Regarding Disclosures by Theme Park Employees

Theme parks are magical places that entice visitors with the promise of excitement and buckets of good old-fashioned family fun. While there are a number of incredible things to do in and around Orlando other than visit Disney World, the House of Mouse still draws people in, just like Six Flags, SeaWorld, and lots of other beloved spots. But behind the vibrant facades, things aren’t always as perfect as they might seem.

With thousands upon thousands of visitors streaming through the gates of popular amusement parks every year, few people ever stop to think about what goes on behind the scenes. It’s probably a good thing; if you were made aware of the nitty-gritty day-to-day operations, these parks might lose a little of their allure. That’s not to say that folks aren’t curious, and former staff members know it. 

Over the years, former and current employees of some of the biggest amusement parks in the world have taken to the internet to share their NSFW experiences. From haunted rides to the alarming safety risks of your favorite attractions, it’s time to pull back the veil to reveal some of the most disturbing confessions to ever grace the internet. Consider yourself warned, because a fair few of these aren’t pretty!

Out of all of the amusement parks on the planet, Disney’s many offerings are arguably the most-loved. These prime locations are top tourist destinations, and part of their charm is just how spotlessly clean the grounds are. However, a former Disney employee took to the r/AMA subreddit to share the disturbing reality. Apparently, the park is a little less pristine than unsuspecting visitors may think.

Under the username u/sillygoose3001, the employee revealed they spent eight years working for Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and to say they’d seen some things is an understatement. Responding to a question asking what most people wouldn’t like about Disney parks, sillygoose3001 admitted, “Probably how every single type of bodily fluid has absolutely touched every surface you could ever sit on.”

As it turns out, it’s not just bodily fluids you have to watch out for, but actual human remains have made their way into Disney World, too. They explained in a further comment, “It’s bad, lol. If you’re at a spot that might mean something to someone, there’s also a good chance someone has tried to scatter ashes there!” Although this is definitely unsavory information, it’s worth noting that Disney has a lot of protocols in place to keep its parks as clean as possible, from special training for staff to disinfection. If you’re planning a visit, just make sure you don’t make these common mistakes on your first Disney World trip. 

A visit to an amusement park is often filled with laughter, fun, and plenty of memories to take home with you at the end of the day. However, sometimes days can take a dark and sinister turn. A former employee of Six Flags explained on r/IAmA that during their four years working as a ride operator at the beloved destination, the rare fatality occurred. “Sadly one of the ride operators was killed when hit by a coaster when I was there, didn’t see, but many friends did, still haunts them,” wrote u/dcduck. 

Though that particular account happened some years ago, many more deaths have taken place in multiple amusement parks since. In 2022, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson was enjoying a day out with his family at ICON Park in Florida when he fell from the Orlando Free Fall ride. In 2025, another incident occurred when two moms visiting the Dreamworld amusement park in Australia died in front of their kids. The pair were riding the Thunder River Rapids attraction when their raft flipped. Two other adults died in the accident.

Amusement park fatalities are relatively uncommon in America. Injuries, however, can and do happen at a more frequent rate. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 34,700 injuries happened at amusement park attractions between 2017 and 2019 (via NPR).

SeaWorld’s reputation has been in tatters for years, thanks in part to the 2013 documentary “Blackfish.” The film detailed the poor treatment of the orcas kept at the park and the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, who was attacked and killed by an orca called Tilikum. The documentary shed light on SeaWorld’s questionable practices with orcas, which became the primary focus of a lot of media in the years that followed.

The documentary touched upon the poor treatment of other animals, like sea lions. When former trainer John Hargrove was asked about the truth of these claims on r/IAmA, he emphatically agreed. “Yes. Yes. Well, the stadium at SeaWorld in California has been the same since the 1960’s,” wrote Hargrove. “And all of the penipeds (walruses and sealions) go blind. And it’s believed to be from water quality issues. Over-chlorinated water. And they have massive arthritis from performing for years on stage on concrete, instead of natural sand beaches like they would in the wild, and swimming.” 

Hargove’s sentiments were later echoed by other trainers. In 2015, Sarah Fischbeck told The Dodo, “If you speak out against it, you’re fired. They would instantly be fired. There’s no question. They’d lose their job.” Similarly, Greg Stryker told the CBS series “Whistleblower” in 2019 (via the Times of San Diego): “If SeaWorld had a motto for its trainers, it would be: Show up, suit up, shut up.” 

When the power goes out in any public place, it can be a little bit unnerving. After all, who wants to be stuck in a spot where you can’t see or do anything? While it may sound like a relatively minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, power outages at amusement parks as big as Disney World can cause severe issues. A former cast member who played Goofy at the park for two decades shared a particularly unsettling story on r/IAmA that purportedly unfolded on the Fourth of July in 1995. “There was a weird power glitch and all of the attractions went down at the same time and had to be evacuated,” explained u/Ihaveanotheridentity. 

As you might expect, there were hordes of visitors milling around on one of the busiest weekends of the year, resulting in some tightly packed crowds that one guest couldn’t cope with. “One guest freaked out and pulled out something sharp and started stabbing guests to get out. I had to bring a stabbed guest back to her hotel to get her ID so she could go to the hospital,” wrote the former employee. “I’d never been so thankful to get off the desk in City Hall. That was a nightmare.”

That situation sounds extreme and isn’t verifiable, but how common are power outages at Disney World? Though reported outages have taken place in 2019 and 2025, they don’t happen often. The park is designed with a city-like infrastructure that’s tougher than those you find on a residential street. Other parks have also had some electrical hiccups in the past, including Universal Studios in Florida in 2023, when all but three rides were taken out of operation.

Amusement park staff do what they can to keep things looking squeaky clean around the rides, but it doesn’t always work out. One individual on r/AskReddit who previously worked as a seasonal worker at an unnamed amusement park revealed that even the best cleaning teams can’t always keep the scent of nastiness away. A particular situation still haunts their nostrils.

On a hot day at work, u/brittkneebear was helping visitors onto a train ride when the worst happened. “A guest came up to me to say that there was an awful smell coming from the front car, and my stomach immediately dropped,” they wrote. Though they were fully prepared to find the usual vomit lurking in the front car, they got a foul surprise. “Instead of a normal puke situation, I found a greenish-brown liquid spread all throughout the front car, from the seat down to the floor,” they revealed, explaining that the stench was made even worse by the heat. Though this situation happened some time ago, cleaning up awful messes is still a terrible part of the job for amusement park staff.

David Mullich, a former Six Flags worker, operated rides for almost a year in 2021. He detailed his experience unloading rides on his website. “Another of Unload’s duties is to get out the hose and wash down vomit off the seat and platform when a guest throws up,” he wrote. “One time as I was working Unload, I barely dived out of the way in time as a guest projectile vomited in my direction before he could reach the trash can in the exit area.”

Some theme park rules are so strange that you may never have realized they are being enforced; however, some of them are just common sense. Ride safety regulations are put in place for a reason, but even the strictest guidelines aren’t always foolproof. Unfortunately, disregarding these rules can lead to major consequences.

A user on r/AskReddit named u/boooort shared their experience of working the Dueling Dragons ride at Universal Orlando when they were in college. They explained that the ride saw visitors sit on two separate coasters shaped like dragons that looked like they were fighting each other, sending the carriages close to each other throughout the ride. As the ride moved quickly, visitors were asked to remove anything loose they had on their persons. “I was working one day when the ride shut down completely. Change had flown out of someone’s pocket and hit a guy in the eye, leaving him blind in that eye. The tragic part … the guy was already blind in his other eye. Now the guy is 100% blind,” they wrote. A news report by Click Orlando from 2011 confirms the incident (though not the cause of his injury).

Sadly, life-changing accidents can happen at amusement parks, but the events are very rare. According to the IAAPA (the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions), there is a one in a 15.5 million chance of being seriously injured while living it up on a ride. That said, it’s always important to follow the rules, as they are there to protect you and other parkgoers.

As we have already mentioned, you don’t have to be a regular Disney visitor to know that cleanliness is next to godliness at these destinations. The parks are renowned for being well-kept, practically spick and span. Since day one, it has been an important part of what makes Disney parks so special. After all, no one wants to see piles of vomit or litter strewn around. While it’s a fact that Disney keeps on top of this with constant staff training, pests may get around more than you might think.

When asked how Disney parks manage to keep pests away, Redditor u/sillygoose3001’s response was simple: They don’t. “There are definitely, definitely pests of all kinds! I’ve seen so many wasps of bees nests, rats, snakes, and especially mosquitos down in Florida.” So, why can’t visitors spot them? It’s all down to savvy staff: “Cast members are trained to divert attention away or keep the area clear until the right team can get there.” Amazingly, u/sillygoose3001 also revealed that a black bear somehow wandered into the Magic Kingdom in 2023 (as confirmed by an NPR report), and part of the park had to be closed while the animal was dealt with.

If the creepiest abandoned amusement parks in the world could talk, they’d have some stories to tell. We’d expect yarns about bad times and injuries, but according to one amusement park worker, drunk parents can actually be responsible for some of the most out-there instances. Unruly kids are to be expected, but who is looking after the parents? As it turns out, no one. 

A commenter by the name of u/whichwitch9 on r/AskReddit shared their stories from working as summer staff at different parks. “Neither park I worked at was a dry park, so drunk parents ranked among the worst,” they wrote. “The haunted house was particularly fun, as later groups tended to involve drunks. I took a bad kick to the ribs once, while working under an overhang, and we had at least one violent incident a night.”

These sorts of incidents aren’t unheard of, even if you might expect more from mature adults. In 2024, an intoxicated 74-year-old was visiting the Canobie Lake Park in Salem when he thought he’d take all of his clothes off (as reported by WGME). The police swooped in, and the man was charged with indecent exposure. In the same year, another parkgoer found herself in hot water when she sank one too many beverages during a visit to Disney World in Orlando. According to WDWNT, she fell into a planter and swore at the police, telling them, “Take me to jail. I want to go to jail.”

For many, seeing the entertainment cast members at Disney World is one of the best parts about visiting the park. Who doesn’t want to wave hello to Belle and the Beast or shake hands with Prince Charming? Even the most jaded of adults can appreciate just how magical it is to encounter these characters brought to life. However, have you ever wondered what the cast members are really like once they step out of this make-believe world? According to Redditor u/sillygoose3001, they aren’t always as delightful in real life.

When asked to explain the social hierarchies by another curious poster, u/sillygoose3001 didn’t hold back. “Entertainment cast members (the ones who play characters) definitely have a bit of a ‘holier than thou’ complex,” they stated. “Obviously, some are great, but a lot forget that they’re just playing a dog in a theme park, you know? Everyone else, attractions, merchandise, food and bev, custodians, all interact very well with each other. The social hierarchies mainly exist within entertainment and I honestly don’t know a ton about it, but it’s really, really cut throat.” It looks like there’s a fair bit of attitude happening behind the scenes at Disney. Mickey would be so disappointed.