Disney theme parks are often called the happiest, most magical places on Earth, but not everything that happens there is as cute and pleasant as Mickey and Pluto. A rumor started spreading that some park visitors relieve themselves while standing in line for rides, and according to Disney guests and insiders, the hearsay is true after all. Put more bluntly: Yes, people are pooping in line at Disney.
Multiple people took to Reddit in late 2023 to confirm their own feces sightings while visiting or working at the parks. In one thread in Reddit’s r/WaltDisneyWorld community, a disgusted user wrote, “I am in the queue for [Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance] – someone let their kid take a dump on the floor, and then they just walked out and left it- WTF?” Another Redditor responded, “For the skeptics… this actually happened. Fun fact: this was one of 3 s***-related incidents at Rise today. Less fun fact: I was here for all 3 of them.”
Another discussion in the Disney World SubReddit, all about the “most disturbing” things people have witnessed at Disney resorts and theme parks, elicited similar stories. One user shared, “Let’s just say that the attraction I work at has what the cast ended up dubbing ‘the poop hall’ because of the amount of times guests have gone in there and pooped.”
Pooping on Disney grounds is, unfortunately, nothing new
While it might appear that a new trend has swept over Disney-goers — and their bowels — there have always been Disney park guests who have relieved themselves away from the toilets. In another Reddit thread, one person claimed that they witnessed parents instructing a child to defecate while in line for the Haunted Mansion ride 20 years ago. Similarly, a book titled “Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt’s Dream Spotless,” which recounts the experiences of two former Disneyland employees during the 1990s and early 2000s, contains stories of guests pooping in unusual places. According to the book, the Disney crew referred to the excrement as a “Human Code H” when calling for a staff member to clean up the mess.
Keep in mind that most poop encounters in Disney parks involve children who might be too young to hold their bowels while waiting in long lines. And given the sheer number of visitors to the parks at any given time (in 2022, 17.1 million people went to Disney World and 16.9 million went to Disneyland, per a report by AECOM/TEA), it’s not too surprising that nature would call at an inopportune time for at least a few guests. As long as park attendees continue eating churros and standing in long queues for attractions, accidental bowel movements will, unfortunately, always be a thing.
What to do if you need to use the restroom while in line
A typical ride at Disneyland and Disney World often requires at least a 30-minute wait, while more popular attractions can take over an hour to enter. So what should you do if you — or someone in your group — have to use the restroom while in line? If you’re accompanied by other people, it’s typically okay to leave the line to head to the toilet while others hold your place. If you’re alone and surrounded by kind strangers, they may be willing to do the same. If not, consider speaking to a Disney staff member and find out if there’s any way they can accommodate you.
Alternatively, look for restrooms within or next to the queue. Flight of Passage reportedly has restrooms that can be accessed by guests waiting in line, while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has mid-queue paths leading to backstage toilets (if you’re worried about losing your spot, check with an employee before leaving the line).
When possible, plan your bathroom breaks in advance to avoid in-line accidents. Note estimated wait times for rides, and use park maps to locate nearby restrooms before stepping into especially long lines. If you’re a diehard Disney fan, you’ll enjoy some of the parks’ themed and uniquely designed restroom interiors — and you won’t have to call for help for a dreaded “Human Code H.”
