Universal Orlando Resort Confirms Replacements at CityWalk Area
We have spent way too much of this summer discussing trash cans.
Not a complaint. Just an accurate summary. Solar-powered bins started showing up at Walt Disney World in June, and a minor curiosity became the season’s longest-running story. Magic Kingdom got them by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Disney’s Animal Kingdom got them. EPCOT has been converting the World Showcase pavilion by pavilion so quickly that the whole park will likely be done by fall.
This week alone, Japan and Italy joined the list, both handed plain brown World Showcase cans instead of anything custom. Days earlier, The American Adventure got its patriotic versions back after they mysteriously disappeared in July. White fronts, navy sides, gold accents, a shield with “76” on it.
Somewhere in there, Disney put out an instructional video explaining how to use a trash can, because guests could not work it out.
Now the story jumps to the other side of I-4.
Universal Orlando Resort has its first solar-powered trash cans. Same exact ones.
Where They Are
Most of them sit on the bridges connecting CityWalk to Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, which are some of the busiest walkways on the entire property.
One trash-and-recycling pair was spotted on the bridge just outside Universal Islands of Adventure.
Solar-Powered Trash Cans Arrive at Universal Orlando Resorthttps://t.co/OtXT4xt5eL
— Universal Parks News Today (@UniNewsToday) August 6, 2026
Universal Made a Better Call
This is the part worth paying attention to.
Universal’s bins carry the CityWalk logo on purple decals with neon artwork. An actual design choice, and one that fits the area instead of looking like generic equipment dropped in.
Now compare that to Disney’s rollout. A handful of Disney locations received custom treatments, with The American Adventure as the standout. But most World Showcase pavilions, Japan and Italy included this week, got plain brown cans with a generic compass medallion and nothing else.
Universal’s very first installation went branded. Whether that holds as they expand is the open question, but it is a notable place to start.
The Universal Hardware Is the Same
Strip off the decals, and these are identical units.
Solar panels are built into the curved tops. That energy powers internal compactors, allowing the bins to hold far more waste before anyone has to empty them.
Same reason Disney went all in. Fewer emptying runs for team members, fewer overflowing cans on heavy days.
They open by hand or by foot pedal.
Universal Might Need a Video Too
This is where Disney has already run this experiment for them.
The hand-or-pedal setup has genuinely confused Disney guests. Some cannot find the opening. Others have shoved trash into parts that are not openings, handles included. It got bad enough that Disney released an official instructional video walking through both methods.
Early signs at Universal point in the same direction. A discarded cup was already spotted sitting on the ground next to one of the new CityWalk cans.
One cup is not a pattern. But it is exactly what showed up at Disney in week one, and Universal might want to get ahead of it.
Same Accessibility Problems
The concerns raised at Disney carry straight over, because the hardware does not change.
The foot pedal is great for hygiene. No hand contact, less spread of illness. But plenty of wheelchair users cannot operate a foot pedal at all. These cans also run taller than standard bins, putting the flap higher and making it a stretch for some wheelchair users to pull.
Not just wheelchair users, either. Guests with other mobility limitations may not be able to raise a foot to the pedal or grip the flap. Kids can struggle with both the pedal and the height.
Two methods beat one. Still not the same as usable for everyone.
Why Both Resorts Want Them
The logic is identical on both sides of the highway.
Compacting waste means each unit holds a lot more before it needs service. Less labor, fewer interruptions for team members, and fewer overflowing cans on peak days.
For two resorts moving enormous crowds through Central Florida heat, that adds up quickly.
Disney has confirmed that its bins will eventually be available at all four Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney Springs, the water parks, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and more resort locations.
Universal has not stated the scope of its rollout. Starting on the CityWalk bridges suggests a high-visibility, high-traffic test.
Two Things to Watch
First, whether Universal pushes beyond CityWalk into Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Epic Universe, and how fast.
Second, whether Universal keeps branding each area the way it did on CityWalk, or drifts toward the generic look most Disney locations have landed on.
Because if this summer proved anything, theme park fans will absolutely notice. Even on a trash can. Even in August.
