For those who need their horror fix, they can stream tons of movies on platforms like Shudder or even find shows like American Horror Story on Hulu.
While many of those programs have enough jump scares and gory scenes of torture, rest assured, it's only make-believe.
The real stuff of nightmares is not of the unexplainable paranormal activity variety, but stories that are recounted by those who lived through truly terrifying experiences.
Curious to hear examples of these, Redditor ugotheglizzy asked:
"What’s the scariest true story you’ve heard or told?"
Warning: These stories are not for the faint of heart.
Hospital visits can be absolutely horrifying.
She Flipped Her Lid
"I’ve told this story before. I’m an eye doctor and I had a patient come to me with an infected eyelid two other eye doctors tried to treat and failed. They were dumping all sorts of medicine into it and it wasn’t getting any better. At this point, it was swollen and painful for weeks with no improvement despite being on tons of meds."
"Apparently, neither of them thought to flip the lid upside down (you know that gross trick some kids do with their upper eyelids?). It was a painful maneuver for her very swollen eyelid, which might explain it. Anyhow, there appeared to be what looked like a visible abscess inside the tissue with thick gooey material, I thought I’d give it a nudge and saw it move. This wasn’t an abscess, it was something else. I managed to remove it quite easily in one whole piece. It was a fly larva. The patient told me that she had a bug hit her in the eye a few days before she got this 'infection.' I removed the larva and within two days the wound closed and she was 100% recovered on basic antibiotic eye drops. Yes, I do have the photos from this case for those interested."
– OscarDivine
Turmoil Of Recovery
"I had brain surgery roughly 3 years ago. I lost my concept of time. What felt like 4 months was only 3 days. The amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain I went through was crazy. I had to find all of my memories and relearn how to walk, talk, everything. If you want to go through something terrifying that is it."
– AkierraLFS
Surprising Diagnosis
"My HIV story."
"I was on a trip on my first commercial flight (from Sacramento to San Diego) to visit my girlfriend, and I didnt feel well. Once I got off the plane I made it to the hotel and had bouts of nausea and diarrhea for a few days straight and finally decided to go to hospital. After waiting hours I was let into a room and some time later an Asian woman wearing a mask and gloves entered. 'Please leave the room,' she told my girlfriend (let's call Beatrice)."
"'No she can stay it's okay,' I said. The doctor still hadn't looked at me, but looked back to Beatrice. 'I think you should leave.' I looked to Beatrice and said 'can you please wait outside.' Right as the door closed the doctor said, 'you have HIV.' My mind instantly started racing, trying to problem solve. 'I cant have AIDS, I got tested before being with Beatrice and I was clean,' I said. The doctor again 'you have HIV' while avoiding eye contact. I looked at my palms and for the first time in my life they were sweating, really sweating. I said again, 'I cant, I've been tested.'"
"The doctor flipped a page and asked my name, which I responded, and finally the doctors eyes made contact with my own. 'I'm so sorry, I have the wrong chart. You have strep throat and laryngitis.' I remember the world ending and then the feeling the most relief I've ever experience in my life. When I told Beatrice the whole story she awkwardly laughed and said, 'but you dont have it, right?' Nope."
– ALEXXRN
The fear of being watched is explored in the following examples.
A Harrowing Sight
"This happened to me. This is from the days when I used to live back home (I used to live in Karachi, Pakistan but now moved to UK)."
"We used live very close to a CID (Police Investigation Department aka Pakistani FBI) building which we all were unaware of and always thought it was just an ordinary government building till on 11th, Nov 2010. On that day I around evening time coming home from work I thought I better hit the gym (because they had a sauna and after being tired from all day work that sounded like a good idea) which was hardly 0.3 miles away so I decided to walk to the gym. I change quickly and leave for the gym and start walking towards the gym."
"This is almost I've hardly walked like 10 minutes and I'm 0.1 miles away roughly and all of a sudden for a nano second I feel that ground is shaking and the next thing I hear is a loudest bang I've ever heard followed by a pressure kick into my chest. Now to let you guys know, my both the ear started bleeding because the bang was so loud and for the reference the kick in the chest was as bad as Big Show wearing military boots and kicking you in the chest straight with full force."
"Next thing? I'm on the ground covering my ears because they are in agony and covered in dirt trying to figure out what's happening. As I am trying to figure out I can see all the cars alarms have gone off. Anything made up of glass has been shattered in roughly 1-2 miles area. I'm still trying to figure out what has happened and I start smelling gun powder and as if someone is making a BBQ and is being burnt. I will always remember that smell which was something unsettling. Next things rock and dust particle starts landing on me and the surrounding areas which had 1-1.5 inches long of pieces of human skin and flesh. I am not believing that I have another human skin piece stuck to my arm. I brush up my clothes and arms getting up and covering my ear recovering from that pressure kick."
"As I move closer to a spot in a street where I am hearing loads of people screaming and crying I see a few 3-5ft cracks between some walls of the building which have been destroyed by the shockwave of the bang. I see the gap between a wall and move into the area where I see these scenes straight from a Hollywood movie where people are crying, cars on fire and dead bodies on the ground. By this time I'm thinking its a bomb blast and that's what has happened. As I move closer I see a 10ft and 30ft wide crater which has been filled with the water and the building which was a CID building is no longer there. There are hundreds of people lying on the ground crying for help as some of them don't even have legs or limbs or some don't have their complete bottom. I am still in a state of shock looking around and I see a woman crying and hitting herself because she had her husband dead who's legs and torso was missing. I seen that later. I see several people without legs, brains out and no limbs."
"One thing, which haunted me for sure was a 18-20yr old guy who was dead and lying on the floor towards his chest on the floor with his neck turned towards me. I can still remember him looking straight into my eyes. His feet were flipped the other way around. After the police arrived and media arrived I came back home after it got crowded. After I came home after the dusk everyday, I would see that 18-20yr old boy standing and starring into my eyes. I would wake up screaming through out the night and see that guy standing at the door way just staring at me. For two to three weeks I would see this guy regularly during midnight standing in my hallway staring through my soul. I still remember that guy's face and the shockwave and the sound of the blast."
"P.S to this day even the slightest bang or even a loud music drops freaks me out sometimes reminding me of that shockwave. I'm married so sometimes I tell my wife that the bang just reminded me of the shockwave I witnessed in this accident, I don't tell her but inside my heart I pray secretly that God don't ever put anyone through that even in their wildest dreams."
Photo of the Explosion aftermath
– anon
People talk about life-threatening situations that will make you count your blessings to be alive.
Trapped
"The story of John Edward Jones getting stuck in Nutty Putty cave in Utah. He became wedged in the tight crawl when he took a wrong turn in the cave system. Rescuers could do nothing to get him out and he was stuck in there for 28 hours before he died from Cardiac Arrest because feet were above his head and his heart was pumping over time. One of The Rescuers even gave him a phone to call his wife and talk to his young daughter before he died."
– xMurderMike41370x
The Stowaway
"Off the main road of a place I use to work at, a guy decided to climb under a bus to 'hitch a free ride'. Well the bus went over a speed bump and the guy fell and ended up getting caught on the back wheel. His body was dragged 5 blocks before the bus driver realized what was happening."
"A police officer who came into our store regularly, told us that the guy was still alive when they got to him, but died an hour later. He said his whole back was scraped off exposing his spine. I remember driving down that road after the fact, and you could still see a deep red blood stained trail going on for those 5 blocks."
"Absolutely horrifying."
– nana_
Imagined Horrors
"I used to love swimming, I'd go snorkeling, scuba diving, even jumped off a few cliffs into the water."
"When I was about 18 I read the necrnomicon (the collection of Lovecraft short stories, not the real thing) had a good scare, giggled at how silly I was to be unnerved and went about my life."
"Next year went to Crete on holiday, first day I jumped right into the ocean with my dad and went out deep. Lo and behold, I feel something tickling my legs. I dive under to see since its too deep for seaweed to reach this high and I wanted to see fish."
"Tentacles. Everywhere. I was so shocked I lost my air and panicked hard, I started breathing in water as glowing eyes, sharp beaks and suckered tentacles flashed about me."
"Thankfully, Dad got me to the shore and didn't understand what was going on, he'd seen nothing but suddenly had a really grim look on his face."
"Went to the doctors. Turns out I'm the victim of a family curse, Schizoaffective disorder. My dad was horrified cause since he hadn't got it like his brother and mother, he thought I'd be safe."
"They caught it early but this revelation then led to a lot of aspects of my life being thrown in the air. Entire people in my life became false, ideas I'd had were delusional, outbursts revealed to be due to mood swings."
"I'm doing much better now, I still don't go in the water."
– Voidscale
I will never forget the time I was at a party where one of the host's brother who was tweaked out of his mind went on a violent rampage and started going after partygoers with a knife.
Thankfully, nobody was gravely injured, but a few people did go to the hospital to be treated for deep lacerations.
I managed to escape by jumping from the second story window with a couple of friends and piled into the car in the parking lot just as one of the attacker's friends came after us wielding a Swiss Army knife.
As I write this, it sounds completely fictitious. I hoped it was. I've never been so terrified.
Nighttime is a little scarier no matter where you are, but there is something especially eerie about the silent pitch darkness of unpopulated rural areas.
The unknown sights and sounds that lurk in the deep dark are enough to make one's skin crawl. A sudden shriek or a piercing light can make the blood run cold.
Perhaps curious about what life is like in those rural spots, Redditor catarpillarfu**er asked:
"Rural folk, what is the most creepy thing you've seen or experienced?"
Many people talked about the sounds. There is something so unnerving about unexplained noises coming from unexplained places, all in the dark.
Final Cries
"The blood curdling scream of something being killed by coyotes, then all of a sudden it stops and there's dead silence."
"Just a few weeks ago just had a black snake wrapped on my outside door knob when I opened it! I guess it was trying to get to the nest of fly catchers beneath the porch roof."
-- TNClodHopper
Dads Can Nope Too
"I live in rural Wisconsin. Surrounded by corn, marsh, the works. I remember I was in my teens, outside at dusk with my parents but we were all doin' our own thing."
"Suddenly a woman's voice yells 'HELP ME' from the woods beside our house. Just loud enough to hear, but quiet enough for me to second guess what I heard. My mom and dad both turned to look at me like 'you heard that too right?' "
"Mom starts screaming 'DO YOU NEED HELP WHERE ARE YOU' It's moved from dusk to pitch black now and the hair stood up on my neck because it got TOO QUIET."
"Mom wanted to keep yelling, but dad just got up from his chair and said "inside". I think that's one of the only times I've seen her listen to him."
Misleading Exterior
"Australia has a reputation for scary animals, but people don't ever talk about the sounds you hear."
"The cutest, most fluffy, sweet-faced little animals make demon noises in the dark. Our birds scream, possums sound horror movie noises, koalas sound like giant monsters."
"All of these are completely harmless. Generally the dangerous animals are, coincidentally, the ones you can't hear."
Not as Sly as We Thought
"Grew up in a very rural area of Kentucky on a property that was about 75 combined acres of woods and empty fields out a dead end, one lane road. One night when I was a kid I was sent to take the trash out to the dumpster after dark."
"The dumpster was already at the bottom of the driveway. About the time I reached the dumpster I heard the most blood curdling scream I have ever heard. Like a woman was being brutally murdered right in my ear."
"I flew back to the house and had a full on come-apart, crying and telling my dad to get a gun. Fox screams will make your blood run cold."
-- Rangylil13
Unseen Lips
"Live out in the country, realized one night that we never got the mail that day so I walked out to the road to get it. No moon that night so it was pitch black, just the sound of crickets and tree frogs."
"As I'm walking back up the driveway, I hear my husband whistling, from the direction it's coming from it seems he walked out the back door and was coming around the side of the house towards me."
"I didn't know why and didn't bother to ask, I just went up on the porch and back in the front door. Just then my husband CAME OUT OF THE BATHROOM. I still get freaked out a little when I think about it. It was 100% a human whistling a tune and both humans were in the house."
Hot and Heavy in the Woods
"I live on a road very far away from town. I have neighbors but I can't hear them or see them from my house. My back deck overlooks a field before mikes of woods. One night I'm out back having a smoke and most likely stoned. I'm just chilling in the dark w a little bit of candle light and the light from inside when I hear a sound that scared the hell out of me."
"It was a deep low breathing/snorting sound. It came from the field but it sounded like it was right next to me. It gave me chills and I thought there was a monster in my back yard. It's pitch black and I can't see what it is, not that I really wanted to. I went back inside, locked the door and googled the sh** out of it."
"It was a deer. During their mating season a male dear can make sounds like that."
There All Along
"A friend of mine lived in a semi-rural area growing up. One night the cops knocked on her door and warned her that they were looking for a possibly violent fugitive. Told her they'd check her property and that she should lock up and be wary."
"It wasn't until some time later that she found out the full story. The fugitive had been caught sexually assaulting a horse in a local stable. In the ensuing panic, the horse's leg was broken and the man got away."
"He was found two days later hiding in a stormwater drain."
"I live in Ireland there are a shit ton of stray cats that farmers just let roam around to cull the local rat population, recently they've started coming further and further into the village and now every night it sounds like someone's climbing around outside my window..."
"my god the first time I heard it was at 2:00 am, they were tapping on the window and everything trying to get in, keep in mind they weren't meowing our making cat noises, it was just one cat walking around on my roof and tapping the window that leads to my room. It was terrifying I legitimately thought it was a person"
People Who Made A Lot Of Money From Something Totally Random | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
For others, it was all about the things they saw. There are some images they just won't get out of their heads anytime soon.
Two Runners
"I used to live in the desert for a year, and on nights when the moon isn't out or there are clouds blocking out the stars and moon it's almost pitch black, you can't see more than ten yards ahead of you..."
"...one night I was driving down the highway going home and then suddenly in my headlights I see a guy running on the side of the highway full on sprinting, I'm going 70mph so it's only for a second or two but I'm like what the hell was he running from?"
"I hope he's okay because I'm not pulling over lmao but then maybe a minute later I see another guy in my headlights only he's walking on the side of the highway, and I swear to God it looked like the same guy, two separate guys in the dark walking/running on the side of the highway?"
"What possible reason could explain that, I didn't see any cars on the side of the road that might've broken down, I was so weirded out I just had an uncomfortable feeling the entire ride home"
-- santichrist
Unexpected Closure
"Used to live in rural Philippines in a tiny fishing village in Tinambacan. Right next to our house was a fenced-off lot that had been overgrown and a really broken down house. It always looked REALLY creepy at night and kids in the neighborhood told me it was haunted. From our rooftop you could look into the lot."
"One night I was looking at it, and I saw a strange blue glow coming from inside and shadows moving across the windows. I couldn't place it at all and didn't hear any noise, no people speaking or any indication of what was causing it. Really scared me."
"I brought it up to my family and they told me drag queens were squatting there overnight so that they could attend a nearby disco. So… that was relieving."
-- drekia
A Fixer Upper
"Grew up spending a ton of time in the Colorado Rockies. In college a friend and I were on a weekend backpacking trip up in national forest land, about three hundred yards off-trail, when we stumbled across a mostly-buried bunker someone had made."
"Think a 20-foot-long Tuff Shed, buried up to it's roof. We only noticed it because sun glinted off one of two small windows in the roof, which had been deliberately covered with brush/tree litter. Looking through the windows, we could make out a cot, buckets and tubs of food and supplies, etc."
"Found the door (concealed/partially buried), which had a heavy padlock securing it."
"Noped out of there with a quickness, didn't want to run into whoever had built the place."
No Need for Supernatural
"Something else that happened in rural CO: this is my friend's story. Dress rehearsal for our school play would run a little late sometimes. My friend ended up being one of the last people there. She walked to her car and got in, something in her rear view mirror caught her eye."
"She looked through her back window to see that a mountain lion was a few yards away. It wasn't the first instance of a mountain lion being on the school grounds. The middle school was just down the hill from there, and I remember when it locked down because there was a mountain lion outside. Good 'ol nature lol"
Horrifying Realities
"I used to live 30 minutes away from where I am now in the Philippines, and back then there weren't any convenience stores or supermarkets nearby in my village. It was just all grass, trees, and vines---perfect if you wanna hide mutilated or sacked bodies. One day, my parents and I drove home from my pre-school. Suddenly my dad went silent and told me not to look"
"i was stupid enough to disobey, and saw someone hanging from the trees with their neck. We learned later on that people were killing themselves because of destitution and personal conflict."
In Unison
"One night I grabbed my son's toy night vision goggles to see if they even worked. If they did, maybe we could see what was making all the weird howling noises in the woods for the last 2 nights. So I looked across the yard into the woods and there were so many eyes."
"So. Many. Eyes. They were everywhere. In one case there was a grouping of 3 eyes. I had myself convinced it was just a opossum with it's baby and I couldn't see the other eye, but then they all blinked at the same time."
"I have never ever used night vision to look in the woods again. Whatever deformity was there can have it's space."
-- 1D0ntKn0wY0u
A Warning
"When I had just gotten my first car I was driving home one night around 10pm, I came around a corner on a very dark backroad and my headlights shined onto a large stake that someone set up on the curve with a deers head shoved on top."
"I was nervous the rest of the way home after that."
The Great Orb
"My friend and I were driving across a rural stretch of highway with very little traffic at night. We were having an involved conversation while he drove. Suddenly I saw something extremely large looming in the distance, right in the middle of the road. It too dark to make out but looked like a huge boulder or round object, at least 10 ft high and just as wide."
"I screamed and pointed at it, my friend hit the brakes and swerved hard around, thankfully missing it. No other cars were around and as it was a one way, we could not turn around to investigate. My first thought was a giant Boulder but we were in flat desert, nowhere near a mountain or hills. We called the cops to let them know but about sh** our pants."
So if you're thinking about upscaling to a big house out in the country, beware the mysterious that may lurk there.
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Sometimes, it becomes extremely clear that it's time to leave.
That goes for short term situations like a bizarre social moment, or longer term commitments like work or relationships.
Whatever the context, there is typically a tipping point moment when all the variables appear to suggest things have become unsafe, wildly uncomfortable, or maybe even a tad illegal.
It's those moments when all you can think about is the door.
Redditor Thotus_Maximus asked:
"What was your biggest 'I'm out' moment?"
Many people talked about the times they went to parties that turned out to be very different from what they had in mind.
Extremely Sus
"Went to a friend of a friend's 35th birthday party. There were like 3 people there when we showed up. Birthday boy says everyone's in the basement. Okay cool."
"We go down to the basement. Someone's DJing, they've got cool lighting, there's like 30 people dancing. After a minute or 2 we realize everyone in the basement is like 13. Nope Nope Nope."
THAT Kinda Party
"Lived in a hotel for a while when I was 18-19. One day a bunch of people I've met at the pool wanted to go up to this dudes room and party. I thought we were gonna drink, smoke, and have a conversation, but that's not how it went."
"While everyone went up there, I had to go back to my room and change clothes. When I finally went to join them, I walked in and saw this dude injecting hard drugs. I sh** you not, this dude turned completely blue and dropped to the ground like a rock. When I saw that, I just dipped."
"He got picked up by an ambulance and survived. When I saw him in the elevator the next day, he seemed like a completely different person. Seein' stuff like that (that wasn't my first time witnessing od's), I think kept me away from the drugs that can kill you easily."
The Great Escape
"I was at a party when I was a teen. Cops turned up. I was stuck upstairs. But there was a balcony and underneath a pool. And beyond the pool a gate leading to an alley."
"So I jumped in the pool."
"But when I resurfaced there were already two cops standing there looking at me."
A Heist
"When I was at a party and we heard another party happening up the street. We joined in for an hour or two and mingled before heading back to ours. One of my friends realised we left all our alcohol at the other house so a group went back to collect it."
"Turns out they stole literally all the alcohol from that party and brought it back to ours. Next thing we heard a group from this other party were coming to take it back and by then everyone was already drunk, high and angry."
"I decided my best course of action was to call an uber and head home right before shit got real ugly. As the uber was pulling away I heard blood curdling screams coming from the house lol."
-- JA_Wolf
His Disgusting Lair
"When I was 23 years old, I Was hanging out with friends at a park, they brought someone new and he's pretty cool 27 year old dude. Hella chill and was funny af, made some of us cry from too much laughter."
"Anyways, later that night we all go to his place to play Monopoly on his ps4. As soon as we enter his room, everywhere was literally littered with hentai. Usually I'm ok with that stuff cuz I don't judge ppl. But this sh** was fu**ing pedo:"
Every poster and figurine was literally naked little girls. And I mean under age girls, I know they are cuz I watched some of these animes when I was in high school. One example was the little girl from Sword art online. I forgot her name but she was literally the youngest one and this dude had her in a pretzel sex shape figurine. It was fu**ing disgusting."
"I noped out seconds later saying, "sorry, but I don't wanna hang with someone who is into this sh**. Peace.' Half of my friends left with me"
Other Redditors recalled the times they encountered strangers that did not appear to have their best interest at heart, to say the least.
Business Dealings
"Was approached by someone and we talked about how we went to the same college and I showed him some of my art work, he thought it was pretty cool and offered me an opportunity and wanted to talk more later because I was at work at the time."
"I met up with him and his girlfriend and he told about what he mentioned. As I say there listening, it sounded familiar and BAM! It hit me. It was a pyramid scheme, it had nothing to do with art or any job prospects, I told him I wasn't interested many times in the nicest way possible l, but boy did they look pi**ed."
-- MythrPeace
People Describe The Worst Adult Tantrum They've Ever Witnessed | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Last-Second Decision
"I got stuck in an airport overnight as my flight was cancelled due to weather and I was starving because all the stores were closed. Some employee offered to show me where to get food so I followed him."
"He then opened a door to outside in the parking lot and motioned outside. I quickly said 'no thanks' and walked away."
-- ARCDad
One Star
"I was travelling around Fiji and arrived at a hostel and got shown to the dorm, it smelled a bit weird but thought nothing of it. The owner was super friendly, offered me food and had some really cute puppies running around the sitting room.
"When I went back to the dorm to get something from my backpack I noticed that the smell was puppy doodoo, all over one end of the room (previously not visible from where I had been stood), with flies buzzing around it. On top of that, I then noticed fleas crawling on the bunk mattress (presumably from the cute puppies)."
"I picked up my pack and left without saying anything, felt a bit bad as I hadn't payed for the lunch but it was massive 'nope' moment."
-- lushgurter21
Drawing the Line at Hissing
"I was cutting through someone's rural-ish property as a tween and one of their goats popped up out of the bushes and blocked my path. I was about to go around him when he hissed at me. I turned right around and walked home the long way."
"I've been hissed at by a wide variety of animals (including men.. Ayyyeeoooo!) But I sure as sh** wasn't about to get Black Phillip'ed."
And finally, some talked about when it became very clear that their work situation needed to end, like yesterday.
Quotas Reign Supreme
"I got buried by heavy packages while loading a truck for Fedex. It took 3 people to get me out. I was bloody, bruised, and had trouble lifting my arm."
"My manager came over and chastised me for my package count being too low. Walked out immediately."
-- Azuenz
Leaving Him a Stressful Day
"I worked in a contact centre several years ago. It was super busy and calls didn't stop coming. For some reason, my stupid boss removed everyone else from the queue for some stupid training, leaving me alone to handle all the calls. I messaged him a few times on Microsoft Teams, asking what was happening with no reply."
"After two hours, I shut down my computer and walked out of the company. I just recently withdrawn my last salary, so no regret whatsoever."
-- faridfreddy
Corruption At Its Finest
"I worked for a blood analysis lab machine company for about 6 months. Hated every minute of it because I was working well over 60 hours a week every week. I wouldn't be leaving some hospitals until after 11pm sometimes. The management would never support the techs, the customer is always right, that BS."
"So one week at during the over the phone team meeting, the manager actually asked on of the younger techs to complete paperwork and submit it. Which is normal, but the manager was having him submit the repair paperwork and schedule the repair when they got around to it. He wanted the tech to pencil whip documentation we submit to the FDA so he could a quarterly bonus."
"Managers who's group hits all the pm's, gets a very nice size check. Had the tech done that and the machine failed before it was serviced, somebody could have died and he might have gone to jail. I left that job the next day."
Out With a Bang
"I walked out of a job two hours into a shift and left them without anyone who could do my job."
"As a parting gift, I threw the manual I'd written in the rubbish and didn't bother removing or giving anyone my passwords to stuff so they couldn't do anything."
-- KittikatB
Quite Enough of That
"I got to work one morning and saw all these notes on the desks. They were the mad scrawlings of one of my bosses. One was a strange note to the other boss who was her bf and the rest were new office rules that made me report to her for everything."
"I was the only member of staff they had and I hated her as she kept lying about me, saying I was hiding her work (I wasn't she was just lazy and unless and tried to blame me). I typed up my resignation and left it on the bosses desk. Fu** them both."
Good Time to Go
"When Chipotle's first came to town, the factory I was working at decided to order Chipotle for everybody...well it was my job that day too mop the bathroom floors... Lunchtime hit and about 1:00 hit suddenly everybody in the entire factory had to use bathroom all at once... Yeah, I was like, I'm not mopping any of that up. Turned in my apron and my safety glasses and walked out."
"Just in case if you're wondering, this factory did not have a house cleaning service, all the factory employees were given specific cleaning jobs per week. It was our section of the factory job to take care of the bathroom areas."
-- droppedhero
Perhaps this list will give you the strength to turn your back on a situation when it's the time to.
Disney theme parks are all about what is front-facing.
The magical, curated experience for paying guests is only the tip of an iceberg of hard work, dicey ethics, and a robust corporation with all the policies and economic motivations that you'd expect.
Lucky for us, some Redditors were there to see all that goes on behind the curtain.
And my goodness do they have some stories.
Redditor memezdankton asked:
"Former Disney theme park employees of Reddit, what are some dirty secrets or stories you can tell us about your time there?"
Many people were cast members: princes, princesses, people in giant, fuzzy costumes. Those smiles, plastered there for hours at a time, aren't always legitimate.
Professional Forgery
"My SIL got a the role of Cinderealla at Disneyland Paris."
"She had to practice Cinderella's autograph over and over because although different actresses play her all over the world, the signature of the character has to be identical anywhere it's signed for consistency."
-- jennyrob669
Hand Selected
"You have to be in specific height ranges to play the different characters. Because Mickey's height range is so short he's usually played by a woman. Likewise for Donald, although the most successful and best known Donald that I knew while I worked there was a little person."
"When the princess face characters come backstage they have to take off their dresses so they don't get dirty while they're on break so the princesses are usually walking around in a smock and bloomers if you see them back there. There is some serious cognitive dissonance when you walk back and see Snow White in her bloomers on her phone cursing up a storm."
"People sexually harass the characters super frequently. I was working with Ariel and cast members will always count down before they take a photo so people have time to get into position. I counted down and this teen boy decided to try to rip off one of Ariel's shells."
"I had to open his camera and expose his film so the photo didn't get developed and passed around. I found out later that I was supposed to take it to the Kodak shop to have the film developed and that one removed - but I'd always heard the rumors about ruining the film and nobody really trains you on that so I just went with it. The little a**holes deserved it."
The Show Must Go On
"Worked at Disneyland for almost 5 years. I personally haven't gone to see the 'Disney' doctor for cast members but I know friends who have an heard the doctor doesn't give a sh** about the CM's coming in for injuries."
"The time I was there, photographers and other departments weren't allowed to drink water from the water fountains because we are 'on stage.' It was a big issue the last year I worked there and some of the leads were fighting for umbrellas for photographers. It gets really brutal in Carsland where it's 5x hotter. Almost past out from the heat and dehydration."
A Very Hostile Work Environment
"I had a friend who was a gorgeous red head in her early twenties. She got cast to play Ariel at Disney World. She returned home after a few months saying that they were pressuring her into getting breast implants.
"To quote her (quoting her manager), 'There is no way Ariel has such small boobs.' "
Others discussed the employment policies that are sure to leave you scratching your head. Or calling your union rep.
What Can and Can't Be Shown
"Disneyland first interview papers include a blank outline of a person to indicate where you have tattoos."
"It's referenced if you want to change positions internally, to indicate how said tattoos could be revealed, based on what your new uniform would be."
Playing the Part
"I worked in reservations. They give you a name, that is not your own and you better use it. My name is not Robyn Leigh, but in Disney reservations, it was."
People Break Down The Creepiest Research Holes They've Ever Fallen Down | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Never a Good Sign
"Disney Employees started referring to Disneyland as Mousechwitz due to working conditions."
"Management told them to stop, so they used Duckau instead"
-- WimbleWimble
And others shared the obscure and strange stories that only a Disney employee, with a front row seat to a massive institution, could ever know about.
A Big Loss
"During the construction of Pandora at Animal Kingdom, a very beloved superintendent passed away on the project of an immediate heart attack. Mid-sentence and while opening the door to the construction trailer, George Burke just…died."
"The project was very affected by this. His knowledge of the work that needed to be done was deep and irreplaceable. His laughter and personality was loved by all 1400 workers that were there. A couple years after he passed, we were finishing the project and found the perfect way to pay homage to George. They invited his family to the middle of an active construction site to let them view it."
"George's red hard hat, with the black Nordic Cross on top was attached to the rockwork, in the middle of the flowing river, to the left of the entrance to Flight of Passage, and plastered over. The family, friends, and a few Imagineers, were the only people there. Only we can point out where the hardhat is underneath the plaster, theming, and plants. I revisit the spot everytime I go back to Pandora. :-) Peace!"
Truckin' It Out
"Former cast member from the early 90s. There was a central 'bank' near the Magic Kingdom tunnel entrance where all the park gift shops, restaurants etc would deposit the day's cash. Each day an armored truck would drive into the tunnel to haul away the loot. i can only imagine how much cash they took outta there!"
Under Wraps
"I worked there for 3 months 2 years ago with my gf at the time and anything news worthy that happens there (usually negative) immediately gets shot down by the official page of Disney (Twitter, insta, Facebook etc) they keep everything hush hush."
"Lighting struck a bathroom building and there was a small fire and my gf and I weren't working that day but we were there enjoying the park for free bc we're cast members and she records it and posted it on her Twitter. News media pages were commenting and asking her questions like when, how, what's being done and before she could reply the Disney page said to disregard the video bc it wasn't true and the video is edited and the media pages stopped asking after that."
"She gets called into the office the next day and was super close to losing her job. The reason she didn't was bc of how much seniority she had but she was basically on probation after that."
-- diego2757
It's a list that'll leave your mind wandering a whole lot more if you ever do go to Disney again.
People Break Down Their Best 'I Don't Know, I Didn't Think I'd Get This Far' Experiences
The advice "fake it til you make it," though often said with at least a hint of sarcasm, does carry quite a bit of wisdom.
By simply putting one foot in front of the other, weathering the chaos of not knowing what's happening as you learn as fast as possible, we can find ourselves further than we expected.
Once we're there, reaping the fruits of all our "faking," we somehow begin to take on a new identity in people's eyes They assume we've always been in control and known what was going on. They defer to us for advice.
But that couldn't be further from the truth. So we keep on faking it.
Redditor espectro11 asked:
"What's your 'I don't know, I didn't think I'd get this far' moment?"
Many Redditors discussed their experiences navigating the intimidating environment of job applications, interviews, and offers.
Oh Right, Getting Paid
"I gave my resume to fancy private school (I'm a teacher, but new to the field) and I didn't expect a call back. But they called me today to ask my expected salary and I said 'I don't know what the average is. Let me Google it.' "
"Ya girl was not prepared."
Uhhhh, Uhhhhh
"When I went for a walk-in interview looking like crap and they hired me on the spot. I get they were hiring for a new store, but they up and said 'if you want the job it's yours, when can you start?' "
"Deada** didn't think I'd make it that far."
-- NewtNeutral
Outside the Box
"Years ago I was applying to a bunch of copywriting jobs and feeling frustrated because I wasnt hearing back from any of the places I was applying to."
"It was especially frustrating because I was putting in all this time on cover letters and I felt like nobody was even reading them, so I said, 'Fu** it, I'm gonna write one that is more me.' I thought it was a dumb idea and never imagined that it would work, but somehow it did."
"I applied with this cover letter and the subject line "Copywriter: Will Work for Beer" to a job that I was very underqualified for. It managed to catch the eye of the headhunter for the ad agency and was enough to get me an interview. Shortly after that I was hired and ended up working there for a few years, but I remember thinking on my first day, 'I can't believe that actually worked.' "
-- -eDgAR-
Just Not the Right Fit
"An interview at Google. The 20 years younger than me was describing the peer review system."
"I responded with 'Jesus, that sounds awful.' "
"I did not get the job."
Things That Are Normal Where You Live But Crazy Anywhere Else | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Others also shared experiences that centered on their working lives. But these stories weren't about being hired or interviewed.
These were accounts of long-developing success stories that they never would have predicted.
A Winding Road
"My entire legal career"
"I have four degrees and a 10 year career in commerical litigation. I just wrapped up a $200mil trusts lawsuit."
"I started at uni doing theatre and stand up comedy. I have no fu**ing idea where I turned to get here."
-- lawyerlady
Big Fish
"Started at a very small company doing sales straight out of college. I went about messaging big corporate players (who obviously would never do business with us since our size) and was laughed at by my new colleagues for even trying."
"2 weeks later My boss was asking me what we (a team of 6) should say on the conference call with Toshiba Buyers."
-- TheBFG420
Putting Fires Out
"Me at work. I feel like every issue that comes up has me unprepared. But I am always praised for my good work."
"So, I assume I have imposter syndrome and keep doing what I am doing."
-- 47-Rambaldi
Others shared their experiences wondering into pretty serious romantic commitments.
Under Your Nose
"When I realized I've been in a stable relationship for 4 years and people start asking when we're getting engaged."
-- eggpantemoji
And the Rest is History
"I moved in with an old friend from high school, got horny one night and we slept together, and now we're married. We're discussing having children and I'm like, didn't think it would go this far lmao"
-- Hereatrandom
A Place of Their Own
"When me and my fiancé moved into our own apartment together (we'd actually lived together with my moms, his mom and my siblings for a year but that's a long story) anyway I didn't really know what to do because I had never fully considered it as a option- as something he'd want to do. Domestic life was domestic confusing."
Plenty Happens
"Single and renting at 30yrs old with a cat and no light at the end of the tunnel to 40yrs old with FIVE 3yo goldfish, FOUR chickens, THREE humans, TWO dogs and ONE house."
"Life's not short. Life's fu**ing long. A lot happens. Make the best of it."
-- ipsdirtleg
So next time you find yourself ruling a possibility out completely, maybe take just a few seconds to imagine it actually occurred and prepare.
You just never know.