The so-called “Snow White Orgy” refers to a massive party that Walt Disney threw to reward the crew that worked on his immensely successful film Snow White. Things got a little out of hand, hence the name. A little back-story:

Conditions at the Disney Studios during the production of Snow White were more than a little harsh. Women and men worked apart, with the mostly female Ink and Paint department separated from the mostly male Animators. A memo was sent out to the animators by the Disney brothers that they weren’t supposed to “dip your pen in the company’s ink and paint”, a subtle reminder that the women of Ink and Paint were off-limits. Even dirty jokes were a grounds for dismissal if Walt was in earshot. A strict dress code saw men coming to work in ties and jackets (although they were allowed to remove them when they were at their drawing boards) and women forbidden from wearing pants and forced to wear neutral-colored skirts and blouses. Add to these repressive conditions the pressure and stress that came with creating the world’s first animated feature, working day and night with little time for leisure, and you’ve got a group of people in desperate need of a little fun.

The Disney brothers recognized this and decided to throw a massive bash at the Narconian Hotel near Palm Springs for all of his employees and their families (if they had any). The hotel had lavish accommodations, with swimming pools, tennis courts, a golf courts, music and all the food and alcohol they could want. All expenses were paid by Walt. They were free to spend as much as they’d like. The sudden shift from misery to luxury meant that something had to give.

It started when an animator threw an ink and paint girl, fully clothed, into the pool. Other jumped in after her. Then the bathing suits came off.

Next thing everyone knew, they were waking up in rooms that weren’t their own, alongside people they didn’t know. One animator, Freddie Moore, thought he was on the ground floor when he stepped off his balcony and ended up in a tree.

Walt was horrified by the bacchanalia and drove home with his wife the first thing the following morning. He never spoke of the party again and it was an unspoken rule that you didn’t mention it either if you wanted to stay employed. He never threw a party like that again.

(Based on Jim Korkis‘ interview with Bill Justice from Walt’s People, Vol. 3. There’s precious little about this on the internet, even if you’re brave enough to google “Snow White Orgy”.)