The Gross Reason Disney World’s Liberty Square Has No Bathrooms

If there’s one thing Disney Parks are famous for, it’s their well-thought-out design. Things like the forced perspective used with Cinderella Castle have become common knowledge among hardcore Disney fans. But there are some other oddities throughout Walt Disney World Resort (and Disneyland Resort).

One of the lesser-talked-about lands of Magic Kingdom is Liberty Square. Much attention is always given to Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Adventureland. This is usually because these lands contain some of Disney’s most popular attractions and thrill rides.

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Tomorrowland is home to Space Mountain and the fan-favorite Carousel of Progress, while Adventureland whisks guests away to Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise.

And, of course, everyone knows the magic of Fantasyland’s many dark rides and other attractions.

Related: The Peter Pan’s Flight Secret That No One Seems to Know

But Liberty Square has no roller coasters and only one (or two) Disney classics. So, it’s likely a less thought-of area of the park. But if you pay close attention, you may notice two odd (perhaps even disgusting) quirks.

A Stream of Sewage

While strolling through Liberty Square, have you ever noticed the brown, rocky path that cuts through the otherwise red sidewalk? This off-color path is supposedly meant to represent colonial sewage.

In keeping with the theming that Disney does through its various parks and lands, there was no plumbing back in the colonial days. So when it came to waste, people often emptied chamber pots into the dirt road. In some cases, there were troughs designed to collect and carry the sewage down the street and out of the town.

Related: The Jungle Cruise: A History

Walt Disney World pays homage to this interesting and gross element of American history with the discolored brown “stream” down the middle of Liberty Square.

No Liberty Square Bathrooms

Due to the immense attention to theming and detail, Imagineers decided not to put bathrooms in Liberty Square either. Although some have pushed back on this claim, there is strong evidence to the contrary.

As stated previously, there was no plumbing in Colonial times, and therefore, there were no functioning bathrooms with toilets and sinks as we know today.

Related: Best & Worst Restrooms in the Magic Kingdom

When visiting Magic Kingdom, you may find signs for bathrooms near the Columbia Harbour House and Liberty Tree Tavern. And although the buildings themselves contain bathrooms, they are technically so far back that they are technically within Fantasyland and Adventureland.

But because Disney never wants guests to be too far from a restroom for obvious reasons, just beyond the Liberty Square borders, you can find bathrooms in nearly every direction (i.e., the Tangled-themed area).

So next time you visit the Haunted Mansion or Hall of Presidents, take a moment to admire these little oddities and be happy we live in 2024.