Dozens of riders became trapped inside Spaceship Earth at EPCOT on Wednesday evening when the iconic attraction malfunctioned. Walt Disney World Resort guests spent approximately 30 minutes stuck inside the geodesic sphere—some at the very top—before being evacuated down emergency staircases with the work lights on.
30-Minute Ordeal for Trapped Guests
Spaceship Earth broke down around 7:20 p.m. on January 21, stranding riders throughout the attraction. Reddit user u/splendidsandpiper shared their experience along with rare behind-the-scenes photos showing the normally pitch-black upper section illuminated by work lights.
Spaceship Earth evacuation from the top, 1/21/26
Spaceship Earth evacuation from the top, 1/21/26
byu/splendidsandpiper inWaltDisneyWorld
The images reveal the interior of the triangle-shaped tiles that form the iconic geodesic sphere. One photograph captures Disney Park guests beginning their descent down the winding emergency staircase running through the attraction’s core.
“The lights turned on and we waited another 15 or so minutes for a CM to open our vehicle doors one-by-one,” the Walt Disney World Resort guest wrote. “It took us about 10 minutes to descend the stairs to the bottom, which we reached a little after 8pm.”
Guests remained trapped inside Spaceship Earth for approximately 15 minutes after the malfunction before Disney cast members announced evacuation due to “technical difficulties.” The entire ordeal—from breakdown to reaching ground level—lasted roughly 40 minutes.
Limited Compensation Offered
Disney cast members provided all evacuated guests with complimentary Lightning Lane passes, though with significant restrictions. The passes couldn’t be used on EPCOT’s most popular attractions: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
“It was good only for the next hour (until park close),” the guest explained.
The one-hour expiration window left little time for guests to use the compensation, especially considering the evacuation concluded shortly after 8:00 p.m., with the park closing soon after.
Despite Wednesday’s breakdown, Spaceship Earth had reopened and was operating normally at the time this article was published.
Have you ever evacuated a ride at Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments!
