Ariana Grande reveals mom Joan's unusual final resting place request at Disney’s Cinderella castle

ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Ariana Grande revealed that her mother, Joan Grande, has repeatedly requested a unique and rather illegal final wish to have her ashes spread over Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

During the pop icon's appearance on the 'Las Culturistas' podcast, hosted by her 'Wicked' co-star Bowen Yang, Ariana explained her mom’s insistence on the location, despite it being against park policy.

Joan Grande is determined to be laid to rest at the illegal location

Speaking about her mother's final wish, Ariana Grande laughed, saying, "My mom tells us too often that she wants her ashes sprinkled over [Cinderella's Castle]."

“I’m like, ‘Mom, it’s Christmas. Do we have to talk about this right now?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah! You have to make sure that happens,’” she added.

Though Ariana and her half-brother, Frankie Grande, have reservations, Joan is said to be determined about her dream resting place.

The 'God Is a Woman' singer recounted her own memories of Disney’s Cinderella Castle, where she once changed costumes for a performance.

Ariana then noted that scattering the ashes would fall on the "actors back there working."

“You’re gonna be sprinkled on people’s heads who are like, dressed as Tinker Bell waiting for their cue,” she shared.

Disney’s strict ashes policy and 'Code Grandma' cleanup

Disney parks, however, have a firm policy against scattering ashes on park property, classifying it as both “strictly prohibited and unlawful.”

Although not an official rule on their website, it’s well-known that Disney park employees frequently handle incidents where guests attempt this.

In 2018, a Disney representative disclosed that ash-scattering attempts happen so regularly that staff use a specific code, “HEPA cleanup” or “Code Grandma,” to discreetly handle the situation with special vacuum equipment.

If caught, mourners face serious consequences, including being escorted off the property and potential criminal charges, according to Daily Mail.

In addition, California law makes this act a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or a $500 fine.

 A 2018 article on the Southern California Defense Blog also noted, “Not only would you be facing criminal charges, but your loved one’s ashes will end up in the trash instead of living eternally in the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Ash-scattering attempts at Disneyland

Despite the rules, Disneyland has seen notable ash-scattering attempts over the years.

The Haunted Mansion ride remains one of the most popular locations, but in 2010, actress Whoopi Goldberg managed to spread her mother’s ashes at Disneyland’s It’s a Small World attraction, later confessing her actions on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers'.

“No one should do this. Don’t do it,” Goldberg warned, humorously recounting how she “sneezed” portions of her mother’s ashes during the ride.

Although Goldberg got away with it, she later advised others to reconsider, emphasizing that Disney has rules for a reason.

“There’s a reason they don’t want ashes just floating around,” she noted, referencing the park's policies.