Disney's Cleanliness Is Seemingly Below Standards, Guests Speak Out

Ever since the pandemic began, some feel that Guests visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth and not being magical, or respectful to others. In fact, they have found more parties trying to cut in line as well as others getting into fights while visiting the Parks.

But we have also seen many complain about the cleanliness of the Parks overall, saying that Disney has dropped the ball and have not been cleaning up aspects of the theme park as they were doing prior to the pandemic.

We have seen a lot of backlash towards Disney, especially when it comes to budget cuts and Lightning Lane/Disney Genie+. Now, some Guests are taking to social media to comment on the cleanliness of the Parks as well, saying the “show” has gone downhill and that Disney is not taking care of the theme parks like they used to.

You may not realize this but one of the best things about Disney is that you never have to walk more than 30 feet to reach a garbage can. The idea of having trash cans 30 feet apart was something that Walt Disney himself thought of and implemented.

The reason for 30 feet specifically is that Disney tested a theory of how long it would take for one person to finish a hot dog, and he finished it within 30 feet. This was implemented in the Disney Parks to ensure that they were never dirty or filled with garbage.

Unfortunately, despite having garbage cans 30 feet apart, the upkeep in the Disney Parks is something that many Guests have been complaining about.

We have been reporting on overflowing trash at the Disney Parks, including an overflowing trash can in what looked to be the queue for Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid at Magic Kingdom.

We also saw some Guests leave messes on their tables after they finish eating for the Cast Members to clean up. The photo, which you can see below, was sent to Inside the Magic anonymously. In the photo you can see that a family left a pigsty of a mess at their table for Cast Members to clean up.

The anonymous Guest told us that they were going to clean it up when they saw another very kind Disney World Guest ended up cleaning the mess up so it did not fall back on the Cast Members.

Cast Members are at the theme parks to help assist Guests when needed, but please do not leave a mess behind for custodians to clean up.

We want to make it clear that while custodian Cast Members are there to help keep the theme parks clean for Guests, it is important to still be respectful and to clean up after yourselves. Leaving your food spread out across the table and scraps all over the floor is simply disgusting and disrespectful.

In another incident, a Disney World Guest shared a Reddit post to express their concerns with Disney World as it currently stands. Captainn00dles started the thread by discussing a recent visit to Disney, commenting heavily on the cleanliness of the Park.

First off this post is not a Disney bashing but more of a concern from a fan. With that being said I enjoy visiting Disney but am indifferent on a few things lately. First like a lot of others have mentioned cleanliness of the park has gone down hill. Seeing more litter and graffiti more often. Was in the big thunder mountain queue saw people have scratched their names on signs. Stuff that you would normally ever see especially in Disney. Heck even saw a condom wrapper in the queue of space mountain. With the profits they are making hire some damn help and raise their pay. They might be breaking profits now but for how much longer? A lot of the diehards are already saying they aren’t going as often. If they are banking on new customers the way the park is currently won’t win them over.

Others immediately joined in, including user nicolelynnejones, who believes that the issue could be related to the current staffing at the Parks:

I’m sure it’s because of staffing issues since pay is so low. That being said, I grew up going to Disneyland every year (mostly) and never saw it dirty. I went to WDW for the first time pre-Covid and the first thing I noticed was how filthy it is. We rode small world at rope drop and there were half empty Starbucks cups littering the queue from the night before (we were literally the first people on the ride that morning). Monorail smells like a barn. I don’t know if it is because WDW is so huge that they can’t keep up with cleaning, but I’ve never seen that in DLR

Disney’s “Show” Is Going Downhill, According to Guests

We recently reported that is seems Disney isn’t giving DINOSAUR much attention as the iconic statue out front is looking a bit dismal. This has sparked a conversation amongst Disney fans, stating that it seems the “show” aspect of things is not a top priority at Walt Disney World anymore.

In fact, many feel that the presentation and attention to detail at the Parks is going downhill as many took to our recent article to share their disappointment in the Parks, specifically when it comes to “show” and attention to detail. 

Inside the Magic Facebook follower Suzanne N. recently commented on our article, writing:

I know I’ll catch crap for this but when we went in July I noticed the theme of general disrepair all over. Yes I know WDW properties are colossal but they were never like this. Proper sized crews tended to broken lamps, peeling paint, overflowing garbage cans before now. Under the guise of the pandemic and laying off so dang many employees (many of whom still aren’t back) you can see the toll that takes. Abigail Disney has a big mouth but she isn’t wrong in her latest war of words. We work hard to go to Disney and expect high quality because that’s what they were known for. It’s fading but it’s not too late to fix things. Sadly, I feel Chapek is just too stubborn to listen to what we are all saying.

And Scott C. commented his disappointment, writing:

They had a year of shut down to fix things and paint things. Smh

Inside the Magic reader Tracey N. shared that she noticed things going downhill, writing:

The Disney I knew and loved would never have let this happen. It would have been painted like new whether they were keeping it for the next 20 years or 20 minutes. It is, or was, part of the Disney magic that we pay for.

Other readers were quick to blame Disney CEO Bob Chapek, as many feel Chapek has not been taking the company in the right direction ever since he became CEO in early 2020. Recently, Chapek said one of Disney’s missions in 2022 is a “relentless focus on our audience,” which several Disney fans did not appreciate. In fact, it angered them as they said that is not Chapek’s goal.

How Often Does Disney World Clean the Attractions?

When Disney World first reopened after temporarily closing due to the ongoing pandemic, they implemented several safety protocols and other changes to keep Guests and Cast Members safe. These included social distancing measures, encouragement of mobile orders, plexiglass, the elimination of character meet and greets and the elimination of parades and fireworks along with other similar entertainment that draw crowds, and much more.

As the world continues to fight the ongoing pandemic, Disney has continued to modify its safety protocols, including dropping social distancing, mask requirements, and bringing back select entertainment offerings including fireworks and parades.

But when Walt Disney World first reopened, we asked a Cast Member how often Cast Members clean the attractions at Disney World with the new cleaning procedures? The Cast Member responded with “They do it often and multiple times during the day the attractions are stopped for cleaning purposes. Every attraction is different Each one has its own criteria.”

A Cast Member at Peter Pan’s Flight in Magic Kingdom also told Inside the Magic that this specific attraction was cleaned “every two hours”. We do want to note that it is unclear at this time how often the Disney Parks attractions are cleaned now that Disney continues to modify its safety protocols.

How do you feel about the upkeep and cleanliness of the Disney Parks? Let us know in the comments below.