Urban Legends That Have Finally Been Debunked

Urban legends have captured people's attention for decades with stories of horror, suspense, and, most importantly, mystery. These tales, ranging from Walt Disney's supposed cryogenically frozen body hidden inside of Disneyland to KFC's name change, have spread like wildfire and taken hold of our imagination. While urban legends may be entertaining, taking them with a grain of salt is crucial. It is important to note that many of these stories are entirely false and require debunking, and that’s why we’re here to shed some light on these urban legends. Here are 5 common urban legends that are not true. \r \r 1. Walt Disney is Cryogenically Frozen\r \r One common urban legend is that Walt Disney, the man responsible for Disneyland, Disney World, and all the animated films you grew up watching, is cryogenically frozen. This claim is untrue, as Disney passed away from lung cancer in 1966, and his family had him cremated. His ashes were interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Despite this being common knowledge,  the persistent rumor that his cryogenic vat is hidden under Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction has been circulating for decades. There is no evidence to support this claim.\r \r 2. Thomas Crapper Invented the Toilet\r \r Another famous urban legend is that Thomas Crapper invented the toilet. While Crapper was an innovative Victorian plumber who secured several patents related to plumbing, none of them pertained to the flushing lavatory. Alexander Cummings is widely credited with inventing the modern toilet in 1775, and Joseph Bramah and Thomas Twyford improved his design by adding the ball-cock. The term "crapper" for a lavatory is believed to have originated in America, but its exact origin remains unknown, despite its apparent relation to Thomas Crapper’s name.\r \r 3. KFC Changed Its Name\r \r The myth that Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to KFC due to concerns about the word "fried" having negative connotations is also false. The company has not provided a specific reason for the name change, but it's important to note that they have again begun using the original name of Kentucky Fried Chicken. There is also no evidence to support the absurd claim that KFC was breeding super chickens and could not refer to them as such because they were a new race of animals.\r \r 4. McDonald’s Uses Reconstituted Fat In Their Milkshakes\r \r Another popular urban legend is that McDonald's uses reconstituted fat in their milkshakes. This claim is also false. Fast food restaurants, including McDonald's, are required by law to make the full nutritional information of their products available to consumers. The ingredients list for a McDonald's shake includes whole milk, sucrose, cream, nonfat milk solids, corn syrup solids, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, vanilla flavor, carrageenan, cellulose gum, and vitamin A palmitate. These ingredients are all safe for human consumption and are not animal by-products. Carrageenan, a type of seaweed, is used to control freezing agents in the shakes. As you can see, there is no reconstituted fat.\r \r 5. Coca-Cola Created Santa Claus\r \r Lastly, someone started a myth that Coca-Cola created Santa Claus, which is false. While Coca-Cola did contribute to popularizing the modern image of Santa Claus in the 1930s, the concept of Santa Claus dates back to the 1820s. Clement Clarke Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," also known as "The Night Before Christmas," is mainly responsible for the modern conception of Santa Claus, with his rotund figure, red suit, and white beard. Coca-Cola used this popular image of Santa Claus in its advertising campaigns but did not invent Old Saint Nick.