Are WDW parks really overflowing with trash?

[cakebaker]

Yes it is literally doing their job for them. I don't work here. Keeping WDW clean is not what I am paid to do. I paid money for my family to ride rides and have fun together. Posting confirmation that yes, WDW trash cans are overflowing is passing time in line. I'd rather do that than find a CM to tell them trash cans are overflowing.

It's not like they can't see the trash cans overflowing. CM's follow procedures. They are doing their jobs, it's management that gets all the blame here for not properly staffing. It won't do any good to complain to a CM in the parks. They can't do a thing. Guest services is where the complaint goes and I imagine that's a pretty long line at the parks right now.

 

[Karin1984]

I usually report these kind of things, also when there is no toilet paper in bathrooms in restaurants for example, if fountains/hand dryers are out of order without a sign.

Staff cannot be everywhere at every minute. If the policy is to check every hour, they check and see the can is half full, and just after they leave a group of people with loads of trash arrive, it will stay a mess for at least 59 minutes.

'They have staff for that'/'that is your job', is the same attitude of people who do not clean up after using a quick seservice. They don't because they believe/are taught that is someone else's job.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

I'm paying to be here, I'm not doing the job of someone who gets paid to be here. I was at SeaWorld the last two days and did not see this, let alone twice in two lines. They had enough staff to micromanage mask wearing not long ago but can't empty a trash can?

I don't mean to be snarky to you, but I'm pretty angry that I pay 3x the amount of my SeaWorld AP, get less discounts and see this literal trash in the park.

Yet you are taking time to take pictures and post them here and discuss the situation on this thread when that is going to be of zero help in fixing the situation. Not saying you can’t or shouldn’t post pics/discuss. But if you are unwilling to report it to guest services then why bother to keep complaining about it here? This takes just as much effort as speaking to a CM about it.

 

[StaceyHSD]

Yes it is literally doing their job for them. I don't work here. Keeping WDW clean is not what I am paid to do. I paid money for my family to ride rides and have fun together. Posting confirmation that yes, WDW trash cans are overflowing is passing time in line. I'd rather do that than find a CM to tell them trash cans are overflowing.

If guests don’t report things like this to Guest Relations then Disney management will just keep on keeping on. Also, if there’s an actual issue of somebody not doing what they should (say, whoever is supervising/training the CMs responsible for emptying the trash cans) then that also needs to brought to somebody’s attention and it won’t be if people don’t say anything.

 

[cakebaker]

Yet you are taking time to take pictures and post them there and discuss the situation here when that is going to be of zero help in fixing the situation. Not saying you can’t or shouldn’t post pics/discuss. But if you are unwilling to report it to guest services then why bother to keep complaining about it here? This takes just as much effort as speaking to a CM about it.

Those of us at home can certainly forward on the information.

Besides, I'm pretty sure they have plenty of time to chat here while standing in those long lines. I for one appreciate the truth about what conditions in the parks are. The OP didn't say they wouldn't take care of it in their own way, in their own time.

 

[cakebaker]

Staff cannot be everywhere at every minute.

These cans weren't filled in minutes and the one I posted was over a 2 day period of time. There are consistent and increasing reports of the parks being filthy and sanitation measures not being taken. This isn't a case of a trash can just happened to magically fill up in an hour. The parks are busy, but they aren't THAT busy. You don't see this kind of thing on Christmas day. They clearly have not allocated enough staff to take care of the parks as they should be taken care of.

How on earth trash cans overflowing and spilling out into the walkway can somehow be blamed on the person who posted a picture about it is beyond me.

 

[Precmom1967]

I agree. Walt is probably looking down and shaking is head. I remember when there was one napkin and the custodians were there with their brooms and containers to pick it up. In fact, I recall managers also walking around with them stating it was everyone’s responsibility within with park to maintain it’s pristine appearance!!! Is this just another of Chaphak’s cost cutting? Just wait until there are real mice on the premises not just cartoon ones!!popcorn::

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Those of us at home can certainly forward on the information.

Besides, I'm pretty sure they have plenty of time to chat here while standing in those long lines. I for one appreciate the truth about what conditions in the parks are. The OP didn't say they wouldn't take care of it in their own way, in their own time.

Where did I say I don’t want to see “the truth about what conditions in the parks are”. There have also been many posters say they haven’t seen overflowing trash. It’s a time and place thing based on this thread. Some guests are encountering this and others aren’t. The truth about the conditions isn’t a one size fits all thing. Does Kali have overflowing trash cans right now? Yup looks like it. Is every bin overflowing in every park? Nope. That’s why it’s more helpful to speak to guest services or a manager in the parks when seeing these issues than it is posting on a message board and claiming “that’s not my job” (like the pic poster)

 

[im4pacers1]

We were there for a week. Just got back today and I didn’t see anything like that.

 

[thingaboutarsenal]

Yet you are taking time to take pictures and post them here and discuss the situation on this thread when that is going to be of zero help in fixing the situation. Not saying you can’t or shouldn’t post pics/discuss. But if you are unwilling to report it to guest services then why bother to keep complaining about it here? This takes just as much effort as speaking to a CM about it.

I'm not complaining, I'm confirming what the OP wrote, the title of the thread, that yes, trash cans are overflowing. I'm doing that to pass time while waiting in line. I'm not leaving line to go tell someone the trash cans are overflowing. Waiting in line is the only way to access a ride. Telling guest services gets me nothing. Posting here passes time while waiting. Park hours are short, AK closes in 29 minutes, I'd like to ride rides (currently waiting for NRJ) than ask WDW to address a problem they could easily address.

 

[thingaboutarsenal]

I agree. Walt is probably looking down and shaking is head. I remember when there was one napkin and the custodians were there with their brooms and containers to pick it up. In fact, I recall managers also walking around with them stating it was everyone’s responsibility within with park to maintain it’s pristine appearance!!! Is this just another of Chaphak’s cost cutting? Just wait until there are real mice on the premises not just cartoon ones!!popcorn::

Some people get so triggered when you point out WDW did something wrong. They charge such a major premium that I think we can call them out on something like this.

 

[thingaboutarsenal]

Was that last paragraph meant for me? I don't think I blamed anyone for the trash.

In general, not to Cakebaker specifically, in case someone misunderstood me:
My point was about mentioning it immediately, as you cannot have have cm next to every trashcan, do not wait a few hours/days/weeks to notify Guest services, whether in person or later by email or social media.

What would you do if a toilet in your hotel room doesn't function properly? Then you also do not wait till you are home.

To me the phrase 'that is not my job' in combination with 'I am paying a lot of money' gets so close to an entitled attitude. (No, not saying you are not entitled to cleanliness especially in times of health & safety, but it gets close to the attitude that you are entitled to everything because you are paying)
Yes, of course it should be cleaned, of course, they need more staff and it is absurd. But would it absolutely kill someone to say to the nearest CM 'the trash cans in the queues are full, can you have someone check it?' If they will do anything with it, is another thing, but at least you tried to help.
Try to solve the problem in the moment, and you can always afterwards express your concern amd ander at guest services.

I am 100% entitled to not have to walk over garbage when I pay WDW prices. Try to shame me all you want, It is not my responsibility to keep their parks clean. If that's entitled, then so be it. Again, this thread asked the question "are trash cans really overflowing?"

I provided evidence that yes, they are, and I'm being shamed by people who think I somehow have a responsibility to fix this. Entitled or not, I do not feel that responsibility. I see this as more of the current management not really caring that much about guest experience. Will I email guest services? Maybe. But I do not have any responsibility to emptying that trash can whether you think it's an entitled attitude or not.

 

[cakebaker]

o me the phrase 'that is not my job' in combination with 'I am paying a lot of money' gets so close to an entitled attitude. (No, not saying you are not entitled to cleanliness especially in times of health & safety, but it gets close to the attitude that you are entitled to everything because you are paying)

All that indignation over someone choosing not to take take time out of their family vacation to spend at guest services but hardly a peep about the issue itself.

The problem here isn't the person posting the pic of gross garbage spilling out of trash cans. The problem is gross garbage spilling out of trash cans.

 

[Karin1984]

All that indignation over someone choosing not to take take time out of their family vacation to spend at guest services but hardly a peep about the issue itself.

The problem here isn't the person posting the pic of gross garbage spilling out of trash cans. The problem is gross garbage spilling out of trash cans.

I am not saying that it is not an issue, we have been talking for 4-5 pages that it is an issue. That it is an issue was clear with the first post. There is no doubt about it being an issue. Nowhere am I saying that the poster of the garbage is the issue.

Now that it is established it is an issue, the next question is: is there anything you can do when you see it?

To me the answer is yes: report it to the nearest CM and if you want, add an additional message to guest services or post it on social media.

I am not saying go and clean it yourself.

When you see it in a queue, you pass at least 2 CMs, when you enter and exit the ride. It takes 2 seconds to mention it, I do not see it as a problem to do so.

I am not saying it is your responsibility and that you HAVE to. I do consider it a decent thing to do. Like saying someone has spinach between their teeth or hey your pantyhose is in your skirt. It can only improve the situation, it will never make it worse.
And I think it will diffuse some anger and frustration when mentioning it immediately. It is (partially) out of your system, when you mention it to someone who works there.

It is fine if people do not agree with me on this. We just have a different way of how to look at a problem, I prefer to address an issue immediately, others prefer to keep it with them till a later moment.

 

[71 Truck]

This seams to be a problem in some but not all the parks all the time.
Yes Disney is having staffing problems like a lot of other companies.
Hopefully this will all get solved in time.

People bickering with each other in this thread about it solves nothing and will get this conversation closed.

 

[New Mouse]

I've noticed so many CM just standing around shooting it. I've heard people say they're training and that makes a lot of sense, but management can't spare one or two of the many people shooting it to go empty a trash can or two?

They have been very bad at adapting to labor needs during the pandemic. The "not my area" syndrome was in full effect on my last trip.

 

[71 Truck]

They have been very bad at adapting to labor needs during the pandemic. The "not my area" syndrome was in full effect on my last trip.

Labor and management have to be careful on who is told to do what.
Their are unions that cover most jobs around Disney, and if lets say a ride/attractions cast member is told to empty a garbage can a custodial cast member can file a complaint with the union if they are seen doing it.
I do not agree with this however that is sometimes how things work. They look at it as someone is doing their job and it could be looked at as someone is taking their job away.

 

[DisLiss]

I sent an email including all the pics, finally.

But you should send those photos to guest relations when you're home.

If I personally saw that kind of thing in a park, I would definitely tell the next CK I passed by. To me it's no biggie because it only takes a minute to mention it to someone as I walk by them. I'm not saying I'd spend 5 minutes trying to find the correct CM for the job. I'll let the CM I tell decide if they are going to alert someone else or not, but then it's on them. I did my part at that very moment.

And I would still alert Disney, but I most likely wouldn't wait to go home. I'd send off a post via their official social media accounts as soon as I had a chance, stating that this is the state of such and such area of the park right now/10 minutes ago/etc.. I figure that's the fastest way to catch the attention of someone higher up the food chain. I'm just a big believer in "the sooner you alert someone the better".

Like others have pointed out---it's a combo of issues---guests being gross, understaffed parks, *some* CMs not doing what they should be doing, and not enough trash cans to begin with. If Disney's social media accounts start blowing up with pictures like these, they'll start making changes to try to fix the issue. These are not the kind of photos they want to see being shared!

 

[Leight19]

I don’t have much to add since haven’t been to parks since January but the pics and stories here are inexcusable. I know guests can be sloppy but study after study shows when trash is present it increases likelihood others don’t properly take care of their trash so the problem gets worse exponentially. Having the trash cans overflowing is inexcusable and is clear sign of failure of leadership and erosion of work culture.

This also reminds me of thread earlier in year where there was issue with trash in halls at several resorts. With the cut in housekeeping there were reports of guests just leaving room service trash in halls and with no one coming to clean rooms it would sit for hours without anyone picking it up. This issue leaking into parks is almost predictable because if a company lets standards slip in one area it shows a lack of prioritization from management and spreads elsewhere (especially if cast members rotate).

I know there has been focus on Disney struggling to bring back and train front line cast members but I also wonder if they have had an issue filling/training management roles. These issues are completely a reflection of poor management and misalignment to core standards of what should be the disney brand

 

[Babynotyoda]

I am 100% entitled to not have to walk over garbage when I pay WDW prices. Try to shame me all you want, It is not my responsibility to keep their parks clean. If that's entitled, then so be it. Again, this thread asked the question "are trash cans really overflowing?"

I provided evidence that yes, they are, and I'm being shamed by people who think I somehow have a responsibility to fix this. Entitled or not, I do not feel that responsibility. I see this as more of the current management not really caring that much about guest experience. Will I email guest services? Maybe. But I do not have any responsibility to emptying that trash can whether you think it's an entitled attitude or not.

I originally asked the question to help me (and others I suspect) decide when is the right time to return to Disney. I’m sure that some cm’s are aware of the overflowing cans. Guests aren’t the only ones passing them. It’s definitely not your responsibility to report it. If it’s convenient to post pics on Twitter or send a quick email, maybe it can help light a fire under their butts. I appreciate everyone’s reports.