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Credit: DisneyIt’s happened to us all at some point. We’ve survived the queue, maybe even paid for a Lightning Lane to ensure quicker access, get on the ride – and it breaks down.
Attractions break down in Disney parks every day. Whether it’s something simple like the Mad Tea Party or a more significant attraction such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, every ride is made up of countless mechanical elements that need to work in tandem to give you your Disney experience.
Most of the time, that’s exactly what happens. But the 1% of cases is what leads to mid-ride evacuations, getting stuck in the same anxiety-inducing spot for what feels like forever, or, in Disney speak, a ride going “101” (or closing). These incidents often aren’t serious, with attractions reopening in as little as 30 minutes, but in rare cases, they can remain inoperable for days at a time.
But what’s actually going on when a ride in a Disney park needs to close? Next time you notice an attraction is “temporarily unavailable” in My Disney Experience, odds are it’s for one of the following reasons…
Safety sensors
Disney – like all theme park operators – takes the safety of its guests seriously. Even the simplest rides are made of complex systems, and the mechanics of bigger, more sophisticated attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park are a whole other level of complicated.
Thankfully, rides don’t operate on trial and error to see if everything’s ticking along nicely. There are sensors in place, so if one element doesn’t work, it’s immediately flagged so engineers can come to work their Disney magic.
Common cases include ride vehicle malfunctions (which are infamous on rides like Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland).
Poor Show
Ever been on Na’vi River Journey at Animal Kingdom and noticed that the (creepily realistic) Shaman animatronic has been replaced with a far less immersive screen?
This is the ride’s “B-mode,” a term given to Disney’s backup options in case one of an attraction’s show elements isn’t working as it should. The most famous example is the “Disco Yeti” on Expedition Everest. After its animatronic Yeti became inoperable, Imagineers settled for the next best thing – flashing lights to make it look like it was still moving and to give riders the same(ish) experience.
Sometimes, however, show elements go so badly wrong that an attraction needs to close temporarily. Guests have previously experienced this on Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom when animatronics have toppled over, and on Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid when various animatronics malfunction.
Special Assistance
Omnimovers are a Disney park staple. You may know them as Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, or basically any attraction where the ride vehicles are in constant motion.
The benefit of omnimovers is that it’s easy to load and unload huge numbers of guests each day. The downside, however, is that if you need to stop the system – for example, to give those who require mobility access time to get into the vehicle or to help a guest having trouble getting in or out of their seat – the whole ride grinds to a halt. Next time you find your Doom Buggy frozen in the middle of 999 happy haunts, this is probably the case.
A Guest Incident
People are people, even on a Disney vacation. There are countless ways a guest can disrupt a ride – some more serious than others.
The most common incident is a guest accidentally dropping something mid-ride. For safety reasons, this can often require a temporary closure to retrieve the item from the track.
It’s rare, but there have also been cases of guests trying to scatter their loved ones’ remains on their favorite attractions. Sentimental though the gesture may be, the reality is that anyone caught doing so can get in serious trouble, and Disney will typically close down the ride to vacuum up the ashes.
Less spooky examples of ride-closing guest incidents include anything involving bodily fluids (yep, that includes vomit, blood, and everything else you can imagine), medical emergencies, and any violation of park policies, such as filming on a ride where that is strictly forbidden.
What’s the weirdest ride breakdown you’ve experienced at Disney?