If you’ve been to Disney World, you know that sometimes the unexpected happens.
Rise of the Resistance
First, the weather is notoriously unpredictable. It could be raining one minute and all sunshine and hot the next. Then there are the ride closures. Some are planned (mostly for refurbishments), but sometimes rides just go down for whatever reason. Well, on December 30th, 2023, it happened to some of Disney World’s most popular rides.
At one point, five of Disney World’s most popular rides were closed…at the same time. In Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest was closed. In EPCOT, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure were closed. In Magic Kingdom, Pirates of the Caribbean was closed. In Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it was Rise of the Resistance (okay, probably not a HUGE surprise there).
Hey Disney, uhh…you good? pic.twitter.com/Zx7Y3FJviw
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 30, 2023
Later, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure re-opened, but the rest of those attractions remained closed. Not only that, but December 30th shaped up to be one of the BUSIEST days of the year in Disney World! The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train reached a 200-minute wait, while Peter Pan’s Flight hit 160 minutes. Additionally, Genie+ (which was at its record-high price for the year) sold out for multiple parks, including Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
So, if you find yourself in Disney World when a situation like this happens, what should you do? Well, the first thing is to look for something else to ride. There really is no other option, but you will want to keep an eye on the My Disney Experience app to see when rides reopen, especially if they’re a priority.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
If you’ve purchased Genie+, you’ll automatically get a multi-experience redemption pass that’s good for several other rides. Note that if you’re already in a ride’s Lightning Lane and have scanned in, you’ll need to go to Guest Relations to get the multi-experience pass. If you ever have questions or concerns, you can always talk with a Cast Member in Guest Relations.
Lightning Lane sign for Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
If you’ve paid for an Individual Lightning Lane for a ride, you’ll get an “experience redemption,” which acts as a boarding pass to ride that attraction when it reopens on that same day. If, for some reason, the ride does not reopen, you qualify for a refund, but you’ll have to go to Guest Relations to request it. However, you can only get the refund if the ride does not reopen or Disney announces it will be closed for the rest of the day.
Flight of Passage Queue
It isn’t exactly ideal when multiple rides go down like this, but knowing your options could keep these kinds of closures from ruining your day. We always recommend being flexible because sometimes these things just happen, even at the busiest time of the year.
Stay tuned to DFB for more.
Whew. We know that planning a Disney World trip is A LOT. And this Genie+ thing can be so confusing – which is why we bring you posts like this so often. But we’ve also put together a complete guide in ebook format that gives you all of the info you need, all in one place! Use code WDW2023 for 25% off our DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World.
Everything That Permanently Closed in Disney World in 2023
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“However, you can only get the refund if the ride does not reopen or Disney announces it will be closed for the rest of the day.”
This is obscene. What happens if your Lightning Lane is for 3pm…the ride doesn’t reopen until 7pm…but you have a 6pm dining reservation? Or you have other plans outside the park!
How can this be true? If so, a total rip-off!