Are you at that point where basically nothing shocks you anymore? (I know we are!)
Cinderella Castle
So, about that, here we were minding our business and having a great time at Magic Kingdom when we had the unexpected happen. We’re talking about a specific ride revelation that had us shook. Let’s talk about it!
As we were saying, we knew that something was up when we started noticing that quite a few of the attractions at Magic Kingdom were showing that they were temporarily closed in the My Disney Experience app. Just take a look:
©Disney
All in all, we noticed that these 13 (!!!) attractions were down at Magic Kingdom:
- Astro Orbiter
- The Barnstormer
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Jungle Cruise
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Tom Sawyer Island
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Walt Disney World Railroad
Now what’s the thread that connects all of these attractions?? They’re all outdoor attractions and they all closed at the same time due to inclement weather!
Storms at Magic Kingdom
Had we not been looking at the app at the time of the storms, it might have slipped our notice that so many of the attractions close at Magic Kingdom whenever there are storms in the area (more so than any of the other parks).
Magic Kingdom is already looking dark and gloomy this morning.
You’ll have to keep in mind that during the rainy season, (which is practically all year long) if you’re headed to Magic Kingdom, you’ll need to keep an eye on the weather so that it won’t affect your time there. Now, also remember that a lot of days, inclement weather comes and goes quickly at Disney World. So while you watch many people head for the exits, you may want to find a spot (like an indoor ride or show, a shop, or an indoor restaurant) to wait things out — you could be treated to a less-crowded park (and shorter lines!) when the weather clears up and the rides re-open.
Our best advice is to find a weather app where it’s easy to watch the live radar and have it downloaded to your phone before your trip. That way you can see how long the bad weather is expected to last and make more informed decisions on what to do next.
Until then, stay tuned to DFB for the latest! We’ve got you covered.
What’s Going on With the Magic Kingdom Parade?!
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I use WeatherBug, which not only features radar, but a lightning tracker!
So what happens to all the lightning lane reservations people paid for when rides close due to weather!!?? It didn’t matter so much when Fastpass was free! Do they get a refund bc their reservation was cancelled and new days or times dont work for them? This must be similar to when plane reservations are cancelled. Sometimes it can be days before you get a new one….by then it’s too late….vacay is over!
Surprised the carousel and teacups stayed open. Too bad Wdw can’t say they’re temporarily closed due to weather. Right now, it makes it seem they are closed….period! Yes, lightning within a few miles closes rides at all theme parks. Is the skyliner now lightning proof? That definitely should close during storms as should all boats and ferries. We stay in the park if the storm is fast moving but shop or eat. At least try to. Everyone else has the same idea and it’s crowded!!!
You will have to speak with Guest Services, but generally you are offered an Experience Pass to ride something else or return to that ride at a later time. It seems like it depends on how long the ride will be down. I’ve left a Virtual Queue ride before when it went down and was told I could not come back and nothing was offered to me because it was my choice to leave rather than wait for the ride to come back up. I’m assuming that was because they didn’t think the ride would be down much longer, but I decided to ride something else.
Guests seem to get less and less with each passing year, and the weather does not help