Joe Yates
A disturbing theory has followed Disney around for decades - you are not 'allowed' to die at its theme parks.
"If you die in Walt Disney World, your death certificate will say Bay Lake as the place of your death," claims a Redditor referencing Disney's Florida branch.
"I’ve talked to my husband about this. He’s a former CM. He said people don’t die on Disney property. Death won’t be declared until you are off property," commented another.
But is there any truth to this?
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Of course, taking your own life is outlawed in the US - as it is in France, Japan and China, but as clarified the rumor suggests that if someone did die on the grounds that they wouldn't be pronounced dead until they are off the property.
It sounds preposterous but there have been people come forward claiming to be former Walt Disney World employees alleging that the amusement giant has a policy stating that first responders can't pronounce casualties dead while on the grounds.
One of these is a TikToker called Tom Cruz, he explained that he was working at Speedway at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, whne a gentlemen collapsed on a hot day.
Speaking in the video, he said: "Of course, there was a doctor in line, he came over to help, we called emergency services. This entire time my man was not breathing. They're doing CPR on him, trying to revive him, no luck.
"It's 15 minutes before they finally got through the park to try to help him out. They stretchered him out and kept resuscitating him all the way until the end.
"I was like, 'man, this guy's dead, why are they still trying to bring him back?' and the manager's like 'no one dies at Disney World, everyone is resuscitated or attempted into resuscitation until they're off the property, then they're formally declared dead'."
But is there any truth to these rumors?
Well, the short answer is no.
In fact, Snopes wrote an article back in 1996 where it fact-checked the claim that no one has ever died at the theme parks due to management ensuring they are removed from the property before being declared dead.
The publication determined that it is false, as it cited a 1984 report from The New York Times that stated 'a man was pronounced dead at the scene' after a plane crashed in the EPCOT parking lot.
As well as a 1985 Los Angeles Times article noting a girl was tragically pronounced dead at the scene after she was crushed by a tour bus.