Evacuation Notice: Disney Guests Asked To "Leave Right Away"

Guests were evacuated at Disneyland Resort yesterday.

Emergencies are rare at Disney parks, but history has proven that they can – and do – happen.

Earlier this month, five Disneyland cast members were taken to the hospital with dizziness and shortness of breath after a chemical reaction in the backstage area near Star Tours – The Adventures Continue in Tomorrowland. Also this month, the Anaheim Police Department descended upon the park after live streamers allegedly called in false reports of an active mass shooting and bomb threats.

Notable incidents of years past saw guests swept out of the seating for Fantasmic! after the iconic Maleficent dragon animatronic burst into flames, dry ice explosions in Mickey’s Toontown, and a derailment on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that injured 10 guests and fatally injured another.

Latest Incident Hits Disneyland

The latest Disneyland incident occurred yesterday (March 17) when the west side of Main Street, U.S.A. was temporarily evacuated.

While Disneyland hasn’t confirmed the nature of the evacuation, guests have shared their accounts on Reddit. As per one parkgoer, alarms rang out from Main Street buildings at multiple points throughout the day. “Wonder if it’s tied to the Jungle Cruise refurbishment,” they suggested. “It goes behind that whole side.”

Looks like all of the West Side of Main Street has been temporarily evacuated
byu/swellfella inDisneyland

Another guest alleged that they were evacuated from the Emporium.

“The alarm sounded and they told everyone to put down the merchandise and leave right away…didn’t see why,” they wrote.

The Emporium wasn’t the only location affected. The west side of Main Street includes shopping and dining destinations such as New Century Jewelry, Fortuosity Shop, Carnation Café, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen, and Refreshment Corner.

“I noticed that Carnation and Gibson Girl were closed with a bunch of people standing around in the street and then took this picture while walking out,” one guest wrote. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the seating or hazmat but things are definitely wild these days.”

Guests also noted that there is currently some scaffolding up on Main Street, meaning the evacuation could have been related to construction.

Taken together, the incident appears to have been brief and contained, with no confirmed injuries and operations returning to normal shortly after. Still, it adds to a growing list of recent disruptions at Disneyland Resort, where construction work, heightened security responses, and isolated technical issues have all contributed to a more unpredictable guest experience.

Pattern of Disneyland Evacuations

This is far from the first time Disney has evacuated guests.

In 2015, a backstage fire near “it’s a small world” prompted a temporary evacuation of the surrounding area after flames — likely caused by fireworks fallout — were reported and quickly contained, with no injuries. Last year, one of the more unexpected evacuations in Disneyland history was sparked by a naked male guest who strutted around New Orleans Square before climbing on top of the Tiana’s Palace restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the guest was arrested – and, presumably, trespassed from Disney property.

Ride breakdowns also trigger frequent evacuations. For example, in 2023, one of the locomotives used for the Disneyland Railroad broke down on a trestle bridge over what was then known as Critter Country (now Bayou Country), forcing an evacuation of all riders.

Have you ever been evacuated at Disney?