Disney in a Minute: What is Water Painting?

If there’s one thing that Walt Disney World theme parks excel at, it’s their desire and ability to “surprise and delight” guests. Providing visitors with something unexpected and fun is done in hopes of giving you a surge of warm fuzzies and wonderful memories. One of these surprises is water painting.

Water painting is created by a custodial cast member with their broom, dustpan and water. These talented folks “paint” an illustration of a Disney character on the pavement in the parks. And because Florida’s gonna Florida, the image begins to fade almost immediately in the heat of the sun. In just moments, this enjoyable artwork has literally evaporated into thin air.

There is no set schedule or location for this activity, and Cast Members work their magic if their regular custodial duties have been completed. Typically, you’ll stumble across water painting relatively early in the morning on less busy days, when walkways have fewer guests that might be inadvertently tripped by a wayward sweep. And obviously this doesn’t happen when it’s raining.

If you happen to see a cast member water painting, stop for a minute and enjoy it while you can. This piece of artwork will be gone in minutes. But, as Disney Imagineer Zach Riddley once said, water painting is “a surprise, temporary experience that transforms pavement into canvas and a moment into memory.”

Disney in a Minute is a series of short posts designed to help you better understand a Disney term or planning topic. Do you have a Disney term that you think needs a bit more explanation? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks to Erin Foster for an earlier version of this post.