Credit: Derek Hatfield, FlickrEarlier this week, a breakdown cut off the exit to one location at the Walt Disney World Resort, prompting action from cast members onsite.
Whether planned or unplanned, ride closures are common at large theme park destinations like the Walt Disney World Resort. Right now, Disney World is in a transformational period that sees popular attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and areas like most DinoLand U.S.A. shut off to guests.
That said, unplanned shutdowns are also frequent. Whether due to severe weather, power failures, or guest activity, rides and experiences often close down while health and safety measures are checked.
A couple of examples of problematic behavior include a guest who was seen roaming “it’s a small world” without clothes, while a father and his child disembarked a log ride vehicle on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and wandered around for almost an hour.
A malfunction due to guest behavior is not what happened earlier this week at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, though. As reported by Kenny the Pirate, the Wilderness Express Train, which transports guests from the main body of Animal Kingdom to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, broke down, leaving many stranded without a way back to areas like Discovery Island, Asia, and Pandora–World of Avatar.
“Today, guests visiting Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom were shocked when the Wilderness Express Train broke down. This train is the only way to go to and from Rafiki’s Planet Watch,” the outlet reported on Friday, May 16. “Some guests shared that after the Wilderness Express Train was down for about an hour.”
According to the report, cast members at this Animal Kingdom location—which includes the Conservation Station and the Affection Section—led the gathering of Disney World guests “on a long hike back towards the main park.”
There is no current explanation for the downtime, but the report added that it wasn’t just Rafiki’s Planet Watch section that went dark, but also Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa.
While this closure was anything but planned, the Animal Kingdom theme park at Disney World is currently in the midst of a major redevelopment. The changes will see DinoLand U.S.A. completely eradicated and replaced with the Tropical Americas-inspired Pueblo Esperanza area.
At the start of 2025, Disney shut down many of the DinoLand offerings, including TriceraTop Spin and Fossil Fun Games. The beloved DINOSAUR attraction remains open now, but its days are numbered. Expected to open in 2027, Walt Disney Imagineering’s effort to bring the Tropical Americas to the Orlando resort will see franchises like Encanto and Indiana Jones come to the park.
The Encanto attraction will be based on Antonio Madrigal’s animal-centric magical bedroom. At the same time, the Indiana Jones experience will eventually replace DINOSAUR and be completely different from any other Indiana Jones offering at Disney parks.
“…work on this new 11-acre section of the park is set to begin later this year,” Disney said last August following the company’s bi-annual D23 event. “Just like Harambe, the land feels lived in, with a long, rich history–plus there’s a large hacienda which will be one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort.”
“The space will be lush and sprawling, featuring a large fountain in the center where the villagers like to gather and tell stories,” Disney Parks Blog added. “Additionally, a woodcarver has created a giant working carousel featuring his favorite animals from Disney stories. It’s a new take on a classic attraction that young families are going to love.”
The Tropical Americas expansion is not the only large-scale development at Walt Disney World Resort. Magic Kingdom will transform Frontierland, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will welcome the characters of Monstropolis.
Have you ever been stuck on an attraction or stranded at the Walt Disney World Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!