Credit: DisneyWhen Disney guests attend a Disney vacation, they expect to see the best of the best. Disney has always been known as the happiest and most magical place on earth, and Walt Disney’s attention to detail when he created Disneyland meant just that. Walt ensured that even if there were a chip in the paint on a handrail at Disneyland, someone would paint it so that guests the next day would see it no more.
The desire to make each Disney park a perfect location where guests can leave their troubles at the gates and enter a world of fantasy is the reason for the company’s success; however, there have been many shortcomings as of late.
When thinking about “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” it’s easy to note the iconic attractions at Magic Kingdom park, such as the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and “it’s a small world”. There’s also a group of Disney park fans who first think of thrilling coasters, like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run, Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Test Track at EPCOT, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
A big reason the Disney parks are considered some of the best in the world comes down to their service and cleanliness. Disney is notorious for employing incredible workers, called Cast Members, as well going above and beyond in terms of maintaining the parks — but things are not looking as great at one Disney park.
Disney resort rooms can often start in the mid $100.00 price point area (specifically at Walt Disney World Resort, with hotels like All-Star Sports, Movies, and Music) and end up costing into the thousands. On average, a hotel at Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, and all of the other Disney parks around the globe will run you a few hundred dollars each night.
If you are visiting any of these theme parks, there are always cheaper hotel options if you choose to leave the Disney bubble, but for those wanting the full Disney experience with all of the perks that come with staying at Disney, staying at an official Disney resort is key. One thing guests do expect when paying these high prices, and when staying at a hotel associated with Disney in general, is a certain level of cleanliness and maintenance in their hotel room.
When guests stay at Disney World, it is expected that Cast Members have cleaned their room before they check in. Although this is what is expected, it is not always something that meets guest standards, which can certainly put a damper on your very costly Disney vacation. The same goes for Disneyland Paris.
The park that started as Euro Disney and then transformed into Disneyland Paris with Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studio Park has grown so much over the past 30 years, and now, as the park continues to expand, we are finally able to kick off the amazing celebrations of the 30th anniversary, which came to an end on September 30.
Disneyland Paris may not be the most popular Disney park in the world, but it still upholds the same standards as the rest of the parks when it comes to having a clean space for guests to enjoy, both in and out of the parks.
Lately, that has not been the case.
Disneyland Paris has been going through some growing pains as of late, and now, with the 30th anniversary ending, the band-aid that once magically covered the negatives has been removed, and the shortcomings of Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park are being revealed.
The biggest issue over the summer has been the overwhelming crowds. Guests have been shoulder to shoulder with each other, with the theme park selling out daily. This is not a bad thing, but Disney did decide to tell guests to leave by 3:00 p.m. for the day to avoid crowds, which is less than acceptable for many.
Going to any Disney park is expensive and requires a lot of planning for those who do not live nearby. Asking guests to leave hours before closing means you ask them to lose their experience and throw away money.
Now, guests will also no longer get to see “Dream… and Shine Brighter” and “Disney D-Light” as it has ended, meaning a chunk of entertainment is gone. Of course, this left many Disneyland Paris guests devastated, as parades are an essential part of the Disney Park experience.
Also, “The “Disney Jr. Dream Factory” will be closing its doors temporarily from September 25 to October 20, 2023, included.
This will not be the only show to experience downtime, as “TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure” will not be performed from Nov 6 to Dec 15, 2023, and “Frozen: a Musical Invitation” is currently on a hiatus. As you can see, a lot of the magic has taken a step back from Disneyland Paris.
On top of this, there will be several hotel pool closures:
- Disney Sequoia Lodge: Nov 6-17, 2023
- Davy Crockett Ranch: Nov 20-Dec 1, 2023
- Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel: Dec 4-8, 2023
- Disney Newport Bay Club: Dec 11-15, 2023
The main issue as of late, however, has been cleanliness. We have heard of rooms not being cleaned before new guests check-in, air conditioning units being broken (with only fan replacements for guests), bed bugs are starting to infest Paris, and now, mold is being reported in the rooms.
Mold has been a subtle issue we have seen at Walt Disney World in the past, but to have hotel rooms covered in chunks of what appeared to be black mold is unethical as it can pose as a health threat. The mold has been photographed in the past, and would have likely been visible to Cast Members cleaning.
Now, with the removal of one Disney location, it has been revealed that a chunk of land has been stained and appears to nearly be “rotting”.
A few days ago, DLP Report noted that, “At Disney Village, the #DisneylandParis30 photo location has been removed, revealing this quality pavement”.
🔧 At Disney Village, the #DisneylandParis30 photo location has been removed, revealing this quality pavement: pic.twitter.com/0xAEB2uLBr
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) October 2, 2023
As you can see, the pavement is stained, discolored, and in poor condition, causing a massive eye soar in what used to be a beautiful photo-op during the anniversary. It appears that the ground is being left as is for now, and not being fixed, leaving a negative impression on the overall cleanliness of the theme park for guests walking in.
Many were not happy to see the state that the ground was in; one Disney fan responded to the Tweet, “No attention to “premium quality. The should have clean the floor with a pressurizer. I can hear the Team Leaders say. “Whatever, they’ll replace the floor soon enough, why bother?”. Premium destination my a**…”
Hopefully, Disneyland Paris does try to make this chunk of the theme park look like it is worth spending thousands on vacation to see shortly, as little faults things such as this have been adding up fairly quickly, creating a much larger mess.
Do you think that Disneyland Paris is in a good state?