Walt Disney World may be the “Most Magical Place on Earth”, but that doesn’t mean a trip to the resort is always perfect. Whether it’s weather issues, rude guests, or mechanical issues with rides breaking down, potentially trip-altering incidents can always happen.
I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World for 30+ years, and during that time, I’ve had my fair share of issues, including rides breaking down. Once during my youth, I was visiting with family, including my elderly grandmother. She spent most of the trip refusing to ride any rides, until we finally convinced her to take a ride on the PeopleMover. So, of course, within minutes of the ride starting, it broke down, and we had to be evacuated. Much to my grandmother’s chagrin — and the chagrin of the rest of us who had to hear about it — this included having to walk the track’s emergency route and descend down a staircase. Yeah, suffice to say that was the last ride she rode.
Picture this: you are in line for a super popular ride like Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios or Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom. Or you woke up extra early just to be among the first in line for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT.
You are almost to the front of the line when, all of a sudden, a Cast Member gets over the speaker to let you know that the ride has broken down and you need to exit the line.
UGH! You spent all that time in line and did not even get to ride the attraction. Even worse, the attraction may not be back up for the day.
We go to Disney World every day and have experienced this issue quite a bit ourselves. One member of our team tried to get on Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind by queueing three times in March, but every time they got in line, the ride went down, and they never got to ride.
The queue for Rise of the Resistance is a ride experience within itself. One of our team members made it through all the pre-shows, and when the doors opened to board the ride vehicle, the ride broke down. NOOO!
We totally get it. It can be so disappointing when this happens, and it can happen daily to anyone across all the parks. While we can’t avoid ride breakdowns, we have some tips for what you can do if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.
The first thing is not to let it ruin your day! There are still so many other offerings across the park that you will be able to find something to fill the time while you wait for the ride to be back up. By keeping a positive attitude, you can help turn the day around!
Next, get your favorite Disney snack to cheer yourself up! There is nothing a Mickey Pretzel or Churro can’t fix! Or if you are hungry for a full meal, you can dine close to the closed attraction; that way, when the attraction is back up, you can be close by to rejoin the queue. Need some ideas? We’ve got you covered:
- Les Halles is located in the France Pavilion in EPCOT near Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Satu’li Canteen is located in Pandora near Flight of Passage
- The Joffrey’s Kiosk near the Tower of Terror has an exclusive cookie we LOVE!
- Gaston’s Tavern is located in Magic Kingdom near Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
On the other hand, people will rush to an attraction as soon as it re-opens, which can sometimes mean that other lines for attractions nearby can drop. You can take advantage of this and wait in shorter lines for other attractions!
One of our favorite Disney World “hacks” is that you can get in line for an attraction up to one minute before the park closes. That means that if Hollywood Studios closes at 9 PM, you can get in line for Slinky Dog Dash right at 8:59 PM. Just remember not to run, and be kind to Cast Members if you miss the cutoff. This can be a good strategy to make up for lost time, as you will do the long wait after the park closes, giving you more time to wait in shorter lines when the park is open.
We know that a ride breakdown can be disappointing, as we have dealt with numerous breakdowns. Regardless of what you choose to do to make up for the situation, make sure to have the My Disney Experience app downloaded so you can monitor wait times and see when rides are back up and running!
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
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Slinky Dog Dash
Have you ever been in line when a ride breaks down? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
Forget fading Disney World..
You need to check out Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea
DisneySea clocks out as the best Amusement Park on this Planet..
As a local WDW park-goer, I am hearing this comment from out-of-town visitors more and more frequently, especially in the past two years. I tell them the truth–if my family and I didn’t have the luxury of living so close to the WDW parks, we would be replacing WDW with Disney Cruise Line trips. DCL cruises are fun, relaxing, and your truly feel “taken care of.” They have a unique, beautiful blend of Disney magic, and that’s why we have decided to book a Disney cruise once a year even though we live close to the WDW parks. We will always love the WDW parks, but I think people need to have more realistic expectations of what kind of vacation they want. We’re all guilty of it! Who HASN’T gone to the WDW parks and have been disappointed at least once? The only difference is that many of us are locals who are not spending thousands of dollars on plane flights and hotels. It doesn’t mean that we don’t adore our beloved Disney parks. It just means that we have to shift our thinking as to what Disney experience we want, or in some cases, what Disney experience would make use feel like we got our money’s worth. Tokyo Disney Sea and Tokyo Disneyland are on our list since we hear amazing things! In the meantime, we will continue to encourage people that if they are “on the fence” about spending thousands at Disney parks, I would tell them to have a fabulous time on a Disney cruise instead. Just ditch the parks for one year and try it once! My die-hard-WDW-parks-forever spouse NEVER thought he would like DCL, and now HE’S the one looking for Disney cruise deals every year, despite his seasickness! (He gets anti-seasickness prescription patches from the doctor before each cruise.) Anyway, this was a good article! Hopefully, more out-of-towners look for alternative Disney options. They are out there!
It’s called Disneypointment. When you expect everything to be magical, but it falls short. From ride maintenance/closures, to staff interactions, lack luster on site hotel experiences, or very disappointing meals at one of their “high end” restaurants. It can be found everywhere in our around the parks, and every year it grows.
I’m terrified of coasters, but on 2 different occasions i was in line for the Aerosmith coaster. Was next in line to board and the ride broke down. I took this as divine intervention that I was meant to get on it. I never tried again!
Went late Aug, early Sept.
Way too many breakdowns, this was 30+ visit, never been this bad.
The hotel stay was just as concerning. 4 vists to the front desk for problems. Promises not kept.
Is a vacation like this worth the aggravation……
It a struggle when it was to be your last ride of the night and your spouse’s first time experiencing “Rise of the Resistance.” Disney technology is supposed to be ground breaking. Not disappointing! Oh well, try to ride another day.
We were at dis neyi april a nd july of this year the rides we wanted too ride closed even s.mall world was not working I wrote a letter to Disney replYwas sorry .Y the next time may be they be open I dont thing there be $a next time after spending $3500 on 2 days
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