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Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney World Railroad remained closed when Magic Kingdom Park opened on Wednesday after a rogue firework allegedly sparked a fire. Walt Disney World Resort cast members purportedly rushed to extinguish the fire during the Happily Ever After fireworks show on Monday or Tuesday night.
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This 52-year-old attraction, which opened alongside Magic Kingdom Park in 1971, can’t catch a break! After finally reopening from a years-long closure during the TRON Lightcycle / Run construction, the Walt Disney World Railroad has shut down unexpectedly multiple times. Last September, a wild black bear was spotted in the foilage near the railroad tracks in Frontierland, forcing the steam engine and half of Magic Kingdom Park to close!
The “Happily Ever After” fireworks caused quite the ironic tragedy at Magic Kingdom Park this week. The show is one of Walt Disney World Resort’s most beloved entertainment offerings, rivaling Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Luminous The Symphony of Us over the EPCOT World Showcase Lagoon. But on Monday or Tuesday night, sources say, the nighttime spectacular sparked a fire in a wooded area near the Walt Disney World Railroad.
According to an anonymous insider tip obtained by WDWNT, emergency responders worked to cut out all burn spots visible from the Walt Disney World Railroad tracks overnight on Tuesday. The attraction remained closed through almost noon on Wednesday as crews cleaned up the wooded area burnt by the fire and investigated the potential impact on the railroad tracks.
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While riding the historic steam train, one witness spotted charred, chopped-down trees, darkened ground, and burnt foliage. It’s unclear whether the Disney fireworks started a fire on Monday or Tuesday night, but the Walt Disney World Railroad wasn’t closed at all on Tuesday.
The Walt Disney World Railroad reopened on Wednesday afternoon, but the fireworks mishap impacted employees throughout the day. Shuttles from the Magic Kingdom West Clock parking area allegedly dropped Disney Park cast members off exclusively near Storybook Circus in Fantasyland instead of the utilidor main entrance.
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Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t made a public statement about or acknowledged the purported fire at Magic Kingdom Park this week.
Has an attraction ever closed unexpectedly during your visit to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments.