Disney Legend Whoopie Goldberg Admits to Spreading Ashes on Disneyland ‘it’s a small world’ Ride says “No One Should Do This, Don’t Do it”. 2017 Disney Legend inductee recently admitted to Seth Meyers on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers that she had spread her mother’s ashes on the Disneyland version of ‘it’s a small world’ back in 2010.
While this may have happened in 2010, the story is just seeing the light of day. This should be taken as a warning for those who may be thinking about doing this with a loved one, it is frowned upon and could end up with a permanent ban from visiting any Disney Park in the future.
From Entertainment Tonight Instagram Account:
‘Whoopi Goldberg is getting candid about her mother’s passing. In a new interview, Whoopi shared that after her mom’s death in 2010, she spread her ashes on her mom’s favorite Disneyland ride — It’s a Small World — by “scoop[ing] some of her up” and faking a giant sneeze to spread her mom’s ashes around the ride.’
Believe it or not, spreading ashes at Disney Parks is a recurring headache for staff. While seemingly a heartfelt gesture, it disrupts park operations and creates health concerns. Popular targets include the Haunted Mansion (fitting the theme) and even rides like Pirates of the Caribbean.
This would be one of the reasons why Whoopie Goldberg emphatically said “No One Should Do This, Don’t Do it”. Which kinda is a no-brainer. These incidents cause ride closures for clean-up, often involving specialized HEPA vacuums for the ashes. While the desire to memorialize a loved one in a happy place is understandable, who wouldn’t want to always remember a loved one when visiting the Disney Parks, but it’s a messy situation that tarnishes the magical experience for everyone else.
Related: D23 Disney Legends Ceremony Will Include 2 Disney Parks Icons
Whoopi has enjoyed much success on television, starring for five seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation, appearing on The Wonderful World of Disney as Queen Constantina in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Vivien Morgan in A Knight in Camelot, starring in her own NBC sitcom, Whoopi, and appearing most recently in ABC’s miniseries When We Rise. Since 2007, she has been a co-host on ABC’s The View, for which she won a Daytime Emmy® in 2009. Well-known for her comedic timing, she became the first woman to host the Academy Awards in 1994, and later hosted the 68th, 71st, and 74th telecasts. She also appeared in nine Comic Relief television specials with fellow comedians and Disney Legends Billy Crystal and Robin Williams.
Audiences may also recognize Whoopi’s voice talents, as she has recorded for many television series and film projects—from Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Liberty’s Kids: Est. 1776, and Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3 to ABC’s Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and Disney Junior’s The 7D and Miles from Tomorrowland—though Whoopi’s biggest voice role may have been the hyena Shenzi in Disney’s 1994 blockbuster animated feature, The Lion King.
Expanding her resume beyond acting, Whoopi directed Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley and has executive produced her show Whoopi, Hollywood Squares, Strong Medicine, ESPN’s documentary short Coach, and Broadway musicals Thoroughly Modern Millie and Sister Act. She is also an accomplished best-selling author with Book, Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There?, If Someone Says “You Complete Me,” Run!, and for Disney, Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners and the Sugar Plum Ballerinas series.
For her talents, Whoopi has earned the highly coveted EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar®, and Tony® Awards. Beyond her countless awards for her acting and producing, she is also renowned for her humanitarian efforts, receiving multiple NAACP Image Awards and People’s Choice Awards.
