Guests Finally Receive an Explanation for This “Infuriating” Disney Problem

A Disneyland guest took to social media to share a possible explanation for why “some rides are down sometimes, so often.”

Any Disney fan knows well the joy of enjoying a day at the Disney Parks. Whether it’s strolling down Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Park in Southern California, or pottering around at a Disney theme park like Disney California Adventure Park, a day at Disney affords guests the opportunity to enjoy the Disney magic.

Despite how immersive and magical the Disney experience is, though, even Disney can’t completely avoid some of the less-than-savory realities of operating a theme park.

Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort / Credit: Disney Parks

Guests have reported a litany of issues related to the Disney Park experience. Some of the most frequently noted frustrations involve the Disney Genie suite of products, including Genie+, Lightning Lane, and Individual Lightning Lane.

This set of products from Disney replaced the previously complimentary FastPass system and, according to Disney, makes operating the parks a smoother process for both management and guests. Disney has also reiterated multiple times in the past that the product has been immensely successful among guests.

All this to say, if you’re a guest who has any issues with the Disney Genie system, buckle down because it’s not going anywhere.

Credit: Disney

But there are also operational issues in the parks that are not quite within Disney’s control. In particular, we’re referring to the oft-reported complaint of ride breakdowns. Any Disney guest is well aware of how some rides in Disney break down frequently. In fact, there have been multiple instances noted of almost every ride in a Disney theme park being down at the same time.

Now, when it comes to this issue, of course, many hold Disney responsible, pointing out that with the amount Disney charges for tickets, they need to up the quality of their offerings for guests.

We’d be remiss not to acknowledge, though, that Disney cannot always control when rides break down. In fact, recently, a guest explained that they finally understood why some rides are sometimes down so often.

The guest explained,

So we were in the space mountain car literally next to take off. We waited a while to get there too. And this lady, for whatever reason, goes past the employee barricade along the track (right where it splits left or right way at the front) and starts like jogging towards something like she was looking for something or someone.

The employee was yelling LADY STOP! and tried to grab her while also hitting the big red button which shut down the entire ride. They made everyone get up and leave even the people in line. This was like 8PM. The ride NEVER reopened the rest of the night. Another employee at a different ride said the resets and inspections take an hour and a half

Now I know why some rides are down sometimes so often.
byu/DSeriesX inDisneyland

This sort of incident where guests jump out of vehicles or simply ignore the safety warnings at the Disney Parks is unfortunately all too common. We have reported on these incidents before, and guests have reportedly been escorted off rides for breaking the rules.

Notable about the guest’s account was their explanation of how long it takes for rides to reset and come back online: “The ride NEVER reopened the rest of the night. Another employee at a different ride said the resets and inspections take an hour and a half.” 

Fellow guests and fans in the comments were very sympathetic to the OP. They expressed their frustration at the situation, calling it “infuriating.”

Another expressed, “It only takes one idiot to ruin it for everyone!” 

Another ostensible former cast member shared their opinion on the matter. They wrote, “8pm? Yeah, I would have shut down the attraction for the rest of the night as well. Back in my day 👵, if you lost or dropped something, you had to wait to get it back. Sometimes at the end of the day, sometimes the next day. People didn’t get off and retrieve their items themselves. Smh.”

The entrance to Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Resort / Credit: Disney

Ultimately, the incident explained one reason why so many Disney Park rides have to experience shutdowns. While it would certainly be unfair only to blame guests for ride breakdowns, it’s worth noting that guest behavior is one of the most easily corrected issues in this equation, and perhaps it’s worthwhile to consider starting there.

Have you experienced this kind of behavior at the Disney Parks? Let Disney Dining know in the comments!