I’ve mentioned my friend Dana around here before. She and a group of her friends have gotten together to offer a really generous Avengers-themed giveaway in honor of Dana’s birthday. In addition to being a fun Disney dinner companion, her blog over at http://dragynally.com/ is a great read (and I’m not just saying that because she interviewed me for her site once).

So thank you to:
The Dragyn’s Lair
DIS Therapy
Focused on the Magic
Diz Thru Brown Eyes
Picturing Disney
Living with the Magic
Mouse Crafts
Disney On Wheels
Mouse Fan Diane
Disney Donna Kay
Pursuing the Magic
Jackie’s Magical Moments
For sponsoring this giveaway and

Happy birthday DragynAlly!!

We’re taking a look at the Top 5 Disney Urban Legends today. There are quite a few out there, so the list below may be debated, but here we go;

5: The Plane from The Great Movie Ride is the same one from the film Casablanca

I really wish this were true, but unfortunately it’s not. Turns out the plane used in the movie was actually a prop, and the one in DHS is an actual working plane purchased (and then cut in half) for the ride. Some people say that Disney Cast members claim the plane is the same as the one used in the movie, can anyone confirm?

4: Finland banned Donald Duck because he wears no pants

While fun to think about, this one is a case of the press running wild, regardless of the facts. Turns out a town in Finland decided to discontinue the purchase of Donald Duck comics with city funds, for economic reasons. The press ignored the reasons though and blamed it on Donald’s lack of clothing below the belt; Holding true to the old adage “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story”.

3: No one is ever declared dead on Disney property

This one stretched the bounds of believability. If Disney had the power/authority to suspend the declaration of death until a body was moved off their property, I think we’d all be a little more hesitant to visit so often, given what else they could presumably do with said authority.

2: Walt Disney’s face is one of the Singing Ghosts in the Haunted Mansion

This one is my favorite, as I think I believed it for a little while. When you’re riding HM and you get to the busts that sing Grim Grinning Ghosts, one of them looks just like Walt. It would have been pretty cool if they snuck him into an attraction this way, but the look-alike is actually Thurl Ravenscroft, one of the singers of the song.

1: Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen after his death

Probably the most famous of all Disney urban legends, this one gets it legs from the fact that Walt believed so much in technology and the promise of the future, it’s plausible that he would believe in the possibility of being frozen until a time when he could be cured of his ailments. Unfortunately he also believed in chain-smoking like a chimney, which led to his quicker-than-expected demise from lung cancer.  His habit of keeping his personal life extremely private helped this legend grow, as his burial was quiet and closed to the public.

Agree with the list? Disagree? Think we’re off our rocker? Comment below!

Special thanks to Snopes.com for confirming that these were all in fact, legends.

This week we take a look at rope-drops at WDW. A must do for some, and totally disregarded by others, these shows add a bit to your normal park openings. Take a read through and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

5: Blizzard Beach/Typhoon Lagoon

Ok, so these both technically have a rope-drop, but to my knowledge it’s literally just that, a rope being dropped. No show. Needed to have a #5 on here though, so they made the cut…

4: Hollywood Studios

Never been a big fan of this one myself. Might be the lack of authentic Disney characters, or the confusing way they set up the “scene”. Most likely it’s the fact that everyone is ignoring the show and trying to get the inside lane for the dash to TSMM though.

3: Epcot

This one’s just recently been changed (see Friday Five below), but it’s getting its rank based on the show that was here up until recently. A pretty neat show that usually had a family of the day, and the cars from Test Track was a good way to open Epcot. They have the big 4 characters out there as well, which is fun for the kids though, so this one sits at the middle of the list.

2: Animal Kingdom

My family always really enjoys this one. It’s a bit longer than the others, but a good show with the major characters coming out on a safari truck and getting the crowd excited. Being up on the truck also allows for a good view for everyone, and you don’t get the same angling for position that you see at DHS. It’s never been too crowded when we’ve gone to this one, either. Definitely worth getting to on your AK day.

1: Magic Kingdom

No surprise here, MK gets the #1 spot. The whole ceremony and countdown to opening are fun for everyone. The show being up on the train track gives a great view as well. Being welcomed by “The Mayor of Main Street” really gets the crowd excited. If you haven’t seen this rope-drop show, you really should. Being one of the first to walk down Main Street after they let you in is worth the time and effort in and of itself, imo.