Guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort this summer have reported troubling changes to the resort’s waterways, sparking conversations online about possible contamination. Multiple accounts describe a strange film floating across ponds, lakes, and other bodies of still water in parks, resorts, and public areas.
Visitors say the unusual water conditions aren’t isolated to one location. Guest accounts have placed the film in waterways at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney Springs, and the Disney Resort hotels. While Walt Disney World Resort works hard to manage its lakes and ponds — even as wildlife from Central Florida’s swamplands slips in from time to time — some guests say this summer’s conditions are unlike anything they’ve seen before.
On August 6, X (formerly Twitter) user @DisneyFoodBlog shared a video showing thick, textured water near the Tangled (2010) bathrooms in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park, writing:
Well, this is…different. The water between tangled bathrooms, and memento mori has…skin?
Another guest, @wesomeTweet, said the issue was far more widespread:
This is something I noticed on our recent trip that I had never seen before. This was happening at most (all?) of the bodies of water throughout Disney World this summer. Hopefully they get this sorted out because it looks jarring!
A visible film on still water can sometimes indicate algae blooms, bacterial growth, or even contamination from oils or other substances. However, it’s important to note that the presence of a film doesn’t always indicate a health hazard. So far, Walt Disney World Resort has not issued any official statements about the water conditions or closed any affected areas.
These observations follow earlier guest complaints about algae and plant overgrowth on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It’s unclear if the two issues are related.
Have you noticed anything similar at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Disney Dining would love to hear from you in the comments!
