Walt Disney World has always prided itself on its spotless upkeep — but a growing horde of tourists has made it harder to maintain the park’s pristine condition.
One popular ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom has fallen victim to the constant crowds of guests and tourists, long wait times and people treating the theme parks like a playground, according to Inside the Magic.
The queue area for The Barnstormer, the beloved kid-friendly rollercoaster in Fantasyland, has been put through the wringer — and “Disney may have no choice but to start repairing it sooner rather than later.”
The junior coaster, which takes guests above Storybook Circus, is popular for families with young children, often being a kid’s first roller coaster.
The ride itself has been operating as usual, but in some spots, the waiting area appears to be “outright trashed.”
Rather than the playful themed queue area families have come to expect, parts of it now reportedly look like they’ve been scraped, rubbed down and “damaged in ways that go beyond regular foot traffic.”
Inside the Magic shared that the biggest issue seems to be that large sections of the elements in the waiting area have been damaged slowly over time, but it’s become very visible, and it’s hard not to notice.
The decorative cannon, which is out of reach of guests, appears to be damaged on the side of its base with stripped away paint, Walt Disney World News Today reported.
Another thing that isn’t the fault of parkgoers is the fading of the shades covering the waiting area. The tops of the colorful shades have nearly completely faded to white from the sun.
However, some of the damage appears to be deliberate by guests — not by natural aging or the unpredictable Florida weather.
For example, some parts of the red-painted wooden pieces have been touched and rubbed down so much that the paint is entirely gone. In multiple spots, it looks as though visitors have repeatedly dragged their hands across it or leaned on it often.
It appears as though guests have been picking on surfaces, scratching away paint, messing with elements, carving into the wood and even leaving gum or trash in spots.
The Wheel of Peril, a prop that stands at the merging point for the standby line and the Lightning Lane, has the most visible damage from guests touching it constantly, WDW News Today said.
Its popularity with families and kids may have contributed to the wear and tear in the queue area.
Parkgoers could be intentionally destroying the attractions, or perhaps it’s just carelessness. People tend to lean on things, touch, climb and mess with parts of the park that they shouldn’t, and those little actions can take a toll.
“Typically, Disney queues can handle heavy traffic. They’re built to be durable. But this kind of damage suggests constant contact, not gentle contact,” the site explained.
As Disney tends to care a lot about how their parks are presented, they will likely be making “significant” repairs to the Barnstormer queue area — namely, repainting the woodwork, replacing worn-down padding and potentially updating some elements that are under shaded areas.
According to Inside the Magic, this is a sign that Disney parks are being pushed hard by poor guest behavior, and even if and when repairs are made, it’s more of an issue of how visitors treat the properties.
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