PHOTOS and VIDEOS: Experience 13 Different Ride Evacuations in Disney World

Sometimes things go wrong in Disney World. It can be something minor, like forgetting a poncho when it rains, or something major, like losing your wallet. But, some things are just simply out of your control — like how the rides run in the parks.

Tower of Terror temporarily closed

Rides can shut down without warning for a number of reasons like weather or technical difficulties. Sometimes you can even be ON the rides when they shut down and need to be evacuated. This is a unique experience in Disney World, as you usually get to see parts of the ride others don’t. So, if you’ve ever wanted to see what these evacuations can look like without getting stuck on a ride, we’ve got ya covered!

Magic Kingdom

Splash Mountain

Listen, Splash Mountain gets evacuated a LOT. Not like every week or anything, but definitely more than a lot of other rides in the parks!

Sometimes you get stopped on the ride just for a few moments and then keep moving, but those times that you’re waiting there for a while is when Cast Members will most likely come to assist you out of your log flume and off the ride.

Everyone out!

It’s pretty bizarre to look up and just see people walking along the side of the ride!

This usually happens due to some form of technical difficulties.

Hello up there

But, if you do get evacuated, you get to experience parts of the ride that many others do not!

The PeopleMover

The PeopleMover over in Tomorrowland is another ride that is known for being evacuated pretty frequently.

PeopleMover being evacuated

You wouldn’t think this one would since it’s just a slow, continuously moving ride with no hills or spins or anything. But, it happens!

The evacuation process isn’t as intense as some of the other ones in Disney World, because you just step out of your ride vehicle and onto the side of the ride.

Just know that you might not get the relaxing ride you thought you were getting when you get on the PeopleMover!

Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise doesn’t get evacuated very often at all, but it did have a pretty famous evacuation back in 2020 when a BOAT SANK.

Guest Photo c/o Amy D.

Yeah, a boat straight up sunk down into the water, so obviously those guests had to be evacuated from the boat! Don’t worry though, everyone involved in the incident was okay.

Tomorrowland Speedway

Tomorrowland Speedway is probably the least exciting evacuation on this list, because you literally just get out of your car and walk on the road. 😂

There’s trouble on the tracks!

This happened recently when one of the cars started smoking, so a Cast Member came over to help people out of their cars.

A Cast Member helping guests

It wasn’t a situation where the whole ride had to be evacuated because the cars are on different tracks.

Time to go!

This is also a pretty rare event, so it’s not very likely to happen to you!

Space Mountain

A Space Mountain evacuation could either be the best or the worst experience, depending on how you feel. If you’re evacuated from Space Mountain, the lights will be turned on and you’ll get to see the entire track that’s usually in the pitch dark!

Space Mountain Queue Evacuated

If you have always wanted to see that, then this could be cool for you! But, it can also make you realized just how close together everything is on the track. It could scare you into never raising your hands on the ride again!

Guests Leaving Space Mountain

It’s hard to get photos during this evacuation, but know that the queue for the ride can also be evacuated in these instances.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Regularly one of the longest lines in Disney World, it is not fun to wait hours for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train only to be evacuated from the ride.

Guests Were Evacuated from the Ride

This doesn’t happen very often though, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it too much (knock on wood!).

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train stuck

We had a reader send us these photos from an evacuation back in October of 2020.

Hollywood Studios

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

Not too long ago, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was evacuated due to smoke in the building. It got a little bit too rock ‘n’ roll on the ride!

No one was hurt in the incident, and nothing was even on fire, but it did shut down the ride for several hours.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Closed

All of those people in line didn’t get backstage passes after all!

Click here to see who Disney guests think should replace Aerosmith on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster!

Rise of the Resistance

Oh, Rise of the Resistance. Why do you cause so much trouble?! Rise breaks down frequently, and this time we do mean like every week frequently. It’s the most popular ride in Disney World and it’s considered by many to be the best ride in the park, but its biggest downfall is how often it shuts down.

Rise of the Resistance down

Just know that this can be a possibility for the ride. If you are on the ride when it breaks down, you will likely receive a Lightning Lane pass to return and re-ride it later in the day if it reopens. Sometimes, passes are also given to guests who are about to board the attraction.

Rise of the Resistance

If you had purchased a lightning lane for the ride and it breaks down, you will be able to redeem it at a different point during the day if the ride reopens. If the ride does not reopen, you will usually receive a refund.

We were given a pass to ride at any time later today if the ride reopens

We have been evacuated off of the ride before, and we were escorted out of our vehicle and back out into Galaxy’s Edge.

Being escorted out of the ride

Make sure to manage your expectations about getting on this ride during your trip!

Click here to read more about what to do when Rise of the Resistance breaks down in Disney World

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Smugglers Run has been evacuated a couple times in the past, and both were when a fire alarm was going off.

Guests leaving ride

In 2020, one user on Twitter noted that the area smelled like smoke when the fire alarm was going off. The ride did reopen later in the day. Then, in 2021, the fire alarm went off again and caused the ride and line to evacuate. Again, the ride reopened later in the day.

So, even though this doesn’t happen often, it can happen — stealing Coaxium is no joke!

Slinky Dog Dash

We covered Slinky Dog Dash being evacuated back in August of 2021. After everyone was off of the ride and the problem was fixed, Slinky then had to go through a couple of test runs before the ride could reopen!

This is standard procedure for most rides at Disney World — Cast Members make sure the ride is working and safe before allowing guests to board again!

VIDEOS: See What It’s Like to Be Evacuated Off of 6 Disney World Rides

Animal Kingdom

Expedition Everest

In late 2020, Expedition Everest broke down, causing the ride vehicles to stop on the tracks. Our friends over at AllEars shared a video of the vehicles halted on their Twitter account.

Disney safely evacuated the guests from the ride, but we can’t even imagine how intimidating it must have been to be sitting on that hill…and to have to walk DOWN from that hill.

Kali River Rapids

In Spring of 2021, the fire department actually had to get involved with an evacuation at Kali River Rapids. A Cast Member said that the ride was being evacuated and the Fire Department was helping guests out of the ride.

Kali River Rapids post-evacuation

The fire department does not usually have to get involved in evacuations, so something was definitely out of the norm. We didn’t get to actually see the evacuation.

EPCOT

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Even Disney World’s newest rides aren’t without issues! Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure broke down in November of 2021 and required a full ride evacuation. Thanks to a Disney World guest, Doris, we were able to take a look at what happens. As you can see, all the lights are turned on.

Credit: DFB reader Doris

Guests also used a step stool to exit the cars and to avoid standing on the attraction vehicles. From there, families were walked out of the attraction. This process could REALLY immerse you in the feeling of being a small rat in the kitchen!

Credit: DFB reader Doris

So, that’s what evacuations look like for 13 rides in Disney World! Just know that Cast Members are trained to know exactly what to do in these situations to keep you safe, so listen to them and be kind. If you do get evacuated from a ride, you will usually get a Lightning Lane pass that can be used on the ride if it reopens or on several other rides in the parks.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news, tips, and info.

Click here to see the rides that people actually ENJOY getting stuck on in Disney World!

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Which rides have you been evacuated from in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!

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