Not all Disney World rides are created equally.
Some are just non-negotiable and you absolutely have to ride them every time you visit — trust us, we know the feeling. But what happens when your favorite Disney World attraction is closed? And, what happens if it’s closed pretty often — like more than 50 times in one month?
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has some seriously incredible attractions, and one garners some pretty high wait times on any given day: Slinky Dog Dash over in Toy Story Land. This outdoor rollercoaster is fun for all ages (okay, maybe not the super little ones!) so it’s no wonder folks are lining up to ride it. There’s just one problem — Slinky Dog Dash temporarily closes quite a bit. In fact, according to our friends over at AllEars.net, the ride shut down 55 times in just 29 days during August 2023.
That’s more than a closure per day — and almost two closures per day. So, what gives? Well, an attraction can be closed for any number of reasons. Part of the ride system may be malfunctioning, there could be a ride vehicle issue, or maybe someone got sick. But there’s something that can impact an outdoor ride rather frequently — especially in the summer: bad storms.
And, truthfully, it doesn’t even need to be a full-on storm for Disney to shut a ride down for safety either — if there’s lightning within a certain radius of the parks (typically 10 miles). This is something you should consider keeping in mind when you’re planning out your Disney World trip. We often see storms hit in the afternoon when the temps reach their highest for the day, so if there are outdoor rides you don’t want to miss — hit ’em early in the morning.
You can also consider waiting until evening after the storms potentially pass, though this won’t help you if the ride has shut down for other reasons. Keep an eye on your weather app along with My Disney Experience so you can be prepared!
Whew. We know that planning a Disney World trip is A LOT – 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.
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Karen says
We are currently in Hollywood Studios and got up early for rope drop and Slinky ride isn’t running first thing in the morning!!!! What a disappointment! I know things happen but shouldn’t be this often, right! In Magic Kingdom yesterday and both rides Tiana’s and Tron were down!!!! Not finding the MAGIC this trip. Lots of money for missing out on the important rides. Especially since we flew our granddaughter down here from upstate NY!