Widespread Breakdowns Lead to Major EPCOT Closure

Multiple rides broke down at EPCOT on Tuesday morning, leading to widespread closures and concern among guests.

EPCOT Rides

EPCOT is home to classic attractions and some of the most advanced ride technology in the theme park industry. Eleven rides operate throughout World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery, and World Showcase. They include Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Chevrolet Test Track, MISSION: Space, Spaceship Earth, Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, Living with the Land, Journey into Imagination with Figment, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros.

Beyond rides, the Disney Park offers multiple educational short films in countries throughout the World Showcase, Turtle Talk With Crush, the Pixar Short Film Festival, a Finding Nemo (2003) themed aquarium, character meet & greets, seasonal EPCOT festival celebrations, and more!

Tuesday’s Meltdown

On Tuesday, three EPCOT rides broke down simultaneously, leading to increased wait times across the park and guest dissatisfaction. Reddit user u/Affectionate_File365 found themselves stuck in line for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

“Multiple rides down in Epcot today,” the Disney Resort guest wrote. “Gotg is down and I am currently stuck in the queue. The app shows living with the land is down and so is the grand fiesta tour.”

Disney Parks fans commented that thanks to declining maintenance across Walt Disney World Resort, attractions breaking down is to be expected.

“It’s a day that ends in ‘y’, so yup,” said u/Unusual-Thanks-2959.

“Wait an hour a few more will go down,” u/peybacktime replied.

“‘Today,’” u/HumanOrion quipped.

In these situations, guests with Disney Genie+ reservations during the breakdown are automatically given “multiple experience” passes, usable on any Genie+ eligible attractions that day. Any guests with Individual Lightning Lane reservations for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind are offered a later return time or a refund.

Last year, a Disneyland Resort cast member begged guests to be patient as maintenance issues cause mayhem across the Disney theme parks. According to insiders, many senior technicians left during the COVID-19 pandemic and haven’t returned due to low pay and poor working conditions.

If an attraction breaks down during your Walt Disney World Resort visit, don’t panic! Most downtime lasts less than an hour, and Disney cast members will be happy to adjust dining reservations and Disney Genie+ bookings to compensate for the unexpected delay.

Walt Disney World Resort didn’t comment publicly on the EPCOT rides that broke down on Tuesday. All three attractions later reopened and operated normally at the time of this article’s publication.

Have multiple rides ever broken down during your visit to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Share your story with Inside the Magic in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.