Disney’s Super Cleaners at the Park: Drawing 30 Cartoon Characters with Just Water & a Broom

Reported and photographed by You Ru / Tokyo

In most scenarios, cleaning staff might be the most unassuming supporting characters. Yet few people know that the cleaners at Tokyo Disneyland are actually one of the park’s most skillful main attractions. These cleaners don’t just learn how to sweep and collect trash—they also master the art of drawing cartoon characters on the spot using a broom. With just a puddle by the roadside in the afternoon or a bucket of mopping water, they can draw Mickey, Pluto, or Minnie in under two minutes.

▲Tokyo Disneyland cleaners magically draw cartoon characters on the floor using water.


▲Follow two cleaners carrying buckets around the park, and you might catch their hidden performances.



Tokyo Disneyland cleaners aren’t just expected to clean—they’re trained in special talents. The reporter specifically spoke with a cleaner collecting trash at Tokyo DisneySea, who explained that learning to paint with water starts with mastering cleaning: “You have to tidy up the trash neatly before you can begin training in drawing.” At the end of the training, there’s even an exam to pass before being qualified to paint on the park’s floors.

Tokyo DisneySea covers a vast area, making it not easy to find the painters at work. The reporter took the opportunity to follow two cleaners carrying buckets during a quiet period and saw them stop at a shaded spot. Gently dipping their brooms into water, within two minutes, Donald Duck appeared on the floor, followed quickly by Pluto. The brushstrokes—from outlines to expressions—were incredibly vivid, making one wonder if the brooms had some hidden mechanism.


▲% (Photo shows a traditional meal setup; credit: "his wife")



▲ The broth is poured from a height at the table, creating an impressive show. (Note: Original had Chinese characters; translated for clarity.)

According to staff on-site, cleaners must learn to draw 30 different Disney characters. Not only classics like Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Daisy, but also Tokyo DisneySea-exclusive characters like Duffy and ShellieMay can appear on the floor through water and a broom.

Staff noted that this broom-painting show by Disney employees is actually a hidden performance within Tokyo Disneyland, rarely seen by visitors. However, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Tokyo DisneySea, guests can catch these rare water-drawing performances 45 minutes before the start of parades or shows. But since the drawings are quick and fleeting, visitors who spot anyone carrying a bucket should keep an extra eye out.

The seafood here is extremely fresh.