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Credit: Photo by Aubrey Odom on UnsplashDisney’s theme parks are well-known for creating enchanting experiences that immerse guests in fantasy. But some former cast members are now sharing stories of encounters that blur the line between fantasy and the paranormal. From ghostly apparitions to mysterious voices and eerie shadows, these accounts paint an unexpectedly chilling side to the theme parks.
Related: Disney Fans Can See a “Real” Ghost at the Haunted Mansion
Cast Member Shares Eerie Ghost Story
One former cast member recalls a haunting experience beneath the Haunted Mansion itself. “The backstage hallways beneath the Haunted Mansion are long, and I remember it being very easy to get lost down there,” they said, describing how these labyrinthine halls wind their way beneath the beloved attraction. The cast member shared an unsettling encounter:
“But if you go the right way, the hallways lead to the other side of mansion, out near where there is a cast member cafeteria. One day I was walking through the halls, trying to remember how to get to the correct exit to go eat, and I walked passed a custodial closet. I saw this women that I kind of knew (she worked custodial with me, and we had spoken to each other only once or twice before) and I very briefly smiled at her as I kept walking. Thought nothing of the encounter. A week or so later, another cm told me that same women has died recently. I’m fairly positive she died just before I “saw” her in that closet.”
These surreal stories don’t stop at the Haunted Mansion. Another cast member recalls a spine-chilling moment on Main Street, U.S.A., early one morning after the park had opened. As they swept near the famous Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue, they heard a voice behind them say, “Excuse me, miss.”
Prepared to give directions, they turned to find…no one. “I looked around, expecting to see someone nearby, but there wasn’t a single person close to me,” they recounted. “The voice was so clear and distinct, like someone right behind me, but there wasn’t anyone even close to that description anywhere in sight.”
A “Lion’s Head on a Human Body”
Perhaps one of the most disturbing encounters took place in Tomorrowland at the Autopia ride, where a custodial cast member working the late-night “third shift” reported hearing bizarre sounds. When he took a photo to capture what might be causing the noises, he was horrified by what allegedly appeared on his screen: the shadow of a lion’s head on a human body with legs bent backward.
Shocked, he showed the photo to a nearby security cast member, who allegedly made him delete it. Fortunately, he had already sent a copy to a friend, who then showed it to others, sparking awe and fear among cast members. The story reads:
“Finally, there was a third shift custodial cm who was cleaning autopia who kept hearing weird sounds. He took a photo, and was freaked out when he saw what looked like a shadow of a lions head, on a human body, with its legs bent backwards. I didn’t believe this until I saw the photo for myself. He got out of there and showed it to the closest cm. The cm was a security who actually made him delete the photo! But luckily he had already sent it to a friend of mine, who showed me. I have no clue what it was, but the photo was so scary.”
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These tales offer a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes experiences of cast members who work tirelessly to maintain the magic of the parks. Yet, as these stories reveal, the magic sometimes appears darker and more mysterious than expected. For those who’ve heard these ghostly tales, it’s a reminder that Disneyland’s most haunting experiences might just linger long after the gates close and the crowds have left.