What is it like to get stuck on a Disney theme park ride?
Disney World has been around for 50 years. Unlike Universal, they tend to refurbish and keep their original rides instead of replacing them. For example, E.T. Adventure is the only original ride at Universal Studios Orlando, but Magic Kingdom still has 14 original opening day attractions. While this is super fun for nostalgia, it also means that the rides tend to break down with some frequency, even with refurbishments. Some rides break down a few times a week for an hour or more at a time. This begs the question- what happens if you’re on a ride when something breaks?
What happens if a Disney ride temporarily stops?
Most of the time, if something happens when you’re on a ride, you’ll only experience a short interruption. The ride will stop, and an announcement will come over the loudspeakers, explaining that you should sit tight, the ride will be back up soon. Most animatronics will still work, and music will play (a bit of a nightmare when you’re stuck on Small World- but more fun if you’re stuck on Buzz Lightyear and can rack up extra points for shooting Zurg and his minions).
Hanging out waiting on Big Thunder Mountain
How often does this happen?
In all the times we’ve visited Disney World, we’ve been stuck temporarily on rides more times than I can count (sometimes a ride stops to assist someone in a wheelchair entering or exiting the ride vehicle). Still, we’ve only been manually evacuated twice.
What happens if you have to be manually evacuated from a Disney ride?
If more than 5 minutes pass and the music stops, that usually is a good signal that you will end up experiencing a manual evacuation. An announcement will inform you that a cast member is coming to assist (rescue) you. The wait time from here can vary, but it usually doesn’t take long. Usually, they will bring up the house lights, so you can see some behind-the-scenes stuff (look how high the ceiling is! Did you know there is storage over there?). A cast member comes to your vehicle and gives you instructions. They hit a manual lever that releases your restraints and tells you where to climb out. Every ride has a pathway that you can walk on to exit.
Sometimes getting stuck means you get some cool photo ops (here is Cash with a friend on Buzz Lightyear)
Do You Get To See Anything Cool When Being Manually Evacuated?
When we were evacuated from Buzz Lightyear, we followed the normal pathway that the ride follows back to the entrance. While it was cool to see everything from a different perspective, we didn’t see anything you couldn’t see from a ride vehicle. However, we got to go behind the scenes when we got stuck on Big Thunder Mountain. The cast members asked us not to take any photos or videos so we didn’t spoil the magic for anyone else, so I complied with their request, but it felt like getting a VIP tour without a guide telling you fun facts. We walked through a backstage door and under the mountain, seeing all the wires, boxes, and other things that hold the coaster together. It was one of the more incredible experiences I’ve had at Disney World- we didn’t mind missing the last part of the ride, considering.
Does Disney Make It Up To You If You Have To Be Evacuated From A Ride?
They do! On the way out, they ask you to scan your pass or magic band and automatically load a Lightening Lane to your MDE account. It’s a pretty cool perk and appreciated; however, I do have to warn you that it’s more of what I would call a Lightning Lane lite. It depends on the park, but it only allows you to book lightning lanes for the less popular attractions. Epcot has the worst selection, as it excludes any ride that (in my opinion) ever has more than a half-hour natural wait time, including Test Track and Soarin’. Animal Kingdom has the best selection, including Kilimanjaro Safaris, N’avi River Adventure, and Expedition Everest, all rides that often have long waits. If you break down at the end of the day (which tends to be our luck)- they give you a Lightening Lane that is good for the next day. You can see the video below for a detailed offering.
An example of options you’re given when you have to be evacuated from a Disney ride.
One last note…
As you can see, getting stuck on a ride and manually evacuating can be a fun, out-of-the-usual Disney experience that you couldn’t even pay for. However, it’s good to remember that this info is based on our personal experiences and is subject to change at any time. Also, unfortunately, if you’re waiting in line (even if you’ve been waiting awhile) and a ride breaks down, they are great about informing you that it won’t be coming back up for a while, but they don’t make it up to you with any other perks, like a Lightening Lane.