Did Disney fire all it's bathroom attendants?

[Mambo Junkie]

I agree. I'm here now and Disney can't employ enough people to follow everyone around. I have seen a lot of attendants cleaning parks and bathrooms, lots of trash thrown down. I am not above picking up a piece of trash and throwing. It inThe trash can. I carry sanitizer and wipes. It's just so crowded there's no way anyone can employ enough people to clean up after everyone who don't believe it's their responsibility to behave like considerate adults. Or teach their children how to behave.

 

[Suvadoo]

Didn't someone mention this issue on a recent DisUnplugged podcast too? You know it must be a problem if the folks who are there that frequently are noticing. Just another consequence of the uncomfortable crowd levels?

Yes, the Dis Unplugged podcast from 11/26/14 talked about the filthy restrooms. Pete Werner also mentioned that the ashtrays in the smoking areas overflowing with butts. It's just not an acceptable situation.

As a previous poster said, people are more likely to pick up after themselves, if their environment is clean. If I were a smoker what incentive would I have to use an overflowing ashtray, as opposed to flicking my ashes and butts on the ground? NONE

 

[Grumpy92]

We recently went over just to see the MK holiday fireworks show, went into the bathroom and it was absolutely gross.

I think there are two things at play here.
1. Increased numbers of guest in the park.
2. Staffing - You used to see custodial everywhere all the time, not anymore. They do need to increase cms in this role in all the parks and DTD.

I have gotten to the point where their only two bathrooms in MK that I will use.

 

[mom2rtk]

Ah yes. I knew when I saw the title that this thread would be full of blame for everyone but Disney.

I'd love to see a breakdown of cast member levels now per park guest compared to ..... what? 2005?

I still think they cut back after the economy crashed then never added the staff back in when crowds picked up again.

 

[nkereina]

There's no doubt people are pigs but I don't think people have significantly increased their "piggish-ness" in recent months. I think it's more likely that Disney has scaled back on cleaning staff and/or increased the scope of their jobs meaning less time spent in the bathrooms. We also noticed how gnarly the bathrooms were. In a place like the mall, I have to kick open a few stalls before I find one that's acceptable. I found myself having to do that at Disney too, which was new.

 

[Mome Rath]

I agree. I'm here now and Disney can't employ enough people to follow everyone around. I have seen a lot of attendants cleaning parks and bathrooms, lots of trash thrown down. I am not above picking up a piece of trash and throwing. It inThe trash can. I carry sanitizer and wipes. It's just so crowded there's no way anyone can employ enough people to clean up after everyone who don't believe it's their responsibility to behave like considerate adults. Or teach their children how to behave.

Yup. I also saw managers stepping in to help in the restrooms... I do think Disney itself could employ a few more cast members for restrooms duties, so I do "blame" them for that, and I think guests could be more considerate of other guests, so I do "blame" those guests for that (flush your toilet and make sure it flushes, with all your trash properly placed, wash your hands and make sure your trash is properly placed again). One group that I can't blame are the cast members themselves who work the restrooms. I saw them constantly moving, spraying, and cleaning in almost every bathroom I visited.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I saw someone walk out of Main Street bakery/Starbucks and drop their empty sugar packets and extra napkins right on the ground some people truly are lazy pigs.

That would drive me nuts. Poor Walt is probably turning in his grave. No amount of studies could account for people's laziness.

 

[csjordan]

Didn't someone mention this issue on a recent DisUnplugged podcast too? You know it must be a problem if the folks who are there that frequently are noticing. Just another consequence of the uncomfortable crowd levels?

This!

I think people are seeing this due to the crowd levels. We were there last week, and while I wouldn't say the bathrooms were "filthy" (and I took the time to look due since I had been reading about this on the Dis), they were untidy (some, not all). Paper towels overflowing in trash bins, and lack of paper towels/soap. I didn't see anything in the stalls that I had not notice before, really. I only went to MK and Epcot and noticed this more at MK than at Epcot.

 

[JanaDee]

Bathrooms at Disney have been steadily declining the last couple years. It was mentioned earlier, but on our last trip in July, we had a couple bathrooms we refused to use. We walked in, saw how disgusting they were and turned right around and walked out.

They need to hire more people to keep them clean. Period.

 

[Belle5]

I remember that spotless bathrooms used to be the norm. Everyone talked about it in association with WDW. I remember being shocked 10 years ago when I walked into a restroom in the land pavilion that was dirty. I've noticed the past few trips that is the new norm. Sad.

 

[lugnut33]

Maybe Disney isn't making enough money to hire more cleaning staff?

 

[mom2rtk]

This!

I think people are seeing this due to the crowd levels. We were there last week, and while I wouldn't say the bathrooms were "filthy" (and I took the time to look due since I had been reading about this on the Dis), they were untidy (some, not all). Paper towels overflowing in trash bins, and lack of paper towels/soap. I didn't see anything in the stalls that I had not notice before, really. I only went to MK and Epcot and noticed this more at MK than at Epcot.

I thought one of the great benefits of MM+ was to get people to commit to park days so Disney could anticipate the crowd levels and staff appropriately. Hmmmmm....... Maybe they're having a glitch with that part of the system

 

[ArwenMarie]

I can't stand it when people blame dirty bathrooms on the guests. Some people are pigs, sure, but some people have always been pigs. (Maybe there are arguments to be made that the number of pigs in the parks is slightly higher than it used to be -- higher prices leading to more entitlement, different cultural expectations for public tidiness, etc. -- but I would be surprised if the number of true pigs out there is vastly different than it used to be.)

I agree. If anything people used to be worse about litter anyway. I remember growing up in the 80s and there was trash all over the side of the highways. Then they started all of those litter campaigns and adopt-a-highway and things cleaned up.

I think it's just a lower staff/crowd ratio. Even if I think of my own bathroom at home...If I have a bunch of people over, I'm going to have to clean it moreso than if it was just me home all day alone. Doesn't mean anyone is deliberately being a slob. Bathroom activities are just inherently messy and dirty.

 

[fbb]

I thought one of the great benefits of MM+ was to get people to commit to park days so Disney could anticipate the crowd levels and staff appropriately. Hmmmmm....... Maybe they're having a glitch with that part of the system

System is fine. Impossible to screw up.

Low crowds, cut labor.
High crowds, cut labor.

 

[Suvadoo]

I thought one of the great benefits of MM+ was to get people to commit to park days so Disney could anticipate the crowd levels and staff appropriately. Hmmmmm....... Maybe they're having a glitch with that part of the system

Maybe upon entering the park, they should start distributing cleaning products instead of park maps!

 

[bianca]

Just got back from Disney last week and have to agree about the state of the bathrooms ....... Certainly not like the old days.

Contrast that, I went to Universal for 2 days while in Orlando and stopped into the CLEANEST bathroom I have seen in ages (for those of you who know, think Disney 20 years ago). The bathroom attendant was there and working. I took the time to thank her for what she does and then gave her a $10 tip. She hesitated and appeared shocked, but I was truly thankful for a clean restroom upon my exit from their lovely park. Disney should take note!

 

[mom2rtk]

Maybe upon entering the park, they should start distributing cleaning products instead of park maps!

Distributing........ ? or selling?

Remember the reports the day the turnstiles messed up and the line for guest relations was ugly long and hot? They showed up and started selling water to the people in line.

 

[PrincessV]

I'm local-ish, so visit WDW pretty often... and yeah, the restroom situation has been going steadily downhill fr a couple years now. Doesn't matter if I'm there during high crowds, low crowds or anything between; 90% of the time, the restrooms are a mess. I've complained many times, and will continue to, but - I still go back, right? So does everyone else, and WDW knows that. No reason to spend more on labor when folks will put up with cruddy restrooms.

I'll echo a previous poster, too, and agree that Universal's restrooms are shockingly clean! I don't think I've EVER been in the Potterland restrooms (in Diagon or Hogsmeade) without seeing someone in there actively cleaning.

 

[ORMom2Four]

The bathrooms are gross and the guests have everything to do with it. Disney does need to put more attendants in there though, because I don't think we are going to be able to change the behavior of guests.

It's so bad in the women's restroom that I now bring Clorox wipes with me to the parks so I can clean the toilet seat before using. On average, I find 1-2 toilets with urine on the seat before I find one that is clean enough to use.

Dh was shocked and did not believe me. He thought it was splatter from the toilet until I took a photo of one of them with the yellow "splatter" on it to prove it to him, lol.

It is DISGUSTING. Ladies, stop hovering--it is gross--you pee on the seat when you do that!

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Yup. I also saw managers stepping in to help in the restrooms... I do think Disney itself could employ a few more cast members for restrooms duties, so I do "blame" them for that, and I think guests could be more considerate of other guests, so I do "blame" those guests for that (flush your toilet and make sure it flushes, with all your trash properly placed, wash your hands and make sure your trash is properly placed again). One group that I can't blame are the cast members themselves who work the restrooms. I saw them constantly moving, spraying, and cleaning in almost every bathroom I visited.

Yes. I will say that I have manually flushed the toilet about 1/3 of the time; but it leaves it clean for other guests. I'm not above that. I don't expect an attendant to flush after me.
Edit to add: except my little granddaughter who is terrified of it. It flushes every time for her, lol.