Background Image Credit: DisneyHome to Cinderella Castle, the Magic Kingdom is Walt Disney World’s most popular theme park. Although, Guests visiting the Disney Park today (September 9) might have been in for a shock as three incredibly popular attractions were temporarily closed at Park opening.
First to close at the opening of Magic Kingdom was the fan-favorite water ride, Pirates of the Caribbean. Per WDW Stats, we can see the ride closed just one minute after the Park opened.
Pirates of the Caribbean has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 41 minutes.
Pirates of the Caribbean has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 41 minutes. https://t.co/EeURlnhV4X #MagicKingdom #WDW #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyWorld
— WDW Stats (@WdwStats) September 9, 2021
Featuring swash-buckling shanties, and detailed animatronics (and sometimes even Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow himself), the Pirates ride is one of Disney’s most popular attractions across many of its Parks.
Also closed at Park opening was the Guest-favorite, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. The ride, which snakes around Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom, never began running after the Disney Park welcomed visitors this morning.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 135 minutes.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 135 minutes. https://t.co/NrMQZ050c3 #MagicKingdom #WDW #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyWorld
— WDW Stats (@WdwStats) September 9, 2021
And finally, rounding up the triple closure at the Magic Kingdom was the spooky attraction, Haunted Mansion. WDW Stats reported the Liberty Square ride had become temporarily interrupted as the Park opened.
Haunted Mansion has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 21 minutes.
Haunted Mansion has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 21 minutes. https://t.co/vv2GpgzOH9 #MagicKingdom #WDW #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyWorld
— WDW Stats (@WdwStats) September 9, 2021
The attraction which features hitchhiking ghosts and all things creepy was actually intended to be an even darker, scarier attraction…with chairs that ate people!
It is not uncommon for attractions at any Disney Resort to close down. In fact, just last week, the hottest boarding pass in town, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance shut down and never reopened.
As well as ride closures, the Disney Parks including the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida have had their fair share of evacuations and technical malfunctions, like Sven and Olaf glitching on Frozen Ever After in EPCOT, or Guests being evacuated from the “highest hill” on Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And then there was the time that riders on Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain experienced the attraction without part of the track at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
At the time of publication, both Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion at the Disney theme park have now reopened but the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is still closed.
More on Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom, as well as the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort, will begin its 50th Anniversary Celebration on October 1, welcoming Guests on their Disney vacation to new decorations, merchandise, and nighttime spectaculars.
Has your Walt Disney World plans ever been derailed by ride closures? Let us know in the comments!