13 Not-So-Magical Facts About The Wonderful World Of Disney
![13 Not-So-Magical Facts About The Wonderful World Of Disney](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/3/785133_320x180.jpg)
Turns out the world's largest media conglomerate has some shady stuff going on behind the scenes, who knew!
Has Disney created some of the biggest hits of family friendly cinema that have gained worldwide renown and popularity? Why, yes. Has it created some of the most beloved characters and plot lines of all time? Again, yes. Is it also a ruthless nostalgia factory that pumps out endless streams of propoganda? Okay, maybe kind of.
The truth is, there is a dark and undeniably strange side to Disney. We dug up more than a dozen facts about Disney that are slightly less than magical.
For example did you know that long haired men were denied entry to the park before 1970? The rule was relaxed after a band of hippies staged a coup of Tom Sawyer island.
Here are 13 not so magical things about Disney that will have you demanding Walt's frozen head on a platter:
![Disneyland's grand opening was an unmitigated disaster. Twice as many people entered the park due to counterfeit tickets, the Mark Twain riverboat sank due to overcrowding, and women's heels got stuck in the fresh asphalt. Oh, and the concession stands ran out of food and water- in 100 degree heat.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/5/1/785151.jpg)
source: SFGate
![Until 1970 Disney banned men with long hair from entering the park. When they finally relaxed the dress code in 1970, a band of hippies entered the park and staged an attempted coup of Tom Sawyer island in protest against the Vietnam War. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/6/785146.jpg)
source: Snopes
![Two people died while riding The Matterhorn- exactly 20 years apart. In 1964, a 15 year old teenager died after falling out of his seat- and exactly 20 years later in 1984, a 48 year old woman suffered the same fate. Both deaths were ruled accidental. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/1/785141.jpg)
source: SFGate
![Disney basically decides all of our copyright laws. Disney has spent millions of dollars lobbying congress to extend copyright protections to preserve its exclusive claim of its oldest characters. Mickey Mouse was originally supposed to enter the public domain in 2003. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/2/785142.jpg)
Source: IP Law Blog
![Disney murdered a bunch of Lemmings in the name of fake science. In 1958, Disney released a documentary entitled White Wilderness which supposedly captured the natural phenomenon of Lemmings committing mass suicide. However there is no such natural phenomenon- they threw the Lemmings off the cliff for the sake of the storyline. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/9/785139.jpg)
source: Alaska Department of Fish & Game
![People won't stop scattering ashes at The Haunted Mansion. This happens so often that the code word for dealing with it is HEPA cleanup because a special HEPA vacuum attachment is needed to suck up the extra fine particles of human remains. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/8/785138.jpg)
source: Ripley's
![Animal kingdom is required to have deadbolts on their bathroom doors. This is in case a dangerous animal escapes its enclosure and guests need to barricade themselves inside the bathrooms. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/6/785136.jpg)
![Disney threatened to sue daycare centers that painted Mickey Mouse on their walls In 1989, Disney threatened to sue three different daycare centers who had painted unlicensed images of Mickey Mouse on their walls. In response, Universal Studios Florida and Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Productions offered the use of their characters, at no charge. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/0/785140.jpg)
source: Snopes
![Disney employees had to fight to wear their own underwear. In 2001, the Disney employees union won the right to wear their own underwear while dressed as Disney characters. Previously, Disney insisted on shared, approved undergarments- which led to an outbreak of pubic lice among its employees. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/7/785147.jpg)
source: Los Angeles Times
![The Original Pirates of The Carribean Ride contained actual human remains- and maybe still does. In 1967, the ride's original creators didn't like the look of faux skeletons- so they purchased genuine remains. They have since been replaced- but many claim a few real bones still remain. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/4/785144.jpg)
source: Mental Floss
![Also a ghost of a Disney construction worker who died building The Pirates Of The Carribean haunts the entire ride. for a Bridas In turn, employees say goodnight George when they are closing the ride and report that when they don't the ride experiences breakdowns and phantom phone calls in the control room CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/5/785145.jpg)
source: NJ.com
![Finding Nemo killed a bunch of fish. In 2003, the success of Finding Nemo caused a domino effect of children attempting to flush their fish to freedom. Unfortunately in real life, flushing a fish kills them instantly. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/3/785143.jpg)
source: Los Angeles Times
![Disneyland is full of lead. As recently as 2011, several of Disneyland's earliest rides and fixtures were found to contain up to 350 micrograms of lead. The legal limit in California is .5 micrograms. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/7/785137.jpg)
source: Los Angeles Times