Credit: Muhammad Faiz Zulkeflee via UnsplashA video shows the terrifying moment Disney Park Guests were forced to drop to the ground and prepare for a “strong earthquake.”
Of the six Disney Resorts around the world, two fall in areas at high seismic risk: Disneyland Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort. Thanks to its position on the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” the latter is situated in the most earthquake-prone country in the world, experiencing an average of 1,500 to 2,000 quakes a year.
The most significant earthquake to hit Tokyo Disney Resort was, of course, the 2011 9.1 Tōhoku earthquake. While Tokyo was hit nowhere near as bad as other areas of Japan, both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea were forced to cease operations mid-day. Its parking areas were flooded by liquefaction, and at least 20,000 of its 69,000 visitors were forced to spend the night inside the Parks due to the closure of Tokyo’s public transportation.
Fortunately, zero Guests or Cast Members were injured during the 2011 earthquake. Tokyo Disney Resort has extensive safety measures in place in the case of an emergency, including audible earthquake warning systems.
Today, the systems were put to the test when an earthquake hit the Tokyo area. A video shared by Twitter user @a_s_arichan shows Guests at Tokyo DisneySea dropping to the ground as a pre-recorded announcement warned Guests in both Japanese and English, saying: “Attention, prepare for a strong earthquake.”
ディズニーいたら地震きた pic.twitter.com/V0Tk6MvNbc
— あさりチャン (@a_s_arichan) May 26, 2023
Other images shared on social media show Guests stuck on stationary boats on “it’s a small world.”
While the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.2, reports suggest that it only registered at an intensity of three in Tokyo. No tsunami warning was issued.
Tokyo Disney is more than prepared for earthquakes. Its Cast Members are routinely trained in disaster response, and the Resort reportedly keeps an emergency food stockpile that can feed 50,000 Guests for up to three days.