p>For years, there have been rumors that people take to Walt Disney theme parks to spread the ashes of their late loved ones, despite the fact that the parks are all filled with guests each and every day. However, no matter how illegal or unsanitary it may be, folks have been giving their dead relatives a final resting place at Disney at a rate that will surprise you.
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It wouldn’t be shocking to hear that once or twice a year, some crazed Disney fan is seen dumping ashes somewhere in one of the parks, but the issue is much worse than that. The Wall Street Journal did some digging and learned that this happens on a regular, monthly basis.
In fact, it happens so often that employees even have a special code to call over the radio when it happens. The custodians call it a “HEPA cleanup,” which refers to a vacuum filter that picks up extremely fine particles.
The Journal spoke with several custodians at length and learned that this has become a somewhat regular part of the job for them. These employees say that these guests see treating Disney as a final resting place as the “ultimate tribute” to ardent fans.
Where do these families spread their loved ones ashes? According to the report, the remains have been found in flower beds, bushes, and lawns, as well as outside the park gates and during fireworks displays. As you can imagine, this ritual also spreads to the rides themselves, with Dumbo’s flying elephants and Pirates of the Caribbean being two of the more common places. However, neither one of these rides hold a candle to the number one ash-spreading attraction at the Disney parks.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Haunted Mansion is the most common place where ashes are found. The eerie attraction has celebrated the presence of ghosts and spirits for 49 years now, and guests have interpreted it quite literally as of late.
“The Haunted Mansion probably has so much human ashes in it that it’s not even funny,” a Disneyland custodian told The Journal.
Families who have spread ashes in the park say that it’s pretty easy to get the remains in, keeping them in pill bottles or makeup containers. As you can imagine, this is strictly forbidden by park rule, and you’ll be immediately removed from the park.
“This type of behavior is prohibited and unlawful,” said a Disney spokesperson. “Guests who attempt to do so will be escorted off property.”
Despite the warnings, these events continue to increase as the years go on, and it doesn’t look as though they’ll stop any time soon.
