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Credit: Becky Burkett, Inside the MagicIt’s not exactly breaking news that some guests at Disney World don’t always treat the parks with the respect they deserve. But a new wave of complaints about the condition of one iconic attraction queue has reignited a growing conversation online—and people are frustrated for good reason.
The ride in question? Toy Story Mania!
The queue area for the ride, located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is meant to immerse guests in Andy’s toy-filled world. But instead of feeling like you’ve stepped into a vibrant cartoon, many fans are now reporting that it looks more like a scene out of a demolition zone.
Photos shared on social media show sections of the queue with peeling graphics, torn-up wall panels, and general damage that can’t just be chalked up to normal wear and tear. One fan put it bluntly: “Guests happened to the queues. Disney needs to do some repainting, but that’s way beyond normal wear and tear. Some of the damage straight up looks like people were picking away at a spot that was slightly broken.”
Disney needs to address the decline queue quality
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And this isn’t an isolated incident. One theme park employee said that these kinds of issues “get fixed almost on a daily basis, but guests love peeling paint off the walls… they’re usually peeled off a day or two later.” In other words, Disney is repairing the damage—only for it to be wrecked again within days.
A Bigger Problem with Guest Behavior
What’s happening at Toy Story Mania is just one example of a much larger issue. Several fans on social media pointed out how different the atmosphere feels in other parks around the world, like Tokyo Disneyland, where guests are known to be more respectful of the environment.
“It does look like they take better care of their parks over there,” one person shared, “but there was a big cultural norms aspect that I thought must be playing into their pristine appearance as well.”
Others didn’t hold back about what they’ve witnessed firsthand at Walt Disney World:
“I saw a dude blow his nose into his hand in Animal Kingdom once. I wanted to throw up.”
Another added, “Feral children raised here in the US. Parents be spent at the parks.”
One school counselor even weighed in, saying, “Eight times out of ten, the parenting is the actual problem when a child is referred due to mental health or behavior. We see it in play at Disney for sure.”
The line queues seem to bear the brunt of it. Guests lean on the walls, chip away at decorative elements, and leave behind a mess that maintenance crews struggle to keep up with. One fan explained it this way: “It’s difficult to keep up with just how much damage underdeveloped motor skills can do.”
What’s Next For the Disney World Ride?
Fans didn’t just criticize fellow guests—they also called out Disney itself for not doing more to keep things in shape. There’s growing frustration that while ticket prices continue to rise, upkeep in the parks doesn’t seem to be keeping pace.
“Let’s not act like Disney doesn’t have the money,” one person wrote. “It’s a combination of destructive guests and Disney not caring enough to fix it.”
Others speculated that Disney is holding off on repairs because of upcoming refurbishments.
“This ride is getting a complete overhaul. Disneyland just updated it, and they’ve filed construction permits in Florida. I can’t imagine they’d put dollars into it now when the closure is imminent.”
Still, that’s not much comfort for guests visiting now and expecting the high-quality experience Disney is known for. One fan summed up the growing sentiment: “Who’s going to want to go to dingy old Disney that doesn’t maintain their parks while still raising prices vs. a brand-new park?”
That “brand-new park,” of course, is Universal’s Epic Universe, which is ramping up for its highly anticipated opening. And it’s already becoming a comparison point for frustrated Disney fans.
The Magic Is in the Details… Or It Was
Walt Disney famously cared deeply about the details—about creating an immersive world where everything felt intentional and cared for. And right now, it feels like that attention to detail is slipping away, one torn wall panel at a time.
If guest behavior continues on this path and maintenance can’t keep up, Disney may need to rethink how it designs its queue areas altogether. Some fans even suggested installing more durable materials like stainless steel to reduce the wear and tear, or finding new ways to make line queues more engaging to keep guests (and their kids) from fidgeting destructively.
But at the end of the day, this isn’t just about paint chips and vinyl peels. It’s about maintaining the illusion—the magic—that has made Disney World so special for generations. If that magic is going to last, something’s got to change. Because right now, parts of the park look less like a dream come true and more like a cautionary tale.