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Credit: DisneyHundreds of Guests were shut out of three popular attractions this morning as the Disney’s Hollywood Studios attractions went dark.
One huge benefit of staying on Disney property at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Central Florida is the Early Theme Park Entry perk. The Early Entry option allows Guests staying at an official Disney World Resort hotel such as Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney’s Contemporary Resort, or other hotels like the Walt Disney World Swan, to enter the Disney Parks 30 minutes prior to Park opening.
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Those 30 minutes can go a long way. Prior to the Disney Resort opening its gates to locals or off-site Guests, those with the Early Theme Park Entry perk can hit the most popular rides, potentially bypassing the need for a speedy Disney Genie+ return time, or even having to dip into their wallets for an a la carte Individual Lightning Lane Selection.
With four theme parks to choose from, Early Theme Park Entry, of course, only works for the Guests’ pre-booked Park Pass reservation. And even though Park Hopper takes effect from 2 p.m., Guests must scan in at their first Disney Park before jumping to another, whether that be Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Let’s note here that the Disney water parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, do not have Park Pass requirements, although the latter is currently closed for refurbishment.
So, for those Guests staying on Disney property, the chance to ride big-ticket attractions like Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom Park, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is certainly more achievable as wait times are significantly shorter.
However, unfortunately, as with any attraction, there can be upset caused if plans become derailed last minute. That is what happened this morning at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as both Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror did not open during Early Theme Park Entry, essentially shutting hundreds of Guests out of a chance to ride the thrill attractions before thousands more poured into the Park for their own Disney experience. Shortly after, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance would also go down, removing that from a Guest’s itinerary also.
WDW Stats @WdwStats) noted:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 32 minutes.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 32 minutes. https://t.co/K8pkVk6jMC #HollywoodStudios #WDW #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyWorld
— WDW Stats (@WdwStats) July 1, 2022
The drop ride was reported as closed one minute after Early Theme Park Entry began at 8 a.m. ET. Likewise, so did Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. They reported:
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 41 minutes.
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 41 minutes. https://t.co/CV88RXYxB3 #HollywoodStudios #WDW #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyWorld
— WDW Stats (@WdwStats) July 1, 2022
Then around 28 minutes later, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance went down shortly before the Disney Park opened:
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 63 minutes.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has been temporarily interrupted. On average, an interruption takes 63 minutes. https://t.co/RaDcwvBblS #RiseOfTheResistance #GalaxysEdge #HollywoodStudios #WDW #WaltDisneyWorld #DisneyWorld
— WDW Stats (@WdwStats) July 1, 2022
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The closure of these three popular attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is likely going to cause a ripple effect through a Park that already has limited ride options, especially with Park Hopping not available for many more hours. The current highest wait time for an attraction at this Disney Park is 60 minutes for Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land, at the time of publication.
It is not uncommon for Disney World Resort attractions to shut down at any part of the day. Recently, the brand-new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction, which occupies the new Future World area, World Discovery, did not open when EPCOT Park did, leaving those Guests with Virtual Queue or Lightning Lane access shut out of riding. There’s always Spaceship Earth, or a gentle stroll around World Showcase.
At the time of publication, all three attractions are currently not operating.
Have your plans ever been ruined by a broken-down Disney World attraction? Let us know in the comments down below!
Walt Disney World Resort boasts four theme parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park. It also features two Disney water parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, and the retail and recreation area, Disney Springs. A valid ticket is needed to enter each Park and Park Hopper hours begin at 2 p.m. daily.