Walt Disney Fans Demand Honesty About His Smoking Habit, Admonish Edited Photos

As Walt Disney’s “Florida Project” came to life in the mid-to-late 1960s, the man behind The Mouse was suffering from terminal lung cancer. Walt Disney World Resort opened nearly five years after his death on October 1, 1971, with Walt’s brother Roy Disney welcoming Guests to the Central Florida Disney Park.

Related: When it comes to smoking areas, Disney Springs is now down by one

Detailed coverage in the years after Walt’s death revealed the depth of his smoking habit, a piece of personal information he desperately tried to hide from the public. He never walked through Disneyland Park with a cigarette, not wanting to exemplify bad behavior to children.

Magic Kingdom boasted a tobacco shop for decades following Walt Disney’s death. Instead of Loungefly Bags and trading pins, a “Disney Adult” of the time could have gathered their own Walt Disney World pipe collection.

Related: Major Fire Hazard Occurs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Banned Cigarette Lit in Flammable Area

Walt’s Secret Habit

You’ll have an easier time finding a Hidden Mickey than a photo of Walt smoking inside Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort. Throughout Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT, The Walt Disney Company promotes the legendary animator’s vision and creativity instead of the secret habit that led to his demise.

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Walt’s favorite brand of cigarettes was Lucky Strike; he was rarely spotted without one between his pointer and middle fingers. The many hand-edited photos (this was before Photoshop!) allegedly inspired the famous two-finger Disney point. Disney Cast Members are trained to point with two fingers instead of one to emulate Walt and not insult Guests from different cultures for whom a single pointed finger could be offensive.

Walt suffered from a persistent hacking, dry cough in his final years. But it wasn’t until just a month before his death on September 15, 1966, that he would be diagnosed with the lung cancer that took his life.

Smoking at Disney

In the spirit of progress, Disney World and Disneyland cracked down on smoking in the Disney Parks, Downtown Disney, and Disney Springs. Each Disney Park now has a designated smoking area outside the gates, with in-Theme Park smoking and vaping officially banned in 2019.

Should Disney Honor Walt’s Wishes?

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Despite constant updates and changes, Disney Parks still refuse to remove the edited photos. The Disney company allegedly forbade Tom Hanks from ever portraying Walt with a cigarette in Saving Mr. Banks (2013).

“I think they should have left them in myself and added a disclaimer that Walt died early due to smoking,” said u/TheMadMason. “I think it would be a good psa against smoking and health in general.”

“It’s actually a good thing to introduce your kids to the concept of drugs and addiction early on; show them the consequences as kids so that they know how it ends,” u/Majestic-Pair9676 agreed. “Because one day, they will be exposed to these things as adults.”

Should Disney be honest about its founder’s smoking habit? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks Guest experiences. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with personal views on Disney Park operations.

This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.