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When it comes to innovation, the Walt Disney Company is one of the best and brightest, always reaching for a “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” so to speak. Even from the very beginning, the Walt Disney Company has been a source of progress regarding everything from the latest technology to the best standby line strategies for keeping guests happy.
But nowadays, the company is leading the path to innovation by…purposefully adding flaws to its attractions? That’s what the latest rumors are saying!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Is Home to Some Revolutionary Rides
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Disney World’s Hollywood Studios theme park has seen a lot of new additions in the past few years.
In 2018, the Disney Park welcomed Toy Story Land, which added three new attractions (Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania, and Alien Swirling Saucers).
A year later, the theme park welcomed Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which resulted in the addition of two new immersive experiences (Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run).
Credit: Steven Beyer, Unsplash
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But the Disney Park’s latest marvel in technology is none other than Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which debuted in March 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the world in its tracks.
This attraction is innovative in a few different ways. For one, it’s the first ride in any Disney Park to star Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.
For another example, this attraction is entirely trackless, so guests are never entirely sure where the ride is taking them next.
But the Walt Disney Company allegedly added something entirely new besides these novelties: intentional breakdowns.
Walt Disney Company Adding Intentional Breakdowns?
Credit: Disney
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It’s incredibly common for this attraction to ‘break down’ during the scene in which Daisy Duck teaches the guests to waltz. As she counts, the ride vehicles sway from side to side. But it’s not uncommon for there to be a noticeable pause from Daisy’s animatronic, making guests wait before she begins her count.
It’s so common that one anonymous fan posted about it on Reddit, asking other fans for insight on why the attraction breaks down so often:
On my most recent trip […] I rode Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway early in the morning before long wait times. […] I was already well aware of the frequent breakdowns on certain things, and was wondering if anyone had stories or facts about these breakdowns to share!
My personal breakdown story is this (SPOILERS!!): While in the dance [classroom] with Daisy Duck, she began speaking and started to instruct us to dance but then froze for some 30 seconds, before stating her lines and proceeding to direct our dance lesson. I thought it was interesting how she stood in position (projection face stayed on, all other audio besides speech worked) the whole time and then resumed like nothing happened.
I would love to know if anyone else has some interesting breakdown stories to share or info they have on why this ride breaks down often!
Immediately, the comments began pouring in.
Credit: Becky Burkett
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One anonymous fan writes, “that Daisy malfunction is sort of intentional. It means something is off up ahead and the ride needs to stall for time. They picked a kind of funny spot in her dialog to intentionally build anticipation.” Nearly every comment contains some variation of the same idea.
There’s no way for us to confirm this without speaking with a Walt Disney Imagineer, so for now, we’d simply label this as a widely accepted rumor. On the one hand, this may be an innovative way to stall for time, giving other ride vehicles time to catch up or move ahead. On the other hand, it creates a break from the illusion and, therefore, causes a gap in the Disney magic.
Perhaps the need to give all ride vehicles time to catch up is one of the few downsides to utilizing a trackless attraction system.
What do you think of Disney World’s alleged intentional ride breakdowns? Let Disney Dining know in the comments below!
The Most Popular Attractions of Walt Disney World
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Other popular Hollywood Studios attractions include the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith,
The most popular attractions in Animal Kingdom are Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Avatar Flight of Passage, and Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Over in EPCOT, the most popular attractions include Spaceship Earth, Soarin’ Around the World, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Magic Kingdom is home to the most recognizable attractions of Walt Disney World, such as Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, “it’s a small world,” the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and, until recently, Splash Mountain.
