From time to time (especially around Halloween), I’ll get some DMs or emails asking the same question: Is Disneyland haunted?
While I personally am a major skeptic (and don’t believe any place is haunted), there are some very prevalent ghost stories out there, some experiences allegedly shared by many people. So to celebrate spooky season, I thought it would be fun to share six of the most popular ghost stories from around the resort!
THE GHOSTLY ENERGY
While there aren’t a lot of stories about repeated specific apparitions here, many, many visitors and cast members throughout the years have claimed to feel supernatural presences on Main Street, particularly inside the Disneyland Emporium and Candy Palace. In anticipation of writing this post, I asked a cast member in the area if he’d heard the stories, and he said oh yeah…he dreaded going in the stock room alone because it was “every kind of haunted”.
THE ONE-WAY RIDER
This ghost likes to hang out in Tomorrowland – and is apparently a thrill seeker. Described as a red-haired man, this ghost will join your Space Mountain party as a single rider when you’ve got an empty seat. But by the time the camera flash comes at the end, he’s gone…and he won’t appear in your picture.
THE 1000TH HAPPY HAUNT
The Haunted Mansion talks about having 999 happy haunts and room for one more…but maybe they should be advertising spot #1001. This ghost is allegedly a young child, with various origin stories. In most cases, guests either see a young boy somehow having escaped his doom buggy and walking around the various rooms, or crying somewhere in the boarding area…when no child is visibly around.
THE RUNNING MAN
This ghost story is one of a few connected to a tragic incident at the resort. In 1966, a young man died when he attempted to sneak into Disneyland by climbing onto the Monorail track. Over the years, guests and cast members alike have reported seeing a shadowy figure (presumed to be the young man) running on the track before vanishing into thin air.
THE DOLLY’S DIP PHENOMENON
This ghost stories is common enough to have a nickname. In 1984, a park guest named Dolly Regene Young died in an accident on the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Since then, cast members refer to mysterious incidents as being part of “Dolly’s Dip”. These include unexplained cold spots, the faint sound of laughter, and an unsettling feeling of being watched closely.
THE GHOST OF WALT HIMSELF
Many fans believe that Walt’s spirit still lingers within Disneyland, especially within his old apartment above the fire station on Main Street. The first ghost stories started in 1966, shortly after Walt’s death. A cast member claimed to have turned the lamp in his apartment off, only for it to turn back on moments later. From there, stories grew to include seeing his shadow in the Opera House, or just feeling Walt’s “presence” in some of the oldest areas of the park.
I hope these stories didn’t frighten you too much. And who knows – maybe if you’re not a skeptic like me, you’ll have some kind of ghostly experience of your own on your next visit!