Disney World destroyed, no timetable for repairs given

According to guest reports from Central Florida theme parks, Walt Disney World Resort is at capacity with a health and safety hazard.

Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs and Disney Resort Hotels are known for their immaculate, immersive environments.

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Walt Disney once conducted a study to see how far guests were willing to walk before throwing their trash on the ground. Today, guests at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort can never walk more than 30 feet without encountering a trash can. The trash cans themselves are so clean that some Disney theme park guests use them as tables!

Cleaning crews work tirelessly to keep Disney parks, Disney Resort hotels and Disney Springs clean, but since Walt Disney World Resort reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic, Central Florida theme parks have struggled to maintain their pre-pandemic cleanliness.

Cleanliness at Walt Disney World Resort

Inside the Magic has reported on sanitation issues at Disney parks several times in recent years, with many guests hoping that cleanliness issues would subside as Walt Disney World Resort rehired Disney Cast Members and returned staffing levels to pre-pandemic levels.

Unfortunately, guests and Disney park employees say the cleaning situation has gotten worse. Last week, Redditor u/ADTR9320 shared these photos of overflowing trash cans at Walt Disney World Resort:

What’s going on with garbage disposal in the parks?

What’s going on with garbage disposal in the parks?
byu/ADTR9320 inWaltDisneyWorld

Garbage poses numerous health risks – animals and young children can easily access things they shouldn’t eat. Pests attracted to garbage also leave behind waste that poses a health risk, especially in restaurants and rooms where infants and young children crawl around. Slippery objects such as banana peels or liquids pose tripping hazards.

Guests at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom reported similar experiences.

“I only see this right after the closing fireworks,” commented u/AfraidMeasurement892. “I’ve never seen this at any other time. It’s sad because I didn’t pay thousands to go to Six Flags.”

“I was at WDW last March and my family and I always eat at the ABC Commissary in (Disney’s Hollywood Studios),” u/RememberThatDream replied. “Dust on the napkin holders, dirty floors/carpets… we’ve been there 7-8 times and I’ve never experienced it like this. With the high prices and the amount of money Disney makes, it’s time to get their standards back up to pre-Covid levels. As silly as it may sound, the cleanliness is part of the great experience of going to the parks!”

“It’s all maintenance,” u/BZI agreed. “Rides, bathrooms, trash, hotels have all gotten worse in the last 10 years… The shine of the Disney Parks experience is wearing off.”

Custodial cast members share their perspectives

Former cast member u/nilenellie shared his insights into the phenomenon:

“I used to work as a janitor. I guess it’s a combination of things. Mostly not enough (cast members) to keep up, but also poor leadership. I remember being told off over my radio for not answering right away when I was in the middle of changing a can. This was at EPCOT, so I can’t speak for (Magic Kingdom), but we also had a team meeting at the end of the night that cut 15 to 30 minutes off the time we had to change all the cans after the show, when guests go out and throw out most of the trash, which never made sense to me. If leadership is ineffective in directing cast members, they’re going to cut corners.”

Some claimed that the Walt Disney World Resort had abandoned a system that would have made life easier for Florida caretakers.

“I could give a huge speech as the husband of a woman who used to be a janitor at Disney Springs, but in short, I implemented a brand new system just before COVID with sensors that ping iPhones and the like,” u/YouSeemNiceXB added. “The new system was abandoned upon reopening. Now it’s a complete shitshow.”

Another commenter explained that sometimes the janitors have to cover an overwhelming amount of ground.

“If you see something like this, tell the first janitor you see!” wrote u/Dizifem1. “Sometimes they have to take care of more than 25 trash cans and people leave their trash on the ground so they forget to visit one every now and then. And if you see a full trash can, you can easily find another one. They are everywhere in the parks.”

Disney Parks fans were disappointed to hear about poor management and mistreatment of employees at the Walt Disney World Resort.

“Wow, this is really shocking for a Disney park,” said u/Odd_potato7697. “They need to step up and pay better, not that they can’t afford it. (The cast members) are great.”

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“Disney management is slowly letting this ship sink,” u/goldmask148 responded. “Every little decision they’ve seemingly made regarding movies, streaming, merchandise, and most importantly parks has been geared toward short-term gains at the expense of long-term identity. Disney no longer feels recognized as the classic quality and magic that can be relied upon. Cutting corners now and saving a dollar will, in my opinion, cost them infinitely more in the long run.”

Have you noticed any maintenance or cleanliness issues at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney Springs? Share your story with Inside the Magic in the comments.