News In Brief

The dark side of Disneyland

Lilly Fowler May 4, 2010

Every wonder what happens at the happiest place on earth after all the guests leave?

Well, according to a recent article by the Los Angeles Times, 600 custodians, painters, gardeners and decorators descend on the park. “The primary goal of the after-hours crew is to pursue Disney’s vision of an immaculate land, free of the litter and grime of the outside world.”

According to the story, Disneyland’s cleanliness is key to its success, and one of the reasons attendance jumped last year, despite the economic downturn.

In any case, it’s interesting to read about the sometimes bizarre and icky tasks employees have to perform in order to keep the park going and which, most visitors never consider. For example…

–“Four certified divers collect submerged trash and make repairs on water attractions like Finding Nemo and the Jungle Cruise.”

— Others scrape “dried chewing gum from the pavement with metal blades attached to long poles.”

Oh, and apparently, cats roam Disneyland at night, feeding at one of the five permanent feeding stations set up for them. Employees also make sure the adult cats are spayed and neutered, though they say they want some cats around because the kitties take care of those pesky rodents. Who knew?

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