Inclement weather descended on Central Florida on Tuesday afternoon and brought a significant chunk of Walt Disney World Resort’s attraction lineup to a temporary halt — 25 rides across all four theme parks closed around the same time.
Why It Happened
Rain alone rarely shuts down Disney Park attractions in bulk, but lightning is a different story. When lightning is detected in the area, Walt Disney World Resort is required to close a wide range of rides — outdoor and, in some cases, indoor — to keep both guests and cast members out of harm’s way. The closures peaked around 3:30 p.m. on June 30, with the full scope visible in real time through the My Disney Experience app.
Magic Kingdom Took the Biggest Hit
Eleven of the 25 closures were at Magic Kingdom Park, making it the most affected theme park of the afternoon. The shutdowns spread across five different lands: Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Jungle Cruise, and Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland; Walt Disney World Railroad on Main Street, U.S.A.; Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Speedway in Tomorrowland; Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland; and “it’s a small world,” Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland.
EPCOT: Seven Closures
EPCOT accounted for seven of the afternoon’s closures across its four neighborhoods. Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure went down in World Showcase. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Test Track closed in World Discovery. Spaceship Earth shut down in World Celebration, and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, closed in World Nature.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Four Closures
Four attractions went offline at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, and Maharajah Jungle Trek all closed in Asia, while Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail shut down in Africa.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Three Closures
Disney’s Hollywood Studios rounded out the count with three closures. Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Walt Disney Presents: Vacation Fun in Echo Lake all went down during the afternoon weather event.
Walt Disney World Resort doesn’t provide specific explanations for individual closures beyond general references to weather or technical issues. The My Disney Experience app remains the fastest way to check real-time attraction status during any theme park visit.
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