Guests eager to enjoy their day at Walt Disney World Resort encountered unexpected challenges this morning due to a significant technical outage.
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Disney World Digital Platforms Face Widespread Disruptions
The disruption has affected both the resort’s official website and the My Disney Experience app, leaving many visitors unable to access essential services, leading to confusion and frustration.
Disney Experiences Widespread Technical Difficulties Across Multiple Applications, Including Walt Disney World Website
Disney Experiences Widespread Technical Difficulties Across Multiple Applications, Including Walt Disney World Website https://t.co/l6AP6GH0uL
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Disney’s Digital Platforms Face Widespread Disruptions
Reports of these issues began early in the day and have progressively worsened. The outage is causing both the website and app to either load very slowly or not load at all, impacting visitors’ ability to navigate the parks and manage their plans.
Guests attempting to use the Walt Disney World website have noticed that critical pages are either taking much longer to load than usual or are entirely unresponsive. As of now, no official notices about the issue have been posted on the website, leaving many users caught off guard when they try to access it.
Similarly, the My Disney Experience app, a key resource for park visitors, has been severely impacted. The app does display a message acknowledging the outage, though it provides minimal details about the nature of the problem or when guests can expect the issue to be resolved.
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The message on the app states:
“Some of our digital experiences may be unavailable at this time. We’re actively working to resolve this issue. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Despite this acknowledgment, the lack of detailed information has left many guests uncertain about which services are affected and how long it will take for things to return to normal.
Impact on Guest Experiences
The timing of this outage has complicated the day for many visitors already in the parks or planning to visit soon. The website and My Disney Experience app play crucial roles in organizing nearly every aspect of a Walt Disney World trip. These tools allow guests to purchase tickets, make dining reservations, and join virtual queues for popular attractions—tasks that are now difficult, if not impossible, during the outage.
Without access to these digital platforms, guests are left with limited information about ride wait times, reservation availability, and even whether specific rides are operating. Those looking to modify or cancel plans may find themselves stuck, potentially causing further disruptions to their vacations.
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For those already in the parks, the My Disney Experience app is particularly important for making Genie+ selections, booking Lightning Lane passes, and ordering food at quick-service locations. Without these functionalities, many guests are likely to face longer wait times and may miss out on experiences they had planned.
How Long Will This Last?
At this time, Disney has not provided any estimate for when the issue will be resolved. Technical outages can vary widely in duration based on the underlying cause. While some outages are fixed within a few hours, others may last longer if the problem stems from a larger system failure.
Past technical issues at Disney parks have ranged from being resolved within a few hours to taking nearly a full day. In some cases, Disney has offered guests compensation, such as extra Genie+ selections, as a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience caused by service disruptions. It remains unclear whether such measures will be taken in response to this outage.
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What Guests Can Do During the Outage
While Disney works to address the problem, there are steps guests can take to minimize the impact on their trip:
- Monitor Official Channels: Guests should follow Disney’s social media platforms for updates, as important announcements may be posted there while the website and app are down.
- Contact Guest Services: Those experiencing difficulties in the parks may want to reach out to Guest Services for assistance. Though they may be handling a high volume of calls, they could provide helpful advice or support.
- Prepare for Delays: Without real-time information on wait times or Genie+ selections, guests should plan for longer waits and be flexible with their schedules.
- Use Physical Resources: While less efficient, guests can still use paper maps and in-park signage to navigate. Visiting Guest Relations locations in the parks could also help with reservations or planning challenges.
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Disney’s Response and What to Expect
Disney has released a brief statement regarding the issue:
“We are experiencing technical difficulties across multiple Disney applications. Thank you for your patience. Please stay tuned for updates.”
Although the statement doesn’t offer much in terms of details, it confirms that Disney is aware of the outage and working to resolve it. The lack of communication through more direct channels like the website or app has understandably frustrated some guests, but it’s likely that Disney wants to ensure accurate information before releasing further updates.
As the situation unfolds, visitors are encouraged to remain patient and adaptable while waiting for full digital services to be restored.
Final Thoughts
Outages of this nature can cause major disruptions, particularly for those who rely on Disney’s digital tools for a seamless experience. Given the importance of these platforms for managing reservations and navigating the parks, it’s no surprise that guests are feeling frustrated. Those planning trips in the coming days should monitor the situation closely and be prepared for continued disruptions until the issue is fully resolved.
Will Disney ever learn the basics of redundancy and fail over in their IT systems? Even worse is that the website, booking, lighting lanes/Genie and such are all on Amazon Web Services and proper failover design is right on hand for them, they just have to set it up properly.