricity and EMF running around the park from the lights, fireworks, powering the rides, the list goes on. But also, if we truly get to choose where we get to haunt after we die, I’m sure millions of people would choose Disneyland. I know I would.
