Guest Breaks Big Rule at Disney World, Causes Ride To Shut Down Completely

A guest reportedly shut down one of Disney World’s most popular thrill rides in an attempt to snap a few photos and videos while on the attraction.

The image features Space Mountain, a distinctive white futuristic building with spire-like structures at Disney World, at dusk with a colorful sunset sky and foreground lush greenery. — Credit: Disney Parks

According to a new report, Disney World’s Space Mountain roller coaster had to be temporarily shut down because a guest broke the rules while onboard.

A guest reported that there was a temporary delay on Space Mountain Thursday afternoon due to a guest using a banned item while on the ride. The item in question was a selfie stick.

Per Walt Disney World guidelines, selfie sticks and other extension poles for cameras are not allowed in any of the theme parks.

Selfie sticks, hand-held extension poles for cameras or mobile devices, flags and banners are not allowed in any theme park or water park.

However, this does not mean all guests abide by these rules, with one guest wreaking havoc on Space Mountain.

Three riders sit in their vehicle preparing to ride Space Mountain — Credit: Disney

“Delay on space mountain,” says the guest in a post on Reddit. “According to a cast member it’s because a guest extended a selfie stick. What is wrong with people.”

Space Mountain is arguably one of the world’s most popular and recognizable theme park rides of all time, blending a thrilling experience with incredible theming.

The first iteration of this classic coaster opened at the Walt Disney World Resort in 1975, making it one of Disney’s oldest operational roller coasters. Due to its popularity, a second version was developed and built for the Disneyland Resort in California just two years later.

Fast-forward to 2024 and a version of Space Mountain can be found at the Disneyland Paris Resort in France, Tokyo Disney in Japan, and Hong Kong Disneyland in China. The ride’s white dome exterior is absolutely iconic and is a staple of nearly every Disney theme park on Earth, from Tokyo to Florida.

Tokyo Disney’s version of Space Mountain will permanently close this summer as the theme park completely rebuilds the coaster piece by piece. This massive project was announced last year, with Tokyo Disney set to upgrade not only Space Mountain but also the entirety of its Tomorrowland area.

The project is expected to be completed by 2027 and is rumored to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

In Florida, Guests will find Space Mountain located in the Tomorrowland section of Magic Kingdom, along with several other rides and attractions like Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and Astro Orbitor.

However, the ride itself is no fun if guests can’t ride it, which is exactly what happened earlier this week.

This Reddit post struck a chord within the Disney theme park community, with dozens of fans calling out the guest for breaking the rules.

Fans Call Out Disney Guest For Breaking Rules

Todays “people are idiots at Disney” news
byu/sejohnson0408 inWaltDisneyWorld

“They’re entitled and don’t think the rules apply to them,” said Death_by_Poros. “Or they think nobody is watching.”

“I’m starting to think idiots might be the majority, haha,” said sejohnson0408.

Reddit user Chambers-91 called for a total ban on guests who break the rules like this, saying, “People like this should be banned from the park for a period of time…And no I’m not some old boomer pissed at young people. This stupidity can hurt someone else on a ride in a pretty bad way.”

Another guest stated that Kali River Rapids, a water raft ride at Animal Kingdom, was also recently shut down due to a selfie stick, “We were at WDW last month, and they shut down Kali River Rapids because someone lost a selfie stick on the ride. “I would have been extra pissed if I had been stuck anywhere ON the ride in the 90+ degree no shade day.”

Guests must adhere to and follow Disney’s rules while visiting the theme parks, as this ensures their safety and the safety of others.

Selfie sticks have long been controversial in theme parks, with Disney banning them back in 2015. In an interview with the BBC, a spokesperson for Disney said selfie sticks were a major concern, “Handheld extension poles have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast.”

Is Space Mountain your favorite Disney roller coaster?