A recent ride on Walt Disney World Resort’s Soarin’ Around the World took a dramatic turn when guests found themselves stuck 40 feet in the air after the ride malfunctioned. This popular attraction at EPCOT, which has been delighting theme park guests since its opening in 2005, left riders in suspense as they were left dangling mid-flight, awaiting an evacuation.
Soarin’ Around the World Encounters Malfunction
Soarin’ Around the World, a flight simulator that takes guests soaring over some of Earth’s most iconic landmarks, had been operating smoothly as usual when something went awry during one guest’s ride. Reddit user u/Pedialytepixie took to the social media platform to share their experience, detailing how their ride was interrupted and how they ended up stuck mid-air.
“Rode Soarin today,” the Walt Disney World Resort guest wrote. “The ride was amazing, as it should be, but at the end of our ride we saw a blue screen, and were stuck in the air for about 10 minutes.”
Guests Left Hanging and Waiting for Rescue
While a malfunction of this nature can be anxiety-inducing, Disney cast members quickly reassured guests, explaining that a technical issue had occurred. The guests, though startled, were instructed to stay seated as the situation was handled.
“They said ‘there’s too much fog to land, we’ll have you moving immediately’ and then we waited ten minutes,” the Disney Park guest continued. “We did get to see a little door open through the screen, a cool behind the scenes moment, but it was a lil scary being stuck up 40 feet in the air!”
Despite the unplanned delay, Disney cast members helped the guests stay calm while waiting for their evacuation, offering them a rare behind-the-scenes view of the ride’s inner workings. It appears that no one was harmed during the incident, and the situation was resolved quickly.
Safe Evacuation and Return to Normal Operations
Disney cast members safely unloaded guests from Soarin’ Around the World after the 10-minute ordeal. The EPCOT ride was back up and running shortly after the incident. At the time of this article’s publication, Soarin’ Around the World was operating normally, with guests continuing to experience the ride as intended.
Would you re-ride a Walt Disney World Resort attraction after getting stuck on it? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments.
