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Disney Parks Cast Members Share The Strangest Things A Child Has Ever Asked Them

Disney Parks Cast Members Share The Strangest Things A Child Has Ever Asked Them
Image by Sam Chen from Pixabay

Growing up in Florida, there was no avoiding Disney.

Most of us went as children, and if you didn't - no need to worry! As soon as you were old enough to start paying attention to job boards, there was Disney hiring "cast members" for just about everything everywhere.

Getting hired comes with some amazing perks, but everyone who has worked there ALSO comes away with some amazing stories. Disney just makes people ... intense... ya know?


Especially if those people are kids.

Reddit user JD-Explosion asked:

Disney Parks cast members of Reddit, what's the strangest thing a child has asked you while on the job?


The thing you gotta love about children is that they're full of all of the passion and enthusiasm of every Disney-phile, but they also have massive imaginations, no real understanding of how the real world works, and zero filter.

It's a perfect storm for shenanigans like these...

Part Of Your World

The Little Mermaid Disney GIFGiphy

" 'Yesterday I went to Disneyland... And I saw the parade... And it was raining during the parade... And everyone was wearing raincoats... And the Little Mermaid was in the parade... And she was wearing a raincoat too... Why?' "

" 'Well, because everyone else was wearing a raincoat. Ariel wanted to wear one too so she could be like everybody else.' --My Castmate friend in the call center that took the call above. " - certnneed

"The point of Ariel's character is that she wanted to be human and do things they do, so the answer fits! That's how the cats members are taught how to think and answer." - Additional_Meeting_2

"She just wants to be part of our wooooorld!" - Nezzee

Probably Busy

let it go GIFGiphy

"My daughter was 2-3 when we went to go see Elsa and Anna."

"There was a 4 hour line, of which my daughter would shuffle forward whenever it would move and then lie down and sleep on the floor when it didn't."

"Finally, it was our turn. We walk into the room and there's Elsa and Anna. First question my daughter asks them?"

" 'Do you guys brush your teeth?' "

"Then after the thing was done and we're leaving, my daughter casually tells me that that wasn't really Elsa and Anna, the real ones were probably busy."

"Four. Hours."

"At the time I was beyond belief. I couldn't express my emotions - between anger/rage, incredulity and plain old shell shock."

"I remember walking away thinking about the Serenity Now episode of Seinfeld but looking back on it now, it's something I'll always remember and it makes a great story. So, worth it." - various_necks

The Adults Are Worse

Reaction GIF by Macy'sGiphy

"Kid: 'Where's Hogwarts?' "

"Me: 'Probably about half a day's walk away.' "

"But the adults are always worse. Like this guy:"

"Adult: 'You work during the holidays?' "

"Me: 'Yes.' "

"Adult, muttering as he walks away: 'I don't believe her. It's probably a trick to get tips.' "

"It was during Christmas. He was literally there on Christmas." - sleepytimeHoney

"They Work At Six Flags"

Bugs Bunny Flirt GIFGiphy

"I started 2 months ago and my job doesn't have much guest interaction. But I did have one kid who kept asking me where characters were."

"He asked where Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes were and I blew his mind when I told them they work at Six Flags with Batman and Superman, not at Disney." - nowhere136

The Best Questions To Ask During A Job Interview | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

Wonder What Mickey Thought

Shocked Disney GIF by Mickey MouseGiphy

"When I was around 3 or 4, on a family trip to Disneyworld I drew a picture of my plane crashing on the way to Orlando and my entire family falling to a fiery death."

"Then I gave it to Mickey Mouse. I wonder what the dude inside the costume thought." - analognewb

"I wouldn't be surprised if he still has it, lol." - siel04

"Nothing would make me happier" - analognewb

Goldfishie!

Mickey Mouse Love GIF by Disneyland ParisGiphy

"Not a Disney park cast member - I am the strange child."

"Went to Disneyland back in 2000 or so, I was about 5 or 6 and my first pet goldfish died shortly before we went on our trip. Went to Minnie's house and got to meet her at the end for pictures."

"I remember there being some cool animatronic goldfish bowl in her house, so I just haaaad to tell her how sad I was that my fish just died and my mom made me flush him down the toilet."

"Of course the actors aren't allowed to talk, so this poor soul playing Minnie had to watch 5 year old me sobbing for my lost pet fishy and wasn't able to say anything. That Minnie mouse actor gave me the most heartfelt, warm, sincere hug I have ever had in my life."

"Shout out to all the Disney park actors who have ever consoled a crying child, I assure you; you made it better." - MyFriendLucifer

A Pirate's Life For Me

High Five I Got This GIF by Disney ChannelGiphy

"I used to be a pirate that did the pirate makeovers in magic kingdom and I had a little boy probably around 7 in my chair."

"We were talking about how I live on a pirate ship, of course, and what kind of pirate ship he would want to live on."

"He asked very concerned 'how do you take a shower on a pirate ship?' and I said 'we don't!' Then my pirate coworker next to came and smelled my armpit and confirm we absolutely don't."

"Then in return I smelled her armpit to let him know that she also hasn't showered. He didn't ask any more questions after that!" - KinZryry96

Magical

Millie Bobby Brown Reaction GIF by ConverseGiphy

"I worked at Disneyland as a ticket taker/bag checker. Little boy asked me if I was magical because his grandma told him Disneyland was a magical place."

"Had numerous kids rub my skin because, according to their parents, they've never seen a Black person before. People touching you without your permission was one of the worst things about that job."

"My favorite story is this girl was leaving the park and wanted to know how could Mickey just finish Fantasmic but be on Main Street with completely different clothes."

"Her mind was blown, hands on her head just trying to comprehend how could he be in two places at once. I told her that he has a bunch of underground tunnels so he can avoid the crowds and get to the front to say goodbye. She was satisfied with that answer." - pharmrterri

Slow Moving Potato

Nose Swimming GIFGiphy

"I don't work for Disney directly I run a kayaking business that Disney subcontracts for their kayaking trips. The Disney cast members shuttle the guests in a bus to our location about 30 minutes away."

"This happened on an offsite kayaking trip through a natural area. The bonkers question didn't come from a child, but a mother with her 2 kids in tow."

"She asked 'How do they work? Are they animatronic or do you have a remote control?' Talking about the live, wild, manatees"

"She threatened a lawsuit on Disney for endangering her kids... with manatees... The gentlest of sea creatures... Giant slow moving potatoes." - SkoomaSalesAreUp

Yeah ... the most magical place on Earth just keeps serving up the best stories, doesn't it?

People Break Down The Missing Person Cases That Just Don't Add Up

Reddit user yourlastnames asked: 'what missing persons case is the most confusing / doesn’t add up?'

Content warning: suicide.

There are truly some strange unsolved cases out there, but there's nothing quite like hearing of a person who has vanished as if out of thin air.

While some of these cases have been explained away or even solved, there are some that remain a mystery that truly does not add up, no matter how the puzzle pieces fall.

Curious about these cases, in particular, Redditor yourlastnames asked:

"What missing persons case is the most confusing [to you] or just doesn't add up?"

The Last Ride of Terrance Williams

"Terrance Williams disappeared in 2004. He's the subject of a fascinating podcast called 'The Last Ride.'"

"The short version is that he was taken into custody in Naples, Florida, after being pulled over in the early hours for traffic violations. He was never seen again."

"The deputy that pulled him over tried to conceal the traffic stop even from his own organization, but staff opening a local business saw the whole thing."

"When the sheriff's department finally looked into it, they discovered the deputy was involved in a similar disappearance of a man named Felipe Santos in 2003. To this day the deputy claims no knowledge of Williams's whereabouts, despite being caught out in a series of lies."

- AlanMercer

Paddy Moriarty and Kellie

"Paddy Moriarty and his dog, Kellie. They went missing in an outback town in Australia with a population of 12 people."

"They were last seen leaving the pub riding his quad bike the one-kilometer distance to his house. He or his dog have never been found and no one has been charged in relation to his disappearance."

- Bigred0762

Susan Powell and Family

"Susan Powell went missing from her home in West Valley, Utah, on December 6, 2009."

"She is presumably dead. Her husband, Josh, was the main suspect and just a real piece of work. No one knows what really happened to her."

"Sadly in 2012, Josh murdered their kids and committed suicide after Susan’s parents gained custody of the kids."

- AlexisVonTrappe

"This case is so frustrating since his brother and father are both dead too. We’ll never know what happened to Susan, but I’m positive she’s in an old mine shaft somewhere. F**k Josh Powell."

- burittosquirrel

​The Last Call from Brandon Swanson

"Brandon Swanson. He drove into a ditch and called his parents for help. They stayed on the phone with him for 47 minutes while they drove around looking for him."

"They heard him say, 'Oh s**t,' and then the phone went silent. They eventually found his car far away from where he said he was but he was never found."

- kittengoesrawr

"Reading this was absolutely chilling. It seems at first glance that it's most likely he drowned, but that really doesn't make sense because the water was only 10 feet deep and they would have found the body."

"He just suddenly said, 'OH S**T!' and the phone went silent, but he did not hang up. The phone call continued with total silence from his end. What the f**k happened to him?"

- angelposts

Babysitter Mar Lou Bostwick

"Mary Lou Bostwick. She disappeared July 18, 1972, from Waverly, New York. She was dropped off by her dad to babysit at a friend's house. This was also her 16th birthday. Her mom stopped by later with a cake and presents."

"The people in the apartment told her that Mary never showed up. However, her bag was in the residence. Nothing else was ever found."

"There was another girl around the same age, Sharon Coston, who was abducted and murdered in a nearby town about a year later. October 1983 in Sayre, Pennsylvania."

"There was a man convicted of that, but he always denied doing anything to Mary. One of the people who testified against him and was given immunity was a suspect in Mary's case. Mary's mom thinks there's a connection, but nothing was ever really found."

"I've sadly never seen anyone cover her disappearance on any of the podcasts or YouTube shows."

- Vamp459

Derek Seehausen of San Diego

​"Derek Seehausen. My friend was dating him at the time of his disappearance, and he was actively planning his future in medicine, and was last seen in San Diego."

"I saw him about two months before he disappeared. Please send any tips."

- Hereforit2022Y

The Beaumont Children

"The Beaumont Children. Three kids go to the beach, are seen with a mystery man, and never make it back home."

"Never found out who the man was or where they went. Their parents just recently died without ever getting any closure."

- snguyenx96

Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes

"Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes. The whole family (parents and four kids) went missing overnight in 2011."

"Employers, schools, and the extended family received weird letters informing of their absence or departure (one of them saying they are going into a witness protection program). Two weeks later they found the corpses of the mother, the kids, and the dog hidden behind the house."

"They investigated and retraced the father’s whereabouts in the south of France. He was last seen leaving a hotel a few days before. The region was thoroughly searched, but he was never to be found."

- z4zazym

Branson Perry of Skidmore

"Branson Perry, aged 20, disappeared from Skidmore, Missouri in April 2001."

"He was working on his house with a friend, went to the shed to grab some power cords, and was never seen again."

- AdamR91

The Incomplete Story of Marshall Iwassa

"Marshall Iwassa. Good guy."

"He came back to his hometown to visit his family and friends, and everything by all accounts was good. He left to take the two-hour drive to where he was living and never made it. Instead, it was recorded he spent the entire night trying to get into his storage unit and then nothing."

"A week or maybe more, his truck was found 12 hours away on a back road in the middle of the woods burnt to a crisp with belongings thrown about everywhere, no sign of Marshal."

"From what I remember, the family was adamant that some of the things inside the truck, burnt or not, were missing, things they knew he had. The truck was even missing parts."

"It's been four years and there's never been answers. It makes me sad and fearful of long travels. From what I know of him, he was a fantastic friend; I hope they get closure one day."

- devbot8

Out Shopping Asha Degree

"Asha Degree."

"She went missing at the age of nine from Shelby, North Carolina, United States. In the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, for reasons unknown, she packed her bookbag, left her family home north of the city, and began walking along nearby North Carolina Highway 18 despite heavy rain and wind."

"Several passing motorists saw her; when one turned around at a point 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from her home and began to approach her, she left the roadside and ran into a wooded area."

"In the morning, her parents discovered her missing from her bedroom. No one has seen her since."

- EstateWeary5789

The Vanishing Marion Barter

"Marion Barter here in Australia."

"She boarded a plane overseas in 1997 and changed her name beforehand (didn't tell family). She apparently came back to Australia for a few days (according to passenger records) and completely disappeared."

"It's an ongoing investigation at the moment, there is a podcast about it called, 'The Lady Vanishes,' featuring her daughter."

"It's so tragically fascinating."

- CuddlySubject

The Grieving Bryce Laspisa

"Bryce Laspisa."

"He was driving to his parents' house (three hours) after an argument with his girlfriend, apparently due to his alcohol and video game addiction and abuse of prescription medication."

"Partway through the drive, he pulled off the highway and just sat there… from 9:00 AM to 3:'00 PM."

"A roadside assistance guy checked on him twice and said he seemed fine and coherent, and Bryce told him he would be carrying on back to his parents shortly."

"Sometime later, his car was found only a few miles away, driven off the embankment, and he was nowhere to be found. They never found him."

- Just_Raisin1124

News Anchor Jodi Huisentruit

"Jodi Huisentruit was a news anchor who disappeared in the early morning in Mason City, Iowa."

"There were signs that she was abducted and the investigation is still ongoing with new leads nearly 30 years later."

- Have_you_eaten_yet

Three-Year-Old William Tyrrell

"William Tyrrell. In 2014, the three-year-old boy went missing from his foster grandmother's yard whilst playing with his sister. His foster mother and foster grandmother were apparently watching them play outside, and the foster mother went inside to make a cup of tea."

"They then noticed they hadn’t seen or heard him in a while and searched the house and yard."

"In 2021, police began searching national parkland near the grandmother's home for human remains. They also revealed that the foster mother and grandmother were persons of interest in his presumed death."

"Earlier today, the foster mother pled not guilty to assaulting another foster child that was in her care (a 10-year-old girl). She has also been charged with intimidating and stalking a minor. Her husband has also been charged with the same crimes, but plead not guilty to all counts. The foster grandmother is now dead."

"Basically, police believe that William died whilst in the care of the foster family, and they disposed of his body to cover it up. Police are recommending that the foster parents be charged with perverting the course of justice and interfering with a corpse."

"His photos went viral at the time of the 'disappearance,' and he went missing whilst in a Spiderman costume, and the photo that was distributed was taken minutes before."

- Red_bug91

These stories are truly haunting, and it's no wonder that Redditors have worried themselves with what might have happened to these missing people.

We can only hope that answers come for at least some of these cases and that their closest loved ones achieve some sense of closure eventually.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Senior citizen using a camera
Tiago Muraro/Unsplash

The realization you're getting older can smack you in the face at any given time, and boy-howdy is it fun!

It can be in the morning when you get up out of bed, and your body makes crackling noises, or when you can't seem to keep up at the gym and you cut short your running time on the treadmill.

That's just the physical.

When you suddenly have the epiphany that you're suddenly the oldest one in a group setting, it's humbling.

Curious to hear from strangers online who are no longer the young whipper-snappers they imagined themselves to eternally be, Redditor redmambo_no6 asked:

"Redditors with younger coworkers, what was your 'I’m officially old' moment?"

These moments of realization never get old. But people do.

Senior Kitty

"My childhood cat lived to 21.5 so teaching (freshman biology lab, so students were ~18) became very weird when I realized my cat was older than my students."

– mollusck_magic

Aging In Reverse

"I'm a preschool teacher. It's been a TRIP to watch parents go from Soooo much older than me, to the same age as me, and now they're younger than me!?!?"

– Smart_Alex

The Shook Pediatrician

"My kids pediatrician was also my husband's pediatrician when he was a kid. He was the first kid she had to come back as a parent and she was SHOOK."

– trixtred

Older Together

"See, that's what really kinda drives it home for me."

"I'm not bothered that I'm 48. But that means my school friends are 48, and that's weird for some reason. Like, I went to school with a guy who was wild and crazy. That guy is 48 now, and has a new grandbaby. Somehow, he's old, and I'm just 'getting up there '."

– ThatWeirdTexan

Relics of the past don't just pertain to humans.

Dialing It In

"Had a co-worker ask me, 'Back before cell phones, did you just have to wait around at your house for a call?' Uh, yeah, pretty much."

– Status-Effort-9380

"Reminds me of having to explain the concept of collect calls to my kids. The whole speed speaking where you were for pick up during the recording so your Mama never accepted the collect call."

– DaraScot

Legendary Aircraft

"Various colleagues were debating whether the Concorde had been real. They couldn’t fathom that supersonic civilian aircraft used to exist and now they don’t anymore."

"The Concorde last flew in 2003, when these colleagues were toddlers."

– geckos_are_weirdos

Foreign References

"We were talking about where we were on 9/11, and my coworker went quiet. He wasn’t even born."

"We also had a band that was famous in the 90s stay at the hotel, and he had no idea who they were, meanwhile I was so star struck as they were my entire childhood!"

– Itsagabby

Gravity is not our friend, and not just because of its effect on our faces.

The Day It Went Downhill

"When i fell down the last couple of steps on a stairway. No one pointed and laughed like I expected, instead they helped me up and asked me if I was okay. That’s when I knew."

– day_of_duke

It's About The Recovery

"F'k. That has to be a bummer."

"You fall. You know you're fine. You feel like an idiot. You get ready to wave to the crowd as they laugh and clap. But then... a hand is placed on your arm and you hear 'that was a big fall, are you ok?' You stay in shock for a moment. Of course, you're fine. Everyone is looking at you. They all have concerned faces. Sh*t. Two weeks later, the soreness finally subsides."

– minimalfighting

Ice Slip, You Slip, We All Slip

"This happened to me as well....walking my dog the day after a huge snowstorm. There were some rowdy teenage boys having a snowball fight across the street (schools were closed that day, of course). I slipped on the ice, my feet flew over my head and I landed solidly on my backside. As I struggled to get up I braced myself for the laughter and catcalls, but all I heard was "Are you OK Ma'am??' 'Do you need help??' I was in my early 50s and had never felt 'old' until that moment."

– Ouisch

Conversations with younger coworkers can be fun.

You can quote lines from your favorite TV shows and talk about the latest CD you bought at Target and brag about your new digital camera that takes better pictures than a smartphone.

And then you can watch the blank expressions on your coworkers' faces because they haven't a clue about what you speak.

Yeah. This has never happened to me...

Old.

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