Alright, Addicts, we all know things break down and some take time to fix. Is it frustrating? Absolutely! However, for us Disney Addicts when a ride breaks down in Walt Disney World it is almost a dream come true! Most of us who have been to Walt Disney World several times see it as almost a right of passage to be on a ride that has broken down and you have to be evacuated off. Weird, we know, but also so cool to potentially see the behind the scenes aspects of a ride!
Rides break down all the time, really it’s inevitable for the number of guests who experience each ride throughout the day. But what is really cool is the fact that the Cast Members can see the potential break down before the guests even notice. I’m sure you already know about the secret passages and corridors that houses a complex series of computers monitoring the functionality of every piece of hardware on the Disney campus.
As well all also know, Imagineers have the highest imaginable safety standards, which requires all devices to perform at the 99th percentile. Once any part starts to malfunction the system automatically registers a 101 error signaling to cast members that a ride is not operational.
Sometimes a 101 error is a quick fix and some may take longer. Guests on the attraction will be able to tell the type of error by the message you hear. If it is a quick fix you will hear, “Please remain seated. Your ride vehicle will begin moving momentarily.” If the attraction is going to be down a bit longer you will hear a longer message that indicates the attraction will require significant repairs and thereby remain out of operation for a while. If this is the case, a cast member will offer suggestions to guests departing the ride area.
When guests are escorted off a ride, Cast Members escort to an exit closest to their location. Here comes the exciting part I was speaking of at the start of the article! Some of these exists aren’t ones that guests would ever see if they weren’t exited off the attraction! These exits are carefully hidden while the ride is in operation. Disney utilizes these exists to make an inconvenient situation as smooth and safe as possible for guests.
Some of the corrections are possible to fix by remote. Cast members have the ability to see where a reset is needed and send a signal to reboot the hardware. Other times a ride breaks down for more significant reasons and the repairs call for a more hands-on approach. In some cases, Cast members must walk the length of the attraction, visually inspecting ride elements for potential malfunctions. Sometimes the malfunction could be a dropped object, which may not seem like a big deal, but when vehicle carts move at a fast pace, this sort of track blockage is dangerous.
In either instance, a FastPass+ replacement or directions to nearby attractions with short lines are offered. In addition, if you have a FastPass for a broken-down ride, Disney will notify you via email that you can choose a replacement.
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There are several places where you used exists when you should have used exits.