A famous Walt Disney World attraction may have exposed the theme park’s guests to black mold for prolonged periods.
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In a post on X earlier this month, a guest shared a video of one of the “It’s a Small World” animatronics, which appeared to have been recently cleaned.
“They finally did it!” the guest wrote. “Disney has cleaned the thick black mold line on this little gondola on it’s a small world.”
The Walt Disney World guest also shared a photo of the attraction’s animatronic before it was cleaned. The image showed a noticeable line of black substance on the prop.
“Here’s a photo I found online,” the guest noted. “It was much worse recently before they cleaned it.”
Per its description, “It’s a Small World” is a 10-minute “journey” through all seven continents of planet Earth. The boat ride passes through “vivid, fantastical scenes representing the iconic sights and sounds of dozens of nations.”
The famous attraction, which was first introduced at the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair, has been placed in Disneyland Park in California, Magic Kingdom in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park (Paris), and Hong Kong Disneyland.
According to the Daily Mail, it is estimated that 3,300 guests ride “It’s a Small World” per hour.
How Black Mold Is Spread
The Cleveland Clinic describes black mold as a fungus that may trigger an immune response. Common symptoms include sneezing, coughing, congestion, and eye irritation.
Although concerning, black mold rarely causes serious illness or death. However, it may worsen asthma symptoms.
The fungus is generally black but can also be dark green. There are numerous types of black mold, but the one many people come in contact with is Stachybotrys chartarum (S. chartarum). This type of black mold grows and spreads on materials that contain high levels of cellulose, such as paper, wood, and drywall.
For black mold to grow and spread, it needs moisture, oxygen, and a temperature between 40 and 100 degrees. It also needs a food source that contains cellulose.
To prevent black mold growth, reduce the space’s humidity to 30%-50%.