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As Walt Disney World incorporates the newest technologies into the park attractions, guests to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT share one common fate. At some point, they’re likely to experience a ride that will break down.
Despite all of the current complications with lightning lanes, the transition away from the park reservation system, and more, one common theme amongst those guests still visiting Disney World is that they often find themselves on different attractions that have stopped working. It’s a problem that seems to be occurring more often these days, leading many to complain online and wonder what’s actually going on at Walt Disney World.
Typical Ride Systems That Break Down in Each Park
Credit: Rob Bixby/ Flickr
Each of Disney World’s four theme parks has a multitude of rides and attractions. Many of the rides are older, having been in operation for decades, while some are relatively new but incorporate complex technology that can sometimes be temperamental.
As each park is unique, each has a ride or two known for breaking down. Although there’s always the chance that something could happen at any time on any ride, a few attractions at Disney often break down more than others.
Magic Kingdom
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Magic Kingdom has many attractions that tell the story of some of our favorite Disney classics. At the flagship park, you’ll find old and new rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and TRON: Lightcycle Run.
Although both have had their fair share of issues, one ride that consistently breaks down at Magic Kingdom is Peter Pan’s Flight. Despite some others that we’ll mention, this one actually makes sense. It’s a very old attraction, and the building is not structurally ideal.
Animal Kingdom
Credit: Disney
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to many rides and attractions that celebrate the flora and fauna of Earth, as well as a few fictional places like Pandora. A guest to Animal Kingdom can enjoy unique rides like DINOSAUR and Kilimanjaro Safaris while taking sites and sounds of nature and wild animals.
Although you may experience some downtime at Animal Kingdom on rides like Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest , the most common attraction that malfunctions is Kali River Rapids, often needing fire and rescue to escort guests from the water rafts.
EPCOT
Credit: cinemablend.com
EPCOT is interesting as it isn’t heavily focused on attractions, although it does have a few great ones! Visitors at EPCOT can learn a lot about agriculture, sea life, and technology from attractions like Test Track and The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
Although there are a few older attractions at EPCOT, one of the oldest, situated inside of the park’s icon, Spaceship Earth, often has many issues due to its age. Honestly, I can’t remember a time riding Spaceship Earth when it wasn’t stopped or been interrupted.
Hollywood Studios
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Disney’s Hollywood Studios is quickly becoming the place for movie fans and thrill-seekers to visit. Although a relatively small park, it packs a large punch with attractions like Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
However, as you may have guessed, it’s newest attraction is not only the most unreliable at Hollywood Studios, but in the entirety of Walt Disney World, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance! Breaking down often, this high-tech experience has proven to be extremely unreliable.
The Worst Place for a Ride to Break Down at Disney World
There are plenty of attractions at Walt Disney World that stink to be on when they break down. One may consider a ride breakdown on Rise of the Resistance the worst possible case, as it is often a must-do for many who have waited a long time for the experience.
Although that’s certainly a sad notion, anticipation for a ride doesn’t necessarily fit our metric for the worst ride to break down at Walt Disney World. In fact, the answer may be surprising to you.
Credit: Disney
Florida is incredibly hot; this is not a secret. So when you’re riding an outdoor attraction in the middle of the day, and the sun is beating down on you, it is far from a magical time. That’s why the track leading up to the giant mountain on Expedition Everest at Walt Disney World is the worst place to experience a breakdown.
On a recent trip to Animal Kingdom, we were making the trip up the mountain to face off with the Yeti. Our train came to a complete stop in the glaring sun just before the awning that features the tribal art of the Himayalas. We were stopped for about ten minutes, but I thought I was going to literally die. The sun was relentless and there was zero shade. It was one of the most brutal experiences I’ve ever had at Disney World.
The Best Place for a Ride to Break Down at Disney World
Although no one really wants to experience a breakdown at Disney World, unless you’ve just ridden everything and want to see an attraction with the lights on, there are places that are better than others to get stuck.
Without a doubt, these places are almost always indoors where there is air-conditioning. Rides like Navi River Journey at Animal Kingdom and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway offer a relaxed, cool breakdown experience.
Credit: Brian McGowan
Beating the heat is one thing, but being comfortable and in a nice spot for a nap is another. When a ride breakdowns, it doesn’t just allow you the chance to escape the sun; you also get to rest your feet and rest up!
For this reason, one of the best places to break down at Walt Disney World is the backward drop into the graveyard at the Haunted Mansion. Getting stuck here is nice and cool, but also allows a great stretch for your back (assuming you don’t have any back issues), which feels amazing!
No one really ever wants to break down on a Disney attraction. However, as rides move thousands of guests a day through Disney World’s four parks, it’s going to happen often. Although we don’t get to pick or choose where and when ride breakdowns occur, we can try to make the best of the situations with a positive attitude and understanding that technology is out of Cast Member control in many cases.
What’s a ride you like to breakdown on? If there somewhere you’ve always wanted to be escorted off of? Let us know in the comments!
