Are People Scattering Ashes at Disneyland?

ANAHEIM, Nov. 14, 2007 (KABC-TV) (KABC) -- Everyday thousands of people come to Disneyland to make life long memories. Apparently, some of those people want those memories to last forever, as in an eternity.

Scattering someone's ashes at Disneyland is strictly prohibited. But apparently that doesn't mean some people aren't trying.

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of Disneyland's marquee attractions. It's a classic ride reinvigorated by the blockbuster films of the same name.

But on Friday, the ride was closed temporarily. Security cameras caught a woman dumping a white powder into the water. The woman told Disneyland officials it was baby powder, but some aren't so sure.

"Well it's been going on for awhile, it started sporadically with the Haunted Mansion and lately because of the spectral nature of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, there's been this been this connection between people and that," Al Lutz said.

Lutz runs MiceAge.com, a Web site dedicated to all things Disneyland. He says it's not unusual for people to surreptitiously scatter a loved one's remains at the happiest place on Earth.

"As you grow up with something, especially now that it's over 50 years old, you can develop an attachment to it," Lutz said.

If people get married at Disneyland, then spending an eternity at Disneyland seems to make sense, to some.

"I've just heard people joke about it, how much they love Disneyland and that they'd like to be buried there, have their ashes scattered there, I've even said it," Penny Atwood, a Disneyland visitor, said.

Other park visitors think the idea is well, goofy.

"It kind of bothers me, I guess, for someone to want to do that," Jerry James, a Disneyland visitor, said.

Park officials say there's no real way of knowing that what was dumped into the Pirates ride last week was actually someone's cremated remains.

A Disney spokesperson tells Eyewitness News that about twice a year people come forward and ask to spread a loved one's remains at Disneyland. They are told that it's against the law to do so. They say that there's no conclusive proof that anyone's ashes have ever been spread at Disneyland.

Disney is the parent company of ABC7.

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