Have you ever had a ride you were on in Disney World break down? Or did you notice something that was very off during the ride, like Donald Duck being replaced by a plant?
Remember Plant Donald?
Ride malfunctions happen in Disney World sometimes, and can either be funny things to laugh at or a unique evacuation experience. Many of us have been stopped on a ride for a few moments at some point, but there have been more extreme instances! And then, there are the rides that seem to regularly have issues. So, we’re taking a look at the most infamous Disney World ride malfunctions!
Omnimovers
We gotta start with this one because there are SO MANY Omnimovers in Disney World! If you don’t know what an Omnimover is, it’s a ride system developed by Disney that is continuously moving. So, think of the rides that are already moving when you get on them, like Spaceship Earth, Peter Pan’s Flight, or Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid.
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
These ride systems usually allow for faster loading, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their fair share of issues! Omnimovers tend to stop a lot, but it’s usually a quick stop. This could be due to the fact that the track needs to stop for people who need a bit more time to load into and out of the vehicles.
Spaceship Earth
But, there are still rides this happens on more than others. In particular, we see Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin stop pretty frequently. Those ghosts and evil Emperor Zurg must be messing with the mechanics!
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
But again, these stops are usually only for a moment, so just know that if they do stop while you’re on them, it’s normal!
Click here to see 5 Disney rides that were absolute game changers!
PeopleMover
Okay, PeopleMover is also an Omnimover but we’re singling it out because it has seen some frequent evacuations in the past! It happened twice in April of 2021, then twice AGAIN in June, then once in August, then again in September, and then AGAIN in November. Phew! And that’s just when we spotted it with our own eyes. That’s a lot.
PeopleMover evacuation
We’ve seen people be walked off of the PeopleMover several times, and we’ve also seen the ride be closed for unknown reasons.
Click here to see an awesome PeopleMover collectible!
Space Mountain
Space Mountain is one of the top rides that gets evacuated the most in Disney World, but it’s a little more special than the others. This is because if you get evacuated off of Space Mountain, you may get to see it with ALL of the lights on!
Blast off!
For a ride that’s almost completely pitch black, this is a really unique experience, especially for the big Disney fans out there. Although, the track might surprise you…and make you think twice about putting your arms up on the ride!
Click here to see the most evacuated rides in Disney World!
Splash Mountain
Back in August of 2020, a Splash Mountain boat sank. Yup, you read that right…sank. Twitter user @skyelaringrsoll tweeted a video of the Splash Mountain ride vehicle she was in completely submerged below the water.
so we got out of our boat because it was sinking while we were stuck there and the disney world employee decided to tell us that we should’ve stayed in the boat but it went under as soon as we all stepped out… nice #DisneyWorld #splashmountain #MagicKingdom #disney not okay???? pic.twitter.com/15zMnP1wgX
— sky (@skyelaringrsoll) August 3, 2020
Disney issued a statement after the incident saying, “The incident happened toward the end of the ride and involved five visitors. All five visitors were able to get out of the ride vehicle safely.”
Splash Mountain
We’re so glad everyone was safe! But, it was kind of a wild sight to see. Splash Mountain also has breakdowns from time to time, with guests having to evacuate the ride.
Evacuation
But, you don’t have to worry about any incidents right now, because the ride is closed for routine maintenance.
Click here to learn about The Princess and the Frog makeover coming to Splash Mountain!
Jungle Cruise
Speaking of sinking boats, this also happened to a boat over at Jungle Cruise! In February of 2020, we saw one of the boats submerge into the water with guests on it. Thankfully, the guests were all able to exit the ride safely and there were no reported injuries.
Guest Photo c/o Amy D.
The boat that sank was the Bomokandi Bertha, which is one of the wheelchair lift-equipped boats. The system of the ride runs on an underwater navigation system, but the reason for the sinkage was unknown.
Click here to see the recent Jungle Cruise holiday overlay!
Carousel of Progress
This classic ride has been at Disney World since the mid-70s, and is one of only two that bear Walt Disney’s name in the title (the other is Enchanted Tiki Room). The attraction originally debuted at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair and features a rotating theater that follows a family through the 20th century.
Carousel of Progress
But, back in November of 2020, the ride had a big problem on its hands…or should we say, hand. Millennium-era John was MISSING A HAND! AHHH!
Give this animatronic a hand!
Yeah, a bit concerning to say the least, but John didn’t seem to be bothered by his missing hand. This is definitely one of the funnier mishaps we’ve seen in Disney World!
Click here to see the Carousel of Progress treat we ate out of a BATHTUB!
Frozen Ever After
And, while we’re on the subject of funny mishaps, we can’t forget to talk about Frozen Ever After over in EPCOT! The ride has seen its fair share of issues, some to our amusement, like when Anna’s WHOLE FACE was missing during the scene with her and Kristoff singing.
You okay, Anna?!
📷: nicoleuttaro on Instagram pic.twitter.com/L3X6OnXWeJ
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 11, 2020
That image has us scarred for life, you guys! There’s just a black hole where Anna’s face should be! But, that wasn’t the only funny thing to happen to our Frozen sisters, Elsa has also had some issues. Once, we found her just not singing her iconic “Let It Go” at all — she was just dancing silently without any music!
This is so 2020. Poor Elsa not singing “Let It Go” on Frozen Ever After. pic.twitter.com/2Wz4T165oS
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 12, 2020
And, another time, Elsa just stood there silently with her eyes half open and sort of waved at everyone to get out of her ice castle!
Even Elsa is tired of singing Let it Go. I’m dying over the hand gesture 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/zkS8j4qbYE
— ✨Christie ✨ (@christier0408) September 1, 2020
We guess there were some issues with the projections they use for the character’s faces. But, these moments make us laugh, and keep our rides exciting!
Click here to find out about PAYING to skip the line for Frozen Ever After!
Ellen’s Energy Adventure
Ellen’s Energy Adventure is a now closed ride that was once in EPCOT (it was previously called Universe of Energy). The ride featured Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye (among other celebrities) teaching you about the history of energy resources, how energy is produced, and the search for new energy sources. It closed permanently in 2017.
Universe of Energy
But, on its very last day of operation on August 13th, 2017, the ride actually broke down and had to be evacuated! We’re sure it was really sad for the people trying to ride it for the very last time. But, they got a really unique experience because they got to walk around the ride and take pictures!
Universe of Energy in 2017!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now being built where Ellen’s Energy Adventure once was.
Click here to see the latest on the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride coming to EPCOT!
Rise of the Resistance
Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is no stranger to closures. It shuts down pretty often. One of our reporters actually had it shut down 3 times in ONE DAY before she was able to ride it! Big yikes.
Rise is down
This is something to be aware of if you’re getting up really early to rope drop the ride. Even if you’re one of the first people in line, it could break down.
Rise is closed
If you purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance and it breaks down, you will be given an “experience redemption” pass which is a pass that can be used at that ride any time during that day, if and when the ride reopens. If the ride doesn’t reopen at all that day, you will be refunded the money you paid for the Lightning Lane.
Click here to see what happens if you’re evacuated off of Rise of the Resistance!
Those are some of the most infamous ride malfunctions in Disney World! Have you ever experienced any of these for yourself? Tell us in the comments! And, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World tips, tricks, and updates.
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I once got stuck with my daughter when she was just 6 years old, on the Skyway behind the castle, for about 30 minutes. We did have an awesome view of the fireworks. To keep my daughters mind off of being stuck, I started asking her if she had seen my chap stick. We still laugh about how silly that was. But in a way it worked. She was calm. And we had a great view of the fireworks.
THIS WAS NOT ACTUALLY A MALFUNCTION, WE WERE ON TEST TRACK WHEN IT BEGAN TO RAIN WITH LOTS OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. WE WERE ALMOST READY TO GO OUT THE DOOR TO THE TRACK. WE HAD TO SIT INSIDE THE BUILDING FOR ABOUT 2O MINUTES. THEY KEPT US UPDATED BUT FINALLY HAD TO TAKE EVERYONE OFF THE RIDE. IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE BEHIND THE RIDE .YOU DON’T REALIZE HOW MUCH GOES INTO THE WAY A RIDE IS BUILT.THEY GAVE US A FAST PASS FOR A FUTURE RIDE. I STILL TELL PEOPLE HOW WE RODE TEST TRACK TWO AND ONE-HALF TIMES.