Aug 13, 2026
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Add us on GoogleWhen it comes to change at Disney parks, some super-fans can get a little Grumpy.
Even though Walt himself said that Disneyland “never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world,” small alterations can cause consternation. So while the recent announcement that the parks would be updating their trash cans might seem like a very small deal to most visitors, others are having a tough time with the news.
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Disney argues the new cans are an improvement on many fronts. They hold more trash, are solar-powered and automatically compact waste. Visitors never have to touch them, since the new cans open by stepping on a pedal at the bottom.
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The tops of the cans are sloped, however, which is one of the major complaints. While eating off of a trash can might not be the most sanitary choice, many park guests who can’t find seating at a restaurant have historically used the flat-topped cans as makeshift tables.
A park icon
It goes beyond dining convenience, though. Trash cans at Disney parks have become nearly as popular as some characters to frequent visitors. Disney has leaned into that, selling miniature versions of the receptacles at its stores as recently as last year, along with several other trash-can-themed items.
Enthusiasts have even started a fan club online. So news that the familiar cans are going away is not going over well with some park visitors.
“Before you ask, no, I’m not okay,” one fan wrote in a TikTok caption alongside a video celebrating the trash cans with a familiar, melancholy song, “Angel”, by Canadian chanteuse Sarah McLachlan.
To illustrate just how popular the trash cans are, look no further than the ongoing auction of Disney memorabilia scheduled to wrap up August 16. With four days remaining, bids on a trash can that was once located at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge hotel had reached $1,100, while one that was located in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland area had reached $3,700. Bids are likely to go much higher before they conclude at the company’s D23, the company’s annual fan event where Disney often announces upcoming changes and upgrades to its parks.
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The Disney connection
Before Disneyland was created, amusement parks were often dirty affairs. Guests would drop trash on the ground, rather than seeking out a can. Vowing that his park wouldn’t be like that, Walt Disney began researching how long a visitor would hold onto their trash before simply dropping it. He came up with a distance of 30 feet and instructed that cans at the park be no more than that far apart.
At Walt Disney World, the company became even more trash-obsessed. The park has an advanced trash removal system that includes pneumatic tubes that whisk trash to a compactor located behind Space Mountain every 15 minutes at a speed of 60 mph.
Argue all you want about whether Disney parks are the most magical or happiest place on earth, but thanks to Disney’s obsession with having a tidy facility, it’s one of the cleanest. That’s little solace, however, to fans who are now having to say goodbye to one of their favorite non-attractions.
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
