On December 15, 1966, Walt Disney died at the age of 65. That much is fact. But just a few weeks later, a tabloid reporter claimed he had snuck into the hospital where Walt’s body was kept and saw—with his own “trust-me-bro” eyes—that Walt was frozen in some kind of cryo-chamber. And just like that, the myth was born.
Over the years, the story snowballed. Some versions claim it’s just his head that was frozen. Others say his whole body is chilling (pun intended) in a cryo-tube underneath the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Personally, I think the cryo-chamber should be in Epcot’s “World of Tomorrow,” right in front of everyone’s eyes. That’s how you write a good conspiracy theory!
By the 1980s, this was common playground lore. Every kid “knew” Walt Disney was frozen, waiting for science to catch up and defrost him into the future.
But that’s not the conspiracy theory.
The real theory is this: by the late 1990s, when Google was the new oracle of truth, the Disney Corporation realized they had a “Walt Disney Frozen” problem. People kept Googling it, and every search brought up cryogenic rumors. Not a great look for the Mouse House.
So what do you do when the internet keeps surfacing something you wish would stay buried?
You bury it deeper—with a hit movie. A movie named - Disney's Frozen.
According to the theory, Disney's first attempt to distract from the frozen rumors was in 1981, when they partnered with Ice Follies to launch Disney on Ice. “Put on ice” was a well-known euphemism for cryogenically frozen. So “Disney on Ice” now meant a lovely Ice skating show instead of a frozen CEO. Coincidence? Maybe. Clever? Absolutely.
But it didn't really work.
So, as the theory goes, when Disney began developing their adaptation of The Snow Queen, someone in marketing had a lightbulb moment: What if we just called it Frozen? That way, every time someone Googles “Disney Frozen,” they’ll get Elsa and Anna—not Walt’s frosty afterlife. Brilliant, right?
And you know what? If it’s true… it worked. When I was a kid, the “Walt Disney is frozen” myth was everywhere. Today? It’s barely a whisper. And it’s definitely not because the internet stopped loving conspiracy theories, especially about massive corporations.
So… do I think it’s real? Nah, probably not. But do I want it to be? Oh, absolutely. It’s the perfect blend of clever, absurd, and completely unnecessary. Also, Disney did go back and Photoshop every picture of Walt to remove the cigarettes he used to hold (which is why he always looks like he’s randomly pointing at nothing), so I wouldn’t put this completely past them.
What do you think? Did you know about this theory growing up? Do you think Disney actually tried to SEO-bomb their own frozen founder? Let us know in the comments. (Unless you’re a robot-lizard sent back in time by the Mouse. in that case I have a roll of aluminum foil and I'm not afraid to use it!)
