Memorial Day weekend is upon us — the weekend that many people consider the kickoff to summer. It is also one of the busiest weekends at places like Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. Even though the Parks are not at the full attendance capacity they were before the pandemic, they are still incredibly crowded. Park reservations are either sold out or nearly sold out, so the lines for everything from rides and attractions to places to eat will be long and patience will be required.
Due to the large crowds that are expected, Disney always tries to have all of its rides and attractions ready to go. Unfortunately for Guests visiting Disneyland Resort, one of the most popular attractions will be closed for the entire weekend.
Several days ago, Guests reported seeing smoke coming from one of the ride vehicles on Radiator Springs Racers — an attraction themed after the popular Pixar film Cars — located in Disney California Adventure Park. While there were no confirmed reports of a fire, Disneyland officials have decided to keep the ride closed throughout the weekend as they investigate what happened.
According to a report from The Orange County Register:
A Disneyland spokesperson confirmed that there was an issue with a single vehicle, and the ride was closed all day Wednesday. It will remain closed indefinitely “out of an abundance of caution.”
The Disneyland spokesperson said that guests “might see visible testing over the weekend.”
Accidents and mechanical problems involving Disneyland or other theme parks are investigated by the state Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit of Cal-OSHA.
Disney California Adventure Park has been open since 2001, but Radiator Springs Racers is not as old as the Park. Beginning in 2009, DCA underwent a massive construction expansion. The work lasted longer than Disney had been expecting, but finally, in 2012, Guests were able to finally walk the streets of Radiator Springs and the highlight of the area was Radiator Springs Racers.
In the 10 years since it has been open, Radiator Springs Racers has been one of the most popular rides, if not the most popular ride, in California Adventure. When FastPasses were around, Radiator Springs Racers would be one of the first rides to run out of passes for the day. Wait times for the attraction are frequently at least 90 minutes long.
Disney has not said how long the ride will be closed, but if the problem is quickly solved and fixed, it is possible that the ride could reopen as early as late next week.