A popular and iconic Disney coaster was closed down for investigation following an incident that went wrong this week.
When visiting your favorite Disney park– whether that be Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, or an international theme park– the last thing that you expect to happen is to be trapped inside an attraction for a lengthy amount of time just to be evacuated off the ride by the fire department. Earlier this week, Inside the Magic covered an incident that unfolded just like this.
According to reports, 12 passengers aboard Hong Kong Disneyland’s Hyperspace Mountain roller coaster found themselves trapped after the dark attraction stopped.
Now, more information has been given by the Hong Kong Government’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
“Upon notification of [a] passenger entrapment incident involving the Hyperspace Mountain roller coaster by Disneyland at 3.30 p.m. today, EMSD officers immediately conducted an onsite investigation,” the Hong Kong Government’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said. “The preliminary finding revealed that nine trains of roller coasters were in service at the material time. Due to delays in the loading and unloading area, the safety system activated and stopped all trains on the track to prevent other trains from entering the loading and unloading area.”
As part of its report, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department noted that the train was stopped “in an area that was difficult to access” and that Disneyland “followed operation procedures.”
“a train was stopped in an area that was difficult to access, the Disneyland followed the operational procedures to firstly notify the Fire Services Department to seek assistance before arranging the passengers to leave the roller coaster.”
A Disney spokesperson offered the following statement on the incident, which we previously covered.
“As a safety measure, the ride control system was triggered to stop the attraction. One of the vehicles, carrying 12 passengers, was stopped in a position requiring fire department assistance.”
No injuries were reported from the incident.
Hyperspace Mountain is a special Star Wars-themed version of the iconic attraction Space Mountain. The attraction appears periodically at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, as an overlay but is permanent at both Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
Disney’s official description of the attraction can be read below:
“Dodge blaster fire as you dash through a raging dogfight between Rebel X-wing starfighters and Imperial TIE fighters. It’s an epic scene like something right out of a Star Wars movie!
The adventure begins as Admiral Ackbar briefs you on your mission: the Rebel Alliance needs your help flying a reconnaissance vessel to survey an Imperial Star Destroyer spotted near Jakku—a desert planet featured in the new movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. An elite X-wing squadron escorts you into hyperspace. You arrive at your destination to find the Star Destroyer waiting for you, surrounded by a swarm of TIE fighters. It’s a trap!
As the Rebels valiantly battle the Imperial vessels, you’re caught up in the barrage of red and green blaster fire. The speed and the turns grow more intense as the Rebel squadron begins their final, courageous assault on the menacing Star Destroyer. Stay on target… for out-of-this-world thrills on Hyperspace Mountain!”
Though Hyperspace Mountain was closed for the initial government investigation, it has since reopened and is operating normally now. However, the dark coaster is set to undergo maintenance and inspection from February 26 through March 1.
Inside the Magic will keep you updated on the latest developments happening all around the Disney parks.