Credit: Inside the MagicFrom classic attractions like Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress to more modern additions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, it seems like popular Disney World fixtures are rapidly stalling or shutting down every day. The question is, why?
The Walt Disney World Resort is home to some of the most iconic theme park rides on the planet, and many of them have been a part of pop culture since the resort’s opening day, but recent reports have shown that many of our favorite attractions are stalling, malfunctioning, or otherwise grinding to a halt. For a place known for its high standards, this seems remarkably unusual for Disney.
Related: Comparing Disney World’s Disney Springs and Disneyland’s Downtown Disney
The reason for the alarm is just how frequently some of these breakdowns seem to be happening. When iconic rides like the Carousel of Progress result in an evacuation procedure, guests begin to take notice sooner or later. So what’s causing the magical malfunction?
Fatal Attractions at Disney World
Inside the Magic has covered multiple Disney World shutdowns in the past few weeks, and it seems to be a growing problem. A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld confirmed that suspicion, as many Disney resort guests are noticing the same thing.
u/lkj0 asks, “Are the rides down more often?” then adds the following,
“I “feel” like the amount of times rides breakdown for both short and extended periods is continuously increasing especially compared to 5+ years ago. Are there any statistics that keep track of this?”
As several others in the comment section confirm, the original poster isn’t the only guest to pick up on this factor. However, what should grab the attention of any seasoned Disney fan is the frequency of the breakdowns and the rides mentioned.
Related: “Frustrated” Disney Guest Says DAS Not Given Enough Priority Over Lightning Lane
Down in the comments, u/DingGratz adds,
“Did MK for two different days two weeks ago and [Space Mountain] was down on both days. So much so that you could see the inside with the lights on while on the People Mover. We had extra magic hours for MK too and still couldn’t ride it. Additionally, Slinky Dog was never below a 90-minute wait so that was two rides we very very much wanted to do but couldn’t.Really making me wonder if these expensive trips are worth it lately.”
To which u/karissa53 adds,
“I went last week and regretted spending so much between down rides and the crowds. I’m set on Disney for a while.”
Many comments follow this train of thought, and it’s understandably very frustrating when our favorite attractions shut down. While we might get a glimpse of the inner machinations of classics like Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion, it does tend to break the illusion Disney has on us.
As much as some on the subreddit like to complain and point out Disney’s faults, users like u/BowTie1989 take a more logical approach to why this might be happening.
The user writes,
“Part of it is there’s just more rides and attractions now in general. More rides means more opportunities for one to go down. Plus the newer rides are far more sophisticated. There are lot more things that happen to shut down something like Mickey and Minnie’s runaway railway as opposed to [Rockin’ Rollercoaster]. I don’t seem to notices more rides going down in general, but I feel like certain rides ALWAYS seem to have some sort of issue. For example, anytime I’m at Hollywood Studios, I always expect [Tower of Terror] to be down at some point, or at least running only two elevators. At EPCOT, Test Track seems to always have some issue or another. At Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain seems to always have down time (odd for a rollercoaster). Animal Kingdom’s rides seem to all run pretty reliably”
With so many rides on property, it’s only natural that Disney’s maintenance is spread pretty thin, but it might be more than just the aging mechanics of rides from the ’70s at work. Some users point out how much of the stalling is due to human error, as guests can often be one of the parks’ most unpredictable factors.
Related: Grand Floridian Suite Allegedly Covered in Spider Eggs and Bugs, Door “Literally Falling Off”
u/booksiwabttoread writes,
“There is also guest error. Recently a very popular ride was evacuated due to a guest dropping something on the track. Guests need to follow rules to reduce closures.”
To which u/Betrigan replies,
“I was just on a ride a few weeks ago where someone dropped their magic band and we were stopped for like 25 minutes.”
Further down, u/whiteink-13 shares how both techs and guests might be at fault when they add,
“In some cases its lack of techs or supplies, it can be that while they’re checked for safety issues regularly, they’re not receiving maintenance until after an issue arises. But also trackless rides (Rise, Runaway Railways) freeze and can go down if anything out of place lands on the floor – ears, hats, sunglasses, etc. And depending on where it falls that could mean the ride is interrupted and has to completely shut down to be reset.
As frustrating as the human errors in the equation might be, proper planning can be the solution that benefits all parties involved on a Disney World trip. Maintenance schedules can be found here, allowing future visitors to plan accordingly.
Related: Disney Raises Price of Genie+ to Highest Point of the Year
It’s true that many of Disney’s best rides are some of their oldest, and all that old machinery takes a special set of hands to keep in check. However, Disney is still committed to making the most magical experience possible, and most attractions are up and running sooner rather than later.
Have you experienced frequent breakdowns at Disney World? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!