People often talk about the attention to detail that you find when you visit Walt Disney World. While the major attractions and creative design are what capture the imagination, if you look closely, you’ll find that everything, from the paint to the ground beneath your feet, is specifically designed to help tell the story. That’s all the more true at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where even the trash cans occasionally need to be overhauled so that guests don’t lose the illusion.
Recently a picture surfaced on the Walt Disney World subreddit showing a truck full of Batuu trashcans being hauled away. The OP assumed that the trash cans simply needed to be repainted since spending every day in the Florida sun is going to eventually cause any paint to fade. However, a professional custodian chimed in with a comment that changed the whole thing, as it may not have been only the outside of the cans that required attention. He explained…
Custodian here, it’s not just the exteriors, but the interiors also have a constant barrage of stuff like soda, ketchup, juice, and other gunk that doesn’t get washed away during the Florida rain. Over time it builds up, starts to smell and attract pests, and corrode the interior surfaces and hinges. I know Disney is strict on show, but they’re also cost-efficient, so my guess is these are far worse inside than outside.
When you hear it explained, it makes all the sense in the world, but it likely wasn’t something most of us consider. Especially when you think about all the stuff, mostly the amazing Disney World food, that ends up in Disney World trash cans, and then ends up sitting in them for most of the day in the previously discussed Florida sun, there are going to be some interesting smells that develop. And yet, trash cans at Disney World are generally so clean you can sign your marriage license on them at Magic Kingdom.
One of the biggest Walt Disney World myths is that trash doesn’t stay in trash cans because there’s a tube system underground that vacuums the garbage out. While such a system does exist, it’s located at a few points backstage, not actually under the trash cans. You can tell because trash cans move when costumed characters get mad and kick them.
I have to say that, while I’m sure there have been cases when I have smelled garbage at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, those times have been few and far between, which likely means that a lot of work is done to keep these trash cans clean. The fact that this is one of those things that guests don’t think about speaks to how well the resorts must handle it. We’ve never needed to think about it.
Of course, now it’s all ruined as I may never walk past a trash can at a Disney park without thinking about what might be going on inside there. The good news is that I can apparently be thankful that they can get regularly cleaned inside as well as out.